Monday 5 November 2012 Home Moorings

Last night again we had heavy rain, but this morning we woke to a bright blue sky. The other thing we woke to was the Old River Nene, part of The Middle Level that flows through March,

The flow on the Old River Nene

which is normally a mill pond was flowing as fast as the River Cam was a couple of days ago. About a mile further along we could see why the water was moving so fast, they are pumping the drainage dykes on the Middle Level as fast as they can.
The levels were up by several inches and I had to remove the chimney and exhaust to get under a couple of the bridges.

Just over an hour later we were back at our moorings and as I slid into our berth I could see that the next door boat was listing a bit. We moor nose on and there is a small dolphin with mooring rings about 30 foot out so we have to moor using a centre rope and as the water was probably 10” higher than last week his centre line was pulling him over, so I slacked it off for him. The boat on the other side of us is a very old motorised butty with a step mounted on the side of the back cockpit, this had got wedged under the top of a steel mooring bollard. After I pushed it out it bobbed up a good 4” above it.
I moored up with a bit of slack so I expect next time we visit the boat will be all over the show.

Sunday 4 November 2012 March

Last night we had a meal in The Jenyns Arms. I must say the service was very good, a very nice range of sweets and one or two unusual main courses, not forgetting the Adnams bitter and IPA.

This morning we were due to lock out onto the tidal Ouse at 10 am so about quarter past nine, in the rain, we moved over to the lock moorings, I didn’t even have time to go along side the moorings before Daniel was drawing the gate. he said Paul had already started at Salters so we were on our way. As the lock filled the water coming in looked like gravy, a nice dark brown. The tide was still making as we went straight down the river, no going round the back of sand banks and passed nb. Gemini on her way up. We crossed with her last week as we came up and she went down.

I made a real hash of turning into Salters Lode going over far to early getting the bows in slack water while the stern was still out in the flow. I am glad we weren’t much later as the tide was still making and we didn’t have much headroom to spare, if we couldn’t have got under we would have had to stayed outside the lock until after the tide had turned. it was a 21 ft. tide but with all the fresh on it may pushed a bit higher.

Paul had told Maureen at Marmont Priory lock we were on our way but Diana still rang her from Upwell, she only got the answer phone and there was no sign of he at the lock so we worked ourselves through.

We past a medium sized straw stack on the way, I estimate there are between 750 and 800 large bails in it. Some of them are much larger than this, you can also see its still raining.

On one of the small mooring/fishing platforms in Upwell I spotter this traditional woven ell trap. I don’t think trapping for ells is allowed at the moment due to the rapid decline in their numbers in the UK. The trap is basically a bottle shaped basket where the ell swims in through the neck and can’t get out again. You can see these being made in this old film on Fenland Life in 1947 http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/390 
We passed a few fishermen on the way  who seamed quite happy standing out in the rain, pike fishing, or sitting under their brollies float fishing.
We stopped off briefly in March to look at the newly refurbished facility block which has a pump out station, water point and elsan disposal sluice. The doors are unlocked as the keys required are different to the regular Middle Level Key.
Another 300 yards of so and we pulled over to the left to moor for the night, it was quarter to three and still raining.

Saturday 3 November 2012 Denver Sluice

Last night was another clear bright moon and star light night and  I didn’t go out I think there may have been a touch of frost on the grass this morning to check. The air temperature fell to 1°C.

We left The Ship EA moorings at 0950 hrs. and the weather was not that great, but it would get worse.
We headed down the Great Ouse towards Denver Sluice, On the way we noticed they were cutting the grass on the bank, as well as a tractor with an arm mounted flail there was a rather smart forward mounted flail cutter doing the less inclined bits.

 

As we passed the mouth of the River Wissey we decided to go up there for a bit. It was not long after this that it started to rain and turn several degrees cooler. We pushed on up the river a short way past the village of Hilgay until the river widened enough for us to turn, coming back down stream was much faster. Once back on the Gt. Ouse we turned right and continued down to Denver Sluice. By now the rain had stopped and the sun was showing its face again which put a rainbow over the river. Unfortunately they don’t photograph very well unless the sky is quite dark.

What ever those floating wire basket things are that I have photo'd in the past this one has made a good bid for freedom and I expect he will soon be down by the sluice to join the Floating Pennywort.

We stopped at the services at Denver Sluice to empty the toilet tank and fill the fresh water tank before going back upstream about a half a mile to see Graham on Matilda Rose for a cup of tea and a chat. About half three we said goodbye and moved to the EA moorings by the Jenyns Arms for the night, from here its only a short hop to the lock moorings to lock back down to the tidal Gt. Ouse in the morning and back in to the Middle Level at Salters Lode.

Friday 2 November 2012 The Ship

Last night was just magical with a bright moon and loads of stars. The moon and Jupiter were very close and right in the middle of Taurus, if its clear tonight go and have a look. This morning was bright sunshine and at 9 am the moon was still visible in the pale blue sky.

We set off at 1025 hrs. heading down towards Reach Lode. They have been re-profiling the bank along side Wicken Lode and sowing it with grass seed, but it will be some time before its fit to walk on. at the moment its like soggy bulb fibre.

At the end of the Lode we passed under the wooden bridge and onto Reach Lode, turning hard right down to Reach Lock. We were slightly delayed at the lock as we both had problems trying to unlock the control boxes. The EA Ably keys look good but the locks on the panels and water point boxes are rubbish.

Once through the lock it was another right turn round the gardens of the Five Miles from Anywhere pub and down the River Cam to Popes Corner. Imray Guide goes on about the Fish and Duck pub being recently refurbished and under new ownership. Today there is no trace of it, just a small marine that is about to be refurbished its self. The Cam is a meandering river with very wide flood plains on the inside of most of the bends.

We were now back on the Gt Ouse, I rang the lock keeper at Denver to check the lock times for the next few days. Sunday gives us a 21 ft. tide at about 10 in the morning, after this they get progressively smaller, so we are planning to catch the Sunday morning locking. We saw one or two boats around the Ely area but not much after that.
We didn’t have any rain today but we did see a rainbow ahead of us at Littleport.

At the Little Ouse we turned right yet again to go down to The Little Ouse moorings to fill with £180 worth of diesel. We last filled up on the Grand Union and the heating has been on 24/7 since then. No sooner were we tied up and read to take diesel than Danny jumped aboard and started examining our paint work with his microscope like this one. It was amazing looking at the micro blisters in my paint work through this and also to see how the paint surface was cracked and crazed. Next came the electronic coating thickness gauge which showed that my paintwork was applied to a good thickness.
By the time we were finished it was nearly 4 pm. so we winded using just the flow of the river to take the bows round 180° while Danny held our stern steady with a rope, we fairly flew down to the junction with the Gt Ouse again where we moored at the EA moorings by The Ship.

Thursday 1 November 2012 Wicken Lode

Last night we ate at The Bridge Clayhithe. The pub fronts right onto the river but we moored just the other side of the bridge at the Cam Conservancy 48 hr. moorings. Over night we had heavy rain again, a little over 11 mm.

This morning we set off at 10 am. winding and heading back up river to Baits Bite  lock to hand over some photos we took to Camcon who are looking for illustrations for their new guide to the Backs. We then turned below the weir and lock to head off back down stream.

We have often considered visiting Horningsea as we have passed but there are only two public staithes, both forbid overnight mooring and both are only about 25-30 foot long, so it would mean mooring the bows with the stern sitting out in the river on a mud weight.
Work is still continuing on the upper landing stage at Bottisham Lock, it is a great improvement. They are also working on one of the three sluice gates beside the lock. Following last nights 11 mm of rain the river above the lock was up a bit. Below the lock was more like a circus act with four chaps in dry suits trying to attach lines to the scaffolding above. I think this was to install another coffer dam behind the gate.

The work at Bottisham Lode is completed and the coffer dam in front of the slam gates is removed along with all the pumps. Maybe the same team working below Bottisham Lock removed it.

We had planned to take a look up Swaffham Bullbeck Lode on our way down stream. Our Imray guide says it navigable to Slade Farm and the EA map says restricted access.
Both appear to be wrong as there is a “No Entry” sign at the mouth of the lock. Both sets of V doors have been removed from the river end, so you would only be able to pass on the level. These gates use to be back to back as it was possible for the river to be higher or lower than the Lode.
The lock is in good condition and even has “Safety Chains” hung along its length. The notice at the mouth of the lock dates back to the  Anglian Water days.

The Lode its self also looks in good condition from what I could see from the lock. I wonder if navigation has ever officially been abandoned  or just abandoned by neglect?

With that bit of exploring abandoned, it was again back down stream to Upware, where we turned a tight right to Reach Lode Lock.
This is an automatic flood control lock, but today there was less than an inch difference in the water levels, but you still can’t sail straight through, the lode end gate wont open until the river end is closed. Once clear of the lock we filled with water on the lock landing and then headed up Reach Lode as far as Wicken Lode, here we turned left under the wooden bridge and continued to the end of navigation in the rain, mooring on the GOBA moorings at the far end.