Thurs. 16 Aug 2012 Popes Corner

About 9.30 this morning we walked back to the lock to get a bit of video of the pusher dredger/bulldozer working. However when we got there we found the Bulldozer sitting on the bank, two men repairing the rescue boat that broke down last night and a Fox’s Narrowboat sat right on top or the mud bank. I expect he will be there until about 6 pm this evening before the tide lifts him off and I doubt they will risk dredging the bank until he is gone, so that will be another day the bank is there. More information on the dredging machine can be seen at http://www.fadsdirectory.com/reviews/conver-silt-pusher

9.45 and we were on our way having a quick word with the 70 footer that we followed across from Salters last night. There was a bit more traffic about than we had seen on earlier trips but it still wasn’t busy.
Just before The Ship the Air Ambulance flew over head and we could see him circle in the distance over in the Hilgay area looking to land and shortly afterwards an ambulance went along the road in the same direction.

The starlings were gathering on the power cables as we continued along 10 Mile Bank.
We stopped at Littleport opposite The Swan to fill with water before continuing on into Ely, her we spotted K2 moored on the park so we pulled alongside and had a chat with Peter. While we were talking Matilda Rose came by and stopped for a pump out, I excused myself and went for a quick word with Graham and Jill who were struggling with the pumpout machine, it would pull a reasonable suction but no volume so was pretty useless
. The problem is when the chap comes to mend it he will check the vacuum and say that is OK and go away again, if he had a boat to pump out he would see the problem. When I returned to K9 Hazel had returned so we spent a bit of time with them both before continuing on our way.
Just under the bridge giving access to the marina there is now a chap trying to hire out floating cycles, can you imagine if these are all out on a Saturday afternoon when the new hires from Bridge Boats set off on their holidays. Note the lifejacket or lack of it and it only costs £5 for half an hour.
As we passed Soham Lode Graham and Jill were just tying up. I wondered if they had a problem, but they were just looking for a quiet night, I have put that spot in my little black book. Just then a lovely little wooden cruiser came round the corner towards us, I have seen this out a couple of times down the Cam and the steerer called out it was 1938.
We carried on passed Pope’s Corner onto the Old West River and are the only boat moored on the second lot of EA moorings, The Hundred Acre Moorings which will do us for the night.

The weather has stayed fine but very overcast most of the day, the wind has been fresh but with a bit of warmth to it, there were times when I needed a bit more than the Tee Shirt.