I’m back on the Oxford now—supplies restocked—so I’m taking today to relax, catch up on laundry, and tackle some housework. It’s amazing how messy a boat gets after two weeks of moving every day! Being single-crewed doesn’t help either. Not complaining—just saying. If I didn’t love this lifestyle, I’d have given up long ago.
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, the CRT has put movement restrictions in place on the Oxford Canal. This means boaters can’t travel freely between certain points—specifically, between Napton and Aynho. Anyone moored within that stretch can now stay longer than the usual two weeks without penalty.
Unfortunately, I’m not currently within that section. I’m about 17 miles away, so I contacted CRT to check if the same relaxed rules apply here. I figured if I tried to head toward Aynho, I’d have to go through 11 locks—putting even more strain on already low water levels.
Their response surprised me: they told me to head to Aynho because there are local services and “very nice scenery.” So, looks like I’ll be moving tomorrow then. Damn