Getting ready for the Thames and Basingstoke Canal

Plans for our cruise this year have now been drawn up and in fact action had already been taken in that we opted for a gold licence from the 1st January this year. This will enable us to have unlimited access to EA rivers this year.We plan to set off next week and head for the Thames at Oxford via the Southern Oxford Canal and then down the Thames to Shepperton. 

We lived at Odiham in the early 1980's and used to take Simon in his pushchair along the derelict Basingstoke Canal. Our aim this year is to take BB to Odiham and also travel along the River Wey to Godalming both of which you can reach from the Thames at Shepperton.

We went up to the boat just after Easter to start getting her ready with an engine service and a check of the domestic battery bank. We have 4 no 125amp Elecsol batteries used for our domestic supply one of which was showing a red warning- ie it was supposed to be not holding its charge. Following a complete check by the marina electrician all at present seems to be OK. Once all this had been sorted out and the weather was so good we had to go for a short cruise- Braunston and back with stops at our favourite moorings near bridges 100 and 103 called out.

A few pictures of the trip.

Our mooring near bridge 100,nobody about even though it was a lovely afternoon,but two boats did arrive late afternoon

Another of Braunston Turn- its my favourite junction especially with spring bulbs which I think the local IWA branch planted

A great little boat with some bow!

A boat with a shed/storage area in tow

This did look odd being towed along- perhaps the man on the stern is providing ballast, you can just see the tug which is towing it. 

A lovely old sign still fixed to a bridge

Another boat name-which I had to look up - A queen of Egypt at the age of 12 in 1473BC- she was also depicted as a male in many images.

Its time to get BB out of moth balls

One minute you're cold wet and blown around and the next the sun comes out and   stove is no longer alight and its time to start thinking about this year's cruising plans. What with one thing and another we didn't manage a long cruise last year. Hopefully this year will be better, so to that end we changed our licence to a gold one and plan to visit our old place of residence in Odiham, Hampshire. This will involve a journey down to the River Thames and then the River Wey to the Basingstoke Canal.

The plan is to set off at the end of April so we went up just after Easter to sort a few things out- pictures to follow.

A couple of pictures to show that we did not waste our time during the months of hibernation.

After selling my last layout a new one was started last year and this shows the new goods shed based on the one at Llanfair on the Welshpool & Llanfair.

Anne completed another crosstich of the roses painted on  canal ware