Realistic or fantasy?

[rustypaperclip]

Hiya,

The summer drought and closures have damaged my ability to relocate and start work, however, today there has been update on a potential reopening date on the Oxford Canal so I can finally get moving from around here after being stuck for most of the summer. 
 

I need to reach Hamstead Lock 81 by November 3rd before it closes and I will be setting off from Lock 17 Claydon Top Lock, which doesn’t open until October 27th.
 

This is a 7 day window. According to the canal route planner site, the journey takes 5 days 5 hours if travelling 10 hours a day. 
 

I have a feeling making this trip in the given window won’t be feasible—is the canal route planner typically accurate?

Any tips for long cruising days?

 

Anyone done a similar journey before with time constraints? 

 

 

[David Mack]

Canalplan gives me 48 hours rather than 55 using the default settings.

I find its timings are reasonably good as long as you can work through locks reasonably efficiently. Take a look at the Preferences tab and see if the lock timings allowed are ones you can achieve. That may depend on whether you are single handed or have crew.

The canalplan timings don't allow for delays so you need to factor in time for meal (and toilet) breaks, queues at locks, stopping to clear the prop etc. You also have to factor in which locks have limited opening hours. That alone may prevent you getting through in the available window.

10 hour (or longer) days can be done but are tiring, especially if you are single handed. You also need to be disciplined enough to get up early to take advantage of the morning daylight, now that the evenings are drawing in.

 

Edited September 25, 2025 by David Mack

[matty40s]

That is very do-able.

At that time of year, you have to start early..the clocks have just gone back...

 

You have to have breakfast before it gets light and be cruising in the dawn light...the South Oxford is a simple and easy canal to do lots of miles on.

Dont wait for the Thames lockies to clock on...do the locks yourself early morning..descending them is far easier than rising.....once the lockies appear, dont forget to have your two ropes ready...

I went from Nuneaton to Frouds Bridge marina at that time of year in 5 days....sandwiches, flasks and snack foods rules....the vargrants at Tesco Reading moorings didnt appreciate being moored against, but that was their problem.

 

[PaulJ]

I would work on 30 lock/miles a day so you should do it in six.

But- its hard to guess whether you will be queing at locks on the Oxford so this may (or may not) delay you. 

30 lock/ miles is easily doable on the Oxford and a doddle on the Thames- so you should get slightly ahead for a bit-you will lose this advantage on the K&A and struggle to keep to this number unless you are willing/able to put the hours in. Unless you are used to single handing, chances are you will be knackered😀

My advice would be dont try doing it as quick as you can- just keep going steady- it wont make much difference to how long it takes but it will make a big difference to your energy levels 😀

Ps- as Matty40 says- start first light..

 

 

Edited September 25, 2025 by PaulJ

[David Mack]

Claydon to Aynho are only going to be open 10.00-3.00 so no 10 hour days on that section.

[PaulJ]

19 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Claydon to Aynho are only going to be open 10.00-3.00 so no 10 hour days on that section.

At least one of us read that email properly 😀

Should still get somewhere near Banbury so just a few more lock miles per day to make up for it..

 

[Alan de Enfield]

4 hours ago, rustypaperclip said:

I need to reach Hamstead Lock 81 by November 3rd before it closes and I will be setting off from Lock 17 Claydon Top Lock, which doesn’t open until October 27th.

 

If you cannot depart for another month, the days are going to be much shorter, on a gloomy day it could be after 7am before it is light. You are going to have to accept that you will be cruising in the dark - maybe at both ends of the day, as by the end of October it tends to be dark around 4:30 - 5:30 pm.

[Cheese]

Depends on how much experience you have. If a novice, and single-handed, you might struggle to keep going for successive 9 hour days.

 

A risk might be that lots of others might also have been delayed, and want to move in that week, leading to lock queues.  But that could also be to your advantage, if you can link up with someone making a similar journey and reduce the time to get through by working together.

 

As matty says, prepare flasks and sandwiches / snacks before dawn, so you don't have to stop as much.

[system 4-50]

Develop a method for having a quick wee while on the move and have it well practised before you start.  You may need to get more beer in for this.

[NB Thistle]

I find while the boat is in a lock is the best time to have a quick wee, grab a drink and food and take it back on deck. 

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, NB Thistle said:

I find while the boat is in a lock is the best time to have a quick wee, grab a drink and food and take it back on deck. 

 

And at the same time, you are on the lock side monitoring the situation and ensuring the boat doesn't get stuck or cilled.

 

You either have not spent much time single-handed, or have only travelled on canals with manned locks.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, NB Thistle said:

I find while the boat is in a lock is the best time to have a quick wee, grab a drink and food and take it back on deck. 

 

When single handing, in a lock is exactly the time you need to be NOT inside the boat making a snack and having a wee. You need to be out on the lockside keeping a close eye on the boat.

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, MtB said:

 

When single handing, in a lock is exactly the time you need to be NOT inside the boat making a snack and having a wee. You need to be out on the lockside keeping a close eye on the boat.

 

Fools seldom differ !

[NB Thistle]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

And at the same time, you are on the lock side monitoring the situation and ensuring the boat doesn't get stuck or cilled.

 

You either have not spent much time single-handed, or have only travelled on canals with manned locks.

I do most of my boating single handed on unmanned waterways. The good thing about locks is that the boat isn't going to go anywhere, so once it is full/empty but before moving on you can sort yourself out. If you're doing a flight then efficiency can be improved by only doing one extra job per lock. Adds a minute or two to your lock transit time but the boat is stopped anyway and it saves the time it would take to moor up then get going again.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

19 minutes ago, NB Thistle said:

I find while the boat is in a lock is the best time to have a quick wee,

if there’s an hedge by the lock

 

20 minutes ago, NB Thistle said:

grab a drink

bonus if there’s a pub by the lock 👍

[Wafi]

Do you have a reasonable backup plan if there's some sort of delay (anything from an engine issue to an unplanned stoppage) and you don't make it through Hamstead lock before it closes?

[MtB]

4 hours ago, NB Thistle said:

I do most of my boating single handed on unmanned waterways. The good thing about locks is that the boat isn't going to go anywhere, so once it is full/empty but before moving on you can sort yourself out. If you're doing a flight then efficiency can be improved by only doing one extra job per lock. Adds a minute or two to your lock transit time but the boat is stopped anyway and it saves the time it would take to moor up then get going again.

 

I think you'll change your mind about all that the first time your bow fender gets caught on, say, a protruding gate bolt while you are inside, busy making a sarnie. Or gets cilled. 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

10 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I think you'll change your mind about all that the first time your bow fender gets caught on, say, a protruding gate bolt while you are inside, busy making a sarnie. Or gets cilled. 

give someone a bit of credit for once,

ffs,

most of us will go aboard while the boat’s rising the last few inches and the water’s levelling out,

 

5 hours ago, NB Thistle said:

so once it is full/empty but before moving on you can sort yourself out.

why didn’t you understand that?

[Francis Herne]

5 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You either have not spent much time single-handed, or have only travelled on canals with manned locks.

If 'Nb Thistle' is who I think he is, he came two points short of winning this year's BCN Challenge, single-handed as usual. That's an awful lot of unmanned locks in 24h.

 

He is of course quite right, on the level (or nearly so) in a lock is the minimum time penalty to do odd jobs; the boat is already stopped and doesn't need tying up. Provided no other boat wants the lock of course.

Edited September 26, 2025 by Francis Herne

[Chris John]

7 hours ago, MtB said:

 

When single handing, in a lock is exactly the time you need to be NOT inside the boat making a snack and having a wee. You need to be out on the lockside keeping a close eye on the boat.

Err you do your business before opening the paddles or once lock is empty. Simple really 

Edited September 26, 2025 by Chris John

[brianthesnail96]

On 26/09/2025 at 18:50, Francis Herne said:

If 'Nb Thistle' is who I think he is, he came two points short of winning this year's BCN Challenge, single-handed as usual. That's an awful lot of unmanned locks in 24h.

 

He is of course quite right, on the level (or nearly so) in a lock is the minimum time penalty to do odd jobs; the boat is already stopped and doesn't need tying up. Provided no other boat wants the lock of course.

 

We finished undecorating our boat after this year's challenge in Factory bottom lock for exactly that reason- nice and easy to get to both sides of it without having to faff around mooring up, and there was no-one else about. 

 

I made the mistake of going for a "comfort break" while my wife worked the paddles on our summer trip, the previous ones (all going up) the boat had sat nicely at the back of the lock and barely moved so I thought it would be fine, of course this time despite Laura taking extra care with the paddles it picked the boat up and threw it towards the top gate. I can only assume it was because we were by a pub and had an audience... 

I waited until it had (almost) made a level next time!