Tuesday 13 May 2014

From Back Home to the UK...


It's always good to have visitors on board the narrow boat.
It's even better when they're from the  home land NZ.
It's better still when they're from the home town because as well as enjoy their company  one can catch up on the local gossip.

One of Leonie's ex work colleges Iain and his wife Frances were doing the UK section of there holiday so arrangements were made for an overnighter on the boat.

During the week NB Firefly NZ....






 





Was in the dry dock at Walker Services, Aynho, getting the blackening treatment on the hull..

Plus while out of the water....




 I did maintenance things like repaint the rear bands, rear deck, and touch up some areas with varnish.

Boat in the water 9am, Iain and Frances arrived about 10.30am.
A fill with water and then we headed for Banbury which is about a 3hr cruise..

On the way there...



 
Iain soon got the hang of steering.....


Frances soon got the hang of....



The Back Seat driver thing....

We even arranged for....and moored along the way...




A narrow boat with Frances name on it... everyone should have one...

 

We passed some...



Canal side Art.. done with little cost...

 
 Spent Saturday night moored up and sleep in Banbury.
Frances commented it was like sleeping in Emerson St. The main retail St, in Napier NZ.

Next morning was time to head back to Aynho....

It was time for Iain, a "Kick it with Your Head" football type of guy to....




Push the boat off with his best Impersonation of and "All Black Scrum Push".. Average...

 
There's a lift bridge to operate so...




Frances did her impression of an "Americas Cup Grinder"... Better Than....
 

Then at the Lock to vacate the mooring area.....




Leonie caught up with an "Uncle" she hadn't seen for years.... Bloody helpful he was too..

Iain steered pretty well all the way back.

Frances and Leonie opened a lift bridge but it was so unbalanced they couldn't both lift it to close it.

So Frances...



Climbed up and out until the bridge came down...

Leonie thought she would...



Have a swing on the chain.... Sort of an Amusement Park Fetish thing...

Confidence in steering enabled...




 
 The entering of locks...





The...



Exiting of locks...





Even passing...



Under lift bridges with a side wind...


 
 And the...



 



Passing of boats in the tricky  sections...
 

You don't travel on many canals without...


Passing under a motor way... the M40 here...



 
 And then on the Home Straight....




Frances showed how to "Fly the Flag"...

An excellent couple of days... Thanks you guys....

1 comment:

  1. We were up in Grantham on Friday, where are you now?
    best wishes Fred & Ann

    ReplyDelete