Not a good start to the trip. I had just finished loading the car and it started to rain, no problem. Started the car, bleep, Suspension Alarm, Service. I switched off and on a couple of times and same result. Transferred everything to the Range Rover in the now heavier rain and decided to take the car to the local garage as they do Citroens, he suggest its best to go to the agent. Diana sets off in the Range Rover to travel via Gt. Yarmouth and I start the Citroen. No Alarm, all clear, the only problem now is Diana is on her way and I am still at the garage. I finally catcher up and we head home with both cars and the come to the boat in the Range Rover.
The boat was fine with very slack ropes, we moor bow on with the centre line attached to a low mooring post. as the water had risen last week the centre line got tight making the boat list so one of the neighbours slacked it off for us, following that the water level fell as fast as it had come up, but better safe than sorry.
We loaded the boat and I put the steerers shelter up and at 3 PM we backed out across the cut. There is much more weed about now than in the winter months. For a change we turned away from March and headed to Benwick for the night. By the time we had reached White Fen Farm bridge which is quite low it was chucking it down so I just hung about hoping it would stop, no, but it did ease so I went and dropped the stove chimney and engine exhaust followed by the shelter so we could get through. Needless to say within 200 yards the rain stopped. We carried on along the old route of the River Nene to Benwick where there is 60 feet of first class landing thanks to the Parish Council and the local IWA. There was a small dingy moored to the end of the pontoon by a long piece of line and several inches of water in the bottom. We had just moored up when 3 young lads came along, they hauled the boat up the bank to empty the water and headed off back through the village in it. We were to see them several times as they went back and forth enjoying themselves. I hope it was their boat.
1 comment:
The MLC have emptied sooo much water out of the Old Nene, we think about a foot, that we are often to be found leaning over in the mud!
Fenland man on boat here can't remember the levels being so low before and thinks it's because the MLC dread being blamed again for Northampton flooding,if it does.
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