Oxford Canal:Claydon

We set off first thing to have a good run up the Napton Flight and almost immediately saw a boat following us, obviously with the same idea.   For the most part the locks were empty for us, so progress was rapid, Pat working ahead as usual so that the boat had an unbroken run from lock to lock save for the need for me to close the top gates with the boat stationary in the lock throat.   A quick nip back to the bottom gate to lift a paddle for the boat behind seemed a small favour for them by way of compensation for beating them to it.   At Marston Doles Top we closed up just too soon for a coal boat arriving at the lock and later found that its passage had pulled out all the mooring pins of a boat moored at the back of the line.   The Oxford Canal in this section seems as shallow as ever.   Progress is slow and the bank effect when passing another boat requires serious compensation or cutting the power to avoid running the bow into the opposite bank.  Further on it seems not so bad.   The wide views that could be granted over a huge swathe of countryside are denied us by the huge hedges that have grown out of control.  Such a shame.   Machines are available to keep hedges under control, but once they grow to over 12 feet high chainsaws and chippers become necessary at great expense.   Our plan put us at the top of the Claydon Flight for the night.   Tomorrow Banbury if we can get through Cropredy that is.  Its the music festival this weekend and I am expecting the canal to be congested.