Logging the adventures of Narrowboat Oak and Campervan Acorn
Got back to the boat on Friday 5th May. Stayed overnight for two nights in Bosworth Marina. We watched the King’s Coronation during the day on Saturday and then went out to dinner to the Horse & Jockey pub for our 22nd Wedding Anniversary. On Sunday 7th May we began journey #2. Left Bosworth Marina and headed back down the Ashby Canal.
On Friday 21st April we made our way to the end of the Ashby Canal and back. It all started as a wet, damp, windy morning but we were determined to explore as much of the navigable canal as we could. A real highlight was passing through the Snarestone Tunnel – Our first canal tunnel in Oak! Had a try at producing a short timelapse video. Going to experiment more…
Moored up on the Ashby Canal near Market Bosworth we were able to visit the battle site of Bosworth Field. It has an excellent Interpretation Centre which has different characters telling the story of the battle from different perspectives. There was also a good presentation which outlined the way the battle happened in detail.
Today marked our second Canal as we left the Coventry Canal at Marston Junction and set off up the Ashby Canal towards Market Bosworth.
17th April 2023. We had a great day out in Nuneaton. We walked into town from our canal mooring. Visited the Heritage Centre and the Arts Centre. The Heritage Centre had a Victorian School room and the Arts Centre had an permanent exhibition about famous local resited George Eliot. Statue to George Eliot in the centre of Nuneaton We also sampled some of the delights of Nuneaton including a Port…
On the 17th April we took a break from the canal, moored up and went on a lovely county trek following a section of the Quarryman’s Walk
Today we tackled some locks for the first time ever in Oak. Eleven in a row on the Coventry Canal heading South, near Atherstone. Andrea chose to work the locks and I took the boat through. Met some lovely people who were more than willing to help us and the last two locks even had volunteer lock-keepers to guide us along! We got through all eleven locks in about 3…
This was our very first maintenance stop. As part of our Canal & River Trust Licence (a bit like “Council Tax” for the canals) we get to use a free water tap to top up our tank. One tank lasts a week or two depending on how many showers we have etc. These stops also have rubbish bins and most have an Elsan toilet disposal. That said we have purchased…
So our maiden voyage on Oak was only a day late and we finally set off on Saturday 8th April 2023 from Glascote Basin. We just took the boat out of the boatyard where it was built and moored up for the night at Tamworth. So the plan now over the next week or so is to explore a bit of the Coventry canal and the Ashby Canal and end…
If all goes to plan we should be launching Narrowboat Oak on its maiden voyage from Glascote Basin in Tamworth on Good Friday 2023. We have spent the last few months kitting her out with lifejackets, fenders, ropes, hooks, pegs, cables, water pipes, pots, pans, fittings & fixtures, a cratch cover and even a spare toilet cassette!