Road Test

Between the end of May and July 2019 ‘Shine’ was thoroughly tested on her maiden voyage. In total she travelled nearly 500 miles through a wide variety of different waters from the scenic but often restricted waters of the Oxford Canal to the fast flowing Tidal Thames.

Stages

River Nene – There is a wide variety of water on the charming Nene. Wide and deep to narrow and shallow and all in between. We travelled against a slight head current at about 4mph using 1kW of power to push us along in near silence.

Grand Union – Up the endless locks from Northampton to Gayton. It’s not a lot of fun but at least we did it without unpleasant diesel fumes. It’s hard to go fast on the way up to Crick as there are so many moored boats. We used between 1kW and 0.7kW to make way and surprised a lot of people. Them not having heard us on approach.

Oxford Canal – Very beautiful countryside but a very constrained canal in places. We used between 1.3kW and 0.5kW to progress. The generator came on for the first time as the weather was so apalling. Hot showers were called for.

River Thames (non tidal) – Wide and deep, a gentle and favourable current, lock keepers and sunshine. It’s why southerners live in the south. We could move along at 4mph using 0.5kW with the battery monitor indicating an infinite range.

River Thames (tidal) – ‘Shine’ performed beautifully. We started at Teddington with batteries showing 96% and finished in Limehouse Basin with 54% having battled a strong tidal flow and a strict schedule set by the lock keeper. Waterways World were along for the trip – read their account here