We made speedier progress today, thanks in part to meeting more boats in either direction which helps with the locks. The locks are definitely a little easier now too, the super-size variety seem to be behind us.

We still had one more of the “turf” locks to go through; these are interesting in that the top sides are just turf banks, weeds and all – so rather leaky but there’s enough water from the Kennet that water supply is rarely an issue. You have to leave the lock empty so the plants can survive.

There are relatively few moored boats alongside except at the official mooring sites – largely perhaps because good mooring spots can be hard to find, and the official moorings are often full by the time we’re looking to stop. So not having to slow for moored boats, and having nice long straights like below, all helped whiz us along today.

We still kept up with using both fore and aft lines though; Sarah multi-tasking both operating the paddles and holding the bow line in.

We had a brief stopover in Kintbury for water, and liked this sign enough to take a picture!

We’d hoped to stop there for the day – there’s a lovely sounding pub that does wood-fired pizzas, but sadly there was no room to moor, so we moved on and ended up in the countryside in a nice quiet spot – provided the trains don’t start too early!

Progress was a little slow today – we certainly notice the difference going upstream on the Kennet compared to downstream on the Thames. The locks along here are enormous, and the gates big and heavy along with it. Sarah found the “stirrup” steps for getting up / down from the lock beams a bit tricky too, missing a couple of times on the way down!

The boat got knocked around a fair bit in the locks; we found the centre rope just wasn’t enough so ended up using both bow and stern lines to keep Oliver steady.

On the plus side, the scenery is very pretty, with most of the river / canal surrounded by countryside up until Thatcham.

We moored up around 4pm, which gave time for Sarah to nip to the co-op to buy even more food supplies, and Toby to give the boat roof a bit of a much-needed wash.

No chicken dinner tonight – but a lovely lamb tagine instead – and then some more America’s cup sailing to watch in the evening.

Another lovely morning, and we enjoyed the sunshine on the river. There seemed to be more boats out today, and we had to wait at every lock, and they were all full with narrowboats and cruisers.  The lock keepers seem to be in a bit of  rush on this stretch, and don’t check that you’re ready before opening the sluices, so no cake offered I’m afraid

A right hand turn off the Thames, and we were on the Kennet and Avon. Would you believe, there are traffic lights through Reading shopping centre.  I had great fun using the hook to press the button, I felt like a jouster, and even said ‘charge’ as I approached, I did get some funny looks.

The first four locks or so are horrible, with really heavy gates, and fierce water streams even with only one paddle half open.  We really did seem to make slow progress through these locks.  We also got our first major scratch on Oliver, the stern of the boat got caught by a lock pontoon and left its mark!

And why the title I hear you ask?  Winners all round with both Toby and I winning £25 on the premium bonds, and a chicken dinner for supper!

A pair of sleepy heads today, and a late cast off of at 9.15. Toby did a great job pushing us off the bank, but couldn’t resist testing the water depth

It was a beautiful morning with blue skies and sunshine.  The locks were quite busy today, and we went from having the locks to ourselves, to sharing it with cruisers who were keen to keep away from us.  I offered to push the buttons, or hold the centre and bow ropes, they were happy for me to keep hold of the ropes!

We decided to spend the afternoon in Goring, we passed through the lock and saw a space between a narrowboat and cruiser, I didn’t think we woud fit, but Toby was convinced we would.  We reversed back, and just managed to squeeze in the space, it was a bit close for comfort, with a huge cruiser only inches in front of us.  Luckily the owner of the narrowboat behind us appeared, and offered to pull back a bit; we repaid the kindness with cake.

We walked in to Goring, a quick look at house prices, and we thought Oxford was expensive! The singer, George Michael lived in Goring, and his home is somewhat of a shrine, you can even see lipstick on the front door where fans have left kisses!

An afternoon sat watching the boats go by, and reading the paper. We had a BBQ supper using the cobb, nothing quite like sausages and onions wafting across the moorings

Just the two of us now mum has left, I was up first and walked to the rail station to pick up a de-caf fluffy coffee for Toby (Toby’s top up).  We then had an enforced rest while we waited for 9am and the lock keeper to start at Osney Lock.  A knock on the window, and my boss Donald appeared which was lovely, sadly Donald had to go to work, so it was a short visit.

Osney Lock was self service, so we needn’t have waited.  The locks are easy to work, I still get in a faff when a lock keeper is on duty, as the front cratch blocks access to the bow rope.  The best solution I’ve found is using the pole with the hook.

We soon got used to the wide open waters, and very few boats on the water.  The cruisers (plastic boats, gin palaces, yoghurt pots) move nicely out of the way.

A number of the moorings in the Pearsons book don’t exist so we had to go off piste.  We found a bank, and Toby manged to get up and off the boat with the rope.  We used the secateurs to cut away any branches that may have scratched the paintwork, and used the super long mooring pins.

An early finish at about 3.30, so we enjoyed sitting in the front cratch watching the world go by.  Toby gave me my bone juice injection (my top up), and we still have dinner to enjoy and the evening views.

Today we made it onto the Thames – instead of joining from the end of the Oxford canal, this time we took the turn down Duke’s cut.

The turn off is a little overgrown and an uninspiring start, and some rather derelict looking boats moored up (or not, in the case of one we found adrift!)

but it soon opens out into some lovely river scenery with meadows full of buttercups alongside.

We were happily suprised to find a lock keeper at King’s lock, having thought it wasn’t manned, and for the bargain price of some  of Rosemary’s superb chocolate cake, she did all the hard work for us. She also sorted out our EA Thames seve day licence (though that cost us a bit more than just cake!) and then we were ready to go.

The next lock at Godstow was unmanned (one lock keeper manges both, so one or other will always be unmanned), so we had to go self-service. ‘Lancer’ had follows us from King’s lock so we went through together, and had great fun working out what buttons to press, and in what order.

After a lovely journey down through port meadow, under Osney bridge and the Botley road that we so often pass over in the car, we moored up for some dinner, and Barry joined us before taking Rosemary home.

It will feel strange tommorrow just being the two of us once more.

Today we had a good opportunity to train up our new helmswoman Rosemary. The forecast was for some rain later, so she came prepared and wrapped up warm

Luckily conditions started off warm and dry though, and after a few S-shaped courses down the canal Rosemay soon had it cracked and was helming unassisted – or at least until any boats came the other way!

We were entering familiar territory today as we head towards Oxford. We passed the now massive Cropredy marina where we’d once considered basing our boat, and then going through the centre of Banbury made us a bit of a mini tourist attraction for a few minutes, as Sarah and Rosemary stopped the foot-traffic to raise the lift bridge by the shopping centre. We then headed past Aynho and through Somerton deep lock – the deepest narrow lock on the system (along with Tardebigge)

The rain hit us hardest towards the end of the day, but Sarah was well prepared with her Dryz-a-bone jacket from Anne, and her bush-hat from Keith – looking like the consummate Aussie we reckon!

We finished up in Heyford, where we enjoyed a short walk up the hill to The Bell Inn for dinner, which Rosemary kindly treated us to. The pub may be familar to some of our readers from a previous trip doing the Thames ring!

In some respects, not the best start to the day with Toby having a migraine in the night.  Mum and I cast off to blue skies and sunshine, before hitting (not literally!) the Napton Flight.  Great progress and then a traffic jam ahead, with five boats queing due to a faulty paddle.

A bit of a siesta followed, as we reached the summit and three hours of lock free cruising.  This allowed for a leisurely lunch and afternoon cake

More locks were soon upon us, with very heavy paddles.  We decided to push on a bit further and moored up about 6.30 to a supper of chicken curry.  We just managed to watch the GB team in the America’s cup heat, although they lost by some margin to New Zealand, so maybe we shouldn’t have bothered!  After 17 locks, we’re all quite tired, but I think in a ‘ships routine’ now.

Off to put some after sun on my very red bits!!

A prompt 8.30 start, much to Toby’s frustration as he wanted to ‘play’ with the GPS tracking data.  We just cast off and the rain started, good old BBC weather was spot on.

We were Stowe Hill’s first customer of the day, filling up with fuel, a pump out and changing the gas bottle.

It wasn’t long before we saw the first runner in the Birmingham to London marathon race along the grand uniion canal, we cheered everyone on, and wished them good luck.

Mum was a great help at the locks, we were lucky to butty up with a boat called Dignity at the Bucky flight and Calamity Jane at the Braunston flight.  We passed two boats going down Braunston locks who said there was a boat in the middle of the canal; I didn’t quite believe them, but you can see for yourself.  We pulled it in and hit the pegs in again, I’m quite shocked by the number of boats who went past the boat and did nothing about it.

A wrong turn into Braunston marina, which we thought was the junction, a quick reverse and back on track. Lots of compliments on Oliver’s paint job, and so far, no obvious scratches.

An out in the sticks mooring and fed, showered and in my PJs by 7pm – can’t be bad for a Saturday night!