On the Move again

I arrived back at Petroc last evening after my weekend away.   We stocked up from nearby Asda planning an early start on Tuesday.  However we then decided we wanted some things from the butcher and I needed to pay a cheque into the bank so it was 1015 before we managed to cut ourselves loose.

We passed the church at Hayton where Geoff had an abortive visit a couple of weeks ago.  A phone call to the rector had informed us that the service was at 9.15 but after Geoff braving the rain to reach it, there was no sign of life....

The going was slow in places due to the narrowness and shallowness but the weed did not seem as bad as on the way up.   We stopped at Worksop & Retford Boat Club for the sani station and Geoff had a look down the weed hatch.......lots of weed and half a vest was his haul!

The reason for the slight improvement was no doubt due to this weed cutter which we caught up with just before Drakenholes.

                                          

                                              

It needs to remove a whole lot more to have any great effect.

Later when we were moored and I was sitting outside, a gentleman on a very small wheeled bicycle stopped to chat.......I had his potted life history!  He told me that he had worked on the canal for 15 years some time ago (he was 81) and they used to try and clear the weed by hand.

                                                     

Typical of this stretch, very narrow

We only met one boat, a small cruiser and Geoff edged very gingerly past him

Luckily there was room for us to moor at Drakenholes, so we do not have very far to go tomorrow to West Stockwith.   We are booked to go down the Trent to Torksey on Thursday.   Sadly we will just miss Epiphany who are due to come down from Keadby also on Thursday.  The tide times are such that we will have to leave before they reach West Stockwith.  We would like to have delayed a day but we have visitors booked into a hotel in Lincoln for the weekend and we want to be sure of reaching there.

Another tidal trip but at least this one does not have such a difficult approach to the lock as Selby and West Stockwith.

Drakenholes Tunnel, even I managed this one!

Moored at Drakenholes