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Canal game
Nene and Grand Union, summer 1996
How many turns?
A 2-week trip from Alvechurch Boats at Gayton via the Grand Union
Northampton Arm and the River Nene to Oundle, returning the same way,
then on the Grand Union main line to Norton Junction and back. Total
97 miles and 100 locks.
This was our most expensive hireboat cruise so far, for our tenth
wedding anniversary, a fortnight in August in a 16-metre narrow boat
and just the two of us. The boat had 240V power, a proper bedroom with
wardrobe and mirror, kitchen, dining and sitting areas; nothing that
had to be converted, or compromised for space.
I'm fond of saying that I don't like rivers, the levels change too
much, there is a current that complicates everything, and mooring is
usually a problem. However, they are often more scenic, and being deeper
and wider they make handling the boat more fun. We found only one
guide to the river (Imray), which was good, but a little out of date on
moorings; several times the mooring we were aiming for was not there, and
others were not marked. We got by, and of course we were a lot more
planned on the way back.
Unlike many canal boats, which are cooled by conduction through the
steel hull, this one used river water through an intermediate heat
exchanger. The water was sucked in through a mudbox, which had become full,
which made the pump suck so hard that it collapsed the inlet pipe. With
the extra effort of going upstream the engine overheated and started to
squirt steam out of the water exit hole. Fortunately we were able to
make it to a lock mooring, and didn't have to throw out the anchor.
The contrast on getting back onto the canal system was huge. On the
Nene we saw maybe half-a-dozen boats in a day. On the GU there'd be that
many stern-to-bow in one convoy. But there is the New Inn to compensate.
Extracts from the diary...
- Fri 1996-08-02
- Away 15h25. The boat has 24V for lighting, 12V for engine and cellphone
charging, and 240V via inverter for microwave, fridge, coffee maker, hair
drier, toaster. Water heated by either engine or gas boiler, which also can
heat the cabin via radiators. Nice fittings, little wall lights and ceiling
fluorescents, clock and barometer, TV and radio/cassette. Adequate
cupboard space, as there should be for 2 on a 4-berth boat. From front, day
room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom. BMC engine, stopped by keyswitch, a bit
noisy. 14 locks today, ending between locks 14 and 15, moored to an
overgrown bank. Saw 2 other boats moving and one moored. Stopped at 18h25.
2.25 miles, 3 hours. Locks a bit arduous with 2, but good ladders so I could
get off and help, and also closed the far-side bottom gate with the
boathook to save Caff walking round. Dull, but still shirt-sleeve weather.
- Sat 1996-08-03
- Start 0840 in sunshine. Through the three remaining Grand Union locks
and onto the Nene, with wide and heavy locks. Stop for lunch at Britannia
Inn, 1140..1330, large, trendy pub with food. Evening stopping before
Cogenhoe lock at 15h45. Many boats here, by a caravan park. Locks are very
heavy, paddles taking 70..80 turns, though so far the guillotines have been
electric. From here, they're manual and about 100 turns. Eve walk up the
hill to Royal Oak pub. Facilities on the river are sparse, no water point
spotted yet (there was meant to be one at Northampton) and none listed
till Wellingborough. There is a tap here, but not for hoses, only for
containers.
- Sun 1996-08-04
- Sunny and very hot all day, little wind, except for a single, isolated
gale-force gust that blew spray off the river and carried away my 16-year
old VIA baseball cap. Start 1015, slightly aground, liaising with friends
by phone and meeting at Wollaston lock, where moor above at 1335. By car to
Stags Head in Great Doddington. Arrive at moorings in Wellingborough at
1715, watering after arrival. Today 6 miles, 7 locks, 4h20m. Mooring at
Wellingborough by a public park, busy during the day, fishers and lovers
as it gets darker. The lock where I counted, Barton, took 92 turns to raise
or lower the guillotine. Another lock had about 70 for the paddles. Passed
about 6 or 8 boats today, but none here in Wellingborough with us, and
suspect many today were local and out for the sunny weekend.
- Mon 1996-08-05
- Sunny and very hot all day. To Tesco for more food, booze and mineral
water. Checking oil, discover that the dipstick hole has disappeared (this
took me a while to believe) - in fact the dipstick tube had come away with
the dipstick. While finding out where it was supposed to go, I discovered
the cause of yesterday afternoon's failure to start until the 3rd turn of
the key - the lead to the solenoid had a crimp corroded through and now
it's broken off. So the man comes out and fixes both the dipstick and
the starter. Start 11h15, after more water as I had a shower which used
an incredible amount - it shot out, and control was only off/cold->hot,
no flow control. Another, private, boat watering here as well, keeping
track with us and mooring close eve. Leisurely run, to moor at new 48-hour
moorings being constructed upstream of Irthlingborough lock. Here
13h45..15h00, having lunch and watching a man putting up the posts for a
new sign. Ditchford lock has a radial gate rather than guillotine (deep) and
is very heavy. Fisherman here said he'd been there since 6h and seen
only us. Altogether today we've seen 4 boats moving, and passed none.
Shared one lock (Lower Ringstead) with a small noddy boat. We expected
to be able to moor downstream of lock at Lower Ringstead, but no way, so
a great panic to find a mooring. We found a moorable spot just upstream of
Denford lock, at 18h30. Cock Inn at Denford nearby, but no food Monday
evening, eat on boat. Today 11.33mi, 7 locks, 6 hours.
- Tue 1996-08-06
- A little rain during the night and a few spots while cruising, rest of
the day dull but warm, with sunny spells; hot and humid PM. Thunderstorm
after mooring. Leave 09h45. Not possible to moor for Thrapston, except one
place at the pay-for linear "marina", so we didn't. Met "London Pride", a
short narrow boat, with whom we did all of the remaining locks. Lunch at
Kings Head, Wadenhoe at the junction of the lock-cut and backwater. Awkward,
shallow mooring, but beautiful pub and garden, basic food and good beer
(free house), young people starting a business, presume had been closed
or run-down before. Stop 12h30..13h40. Take on water at landing stage above
Upper Barnwell lock. Turn into the marina, but no overnight mooring, so we
end up just above Lower Barnwell lock at 16h05. Walk across field into Oundle,
and have coffee in a tea-shop. Last boat through the lock was a narrowboat,
whose crew watched the level stay down as they raised the paddles, as they'd
left the guillotine about a half-metre up, then left the guillotine down on
leaving, and then got themselves across the canal.
- Wed 1996-08-07
- A pottering day. Started cold and very windy. Start out at 09h10, turning
the boat above Lower Barnwell lock (tying the bow to a mooring post and just
swinging the stern in the width), then lunch again at the Kings Head, Wadenhoe,
11h30..13h00. Only one other boat here this time. PM warmer, less wind, some
sunshine later. Moor at Sailing Club 48-hour moorings at 14h45 and walk into
Thrapston. Town dead or dying, lots of boarded shops, charity shops, estate
agents. Not clear if killed by bypass or otherwise, but a great contrast to
Oundle, which had lots of small real shops. Rest of PM lazing. Seen about
6 boats today. Today 8mi, 4 locks, 4h5m. Water at Upper Barnwell lock while
finishing lock.
- Thu 1996-08-08
- Again a dullish morning, brighter and warm in the afternoon, when out of
the wind. Start 09h35, pass a boat at the first lock, second on our own, and
the next four with a private boat from Wigan. More boats than before - at
one lock we (2 boats) followed one up, passed 2 NBs going down, and there was
one waiting behind us. Stop at the new moorings by the football club by
Irthlingborough at 14h00 and stop there for the rest of the day. Walk into the
town (dull) and scramble across fields back to the lock, then back via the
Nene Way. Eve on boat, watching it get dark, the lights coming on and the
floodlit church spires. Today 6mi, 6 locks, 4h25m. Note that height of the
superstructure of the guillotine locks and the distance the gate is raised
is independent of the fall of the lock - it's always raised by (depth of
water downstream) + (headroom) - which is constant. What changes is the
relation between bottom of gate in up position and top of lock chamber -
it's above on shallow locks and below on deep ones. Since we moored, only
two cruisers and one NB have passed in 6h of daylight.
- Fri 1996-08-09
- Anniversary. Start 09h15, after some rain last night and this morning,
and a little during the day. Always warm, and a little sunshine in the
afternoon. Pass at one or two locks, stopping on embankment at Wellingborough
at 11h50. Water here, and shop at Tesco, as does "Royal Tern". Depart 13h45
and moor above Wollaston lock at 15h. Then break out the 1st bottle of fizz,
and watch the world go by (or 2 narrowboats plus a hotel pair at least) and
listen to the cricket. 2nd bottle of fizz with celebratory meal on board
tonight. Today 6.67mi, 5 locks, 3h50m.
- Sat 1996-08-10
- Dull to start, with one heavy shower falling on us (after several in the
night), brightening to a mostly sunny and warm afternoon. Start off at 08h45,
through the last few manual guillotine locks, helped by crossing at one or
two. Enforced stop below Whiston lock when the engine temp gauge went up to
>100degC, and the clouds of steam in the exhaust increased. Cooled, and
added water, engine was boiling off coolant. The boat with the Welsh name
came alongside and offered to go behind to rescue us if it happened again,
but slowly we made it to Cogenhoe without going over 85degC. Repair stop
was 10h40..11h30, arrive above Cogenhoe at 12h15. Lunch here. Several calls to
boatyard in this time. Discovered at Cogenhoe that filter was clear, but tube
from filter to pump was being sucked almost flat when the engine ran. Further
investigation found that the cooling intake in the mud box was underneath a
pile of grey-black ooze. Groping inside at full stretch I got most of this
out, and now cooling water is more copious and gauge stays down <80degC.
Start again at 13h20, now hot, and proceed through the 3 electric guillotines
and the 3 conventional river locks, and onto the canals again, mooring between
brs 14 and 13, at 17h30. Canal feels slow and constricting after the river;
the power turns in the deep wide river were very satisfying. Though even
here on the canal mooring is difficult, need the plank tonight. Today 11mi
(10 on river, 1 on canal), 13 locks (11 on river, 2 on canal), 6h50m.
- Sun 1996-08-11
- Rain overnight, then dull, building to hot and sunny during the flight.
Remaining so until after mooring, when rain with distant thunder. Start
09h45. We did the first lock on our own, but at the next the Welsh-named boat
caught up, and they helped us by closing behind, as they had 2 on the bank.
Centre couple of lock pounds very short of water. Hot work. Got to boatyard
at ~1245, for water and pump-out, leaving ~1310, then mooring for lunch just
round the corner at br 47 at 13h30. On again at 14h30, and moor just beyond
br 35 at 16h00. What a contrast from the river; boats everywhere. After we
moored, a couple of dozen must have passed, most so fast that the spikes
needed attention. A failed attempt at mooring after br 36, had us holding
on while a convoy of 6 went past. Eve to "Old Wharf Inn" a new and fairly
horrible pub by br 36. Bass not too bad. Canals advantages: towpath, moor
anywhere, lots of pubs, no current, no panics; disadvantages: too many
boats, so less friendly to each other. Today 7.5mi, 15 locks (all narrow),
4h40m. There are still boats going past here at ~21h.
- Mon 1996-08-12
- Lots of rain overnight, but dry during the day. Overcast, but warm,
mostly, with the occasional sunny spell. Walk into Bugbrooke for paper, then
start at 10h45, heading slowly N. Two boats roared past us, unable to keep
to our pace, which was not much less that 4mi/h, if at all, away from moored
boats and anglers. Stop after br 26 for lunch at the Narrowboat (good)
11h55..13h00. Then on, through lock with "Rosedale", a private boat. Locks
heavy, some bottom gates that I could not move unaided. Arr at Norton
junction at 16h50, take on water, then moor at 17h00, on the 48-hour moorings.
The boat behind us had one crewman on a bike, rushing up and down the flight,
helping no-one. He put his bike down at the best mooring at the top, but we
ignored this (boats being better at bagging moorings than bikes) and moored
there. Another boat then came and took his next choice, and finally he got
into the last possible mooring, not quite on the water point. Eve watch an
engine being lifted in through the roof of a trad-style NB here on the
48-hour moorings by a mobile crane. Moored next to a couple who've been out
since Easter, trying to decide if they could retire to the boat and sell
their house. Eve to New Inn, which was just as ever, good beer (good food,
but we'd eaten first), good atmosphere. Today 8mi, 7l, 5 hours.
- Tue 1996-08-13
- Dry all day. Cool and overcast to start, then working up to a warm and
sunny afternoon and a warm evening. Late rise, then walk to Watford flight
calling on the way at Watford Gap Motorway services for a paper. Then lunch
at the New Inn, before starting at 13h05, turning in the junction, and going
down the flight. Went down with "Tumbling Water". Stop below flight
14h40..15h05 to buy Caff another revolving-handle windlass, then on to moor
near br 26 again eve at 16h30. Evening to the Narrowboat Inn in their
Cantonese restaurant. Excellent, though quantity a bit much for us. Today
5.5mi, 7l, 3h.
- Wed 1996-08-14
- The first day, as I recall, that the sun never appeared, though dry and
still and warm. Walk towards Flore to see River Nene and mill, and back via
Nene Way path through wheatfield and over the river again. Lunch on boat, then
to water point 200m or so away at br 26. Start 13h20, and stop at Bugbrooke
between brs 34 and 35, at virtually the same spot as Sunday eve at 14h30. Run
he engine on a little to make 2h total running. Re-clean intake, as flow
decreasing, inlet pipe more pinched and a little steam starting to appear
in exhaust. Aft reading and exploring. Today 3mi, 0 locks, 1h10m. Eve to
"5 Bells", public bar, very pleasant.
- Thu 1996-08-15
- Last full day. Overcast to start, then the sun broke through so most of
the day hot and sunny, then overcast and hot from late PM. Walk into Bugbrooke
for paper, then start 09h45, going to accommodation bridge by footpath to
Gayton (br 46) at 11h00. Walk along FP to village, and a quick drink at the
Queen Victoria Inn, before coming back via the roads. Then a lazy day reading
in the sun, and cleaning the boat. Engine run 1h before starting and again
in eve to keep 24V system charged and to get hot water tomorrow morning. Eve
on boat. Today 3.25mi, 0l, 1h15m. While sitting on the boat in the sunshine,
no wind to speak of, there was a turmoil in the water that at first I thought
was an animal swimming, but it suddenly moved rapidly across the canal,
clearly spinning violently and throwing off spray - a sort of micro whirlwind.
- Fri 1996-08-16
- Up at 6h30, watching a heron fishing for its breakfast in the early mist,
just starting to lift in the watery sunshine. Sheep and cows in the fields,
and nothing else moving, nothing else audible (between the trains). What a
contrast to the latter part of the day. Start about 7h55, to arrive at the
boatyard 8h20.
Summary of canal trip August 1996
---------------------------------
Day Date Hours Miles Locks Water
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri 960802 3h00m 2.2 14 -
Sat 960803 5h25m 7.3 9 -
Sun 960804 4h20m 6 7 Wellingborough
Mon 960805 6h00m 11.3 7 Wellingborough
Tue 960806 5h10m 9.7 6 Upper Barnwell lock
Wed 960807 4h05m 8 4 Upper Barnwell lock
Thu 960808 4h25m 6 6 -
Fri 960809 3h50m 6.6 5 Wellingborough
Sat 960810 6h50m 11 13 -
Sun 960811 4h40m 7.5 15 Boatyard
Mon 960812 5h00m 8 7 Norton junction
Tue 960813 3h00m 5.5 7 -
Wed 960814 1h10m 3 - Bridge 26, Weedon
Thu 960815 1h15m 3.2 - -
Fri 960816 0h25m 1.2 - -
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 58h35m 96.5 100
Day Lunch Evening
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri - SP723587 Nth arm, locks 14 and 15
Sat SP779595 Britannia Inn SP830613 Cogenhoe, 'Royal Oak'
Sun SP888644 Wollaston, 'Stags' Hd' SP902667 Wellingborough
Mon SP958711 Diamond Cntr mrg SP991769 Denford, 'Cock Inn'
Tue TL011834 'King's Head' TL041873 Lower Barnwell lock
Wed TL011834 'King's Head' SP993794 Thrapston (Sailing Club)
Thu SP958711 Diamond Cntr mrg SP958711 Diamd Cntr mrg Irthlingborough
Fri SP902667 Wellingborough SP888645 Wollaston lock
Sat SP830613 Cogenhoe lock SP735596 Nth arm, brs 14 and 13
Sun SP716555 br 47 SP669575 br 35 'Old Wharf Inn'
Mon SP638590 br 26 'Narrowboat' SP605657 Norton jn 'New Inn'
Tue SP605657 'New Inn' SP638590 'Narrowboat' (Cantonese)
Wed SP638590 br 26 SP669575 Bugbrooke 'Five Bells'
Thu SP709555 br 46 Gayton SP709555 Gayton
Fri - -
Day Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri Northampton flight
Sat Apostrophe pub
Sun Hat lost
Mon Tesco; starter rewired; looking for somewhere to moor
Tue "London Pride"; Oundle
Wed Turn; Thrapston
Thu -
Fri Anniversary
Sat Heavy shower; engine boiled; back to canal
Sun Northampton flight; pump-out
Mon Whilton and Buckby locks; watch engine craned in
Tue Walk to Watford flight; turn; Whilton and Buckby locks; new windlass
Wed No sunshine; walk to mill
Thu Walk to Gayton; micro whirlwind
Fri -
Locks ------- Speed ------
Day Hours Miles River Canal Formula Ave Adj
------------------------------------------------------------
Fri 3.00 2.2 - 14 2.29 0.73 1.52
Sat 5.42 7.3 6 3 4.27 1.35 2.03
Sun 4.33 6.0 7 - 3.75 1.39 2.33
Mon 6.00 11.3 7 - 5.52 1.89 2.66
Tue 5.17 9.7 6 - 4.73 1.88 2.64
Wed 4.08 8.0 4 - 3.67 1.96 2.60
Thu 4.42 6.0 6 - 3.50 1.36 2.05
Fri 3.83 6.6 5 - 3.45 1.72 2.56
Sat 6.83 11.0 11 2 6.34 1.61 2.85
Sun 4.67 7.5 - 15 4.17 1.61 2.50
Mon 5.00 8.0 - 7 3.44 1.60 1.89
Tue 3.00 5.5 - 7 2.61 1.83 2.48
Wed 1.17 3.0 - - 1.00 2.56 2.56
Thu 1.25 3.2 - - 1.07 2.56 2.56
Fri 0.42 1.2 - - 0.40 2.86 2.86
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary 58.51 96.5 52 48 50.5 1.65 2.40
Formula is: miles/3 + canal_locks/9 + river_locks/4
Average speed is: miles/hours.
Adjusted average speed is: miles/(hours - canal_locks/9 - river_locks/4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craft: White Stork; 54-foot.
Boatyard: Alvechurch Boats, Gayton Marina
©
2003-03-01..2019-07-01
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