The story so far ....

Just for the record I thought we should have a little map (there's a larger version online) of the rivers and canals we've covered so far, since December 2009.

Our travels are in yellow and start in the east on the Great Ouse and its tributaries The Cam, Lark, Little Ouse and Wissey, not forgetting the Lodes at Wicken, Burwell and Reach.
Then just before we meet the Wash, the other side of the Denver Sluices, we head off through the Middle Levels to the River Nene.
After a stay at Oundle we progress to The Grand Union (Northampton Branch, Leicester Section, Welford Branch and Market Harborough Branch).
Most recently we've been back to the Grand Union at Braunston with a very brief trip down the Oxford Canal (South).
To be continued ....

Blue Submarine Identified

In a recent blog I commented on the "Blue Submarine" found near Walthamstow Marshes - it could be seen from trains on the Liverpool Street line.
On a visit there I discovered it had left just before I arrived, which was a shame, but the landlord of The Anchor and Hope

opined that it was a lifeboat, which made me think I could find out more online.
And so, here is the solution: it's a lifeboat, and others can be seen around the place if you're curious enough to look. Here's one I found hiding in the Lee Valley Marina:

Visit this page for detailed info about this boat recently sold by the Bristol Boatshed ...

 ... and this one from "Audrey Too"

 ... and this one sold on ebay

and this one, posted to a Canal World Forum:

Orange seems a good colour for a lifeboat, which suggests the "blue submarine " has had a paint job along with a refit. Given the shortage of windows they don't look very comfortable for living in - it may depend on the way windows have been added - but this YouTube clip from Boatshed looks to have a surprisingly comfortable interior!
More Clips
If there are any doubts to its seaworthiness take a look at this Australian News clip which, incidentally, also shows the original multi-seated interior.
Or this clip showing the successful free-fall test launch of a boat.
Or this clip showing what can happen when things go wrong ....

Yelvertoft to Welford and home

Friday 26th September.

It is the end of September
Chimneys across the marina breathe again,
Give out smoke
Drifting like morning mist across the canal.
Boats move shyly to their winter moorings
Preparing to rest
And peace descends on the wharf.

A restful day, with heron, squirrels, kingfishers, a buzzard with small prey in its claws and a macabre dead bird hanging from a thorn. The boating is straightforward with only the little lock at Welford and the tight entrance to the marina to negotiate.
Bare ploughed fields have clearly defined furrows in the sharp autumn sun, the texture of the earth rough and granular.
And the watery sun shines through as we head for home.

And soon, after the driest September since records began in 1910, we'll have to prepare Patience for winter, her first at Welford ....

Braunston to Yelvertoft - via Warwickshire

Thursday 25th September. Up betimes to carry out our cunning plan to boat not only in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, but also Warwickshire, where the boundary lies a short way down the joint Oxford & GU Canal. It's a whim, but one easily achieved if we get up early turn at the Braunston Junction and wind at a winding hole a short way down the Oxford & GU.
Early means just 7am and I find the moorings misty wit the slow moving smoke from cosy boats stoking their stoves in the first chills of autumn.

Bridge 1 at Braunston

The bridge over Braunston Marina

Bridge 1, early morning mist

The Grand Union Canal at the junction with the Oxford. Preparing to turn left (west) up the Oxford & GU

Returning to Braunston Junction on the Oxford & GU. Preparing to turn right (east).

Back at Braunston we moor up for a gargantuan spread - The Gongoozler's Big Breakfast - at The Gongoozler's Rest Café, a smallish boat (14 seats) at the mouth of the marina.

This breakfast fuelled us for the whole day! Recommended!

And so, well filled, we head back through Braunston Tunnel, passing other boats coming the other way with three inches to spare, sharp left at Norton Junction, up the Leicester Arm, up Watford Locks, Crick Tunnel, Crick itself and moored up at 4pm at Yelvertoft again. 

13 miles and 13 locks including the Warwickshire diversion this morning.

Crick to Braunston

Wednesday 24th September. Heavy rain overnight clears early and by the time we've passed through Crick Tunnel the sun is out. Before we know it we are under the M1 and queuing to go through Watford Locks. If we had a Ladybird book at about Bridge 5A it would show a fast train on the west coast railway line, the M1 motorway and Services and the Leicester Arm of the Grand Union canal (plus a plane flying above) all in the same place, for they almost interconnect here, near Long Buckby.

As we go under Bridge 6 I recall eating terrible fish and chips at the restaurant there 20 years ago, now renamed Mango Lounge and closed.
It takes an hour to get through Watford Locks (staircase, 7 locks, 16metre fall) ...

... even with a helpful lock keeper, then we reach Norton Junction at 1pm and, not pausing for lunch at the tempting pub to the left we charge on to the right and  on the Grand Union proper.

 Through the Braunston Tunnel for 20 minutes and we approach that boater's mecca of Braunston itself, though there are still 6 locks to go through before we reach the moorings by the marina. So it is 3.45 before we finally moor up, 10 miles, 13 locks in 6 hours 20 minutes including 30 minutes waiting at Watford Locks.
In late afternoon we wander up the hill away from the canal and into the village. Down by the canal it feels like a full-on canal village with hundreds of boats, busy comings and goings, two chandleries, eating places and various shops - but in the village itself they live a separate life, it seems.

Bridge over the Junction of The Oxford and The Grand Union

The Junction facing south down the Oxford Canal

Bridge on The Grand Union at the entrance to Braunston Marina

Under the bridge at the marina entrance

In the evening we stroll back up the towpath to The Admiral Nelson, widely recommended as the best for food and we entirely agree. Here is a view as we entered the lock on our way down.  It's a good place where we were well looked after and well fed.

Back to Patience, torches in hand, and we notice that Winter Moorings commence on October 1st. Clearly we are nearing the end of the season, when only hardened liveaboards stay out on the water. So we light our little stove, newly renovated, and our thoughts stray towards winter.

Welford to Crick

Tuesday 23rd September and there is still warmth in the sun and energy in our bones. On a pleasant day for late September we make an uneventful journey from Welford to Crick in 4 1/2 hours.
There is time to reflect (ho ho) on watery things, such as Pink Floyd's new album "The Endless River" and Peter Ackroyd's meandering book "Thames - Sacred River". Of which more later.

We take an evening stroll up the prominent Crack's Hill (a glacial moraine), from which there are extensive views, then on to The Red Lion in Crick. On our last visit the place was crammed and hot, then we were soaked in a deluge while returning to the boat. This time we chose from a good range of food and Adnam's beer in pleasant surroundings, busy though not too much so, puzzled only by their decision to charge Debit as well as Credit card users an extra 50p - and their website which seems to consist of a single page and uses the suffixes eu and pn. Quirky!

Welford to Yelvertoft

A short overnight excursion to Yelvertoft, which is a village just 3 hours away from Welford and so easily manageable for a quick trip.
It also has a useful pub, The Knightley Arms, which does good food and beer at fair prices. We've been there a few times recently and find good service and well cooked food. The lads in the snooker room can be a bit noisy for quiet diners like ourselves, but it's great to see so many people enjoying a village pub.
As a measure of its merits we felt able to take our wives there for an evening meal, and they were not disappointed. Picture of wives suitably wrapped up against a chill breeze at the extensive moorings nearby.

The next suitable mooring-with-pub is Crick, which tends to get quite busy, but has more facilities. Between our moorings at Yelvertoft and those at Crick you pass the newish Yelvertoft marina.

Here we are approaching Yelvertoft Marina to use their winding hole. It's quite a new development, with all mod cons including wi-fi for residents and they also seem to be adding a slipway.

A successful weekend just boating up and down and pleasant non-strenuous walks along and across the towpath.