Water stains on the woodwork are no more

We decided to leave the sunshine of the south east and go up to BB last week as we had arranged to meet Pete Hill who was going to help us remove the bad water stains which we had following the very cold weather last winter.

The weather at Napton has not been good over the last few weeks with a fair amount of rain and last week was no exception with only one really nice day Thursday when we managed a pleasant cruise to Braunston and back with an overnight stop near bridge 103 and a BBQ.

The main work to be done was the water stains on the light oak veneered panels and the stains on the oak shelves. They had been caused by condensation either running down behind the panels and finding a way out onto the shelves or dripping down from a ceiling panel. The condensation was caused when we had the stove on during the winter when the outside temperature was minus 10c, the coldest it has been since we had the boat. Pete had identified the areas where there is probably a gap in the polystyrene insulation and therefore where he needed to inject some spray foam to cure the problem.

We had major thin stains running down on each of three panels that Pete attacked by first rubbing down with very fine sand paper, then putting on some undiluted bleach which was left for about 30 minutes before being washed off. After this some clear satin varnish was applied and when dry Briwax clear was put on using 0000 grade wire wool- they now look good as new.

I set to work (with some guidance from Pete) on the shelves which are solid oak as follows:-

As the shelves have been waxed it was necessary to scrape this off and then a layer of the oak shelf using a Skarsten finishing scraper (large red wooden handle in the picture) and a Bahco 625 scraper on which much more pressure could be applied.

Picture of the two scrapers used to deal with the water stains on the solid oak wooden parts.

Once the stains had been removed it was then sanded with the fine paper and wiped clean with white spirit. When dry satin varnish was applied and then when that was dry Briwax clear was put on with 0000 grade wire wool.

In all it took all day but was well worth the effort.

Next trip is to Welford in early September for bottom blacking etc.

Stowe Hill Marine no more

It would appear that Stowe Hill Marine are no more. There is a news item in CanalsandRiver dated 8 July that states Stowe Hill Marine ceased trading a the end of June 09. Pete & Julie Hill sold the business to Simon Kennedy at the end of May04- BB being the last Pete Hill Stowe boat (number 165), about another 25 boats have been built by Simon.

The article states that Rugby Boat Sales are taking over the shop area and will take over the diesel and pump out facilities. Robert Gudgeon and Graham Shepherd will take over the dry dock and workshop. No mention has been made about unfinished boats although when we went past in June we couldn't see any new hulls.

The end of an era no more Stowe Hill low line tug style narrow boats- RIP.

Now back at Wigrams

We are now back in the marina having covered only 94 locks and 138 miles in 3 weeks. As we made our way back up the Oxford canal it was very busy with queues at most of the locks. When we were in Banbury on Monday afternoon in a period of 15mins 8 boats went past and then they all had to wait to go done the lock in the centre of Banbury -a good reason to go back to the south coast and come out again in September. We need to go to welford so that BBs bottom can be blacked together with a few other jobs.

When we went through Thrupp we had a chance to meet two bloggers Maffi and Bones it was great to put faces to names.

A few final pictures of the trip

We were followed up the Claydon flight by a very friendly couple who had a 15 year old beardy/airedale cross with a lovely face.


A you come in/out of Banbury you pass a house with a picture of the owners on the wall- perhaps this could catch on now that ID cards have been scrapped.


As we waited for the water tank to fill at Cropredy I noticed the road name- Is it a statement or is it because the road goes round the bottom of the village.

Pictures from the Thames and Oxford canal

We first came past Twyford Wharf on the Oxford 6 years ago in fact the year we ordered BB and when the work on the wharf had first started- it now looks excellent with the hard work really paying off.


The bridge holes on narrow canals can be very tight as this view of BB entering Nell Bridge Lock where you go under the new A41 road bridge whic is in front of the old one.

A un modernised fishing lodge on the Thames near The Ferryman Inn

A great Thames boat house with launch

A splendid Thames sunset above Pinkhill lock

Boats!

Its not only the scenery that we go through on the journey its the diversity of things that you see. I therefore include a selection of the different boats seen on the trip.

A great name but you have to do the accent


We saw this boat near Enslow Wharf -if you enlarge the picture it has a huge mast, solar panels and satellite dish.

A floating steel shed under construction

An amphibious plastic carboat

Is this the narrow boat equivalent of a smart car

Now back at Banbury

We came off the Thames last Friday and have made our way back up the South Oxford canal to Banbury and sunshine, light showers anp heavy showers. Anne's sister and husband joined us for the day on Saturday after yomping down the canal from Lower Heyford - a very pleasant day especially with help through a few of the locks. We also managed to BBQ some prawns before the heavens opened in the evening. Ones from Morrisons athough the one lock keeper on the Thames had caught about 30 huge american crayfish in the weir stream in one night, they make excellent eating.

We stopped Sunday night at Sarah and Deans smallholding just above Nell Bridge Lock where thet have put in mooring on the off side for £5.75(inc VAT) plus £2 for electricity- you can also buy free range pork and sausages- a really good idea which I hope is succesfull for them.

I will try and upload some pictures but I am having difficulties at the moment.

So far only 2 cappuccino's - both in Banbury- the Thames above Oxford is a no go area for good coffee.

On to the Thames towards Lechlade

The weather changed last Friday as we reached the Thames with heavy rain showers and strong south westerly winds which resulted in us running aground and me having a close encounter with a local tree as the wind blew the boat across the river as we set off one morning. A good lesson though as we should have gone through how we would leave the bank taking into account the wind and the current- something we now do each time on the river.

We are moored tonight above Rushey lock far from the madding crowd except VC10s and AWACS 707 (picture below) flying round from Brize Norton


Looking from our mooring to Swinford Toll Bridge


Face watching over you at Radcot Lock

Old Father Thames with paddle at St Johns Lock Lechlade the last one on the Thames

A Lincoln tug which has a lovely bow shape

Leaving Lechlade meadow with the church in the background

My brother Peter visited us at Lechlade with his Gordon Setter Jackie who found a great place to watch the ducks and swans. They are used to find the game birds and set them flying , so she was stalking any bird she could find on the ground when we went for walks across the meadow.