On to The Thames

We had a really nice few days staying put at Shipton with Megan on board.  We have now said 'good bye' to her for six months - she is flying out to Malta tomorrow.  She didn't want to feature on my blog but one doesn't always get what one wants in life does one??

Filling up with water at Thrupp












                  Next stop - Malta.




We left Thrupp at about 2 o'clock and made our way to Duke's Cut.  We had been monitoring the condition of The Thames for several days via a website and yesterday, certainly upstream, it said that everywhere had gone back to yellow boards - "stream decreasing" 

www.visitthames.co.uk

In the cut it didn't feel any different from other times we have navigated through there.  On joining the river the current was obvious but, again, the boat didn't really have to struggle.  It was quite spooky though because we really were the only boat on the move all the way to the first lock, Eynsham.

 "Water, water everywhere but not a boat in sight!"  

When we got to the lock it was after 5o'clock and the lock keeper had gone off duty so we decided to moor at the bottom of the lock on the 24 hour mooring.

Moored opposite the weir at Eynsham

Not, as it has turned out to be, one of our best decisions!  

We have been buffeted by the current of the weir stream all night and had to listen to strange gurgling sounds just outside the kitchen window - can cope with that; we are well secure.  However, just upstream of the lock Oxford Cruisers run a hire fleet and it would seem that Friday is their change over day.  Three hire boats have now passed us and each one has removed some of our blacking by bashing into us and scraping all along the side!  Not their fault really as the current of the weir stream has pushed them over onto us - when we stopped here late yesterday afternoon we didn't realise how vulnerable we were!  Live and Learn!!
Time to get our own act in order and move on I think!!

The forecast for the next few days is good - especially the weekend.  The Upper Thames and sunshine?

Bliss!