Aren`t canals narrow!!!

Isis Lock at the end of the Oxford canal.

It takes a bit of acclimatising to get used to the canals after being on the Thames for so long.

We lingered at the bottom of the Oxford for a day so that Geoff could take the train down for lunch with Emma and Kensa.

see...men can multi task

Kensa reportedly had her best nights sleep after Geffiepa had departed !!!

By now I had succumbed to a very nasty cold but manfully (or do I mean womanly) struggled on for the trip to Thrupp on Wednesday... We were lucky enough to find a mooring although there were a lot of boats around.  

By Thursday I retired to my bed and we decided to stay over another day......I was very cross as I had planned to go down to London on the Thursday evening but common sense told me that taking my cold to a baby was not the best of ideas.

Friday saw improvement and I decided I might live after all.......so we were off at 0815 on a beautiful if crisp morning.   We had forgotten how narrow this part of the Oxford can be in places.   We struggled with a couple of the locks.  At the first we had no idea what was trapping me half way in and only solved the problem when a kind gentleman appeared and helped Geoff pulling on the rope to aid the large amount of throttle I was having to use.  At the next it took four men pushing hard on the gate to open it sufficiently for me to slide in.

Happily on reaching our intended destination of Lower Heyford, our preferred mooring spot right just before the start of the permanent moorings was free.

How well we had timed it.   After a lovely morning we had no sooner raised the pram hood at the stern than the rain came......

Some time later I heard a loud cursing from the back and discovered Geoffrey not very pleased with himself.   He had left the spare set of boat keys in the control box of the lifting bridge as we left Thrupp.   Several phone calls later we have located them as some kind person took them to Annies tea room at Thrupp.  Giles had said he might call by tomorrow so he is going to pick them up and deliver them....we hope......

So train ticket for London is booked for tomorrow.  Having seen the weather forecast it looks like we are in for a wet weekend.   Not fir for travelling by boat....

Total distance:7.18 miles Elapsed time:3h32m28s
Locks:5 Bridges:17 
Average speed:2.03 mph (3.44 lock/mph)