Friday 12th June. Abingdon Lock
One update to the blog of Wednesday last; the ‘Marlow’ at Salters Yard, Oxford was there for a survey, and not immediately for scrapping. The prospects do not look good as it looked in need of a large sum of money to have it back in revenue earning use.
We arrived at the meadow above days lock at lunchtime on Thursday. The level was a bit down, as although the front was against the bank; I had to hold the back out using a lifebelt, usually at that particular spot, we can moor full length against the bank.
On waking this morning at 6am, I turned over and nearly fell out of bed. The level had gone down a further five inches and we were firmly aground. I pushed out the back using the gang plank and staked the landward end. We were back floating and remained that way all morning.
We then went off for a wander, passing Little Wittenham church and through the wood to Castle hill and on to Wittenham Clumps. Climbing Castle Hill, we disturbed a Green Woodpecker, but managed to watch him by moving slowly forward as he kept a safe distance in front. The visibility was good, we sat on one of the seats and watched the boats on the river, and the views in general.
We returned to our mooring, where there had been two large cruisers rafted up in front of us overnight. The inside one was aground; the outer was OK, and moved off, then began trying to pull the bow of the inner one away from the bank at right angles. It could never work, as they discovered. Both boats disappeared in an enormous cloud of blue smoke from the engines; probably the first time for a few years that they had been at anything like full power.
As I was walking back to Martlet with a view to offering to pull the boat free, a narrowboat came from the lock and offered to have a go. This steerer did know what to do, and pulled the cruiser off backwards: however the cruiser owner had to be told four times to put the engine in reverse! I’ll bet he keeps that quiet at the club – being rescued by a narrowboat!
We moved into another mooring place under the trees; I put down a mud weight before we tied up the front; at least I will be able to back out in case the level drops again tonight.
2009 Totals – Locks 236; Miles 476.5; Bus pass uses 12
