Heading North up the Oxford canal with a bit of a plan we heard through the grape vine that there was a collapsed lock wall at Napton and at this stage this section of canal could be closed indefinitely. That would completely stuff our plans and a lot of others too.
We pushed on checking updates on the net and CART released the info that the lock would be passable after mid day Friday.
That gave us a couple of days to travel with the hand brake on to time our arrival for the opening.
Passing through the "Fenny Compton Tunnel"..
We had a steam powered NB following behind for most of the day and when we pulled up at Marston Doles and had filled with water he appeared and pulled in behind...
Tying up the steam boat.. it takes two to "drive".. the man on the tiller dose'nt do the throttle. The other fella has to operate the throttle in the engine room...
The boiler for making the steam.... coal fired and they were using about 100 kilos of coal a day.. traveled up from London...
Onto the Napton flight of locks arriving about 4.30pm to join the line up of boats going North.
We were number 28 in line but number 27 had joined in at 12.30pm.
Luckily for us we keep going forward, slowly, and got to lock 10 where the collapse had occurred.
It was getting late and the lock keeper gave us and 4 - 5 other NB,s the choice of carrying on or he would be back at 8am so we decided to park up and get an early start.
The bank had collapsed and the remaining bricks on the lock approach were looking pretty shaky...
The whole pound had been drained and the steel support put in place....
The support was doing the job... no doubt the lock will be shut down for a rebuild in the future...
On past a NB you'd use if your middle name was " Nigel no Mates"...
Through Braunston approaching the locks...
We shared the flight of double locks with NB Dragonfly.... makes locking a little easier....
3 tunnels to pass through on the planned route....
The entrance to the first.... the Braunston tunnel...2042 yds long... opened 1796....
Construction hindered by quick sands and a bit of directional mismanagement gives it a slight S bend....
Passing beneath an air shaft shows the canal is about 40 feet below ground level..
It's pitch black at the steering end of the NB...
Onto the second tunnel...
Under a bridge to approach the Crick tunnel....1528yds long... opened 1814.... good tunnel if you need a "wash" going through...
The exit hole getting closer is a good sight...
Over the last 2 -3 days a cold wind has made travelling crap in the open spaces.....chuck a few showers in as well..
So we pulled up to watch the Spanish F1.... well at least two thirds of it... got into the old procession racing again....
Moved on for another couple of hours toward Foxton Locks....
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