Moored in Osney Due to Red Boards
In fact, the water was much calmer above the lock, and we made good progress for a few miles. But then the rain came down by the bucketful, the river was wide and the current increased. It's about five miles of remote countryside with no locks from Abingdon lock to Sandford lock, and I felt decidedly uneasy as we went on and the current got stronger. We passed a couple of boats coming downstream, and they were going at quite a speed. Eventually a Dutch barge appeared in the distance behind us and we didn't feel quite so lost!
We arrived at Sandford Lock and the lock keeper opened the gates as we arrived and we went straight in. We waited for the Dutch barge to join us and then went up through the lock and out, and on to Iffley lock, with the Dutch barge behind us. We left them at Iffley, as that is where they moor, and we went on through Oxford. There was room to moor opposite Christ Church Meadow, but we had our bike stolen last time we moored there. And friends Sheridan and Ron had their boat untied and set loose in the middle of the night when they were moored there, so we pressed on, under Folly Bridge, round the side of the city and through Osney Lock.
The lock keeper at Osney asked us where we were heading and we said just above the lock, if there's room. Good, he said, because if you don't moor there, you should get back on to the canal as soon as possible, there's some bad weather coming and the red boards will be out soon. As we came out of the lock, the current dragged us towards the weir, and Trev had a struggle to keep us going straight ahead. We were glad there was a place available and moored up, with difficulty, as the current was so strong it was not easy to get in. I had to jump off quickly and tie up the front of the boat as fast as I could, to stop us going backwards with the current. We were glad to be tied up and safe. The lock keeper said we wouldn't be able to move before Sunday at the earliest. This mooring is really a 24 hour mooring, but that has been waived, due to the adverse conditions.
Just after we'd moored, a couple of hire boats came past, going downstream. They were going at a terrifying speed, carried along by the current. The people aboard seemed oblivious to their situation and I told them they were just about to arrive at a lock, and would have to stop, whereupon they panicked and went all over the place, and got stuck agaonst the offside wall. Eventually they got off, but they really shouldn't have been allowed out at all.
There are a few other boats moored up here, riding out the storm. It's a good place to be, we can walk into the city and there are a few small shops and restaurants nearby. The water is going by at tremendous speed and after those two boats, nothing else came by for several days. We just sat it out, and were glad we were tied up and safe. Trev has put a chain from the front of the boat to the bollard on the towpath. Apparently a boat was set loose here a couple of weeks ago, and so we want to be sure we're safe. It would really be a serious situation if that were to happen in these conditions.
The red boards are out. There is a system on the Thames to tell boaters of the conditions. Green is OK, amber means flow is increasing and red means it is inadvisable to travel, The lock keepers wouldn't prevent a boat from travelling but it would be foolish to do so, and would invalidate the insurance.
On Thursday, Trev and I tried to get the back of the boat closer to the bank. It wasn't easy, the water was rushing along between the boat and the bank, and preventing us from pulling it in. As we were struggling, a couple of people came along, and they helped us. We got talking, and found out they were boaters, and were moored on the canal round the corner. As we talked, the heavens opened again, so we all went inside and had a cup of coffee. Our new friends were Judy and Peter, and we spent a very pleasant couple of hours getting to know each other. Eventually the rain stopped, and off they went, back to their own boat. Boating is a very friendly past time!!
On Friday morning, we were amazed to hear a boat coming by. The roar of the engine against the current was incredibly loud and we opened the side hatch to see what was going on. A narrowboat was being towed by a tug. I don't know where he'd come from or where he was going, but they produced two foot high waves as they laboured along. They both looked pretty worried about the situation, and looked neither left nor right, they were concentrating so hard. Sadly I didn't get the camera in time to take a close up picture, but maybe you can get a flavour of it.
We stayed in Osney until Sunday, 1st June. The red boards were out all the time and we didn't want to move in the current. On Saturday we walked round to a Chinese restaurant and take away opposite the station. From the outside it didn't look too promising, but Sheridan and Ron had eaten there and said it was good, so in we went. There were formica topped tables and metal chairs and we had an excellent meal, in the company of Chinese diners. We were the only Europeans in there, which speaks volumes for the food! It was like being back in Hong Kong again!
We had an interesting experience on the way home. There was a man on the opposite side of the road, leaning against a three feet high wall. He didn't look too good. He was reaching out for the lamp post which was about a foot in front of him. Next second he'd disappeared over the wall! Trev thought we ought to go and check if he was OK, so over we went and peered over the wall and he was on his back with his legs in the air, at right angles to his body, still propped against the wall. I said to Trev we ought at least to get his legs down, and Trev went round and straightened him out. We were fairly sure he was drunk, but felt we couldn't leave him there, in case he was ill, so Trev 'phoned 999 for an ambulance and it arrived whilst he was still on the 'phone, in less than a couple of minutes. What a fantastic response. The paramedic said he would be OK, we could go now, so we never knew the end of the story. A local woman came by and said he was often in that condition!
Sunday, 1st June
The boards changed to amber today and the current looked less fierce, so we decided to make a break for it. A couple of boats went down the river and one came up and they seemed OK, so we set off. The first part of the journey was a bit of a battle against the current, as the channel is so narrow, but when we got to Port Meadow and the river widened it was fine.
The local sailing club was out in full force. a lot of dinghies. They're a bit like fishermen--they don't have any eye contact and don't thank you for slowing down and changing your course, even though it's d***ed difficult in a narrowboat on a river in full spate.The only dicey parts were getting onto the lock moorings with a current coming at us from the weir, but we had the ace steerer Trev with us so we were fine. We moored up just above Eynsham lock on a twenty-four hour mooring, right by a water point and washed for England. We did four loads and had showers and felt a lot better for it!
Monday, 2nd--Wednesday, 4th June
We moved on about half a mile today and moored on the meadow. Just as we were starting off there was a hoot from a passing boat and the people we had met in Osney, Judy and Peter, came by on their boat "Keeping Up Too"--well they ARE the Cheshire Jones'! We went up together and moored on the meadow. We had a coffee with them and then in the evening we went round to play dominoes. We're not proud--we mix with anyone, even the Cheshire Jones'. Well, that's what it says on their boat!
There is a part on our boat which fixes the fridge door to the cabinet door, so that they both open together. Over the years it has worn out and we've been trying to find another. Today I phoned Dave Bassett, who built our boat, and asked him where he bought it from. "Hafele's in Rugby," he said, "but they only sell to trade". Well, I found their website and Trev gave them a ring. Trev said we were near Oxford, and amazingly there is an outlet right here in Eynsham. So they have ordered us a couple. What a coincidence. It's usually really difficult to get parts for the boat, we're never anywhere near where we need to be.
We stayed on the meadow until Thursday. The rain came down again, for hours and river came up two feet. The red boards were out again, it looks like a repeat of last year. The fields are flooded, the water's rushing by and where's the summer? On Wednesday evening we walked up to The Talbot for a meal. We wore our crocs so that the water could run in one end and out the other as we walked. On the way back, my foot slipped in the mud and I did a gentle slide straight into the middle of a big muddy puddle. Honestly, there must be easier ways of spending one's twilight years!!!