After no internet yesterday today will be a 2 day one !

We made an early start from Lechlade, taking advantage of the sunny morning after the usual torrential downpour overnight.

We shortly came across our first lock, just being prepared by a 60’ single hander. He explained the sluices to Hazel and we were off. Prime Thyme handles like a dream, and I successfully entered the lock with an inch to spare either side, and not touching the lock walls or other boat. I seem to be consistently doing this, so all worries about my skills being rusty are gone. Either that or Prime Thyme is one of those “good” boats to steer, she’s certainly not as squirrelly as T42.

The upper way is very rural, with tight turns and little infrastructure. We decided to stick with our new companion, as sharing the locks made things easier, and saved water.

After 7 hours cruising we decided to drop the pins at New Bridge. With a pub either end it was lively compared to the rest of the day, and the stone mellowed in the evening light.

Today started totally different, with a thick mist swirling around. At first the river remained rural, then gradually some desirable residences began to appear.

Eventually we reached Eynsham lock with all its facilities. After filling the water tank and emptying the Elsan, we took advantage of the town for lunch and shopping. As we are only a few hours from Oxford, and have 24hours free mooring, we’ll stay the night. We hope to catch up with Lazy Otters crew on Tuesday and partake of a proper canal, albeit briefly.