Napton to Braunston

Sun 30th Sep  Napton (and Parkhead Canal Festival).

Dawn near Napton

We got ourselves up and ready early, and we were there to meet Stephen at 8am at what used to be the pub called “The Bridge at Napton”. He turned up in a camper van, so James went in the front and Hazel in the saloon, with guitars etc.

Stephen knows the roads around here, and we arrived at the festival at about 9.15am and were able to drive right up to the marquee, where we unloaded our gear. There was a PA man called Paddy who got us plugged in and switched on. Our sound check could be heard right across the site. Then he put on some classical music and disappeared.  When we came to the start of the service our system was very quiet, so we had to guess which knobs to operate.

David Litchfield was heading up the service, and we were leading the worship songs. Richard Alford preached on Jonah, and hearing and obeying the call of God. The congregation were enthusiastic with the singing. We sang seven songs. There were about thirty or forty there, including a vicar from the local church who might be able to organise something next time.

Richard Alford preaching

Afterwards we went for hot drinks on Kew, before looking round the site. There were various charity stalls and floating traders as well as classic cars, steam engines and traction engines, and a horse drawn boat demonstration. We had pizza for lunch from the boat that had been at the Ellesmere Festival. James replenished his fudge stocks.  The bands performing were all local groups; enthusiastic, but not memorable.

Festival programme

Kew open for visitors near the horse drawn boat demo

Steam Roller

Horse drawn boat

Horse

Dudley Tunnel south portal

Trading boats including pizza boat

Stephen drove us back to the boat, with a Tesco pit stop for milk. He came for a drink on Gabriel. Hugo decided to show off and caught a mouse.

Stephen Carter

When Stephen left, James managed to apply a second coat of paint on the lower starboard side.

Then Hugo caught a further two mice. We had to shut him in to prevent him from walking on the wet paint.

Evening light near Napton

No boating today. 3 mice

Mon 1st Oct  Napton to Flecknoe

Early morning near Napton

Hugo caught another mouse this morning. He seems to like it here.

Napton Windmill

We cruised to the sanitary station at the foot of Napton Locks to dispose of rubbish and empty cassettes. The plan was to leave quietly in reverse and turn at the winding hole, to head in the direction of Braunston.

As we set off, there was a boat in front which went up the locks as we pulled in to the sanitary station on the left, just after Folly Bridge.  The water tap was on the other side, just before the bridge. A second boat came and waited for the locks opposite. A third boat was arriving just as we had finished and were pulling out. So we pulled back in. Then they went on the water point, so we pulled out again to start our reverse through the bridge. Then they pulled out again so we pulled back in again out of their way! They came through the bridge onto the bollards opposite from where the second boat had just gone into the lock. A fourth boat came round the corner and pulled into a mooring space, because a boat was leaving the lock and heading towards them. We followed in reverse, and a moored boat pointing towards Braunston unhitched his ropes as we drew level, so we let him go first. We reversed back about ten boat lengths, round a sharp bend to the winding hole.

Winding hole

Time to get the shears out, CRT

Wigrams Turn

Ancient field systems

We moored soon after bridge 100, and after a bend where there is only enough piling for one boat. We didn’t want to disturb any other boats nearby when we did the sanding.

James sanded the port side of the boat from gunwales to rubbing strake, and then washed it in canal water and rinsed it with fresh water in preparation for painting.

Evening light at Flecknoe

Swan inspecting the gunwale paintwork

Sunset at Flecknoe

Moored near Flecknoe for painting

0 locks, 7 miles

Tue 2nd Oct  Flecknoe

Quite windy today.

James put the first coat on the port side.  No-one walked past the whole time.  Lots of boats went past, and a farm vehicle was operating in the field across the canal.

Painted gunwales

No boating today

Wed 3rd Oct  Flecknoe

Not so windy today.

There was evidence of rodent demise on the floor.

James had a chat with Keith Bishop, of the URC in Daventry, who was walking by with his dog. He was wondering if anyone from Canal Ministries could visit his church.  We would have invited him in for tea, but James was in his overalls with paintbrush in hand, and Hazel was still in her dressing gown. We gave him a leaflet and encouraged him to contact CM via the website.

James put the second coat on the port side.  It takes about a can and a half to do both sides, and we have almost two cans left, so we should have enough for next time without ordering more paint. Next time it will be done professionally when we have the whole boat repainted in 2021. It is already booked in.

By the time all the painting gear was stowed away and we were ready to depart it was almost 2pm. A boat came from Braunston direction, so we waited for them to pass, and then another boat appeared from behind going very slowly, so we waited for them also. We had to unhitch very carefully as the paint was still wet. We had used our tyre fenders to keep the boat away from the side, and these had to be the last items to remove.

We followed the other boat all the way into Braunston. It was only two miles but it took an hour instead of the usual forty minutes.  There was a very derelict wooden boat halfway there.

DIY project

As we reached Braunston turn two boats appeared, one from the left and one from the right, just as the boat we were following arrived at the junction.

Braunston Turn chaos

We moored on rings soon after Braunston Turn, and before the Boat House pub. Thankfully the side with the wet paint was not the towpath side.

We went first to Midland Chandlers, where Hazel disposed of some rubbish including empty paint tins, and James bought some white Danboline bilge paint. We also bought a new fender, some more Owatrol, and some Swarfega.

From there we crossed the road and found a gap in the hedge and a footpath leading up to the village.

Braunston Church

The windmill at Braunston

We visited the community cafe for a coffee before they closed at 4pm. Then to the butchers, and finally the Londis, before walking back down the hill. We popped in to the Boat House for a meal – two curries and two drinks for £15. The choice of drinks was very limited, so we ended up with Fosters, which we haven’t had for a few years. It was confirmed why. Tasteless froth. Avoid in future.

The view from the pub

Back to the boat to stow our acquisitions and feed Hugo.

Braunston Turn evening

0 locks, 2 miles, 1 mouse.

Next: We had worked out that we had time to take a side trip to visit Jim and Jan at their church in Yelvertoft on Sunday, and then move to Crick to meet Nick and Jan from Australia on Monday. So we go through the Braunston Locks and Braunston Tunnel tomorrow, then through Watford locks on Friday trying not to spoil the paintwork, then sitting out a wet day in Yelvertoft on Saturday, with Congregational Church in Yelvertoft on Sunday.