Canal Cruising

Lots of Restored Lock Keeper Houses

WHEEDON/BUGBROOKE

Jan. 10, 2023

Before leaving Napton on the Hill we walked over to the Napton Cidery for a tasting. The fellow there was quite the storyteller and amused us throughout with his tales of making cider. He proudly told us that they use 17 varieties of apples in their ciders. The ciders were quite tasty, and we ended up buying a couple of small bottles along with a larger bottle of brandy for medicinal purposes. Diane spotted a ginger cider that she served us hot. Wish we had purchased more of that!

While docked at Napton, a woman walking her dog commented on our boat names, The Duke and The Duchess. She remarked, “Hope you don’t have that Sussex fellow aboard. We don’t want him back here.” She, of course, was referring to Prince Harry. The Brits seem quite upset about his interviews and latest book. British commentators have declared that for someone who complained about having no privacy and battled with the media over articles about him and/or his wife, he sure is using the media to his benefit right now and spilling very personal information while making a sizable profit. A big issue with his book is his comment about killing 25 Taliban. As a former officer this is just not good form. I still want to read the book!

After leaving Napton on the Hill, we eventually came to Braunston Junction leaving the Oxford Canal and joining the Grand Union Canal. The Grand Union is a much wider waterway and there are miles of hedge rows along the towpath with meadows and farms peeking through.

Morning Moon

Once we made the turn onto the Grand Union Canal to the town of Braunston, this was all new territory for Dave and me. We had cruised past this area but now had the time to explore the town. We found the local butcher shop and purchased a variety of pot pies. We were asking the local folk where the best “Sunday Roast” meal would be but the highly rated pub was too far a walk so settled on the canal side restaurant, The Boat House. They had a buffet of roast beef, ham and turkey with a bevy of vegetables including parsnips which I have grown to enjoy. Diane and I shared a…you guessed it…sticky toffee pudding, and it was one of the best. I must find a recipe for it.

Pub Selections

David chatting with the local pub patrons

Leaving the sweet village of Braunston, we cruised through the Braunston Tunnel which is 2042 yards long. It was rather claustrophobic and creepy for me. The exit seemed much closer than it was. It is built, they say, wide enough for two boats to pass in the tunnel but it was hard enough navigating it without another boat heading towards you and attempting to pass!

Mike and Diane entering the tunnel behind us

There was light at the end of the tunnel!

Our next stop was the village of Weedon. David suggested I take a shower since we had a long stretch without locks. Getting all my gear off is such a chore but a shower sounded like a good idea since we would be able to stop at a water station. I got everything off and turned on the faucet and nothing happened. Grabbed a towel and went to the stern and told David. He said to turn on the water pump which I did. I returned to the shower and tried again. No water. I was so frustrated and cold that I just put all my gear back on and joined David at the stern. David was puzzled so checked out the water and of course, it flowed without a hitch for him. There was no way I was going to strip off my three layers again!

Chatting alongside in the lock

Teamwork

We had 13 locks and a 7 hour day to get to Weedon. The locks on the Grand Union Canal are wide enough for two boats so it was less time for us to get through them. The gates on these locks are so huge and most were really a tussle to close. You could hear Diane and I grunting. At one of the locks, the gates were closed, and I proceeded to cross over walking on the plank on top of the gate. About halfway across, the gate started to swing open taking me for a ride above the lock, and I was yelling, “Diane, Diane!” There was nothing she could do since she was on the other side. I had to reverse course and crab walk back to my side and reclose the gate before attempting again to cross. That was a thrill.

The Famous Napton Windmill

We were able to fill up with water, dispose of trash and get fuel and more coal along the way. As a treat for all of us, David had made cinnamon rolls which we devoured while fueling. We stopped for the night in Weedon and enjoyed our pot pies. I was exhausted so really enjoyed the long evening of rest.

It was another early morning departure from Weedon in the wind and rain. We had a 12 mile trek ahead of us to Stoke Bruerne. We only traveled about an hour and a half, and I suggested we take shelter from the storm and dock at Bugbrooke to discuss what we wanted to do. We decided it was a good idea to take a break from the cold and warm up inside. David had the coal fire stoked so all was right with the world. We had our gear hanging near the stove drying off.

After stopping in Bugbrooke to wait out the worst of the weather and warm ourselves up, we walked over to the nearby canal side pub and had a “Fabulous Fried Food Fest”. We ordered fries with gravy and cheese, chili cheese fries, garlic mayo and ketchup fries, fried scampi, and onion rings. Diane made a comment that she wanted nachos but felt we had plenty grease already. The young bartender/cook surprised her with a plate of nachos which was so very nice of him.

After lunch we decided that since the rain had stopped, we would press on leaving Bugbrooke behind. A little over an hour later the wind started to pick up, and it was growing dark. The Blisworth Tunnel which is 3,076 yards long was about a mile away. I wasn’t looking forward to being in another dark tunnel and then popping out in the dark, so we found a tie up for the night.

Pub Entrance

We will go through the tunnel in the morning and then it is a very short distance to Stowe Bruerne where we plan to stay tomorrow evening. The same repairman who brought a new refrigerator to Mike and Diane is returning tomorrow to fix the washing machine. He hooked it up to hot water, and it should have been hooked up to cold.
Not a major mistake but it has been a slight inconvenience.

Our top speed has been around 3 miles an hour, but locks do slow down our progress. We also gear down when passing any boats that are moored which extends our travel time. There are stretches of the canals that are lined with boats sometimes on both sides. We are always amazed at the number of boats docked in marinas. Can’t imagine all of them on the canals all at the same time! This is why winter canal cruising makes sense for us. Less traffic and more mooring locations. We were told that in the summer, the locks are so congested that there are 6-10 boats queued up on both sides waiting their turn to go through. We practically have them all to ourselves.