On the way down the Oxford Canal, we'd been plagued by lack of petrol stops for the outboard, so I decided that this time, travelling alone, I wouldn't have this problem. On the 24th I strolled off for a gallon of juice to start with full tanks - a total of 5 gallons aboard - and cast off at 10.30, cruising up the cut from the Thames to the Oxford Canal.

On the first and second locks, and for a couple of lift bridges, I had the valued help of a retired gent on a bike - what a kind fellow he was. I did the rest myself, including one lift bridge clearly not intended for single-handers; I had to prop it open to get Cacho underneath.

After a night moored at Somerton, I went on to moor for a couple of hours at Banbury before heading on for a night in the middle of a field close to Broadmoor Lock. These were two quite long days, covering a total of about 30 miles and 22 locks, and I made the next day into a more restful one, just running up to Fenny Compton for a stoll to the village shop, where I was surprised to discover no lotto! Oh, dear . . .

Rested up and well-fed, I kicked off down Napton Flight, fuelled from the very conveniently placed garage about 200 or 300 hundred yards back from the marina, and blasted on to Braunston, where it rained, and up the flight, where it poured! After drying off and eating something, I entered Braunston tunnel at 8pm, and found a mooring at Norton Junction at the top of Buckby Flight.

I enjoyed a rest day at Norton Junction, watching the comings and goings of the floating population, and listening to music from the pub over the water. On the Sunday I whizzed down Buckby Flight starting at 6.55am, mooring across from Whilton Marina at 9.05 - including a ten minute wait while some boaters untangled the mess they'd got into in a lock. Had a big brekkie, and read the Sunday paper, then meandered off again down to Gayton, where I had to remain on the Monday - the heavens opened. On the 1st of July, I got to Rothersthorpe top lock at 6.30am, and worked my way down the 17 narrow locks on the Northampton Arm, and the subsequent 6 wide locks on the river. By 2 o'clock, I was comfortably moored in Billing Aquadrome.

During the next two days, I travelled down the River Nene towards Peterborough - I've never been on an inland river with some much potential, and so little in the way of boating facilities! Very few possible bankside moorings, only one or two properly built mooring sites, hardly any sanitary stations, and a general air of isolation. There were few boats about, but I did a few locks in company with narrowboats, which was nice.

I arrived at Oundle Marina, just outside Peterborough, during the afternoon of the 3rd July, and arranged to stay for a couple of weeks. Dot came to collect me on the 4th, and I came back to Felixstowe in plenty of time for her birthday barbie.

A couple of weeks later, we went back for a couple of days to clean up Cacho, and put her up for sale with the Marina - two weeks later, she was sold.