Two more `Ends of Navigation`

Once it would have been three!

And so to the top.   A much more leisurely day as we did not have far to go and only two locks.   The trip was not without it's incident though!  Geoff and Barney walked for the trip and after seeing me through the first lock they went ahead to prepare the last lock, Langley Lock.  However before reaching there I came to bridge 27 as as I approached I realised that we would not fit underneath.  I hastily reversed and came into the bank as far as I could to await Geoff's return.  There was nowhere to tie up to so I stood and waited....and waited........eventually I tried ringing John and Fiona on Epiphany as I knew they were in the basin but despite several tries there was no reply.   I was not able to lift the flowers off myself and could not undo the screws on the sat dish.  Geoff of course did not have his mobile phone with him.  By now it was 11am and well past my coffee time so I climbed back aboard and went below to make coffee.

Eventually a very grumpy knight in shining armour in the shape of Geoffrey appeared demanding to know what was keeping me..................................

Barney had also wondered where I was ! (But he wasn't grumpy)

Offending articles were removed inside for safety and I tried again.  This time we went under with no trouble and then reached Langly Bridge which had a little more headroom. 

Going under Langley Bridge just before the last lock.

And so to the Great Northern basin.   Strictly speaking I (we) had just done two heads of navigation.   The top of the Erewash was just below the lock and once in the basin we were at the head of the now unnavigable Cromford canal.   Parts are still in water and there are restoration plans.  But it was once also the head of the Nottingham canal as can be seen from this building in the basin

Once up the lock I was greeted by John 

We then moored up in a very congenial spot with plenty of grass for Barnaby to lie out on and watch the world go by.

The weather was still being very kind so in the afternoon I was able to paint the gunnels down the starboard side and touch up and few other spots as well.  I had managed to do the port side whilst in Nottingham.

Later John & Fi came over for the odd glass of wine or two and so ended a very pleasant day...even the grumpy knight in shining armour had recovered his sense of humour.

My thanks to Fi for most of these pictures.

Looking from our mooring towards the Cromford canal

looking in the other direction towards the now derelict Nottingham Canal

The longest day.........for us anyway

We awoke to a completely windless day...if you look closely at Ratcliffe Power Station in the distance you can see the smoke is rising vertically.

We made a modest start at 8.30 and were soon turning left at the junction to start our trip up the Erewash Canal.  The plan was to go half way today and continue tomorrow...but I think I have mentioned before about the best laid plans.........

Entrance to the Erewash

The first few miles are full of interest with what looks like quite a large live aboard area.

Houseboats

                                       

This one has its nose in a cosy little cover

Further along we saw this sign....in case you can't read it the left hand one says `A fisherman lives here with the best catch of his life.`   The right hand one says` The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of mens lives, the hours spent fishing`.......or double click on the picture to get a better look!!

There are some delightfully rural spots..this is the Church of St Giles at Sandiacre

Plenty of wildlife

But not sure about the colour of this pub!

Sandiacre was not the best experience in the world.  We had just come through 2 very low pounds where the water was down a good foot and Geoff had gone aground (I was walking with Barney).  I entered the lock and Geoff was unable to get the gates to close despite using all his muscle....... he tried one and then the other but despite letting some water through they refused to close fully.  Eventually a couple of gongoozlers joined in to help which at least stopped him having to cross from side to side.   After a lot of effort and letting more water through they closed.  However just before this happened I heard the familiar buzz of grass cutting machinery and before |I knew what was happening Petroc and I were showered with grass cuttings.  My howl of anger reached the top when Petroc was only green about 3/4 of her length.   This `lady` complete with ear defenders, appeared and said she was sorry but she hadn't realised anyone was in the lock!!!!  She obviously had eye defenders on as well...............she must have seen all the activity going on.......

Eventually we reached Pasture lock which is where we had seen that Epiphany had moored on the way up...BUT...we weren't quite half way and it was a glorious day so we decided to carry on a little further........MISTAKE....

Thereafter we could not find anywhere congenial to moor.   Thankfully the remaining pounds were not as low although they were slightly down.   This was probably a good thing as some of the bridges are VERY low and we only just fitted through with our sat dish on top.  We really thought we would have to go on to Langley Mill at the end but we came out of Shipley Lock (only 2 locks left) and the waiting pontoon looked very inviting and we had been on the go for 8 1/2 hours so we decided to quit.   The chances of any other boat wanting to use the space were virtually nil.  We had passed one boat all day.   

Whilst sitting having a reviving cold beer we hear the sound of motor bike engines....lots of them.....so Geoff decided to investigate.....   he is a closet motor bike enthusiast....he had one when he was a lad!

Just over the bank and behind the trees he discovered a pub called MFN (Miles from Nowhere)

The sign says `Welcome Bikers and Cruisers but Geoff thinks he was outnumbered........

                                 

                                  

He got chatting to the Father & Son owners of these two bikes as they were Royal Enfield  350 Bullets and they are the modern version of the bike he owned when he was 17..........now they are made in India.

Apparently these are just their fun bikes, they own a couple more much more powerful jobs.....

One of the riders had a Monitor Lizard strapped to his back, apparently it is his pet and he takes it everywhere with him!!

Geoff thoroughly enjoyed his stroll for a pint and said everyone was very friendly and the majority were drinking orange juice.

It is probably a good thing the pub is literally miles from nowhere as I can still hear them revving away as I write this..

Trent Lock Junction

Boe departed on Monday morning but we stayed over another day.  My netbook was duly purchased from PC World.  The moorings are very busy but also very congenial.  There is lots of grass for Barney to lie out on and watch the world go by which is what he likes to do.    The bank was at a convenient height so I was able to paint one side to cover up some of the scratches we (Geoff says I!!) have managed to put on.
Boats seemed to be on the move all the time and even in the dark.  A large proportion of them seem to have lost the art of slowing down for moored boats.
Tuesday we were up early to shop in Sainsburys, conveniently places a stones throw away behind some bushes.........
Since we were on a canalised section I was able to walk for the first part of the trip along a good towpath.   This is something that has been lacking for a while.   I walked the first couple of miles and then swapped with Geoff...Barney gets twice the walk!
And so to Beeston Lock where we locked up to the last stretch of river for this year.  However the sun was shining and it was a pleasant run to Trent Lock.
I missed the only notable event I could have captured on camera as I was down below sorting out the laundry..........Geoff saw them cutting some trees on the bank where there were narrow boats moored.  Something obviously went wrong because he heard a crack as a tree fell and it went straight over one of the narrow boats.  Luckily Geoff thought that there was no sign of anyone aboard...
At the junction we went straight ahead as we wanted to get fuel at Sawley Marina.  Castle marina in Nottingham closes all day Tuesday and Beeston marina said their price was 83p before tax.   Since Sawley said theirs was 72p we decided to go on there.  The plan was to turn straight around and moor back at the junction but it was late lunchtime by then so we decided to stay on the moorings opposite the marina. as they are in the open and quite pleasant.  Tomorrow we shall start up the Erewash canal and hope to meet up with Epiphany who have just reached the top.

Nottingham and Back on air!!!!

Away at the gentle hour of 0845 on Wednesday and we were waved off by Les from Country Rose one of the lock keepers at Cromwell.  We had socialised on our way through in May and managed a couple of glasses of wine this time also.  Lurking behind his legs is his friend Gyp.
No more tides we thought, great!  However there was quite a lot of water coming down the Trent  and it was against us so despite having reasonably high revs we could not make more than about 3-3.5 mph. However we did not have far to go as we planned to moor below Nether Lock just before Newark.  We had heard that the pontoon moorings were very full and they are really the only suitable place for us as all the wall moorings are too high for Barney to get off.
after 1 1/2 hours and 4miles we reached Nether lock and moored against the wall which is quite high but, we judged, just about OK for Barney.   Unfortunately as we came alongside we came very close to the wall as there is a slight lip under which the gunnels went so I dragged one of the fenders off thereby putting a scratch in the upper paintwork and also lost my mobile broadband dongle into the water!!!  It was dangling through the rear porthole, somewhere it very rarely is.  I had not been able to get a good signal at Cromwell in my normal position in the rear so I had hung it through the window and forgotten to take it in!!  What a lulu.........
That explains the gap in the blog..........
Later in the morning daughter Boe arrived for a few days.
Thursday morning dawned wet and miserable but we did not want to leave before about 11 as we hoped that someone would have moved off the pontoons by the BW office by then.  In the event it was a dull trip up into town, but relatively dry by then.  There was still no room on the pontoons but we able to breast up with another narrow boat on the end.  The original intention had been to continue after shopping as we had explored Newark on the way through, but the rain came back and we decided to stay.
Friday we hung on until 12 noon as I was hoping my new sim card for the dongle would arrive at the BW office but no such luck.  When I rang them to ascertain it's whereabouts I was told I could get a replacement in any 3 shop for £5!!!!  Why they couldn't have told me that in the first place I don't know, I had already been into the shop to purchase a new dongle.   Geoff by now was champing at the bit to be off as the forecast was rain later so we set off as I knew there was a 3 shop in Nottingham.
We were delayed at Town Lock as a big boat with no engine was coming through and it took a bit of manoeuvring.  
A pleasant trip up this part of the river, still with a lot of water against us.   We decided to call it quits at Hazelford Lock.  There is room on the lower part of the wall for about 3 narrowboats and it was quite congenial and plenty of places to walk Barney.
Saturday we set off just before 7 as we wanted to reach Nottingham at a reasonable hour.   The first two locks were unmanned as the lock keepers don't start until 0930 but at least they are all electric.   The most difficult bit is mooring up to let Geoff ashore as there is quite a strong flow of water on some of the waiting pontoons adjacent to the weirs.

Some intrepid fishermen obviously don't mind the flow!

Halfway between Stoke Lock and Holme Lock the railway crosses the river

And so to our last big river lock

Luckily Holme Lock was manned so we were able to have fore and aft lines.  The rise is 12 feet here and the water comes in with some force.   We had to wait on the pontoons here as there was someone coming down, however Barney was very pleased as we had been unable to get him off at the last 3 locks as the walls were all too high.  This was our last big river lock.  The next lock at meadow lane takes is manual and takes us off the mighty Trent and onto the canalised section around Nottingham........nice calm waters..........we have both had enough rivers for this year.  Just one more lock took us to a mooring outside Sainsburys.  Not quite where we wanted to be as we were in the trees.  However by the time we came back from church on Sunday morning someone had moved and we could move up into the sun (yes it was shining for a while) and more importantly we could get a satellite TV signal!

We shall stay here another day as PC World is right on our doorstep and I am looking for a Netbook.

This is not what I signed up for

Definitely not!!!
However to start at the beginning.............Monday we positioned ourselves at Saxilby and monitored the weather forecasts all day.   The timing of the heavy rain seemed to be creeping forward so it looked as though Tuesday would be a better bet.  Still strong winds forecast though.
We departed Saxilby at 0615 so that we could be at Torksey in time to give Barney a run before the 8am time the lock keeper had given us.
The sun was shining and we locked down with another narrowboat....he had done the trip to Cromwell many times before so we gallantly let him go first!!!
It was breezy at the start but after about an hour it really started to freshen.  Despite the fact that we were going on the flood there was so much fresh water coming down that we made slow progress...average of 3.5mph for the trip.

We passed several boats going the other way and also these two larger ones.  

It was wonderful to see Cromwell Lock come into view and we locked up in company with the other narrowboat and 5 plastic ones.   One of these had whizzed past us on the way only to have to wait for us all......
We decided that we would stay the night on the pontoon mooring at Cromwell and that is when the trouble started.   There was already a small plastic boat moored on the outside but plenty of room for us ahead of him.  However I underestimated the force of the wind and the volume of water coming down the river.   I made two attempts with Geoff (who managed to get ashore on the first attempt) and the skipper of the plastic boat trying to take the lines but to no avail.   After each attempt I had to back away and go up river and turn which was quite hair raising (I was not a happy bunny by this stage!!)  For the third attempt they signalled from the shore that I should try and come in on the inside of the pontoon....you should have gathered by now that Geoff was on the shore and I was alone on the boat......so yet another turn and this time I hacked it.   By the time we were tied up my knees and stomach felt like jelly and it has taken me several hours to recover...........

Several hours later another boat attempted to get in on the outside of the pontoon and he took 4 attempts!!!!    I feel better now.   Eventually he went on the inside but the photo below shows him struggling.

He did eventually manage to reverse it into the inside of the pontoon with the aid of an awful lot of wellie......and after being stuck on the bank.....

The wind continues and so does the water flow.  We are hoping the wind will die down tomorrow so that we can reach Newark as Rebecca is joining us there for a few days.

Visitors and a long Sunday trip

 

Most of our stay at Kirkstead Bridge was very quiet..Petroc is at the far end of the pontoon.  Later on Saturday we were joined by a couple of other boats but it was nowhere near as busy as we had expected.
Our visitors arrived in time for coffee on Saturday, Brian & Joy and Jerry.  Apart from Brian whom Geoff & I had seen in the last couple of years it was considerably longer since we had seen either Joy or Jerry.  In fact Joy and I decided it was 37 years ago.......but it was lovely to catch up with old friends.  We repaired to the Petworth Hotel in Woodhall Spa for a good lunch, punctuated by plenty of old war stories from the gentlemen....well not quite the war.   The Petworth's claim to fame is that it was the Officers Mess of 617 Dam Busters Squadron.  In fact in the grounds they have the remains of one of Barnes Wallis' bouncing bombs.

We had decided on an early start to Sunday as we wanted to get through Lincoln so at 7am we were en route.  It was yet another lovely run on this river, the sun shone and we gently made our way to Lincoln.

Still a lot of duckweed but we just seem to cut a path through it

Just before Bardney Bridge we pass the Sugar Beet Factory

The factory is partially closed.  They no longer process the sugar beet.  You can see more about it at http://community.lincolnshire.gov.uk/thehistoryofbardneysugarfactory

We paused above the lock at Bardney to use the sani station and when we continued we could see Lincoln Cathedral sitting atop the hill from some considerable distance away.

They seem very fond of sculptures along the Water Rail Way which runs along the river from Lincoln to Boston.  Yesterday it was animals, today humans......??

Whilst Geoff was watering Petroc etc at Bardney I took Barney along the path and in the distance I saw what I thought was a lady walking her dog....however on reaching her she turned out to be made of wood and the inscription at the base read `And down she went and found a boat`

Despite checking out the website  http://www.woodhallspa.org/leisure_waterrailway.html for the Water Rail Way I cannot find who she was meant to be.

Another of the sculptures along the way

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We didn't pass many boats today but this was one....I wish Barney would learn to climb up on the roof...

                                      

And so we reach Lincoln.   Just one lock to go (Theres only 2 altogether on this waterway.)

                                        

We had company in the lock

We moored in the centre so that we could buy the Sunday Papers.  Sadly there was not a visit to the market as it is Sunday. 

                                      

Soon on our way again heading for the Glory Hole

After passing through the Glory Hole and round the bend we come to Brayford Pool, but first through another bridge.  As you enter the pool it asks the question `Where are you going`

From the other direction it asks `Where have you been`

 

We took our time cruising through the pool as we had seen the trip boat leaving ahead of us so we decided to keep our distance as he would be turning somewhere.

For the rest of the day boats appeared from everywhere, we saw more boats than we have seen for weeks, however is was a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Luckily when we reached the Pyewipe pub about 2 miles along there was room for us to moor.  Nearly 2 weeks ago we had moored here for the night and had an excellent meal with John & Rosi and so a return trip for Sunday Lunch seemed in order.  Another excellent meal and an afternoon watching boats going every this way and that, mostly plastic jobs but a few narrowboats.

All in all an excellent day apart from the weather forecast..............we are booked to go out of Torksey early Tuesday morning  but things are not looking good.   However we shall position ourselves tomorrow and see if the forecasters are right or not.  There is talk of much rain and strong winds...that is definitely not our weather for the tidal Trent...............

Still at Kirkstead Bridge

This is the sort of weed we encounter in parts on this canal.   However it is duckweed(I think) and not deep.  It is rarely all across like this and you could dodge through.  Even if it is across the whole width you are going at a reasonable speed (for a narrowboat!) and you seem to push it away with the bows.   There are some patches of the other sort of weed (the Chesterfield type!!) but not too many and so far we have not had a problem.

Walking along the banks from Kirkstead which Geoff does with Barney he came across these animals!

Barney was interested

We are staying over another day here as we are expecting visitors today.   Only one other boat has joined us on the mooring and we are very surprised.  It was so busy on our way downstream.

Boston Reminscences

Grand Sluice at Boston looking from the Witham non-tidal

Grand Sluice at Boston looking towards the Witham non-tidal

This was as far as we would go.  In fact despite the sani station being immediately before the lock, there was too much weed for our liking, so Geoff wheeled the loo cassettes along from the moorings.

Boston Stump from across the tidal Witham

One could choose to approach Boston by going East and then South along the Boston drains which are navigable BUT there are no moorings when at the end and it is a dead end, no way through.

Boston Drains

Maud Foster Windmill near the end of the drains

This is a working windmill and you can see more at http://www.maudfoster.co.uk/

Kirkstead Bridge (for Woodhall Spa)

We departed early on Thursday in the hope we would find space at Kirkstead.  When we went down there was no room at the Inn, so were forced to continue  This time we were lucky, only one small boat there, so we tucked ourselves right at the end of the pontoon.  Barney likes to sit outside and watch the world go by and if we are at the end he is not in anyones way.  The small boat left and another came in briefly but we remained in solitary isolation until the evening when one more boat arrived.  There is room here for about 5 narrowboats.
We had been lucky with the weather all day and the rain conveniently came back in the evening...that two nights on the trot the bad weather has gone through in the night...long may it last.   We are hoping for the same today as we are expecting visitors.