B-Hive cruising log for 1999
| Date | Crew | Details | Photos/comments |
| Saturday 13/2/99 15:45-18:30 |
SA | B-Hive 10th anniversary cruise! Weather fine but cold. Moored in the dark at Wise Alderman |
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| Sunday 14/2/99 11:00-13:45, 14:45-17:00 |
1/8 inch of ice. Joined by 2 Ns. Moored at the quarry for lunch. Moored above Allen's lock, still ice on the pound below. 2Ns collected logs. | ||
| Monday 15/2/99 9:40-11:30, 14:40-17:00 |
More log collecting, up to wind at Aynho, moored opposite the yard. Dad and Sam arrived with 2 sacks of coal, and milk. Beer still good. Off to moor above Allens - early keyboard shop still here. | 1 moving boat | |
| Tuesday 16/2/99 10:10-12:20, 14:10-16:15 |
Quarry for lunch, then to the Wise Alderman |
2 moving boats Oil pressure very erratic - but engine sounds fine |
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| Wednesday 17/2/99 | I assume back to the yard! | ||
| Sunday 28/3/99 12:30- |
Tom, Sandra, Odette, Emma | Easter cruise. Loaded and unpacked, then off to Lower Heyford. Meal at The Bell | |
| Monday 29/3/99 9:30- |
Very windy. 2:30 waiting below Nell bridge Lock. CRT have sunk a small maintenance boat in the lock. 12 boats waiting by the time it was cleared. | ||
| Tuesday 30/3/99 9:30-16:00 |
Up to Banbury, PO shopping etc. Then on to moor at Cropredy | ||
| Wednesday 31/3/99 | Late start, then moored just past bridge118 overlooking Napton. Debating where to go when Braunston is reached... | ||
| Thursday 1/4/99 9:00- |
Down Napton - attacked by 2 swans on the way. Turned right at Braunston, moored above the locks. | ||
| Friday 2/4/99 8:00- |
Away before breakfast, moored 9am for Toms Hot Cross Buns. Aiming for Stoke Bruerne, Canal Boat for lunch. Down the locks and then on to moor at Stoke Bruerne. Navigation Pub! | ||
| Saturday 3/4/99 | Lazy day in Stoke Bruerne. | ||
| Sunday 4/4/99 | Down 3 locks to wind, back through teh tunnel - passed 12 boats! After tunnel and PO, rev counter stopped - broken fan belt. Changed by Tom, fixed by 2pm. Aiming for Braunston, moored Weldon, and to the White Horse. | ||
| Monday 5/4/99 7:30- |
Through the tunnel early, down the locks, then found BW barge blocking the canal. Eventually tied it up, but Tom fell in! To Napton - but pub was full so only sausage sarnies. eventually moored up near bridge 30. Home cooked polenta. | ||
| Tuesday 6/4/99 9:40- |
Towed "Serenity" off a mud bank after 10 minutes, very strong cross winds. Moored lust before Elkingtons for lunch, then on to moor in Cropredy. More provisions (mostly liquid) bought. | ||
| Wednesday 7/4/99 10:00- |
Banbury by 1pm for shopping. Away again by 15:15, and down to Aynho. | ||
| Thursday 8/4/99 11:00- |
Long wait for PO at Aynho drizzle. Picked up 2 wet passengers who had no coats... dropped them at Bell Inn lift bridge. On to moor at Thrupp for the evening. | ||
| Friday 9/4/99 10:30- |
Found another BW barge loose above Dukes cut - left this one alone, Tom not wanting another swim. Back to the yard by 13:30. Shopping in Oxford, Italian in the evening. | ||
| Saturday 10/4/99 | All packed up, cleaned, turned boat round. | ||
| Monday 5/7/99 13:30- |
Ray and Kath Sleigh, Nick and Kerry Woodall | Reversed through lock and then down the Thames to Abingdon to load, then moored outside the Anchor. Dined at Crown adn Thistle. | |
| Tuesday 6/7/99 10:15 |
Shower pump blowing fuses - cured by priming it. Engine water filter stuck in housing! Lunch at Wallingford, then moored above Cleeve Lock. Evening BBQ. | ||
| Wednesday 7/7/99 | Uneventful downstream, stopped at Reading for provisions. Tried to moor at Henley - no room, eventually moored above Hambledon lock. | ||
| Thursday 8/7/99 | Woken at 7:30 by fee collector! No room to moor at Marlow, moored for the night at Cliveden. BBQ | ||
| Friday 9/7/99 7:30- |
Early start, to go back upstream. No space at Pangbourne, found a space at Goring. | ||
| Saturday 10/7/99 | Woken by neighbours at 2:30 - B-Hive and 4+ other boats had been set adrift. Luckily B-Hive caught in another boats stern rope - 2 other boats ended up a mile downstream. Police helicopter out to check for any missing boats. After some delayed sleep upstream to Abingdon, Barley Mow at Clifton for lunch on the way. Back to the house - B-Hive moored outside the Anchor. | ||
| Sunday 11/7/99 | Kerry's Birthday - balloons etc. Cars to Oxford, then B-Hive back to the yard. | ||
| Sunday 25/7/99 14:30-17:30 |
SNMA, Bluebell , Spike | Unpacked, out of the dry dock, up to the Wise Alderman. Roast pork on the foredeck. Mark F turned for a pint. | Exhaust cooling feed fractured - temp repair with gaffer |
| Monday 26/7/99 10:10-12:45, 14:15-17:30 |
Walked into Kidlington in search of rubber hose - no luck. Up to the quarry for lazy lunch in the sun, then above Allen's for the night Walked to the playground, scrabble pint at the pub. | Gaffer holding ok | |
| Tuesday 27/7/99 9:45-12:20, 13:30-16:15 |
Aynho for rubbish and a pint, then up to moor at Banbury - new piling by the winding hole. M packed, walked up to rail station and caught the train at 18:02 | Gaffer still ok! | |
| Wednesday 28/7/99 13:00- |
Shopping, including hose for the exhaust water system. Very slow queue at Banbury lock, up to Cropredy. pint at eth Brasenose | Water feed repaired properly | |
| Thursday 29/7/99 9:30-?, 15:10-17:30 |
Dumped rubbish then up to Wharf Fenny Compton for lunch and Pedi. Still plenty of water, pulled a 70 off stuck on the mud, moored above Marston Doles. Dinner on the foredeck | New saloon lights fitted | |
| Friday 30/7/99 10:00-12:20, 14:30-17:00 |
A dropped only pair of glasses in the cut above Marston Doles #2 - so had to go in to find them - took 20 minutes! moored at the bottom of Napton for a pint in the Folly. Off to Braunston. | Lack of revcounter and indifferent charging. Alt reg checked by susbtitution, batteries ok, Must be alt. Nearest place Daventry trading estate | |
| Saturday 31/7/99 11:00-12:50, 14:40-17:50 |
Up Braunston locks, moored after the tunnel for lunch. Moored below bridge 52. Onto the Leicester GU. up Watford flight and moored shortly after. TWB out for a row |
Cycled up to trading estate with alternator, tested ok. Refitted - still
charging poorly - left to see what happens. Charging ok by the evening . |
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| Sunday 1/8/99 9:30-12:50, 14:10-17:50 |
Very shallow - Crick tunnel wet. Moored in the shade before bridge 29 for lunch, moored below bridge 52 . Gas and diesel at North Kilworth. |
Charging system still erratic Changed engine oil |
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| Monday 2/8/99 9:30-10:15, 13:10-13:45, ?-18:30 |
Very shallow at times, waiting for Foxton at 10:15. Museum, then into the flight at 13:10, moored at the bottom for lunch. Bought BBQ supplies, then on to moor overlooking Wiston between bridges 78 and 79. BBQ | ||
| Tuesday 3/8/99 9:20-12:20, 13:40- |
Down to Kilby bought a security key - same as the other 2 we have already! Near Wigston for lunch, then opposite the lock moorings at Aylestone. Explored the meadow | Played with alt belt/pulley again - needs cleaning and roughening - wait for Leicester | |
| Wednesday 4/8/99 9:20-10:30 |
Down to the visitor mooring pontoon in Leicester. Shopping, pizza for tea | Changed belt and cleaned pulleys - now ok | |
| Thursday 5/8/99 9:20- |
Failed to turn by the pontoon, so down through North lock to the winding hole. Moored somewhere? for lunch then on to moor at Kilby Bridge. TWB out for a row, Pedi at the pub | ||
| Friday 6/8/99 8:20-12:30, 13:30-17:15 |
Most locks for us, and no anti-vandal keys needed, moored above Kibworth top. Short wait at Foxton, then moored at the top. Walked down the plane to the pub. | ||
| Saturday 7/8/99 9:30-12:30, 14:30-17:45 |
Onto the Welford arm, moored at the end. Walked to the reservoirs, then reversed back to winding hole and back to the mainline. Moved on to moor at Yelvertoft. Knightley Arms for a pint | ||
| Sunday 8/8/99 8:20-12:45, 13:45- |
A wet day. To the top of Watford by 10:30, out by 11:45, moored on the mainline for lunch. through Braunston tunnel - 7 boats, one of whom had stopped completely. Down the flight and moored in the rain. Wheatsheaf later for a pint of 6X. | ||
| Monday 9/8/99 9:20-14:00, 15:15-? |
Up to the shop for provisions. Stopped at Napton briefly for paper and ice-creams, then up to moor above Marston Doles in pouring rain. Lazy lunch, then on to moor at the George. | ||
| Tuesday 10/8/99 9:00-? |
Top of Claydon by 10, down to moor on the 14 days moorings below
Broadmoor End of voyage - B-Hive being used by Mark Fry and co for Fairport |
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| Friday 13/8/99 Saturday 14/8/99 |
Mark F | On board by 4pm, the to the field | |
| Sunday 14/8/99 13:00- |
+Russell and Corinne Henman, Jim, Charlie, Rosie Wood | Extra crew on board by 12:30, then down through Cropredy lock to buy Calor, wind and back up to Broadmoor to load gear. Up Claydon and across to Fenny. | |
| Monday 15/8/99 |
Across the twisty bit, 7 boat queue at Marston Doles. moored close to the Folly. Intended to water but couldn't find the hose. TWB and Russell's inflatable out - hose found after phone call to A from the pub! | ||
| Tuesday 16/8/99 | Walked round Napton and bought supplies. Ambled round to Napton cruisers for PO and water, then on to Braunston. Wound at the marina entrance, moored close to the junction. TWB out again. | Midland Chandlers for replacement hinge for table - sheared Monday night | |
| Wednesday 17/8/99 10:30-14:15, |
More shopping, then into Napton at 12:15, despite the worsening weather. Moored above Marston to wait out the storm. Then on to moor near bridge 126. | ||
| Thursday 18/8/99 10:00-16:00 |
Stopped at Fenny to look at the books, then lunch on the move to moor at Cropredy. Some car shuffling to get a car to Oxford yard | ||
| Friday 19/8/99 10:00- |
No stopping in Banbury, non stop down to Somerton. Moored about 200yds from the bridge, but no pub to be found. TWB out again. | ||
| Saturday 20/8/99 10:30-12:00, 14:45- |
Down to Lower Heyford and the Bell for food. Milk bought just above Pigeons, then on to moor above Bakers. To the Rock for beer. | ||
| Sunday 21/8/99 10:15- |
+Velda | Down to Oxford - no PO at College on Sundays. Down through Louse, wound and back to mooring. Packed up and went home. | |
| Saturday 23/10/99 | ASN | Last trip of the year. Arrived mid afternoon, unpacked, stayed at moorings. | New TV aerial good! |
| Sunday 24/10/99 10:40-?,?-15:45 |
Minor shopping then on to moor below Dukes for water and lunch at one of the permanent moorings. Moved off in worsening weather, early stop at the Wise Alderman | ||
| Monday 25/10/99 9:40-12:30, 14:45-? |
Dry, moored at the quarry for long lunch and explore. Away in the sun, wound just before Lower Heyford in the tight winding hole. Back to moor after Dashwoods in the middle of nowhere. | ||
| Tuesday 26/10/99 10:00-?, 14:00-? |
Sunny day - moored just below Shipton Weir lock for lunch. Dropped rubbish at Thurpp then on to moor below Wolvercote | Oil pressure still showing 0-15 - but engine is fine | |
| Wednesday 27/10/99 | Log missing - I assume back to the yard! |