Oxford Canal:Back to Barby

The wind has got up for the first time after the last 10 days or more.  Pity we didn’t have the wind generator up last night!   However it is just as cold and cruising into a head wind not at all pleasant.   On the Grand Union section we found long lines of moored boats on the popular piled lengths, but as were are early risers, no moving boats until the bridge at Braunston and another bridge shortly after on the Oxford again.  At the latter there was no immediately obvious precedence, so we both slammed into reverse and we were waved on.  I felt sorry for this boat after a kind gesture, they were caught by the wind now a side wind and rapidly taken to the bank.  Getting off a bank, likely to be aground perhaps in a side wind is a challenge.   All credit to him he knew the moves but watching behind it was indeed a struggle.   For my part I was almost certainly under dressed for the weather and on our arrival  still had enough mental energy to put the boat into a narrow pontoon mooring in a crosswind but was definitely borderline hypothermic with uncontrolled shivering when back on the boat.  Thank goodness for the solid fuel stove which is always on in this kind of weather.  Home tomorrow.