Almost home

Saturday 31st October

We awoke early as the plan was to top coat the boat sides before setting off (as there was the winding hole). However we awoke to find it raining - Christine had been woken by very heavy rain during the night. A quick check on the internet gave us an encouraging weather forecast - the rain would clear almost immediately and it would be fine all day.

So, we set off after breakfast and cleared Nells Bridge and Aynho Weir (one of the two diamond shaped locks) locks before calling at Aynho Wharf for diesel. We might have had enough to make it back to Lower Heyford but it was a case of playing it safe. In any event, it was a good price but they could not cope with less than filling up the tank! (Don't ask why - we could not understand it either)

Spotting a good piece of bank (just before Chisnell Lift bridge) earlier than the planned stop at Somerton we moored and Mike completed the top coat on one side. Soon after that we mkoved on to the winding hole at Somerton where there was also a good place to moor and paint the other side.

It was 2:30 before we moved off again - the painting was finished just after two but we wanted to give the paint a chance to set a bit before chancing it through the locks. As it happened, there were no side leaks in Somerton in any case.

Light faded quickly after 4:30 and we were still a mile short of the base so we decided to moor up for the night just below the last lock and complete the last little section to our winter mooring in the morning.