Crafty encounters on the River Thames

Sunday, 10 April 2011 16:40

We are moored in Oxford today and a very sunny one at that. The River is very busy and so is the towpath. I have lost count of the number of photos that must have been taken of Epiphany and the number of faces that have had a good look in through the portholes! Boat encounters are frequent too.

Steamer encounters cruiser - now who gives way to whom?

I am ready for a cruise and a quiet mooring again.

Ben Okri, author, poet and philosopher, said yesterday said at the Oxford Literary Festival, that he thought the journey was more important than the destination .....

On my "stir crazy days", when we have been in one place for a number of days, I agree with him. But today I feel that the destination might be more important, but I long for the journey!

Ben Okri also said that he found that sometimes when he got near a "destination" he just wanted to continue with the journey. On a sunny afternoon on a peaceful river I can empathise with that too! Clickety click to listen and watch Ben talking about his thoughts on writing. He is such an interesting man - and yes, we did get to meet him, but that's another story!

But back to boating! Around us are punts - who seem to end up alongside all too often. So often it is the boy taking the girl for a romantic excursion. The "Magical day boats" putter past too.

An "erring" punt. I missed his wobbly turn around!

A laden magical putterer.

Who on earth thought of the name "Magical" and then numbered the boats from 1 upwards?

Passing us is the trip boat form Salters Steamers - a large wake that caused us to tighten our ropes! Yesterday, the "steamer" had to take quick avoiding action as punts and row boats were all over the place! We rocked very well then.

Salters Steamers steams by, but at a gentle rate of knots this time

Of course there are cruisers of all shapes and sizes - I am being very good and not calling them "tupperware boats" or "noddy boats" or even "American flying boats". They may look down and think of us as "Gypsies in a sewer tube" ( I think it was Terry Darlington that said that in Narrow Dog to Carcassonne), but we try to look up and smile and wave!

Cruiser moored in front of us

Families are out in the rowing boats - Mum, Dad and two kids in life jackets seem to be the norm.

Rowing boat full of Americans - I heard the accent!

And here comes the Anglo Welsh hire boat, with a predominately male crew. Who is the lucky "token female"? Once upon a time they would not take "single sex" hirers - now it seems they do!

AW hire boat - with a large male crew

Ahh... and how could I forget the "private" narrowboat - and the share narrowboat, both of which were represented here overnight together with a large old river boat who smoked off around mid day! The important EA patrol boat made an appearance today too.

EA Patrol Boat

Early morning and the evenings belong to the rowing eights, fours and scullers, of course; and then all is peaceful apart from the coach shouting over the top of Epiphany from the bank!