Wednesday July 2nd
In strong contrast to yesterday, the day began chilly and overcast. Setting off early as usual I reached Fenny at 08:45 and feeling the urge to top up with diesel, I stopped at what is now called “Crafted Boats” Prreviusly just Fenny Marina as I recall. The wharf opens at 09:00 on Wednesdays, so used the time to get ready and put a kettle on. Job done, and at 09:15 I was on the way again. In this top pound the water levels are down, maybe around 6 inches (difficult to tell) but it is quite noticeable in two respects. Firstly the shallows become more evident and secondly, “bank effect” can get quite strong dragging the stern into these shallows if not careful which is tricky on a bend. Easier to just take things a bit slower. Later on, after the Claydon Flight, water levels were normal. I arrived just at the right juncture at Claydon Top to find a boat just exiting the lock, but the next lock was empty. However an upcoming appeared below just at the right time to relieve me the need to shut the bottom gates. (Single handing I try to stop just beyond the gates to be able to step up to the lock wall from the boat roof to shut them rather than moor up below). At the middle lock there was a team of volunteer lock keepers and one very kindly assisted me all the way to the bottom lock. So all in all an easy and swift descent. Below the bottom lock there was the expected line of waiting and moored boats. Offside vegetation, particularly hanging tree branches, whilst not blocking the water nearly lost me my TV aerial while passing an opposite direction. A stream of opposite direction boats thereafter matched my progress very well. I have stopped just above Cropredy Lock (arrival 13:05). Time to give the boat a little TLC.
I sometimes bring a few gardening items with me, though not this time. There wont be room. However the battery hedge trimmer has been useful in the past and I could have used it today. Where locks are associated with a bridge below, it is easy to stop at the bottom in the bridge hole to walk up and close bottom gates. It would have been difficult at this lock due to the vegetation overgrowth and would have. Benefitted from the hedge trimmer!
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