Yesterday evening we went for a walk in the gloaming. We walked down to the junction and then round to the bridge up to the church and back to the boat past the marina. It was a lovely evening and the views across the plain from the church hill with the sunset was very relaxing.
The canal is just below the brow of the nearest hill and the vies are very distant. The colour doesn't do justice to the light.
This morning I was woken up by several boats passing so at 0700 I got up and went for the paper. When I got back I got the tea on and did all the other little jobs and by 0800 we were ready for the off. We went up to the first entrance to the marina and winded. We then stopped at the Toll House to top up with water and dump the rubbish. We were soon off out of Braunston. I am fully aware of the history of Braunston and it's place in Canal folk lore etc, but I must admit I find it very claustrophobic. It isn't so bad if you can moor out towards Hillmorton but towards the locks always makes me keen to leave the place.
Approaching the junction. Napton left, Hillmorton right. The bridges are nicely painted now the area has been adopted by the local group.
Looking back and we have come from the right.
This morning was dull and we were heading into the little bit wind so it wasn't nearly as pleasant as the previous morning but I didn't get bored as there was a few boats moving along.
I have seen this boat, or one like it, before but I can't think where. It is an odd shape and looks more like a sailing boat than anything else. What made me take the picture was the 15hp outboard stuck on the back. I wondered how fast it would push this size boat along. The usage of the boat is somewhat given away as the strange stern is more or less replicated on the bow. On that end, and can just be seen in bow (blue), is a very large generator.
We moored up between bridges 102 and 103 and had breakfast. We had run a wash so that was hung up and then I washed the other side of the boat. I had a haircut and various other little jobs got done as well as reading the paper.
I have also been looking at the costs of going down the Severn estuary to Bristol rather than do the Kennet and Avon there and back. The costs of 'sea' passage are as follows:-
Extra insurance cover.........................£ 30
Pilotage fee........................................£190
Portishead fees.....................................£22
Fuel Sharpness to Bristol.....................£16
(8hrs @ 2ltrs/hr @ £1/ltr
Total £258
The costs for a trip down the Kennet and Avon to Bristol:-
2 day Thames licence...........................£39
Fuel Oxford to Bristol........................£214
(107hrs @ 2 ltrs/hr @ £1/ltr)
Total £253
As you can see there is nothing in it really. You can argue about the amount of fuel used per hour and the price of diesel. I have used a median price for a domestic price of about 75p/ltr. The hours are those actually completed on each leg. Our trip from Sharpness to Bristol, via Portishead, was a fantastic experience. We had fantastic weather and it was such a beautiful and flat calm day there were no worries for us. I admit that this may not be the same for every one. The difficulty is that even if the pilot things that it will be okay, and you are still not happy, it is difficult to say no with no experience of such transits. You are perfectly entitled to of course and should, especially if you have no time constraints that mean you have no time to wait for the availability of the next pilot, weather or tides. The Kennet and Avon is well worth the trouble of making the effort but I was glad that I didn't have to go there and back again as it would have taken the edge off it. Having said that I would do both again, the sea passage and the there and back. Financially there is no real cost to going the long way round as I suspected when we were in the planning stage.
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