Some Long Cruising Days

It's been a busy time!

After a tearful farewell to our family, grandchildren and grandparents included we headed back to the boat and launched immediately, it was time to 'put the foot down'. We had to be in Banbury by Sunday 10 Jun, we had seven days...easy! I had planned a more leisurely route back in Australia, with all our stopovers, that went out the window! This meant several long days, we did three or four in a row, I slept like a log each night with enough time to have dinner and then almost straight into bed.
A few pics of what we saw along the way...

Glamping

Looking back as we climb the Atherstone Flight on the Coventry Canal

Our mooring on the Oxford Canal just past Ansty.

Quite a bit of work going on beside the canal at Rugby, looks like road work or it could be rail but we didn't have time to stop and find out as we sped past one of our usual stops at a breakneck 4mph.

Our best run came as we tossed up whether to climb the Napton Locks or tie up for the night, what a great run! We cruised into Lock 8, the first lock on the Napton Flight, which was already set for us, and it was the same right through to Lock 13 where we decided to call it a day. There was noone using the flight at all, admittedly it was 7pm when we started.

Napton on the Hill

The buffalo are still happily grazing near Lock 12.

Next day, a stopover at Fenny Compton to pickup bread, which was really Rachael holding the boat while I ran into the Pub/General Store, a fuel stop at the marina around the corner and on to Cropedy for the night which left us with a shortish cruise into Banbury on the Friday morning. A ring ahead as we came into Banbury and our friend Kevin from NB Dunslavin was there to spot a mooring for us which turned out to be in front of the shopping centre. A bit of a break after some heavy cruising before our friends from Australia arrive.