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Our Fabulous Weeks

Posted 22 Aug 2010 — by mstevens
Category Uncategorized

Easter Holiday on Morpheus

We had two lovely weeks on board Morpheus at the beginning of April; sorry we are so late in uploading our blog! The weather was changeable but with some lovely hot days for most of the time. A great time was had by those family members who joined us. Our daughter, Lauren, joined us, not for a break but for peace and quiet to continue to write and complete her dissertation. I’m glad to say that she’s finished it and achieved a 2.1 BA Honours degree. Thanks Morpheus. Penny’s parents joined us for two days and dad caught a fish! He always loves his fishing and at age 86 he’s still going strong. The boat was well equipped for all eventualities and occasions. The washing machine was great, as was the central heating and deep bath. We saw an amazing range of birds with some cute passengers who happened to hitch a lift and eat some of the duck food we carried. Our first family of 11 ducklings greeted us at Bugbrooke on our way home. We had seen many ‘couples’ of ducks on their nests. We had a more or less uneventful two weeks taking a gentle journey down the Oxford canal. Originally we wanted to try to complete the ring along the Oxford canal, Thames and back up the Grand Union. But fellow travellers warned us that Oxford was busy with boaters waiting to risk the flooded waters of the Thames so instead we opted for a return trip. Anyway, on the canals the return never seems as if it’s the same route taken on the outward journey. The River Cherwell was lovely and we decided to try our hand at turning the boat in order to enjoy the river again, and again.

WEEK SWAP – Please can you help….

Next year (2011)  we are hoping that someone would like to do a temporary swap with our week 13 (Saturday 2nd April to 8th April 2011). I am a teacher and that week in 2011 is not a school holiday but our week 14 (8th to 15th April) is fine. Alternatively if anyone wanted to swap the 2 weeks (week 13 an 14)  that would be a possibility too. We would be most grateful as we are sooooo looking forward to our time on the boat again. School holiday dates that we could swap with are Week beginning 28th May (Week 21  ) and between 23rd July and 3rd September (weeks 29 to 34)

Thanks.

Mike and Penny Stevens – Mill Hill, London

Our First Time

Posted 11 Mar 2010 — by andyhamshare
Category Uncategorized

Hi all, Carol and Andy here (weeks 8 and 19).

We took our firts narrowboat trip last week, and yes I do mean our first, we had never previously been on one!

What a lovely boat she is and what a truly amazing experience. Far too many experiences to put in a blog, suffice to say every day hwill be remembered for it’s own unique little (ahem) ‘experiences’.

As we were new I think that there was a tendency to think that all mishaps were of our own making. Towards the end of the week we realised that their are some pretty absent-minded fold out on the cut.

The hours spent at 3 Locks Soulbury due to Morpheus making friends with the bottom of the ‘pound’ was we discovered NOT due to Carol emptying the whole of the GU canal system, the boat ahead of us had left two paddles open and even though they had realised their error, neglected to go back and replenish the locks. As I said, we learnt so much on our holiday and I’m sure there is still much to learn.

We also learnt that boats actually do untie themselves! Well, that’s what the locals in The Boat at Stoke Bruerne told us after we’d found ourselves broadside across the canal late one afternoon. I have to say that I was acutely aware of the tightness of my knots last week, being new and all, all the more reason to think that a passer by had taken exception to my little Southampton FXC flag flying proudly at the front of Morpheus. I will take some convincing that it was an act of God.

Other memorable times were; discovering just how hard it is to clean soot from under ones fingernalis, discovering just what thirsty work it is for the helmsman (pubs aplenty thankfully), finding out the hard way why you are advised to wear waterproofs when travelling through the Blisworth Tunnel (still drying out even now), but by far the most memorable thing that we learnt was just how beautiful this country is when viewd from the canls – truly striking.

All the best to all of you other owners and look forward to meeting one of two of you on the cut.

Regards

Carol and Andy
xx