Benwick Thursday 29 Aug 2013

last night they finished harvesting some time between 10-30 and 11pm. and I expected a peaceful mooring.

This morning I pulled the mud weights at 10 am. but they didn’t have time to get dry. We went a short way up river to Nightingales Corner and turned right then less than quarter of a mile to Exhibition Bridge, where after winding the mud weights went down again. The published clearance of Exhibition Bridge is 1.2Mt but it is actually 1.5Mt but we still can’t get under it so it was time to inflate and launch the canoe. When we got to the other side of the bridge the gauge shows the bridge as 1.8Mt, yes it slopes and they have gauged each side differently to the height  of the entrance. I am very glad it slopes the way it does or I may well have tried to get under it.

We paddled up stream (officially as there is no flow) as far as Bevill’s Leam Pumping Station which now straddles Bevill’s Leam. We have come down to the other side of the pumping station on Harnser from Angle Corner.

A quick photo and we turned and went back to the junction of the North western Cut where we went just through the bridge before turning back. We did consider going all  the way to the end but that would have been another 2 miles each way and we are not that fit yet. In places the weed covered the surface from side to side, it was surprising how hard it was paddling through this. The round trip took us 2 hr 45 min. with only floating stops for a slurp of juice and a biscuit, a total journey of 5.5 miles.  (Red line on the map)

Back at the boat we loaded the canoe on the roof and set off back towards Benwick. This Grebe hasn’t realised that the breading season is over.We met another boat as we made our way to the Benwick moorings in almost the same spot as yesterday.

While motoring along I rang Stanground lock to book a passage for 4pm tomorrow as you have to give 24 hrs notice, this would give us plenty of time to get from Benwick, however the latest they could offer was 1 pm. so it looks like an early start in the morning.

Work was ongoing on the flood defences at Benwick and the new path is only happening because the sheet piling machine destroyed the old one, it wasn’t in the plan. Also they are just capping the imitation brick walls, not back filling and there will be removable gates to each property stored by the bridge. As we passed we could see piles of the brick tile covered sheets, the don’t have half bricks but a half brick gap on the end so when the fix the sheets they but two halves together and then fix a brick in the space so when finished and pointed you cant see the joints.

We had been moored here about 20 min. when another boat arrived from the other direction. We invited them to moor along side, but as they had two dogs they asked if we could move up a bit so they could just get their stern onto the moorings, which we did. She then told us that she was surprised to see us here as her friends  had only left a short time before and when they met told them the mooring was free.

The evening was capped off with a BBQ and the most glorious sunset with a bright red sun going down behind the horizon.

Ramsay St Mary Wednesday 28 Aug 2013

Last weekend the Middle Level Watermans Club celebrated their 50 anniversary on their new moorings by the Marylebone foot bridge from the park.The site was donated to the MLWC and they have named it Skouldings Rest in memory of their benefactor. This morning a group of them were hard at work clearing things away. When Diana returned from shopping we reversed back to the service block near the town bridge to fill with water. We didn’t need much but our next chance will be Peterborough.
One of the riverside houses in March looks a real picture with their flowers.

We made a brief stop at Fox’s boatyard to pick up a pen I won in their location competition that they run on Facebook. then it was off passed our old moorings at Floods Ferry, only one face to wave at us but lots of the others were out boating who we saw earlier.

We turned sharp left to follow the route of the Old River Nene down to Benwick, I pulled over to the moorings to get a better photo of the new foot bridge, I do think its pleasing on the eye. The footpath behind the moorings is closed but we only saw the sign when we reached the end. The reason for the closure is flood defence work and its being carried out in an interesting way. They have piled the ground behind the foot path then clad the piling in what looks like master board with brick tiles attached. It looks as if they intend to top this section along the cemetery with fencing when complete, further along it just ends as a dwarf wall. I would imagine it will be filled with concrete. The work continues all the way along the front of all the riverside properties with an earth bank by the agricultural land.

It was not long before we started to experience blanket weed coming up under the boat so progress was slow at times, we actually met another boat along this section, I hope their cratch was low enough to get under White Fen farm bridge, if not they have a long way to go back.

When we reached Wells Bridge we turned right to Lodes End Lock, the difference in level was about 2 inches. The lock is designed so that if the level to the West of the lock rises it flows through the lock to the east and gets pumped away, if the level to the east rises like it does in winter then the lock gates prevent the water flowing to the west.

After the lock the weed was worse with different types of weed to contend with, we continued on through the village of Ramsey St Mary until we were opposite the old wind pump where the growth on the bank was a bit less and I had a chance of getting ashore, well if I got against the side I could. In the end I dropped a mud weight at each end and here we sit in the lily patch. I could have jumped from the stern, but as I had no idea what I was jumping into I decided against it.

Quite often in the past I have put a photo of a plane at the end of my blog, this one came over today.

March Tuesday 27 Aug 2013

We left our mooring on the Little Ouse for the last time this morning and travelled quarter of a mile upstream to fill with diesel and sort out our final leaving arrangements.  Then it was down stream and off to Denver. Avalon had come down the river yesterday afternoon and were still outside the Ship when we left.

I rang the lock keeper at Denver to check what time he would be locking, 12-10 was the reply and as we needed a pump out I needed to get a move on. 3 swans came to say good by to us, I shall miss this old river. We arrived at Denver in good time, but I could see a cruiser already in the lock waiting out, but he was heading for Kings Lynn and would leave as soon as the tide made. There were several Narrowboats on the lock mooring and others on the EA moorings looking expectantly to the lock. As I started the pump out Diana walked round to the lock to book us in with the keeper. We were 5th out of 6 boats to leave, the sixth was a bit longer and needed to wait for Salter’s Lode to make the level before he could get through.

We had completed the pump out and were just by the EA moorings as the first Narrowboat started to enter the lock, others were dodging about. I pulled in and moored as it would be 2 hours before it was our turn. Not only were there boats coming from Salter’s but also some cruisers from Kings Lynn.

When we finally locked out I made my way down to Salter’s lode Lock meeting a Fox’s boat on the way.  It was very hard to tell what the water was doing, it had been running out for two hours at least but still it didn’t seem to be moving. I set up my turn into Salter’s lock and almost came round too tight having to widen my arc running straight in mid channel touching absolutely nothing. Apart from the lock keeper and one other there was no one there to see it.

Back on the Middle Level and nothing had changed, Paul the lock keeper told Maureen at Marmont Priory lock we were on our way. The weed along Well Creek was much better than I had hoped for. We passed one of the boats that left before us moored at Outwell and a second in Upwell. At Upwell I rang Maureen to let her know we were still on our way, this was shortly before I met another Fox hire boat coming towards us. As we approached Marmont Priory Lock the gates were open, not ready for us, but to let another Narrowboat out. As soon as they were clear we went in and Diana hoped off to lend a hand, after a brief chat with Maureen, her husband, her daughter and her grandchildren we were on our way again. Below the lock the water is much deeper and wider making the passage of the boat much easier. By the wind turbines they were busy harvesting and looking back it looked like a bank of cloud for miles along the horizon, it was actually dust. Just then a tractor and trailer sped along the bank passed us. The dust cloud he put up completely obscured the river for a bit.   We came into March a few minutes before seven and it was wall to wall boats, I pulled against the off side, not an official mooring but there was already one boat on this side. Before mooring properly Diana walked along the river to the park and telephoned back that there was a space there long enough for us so I pushed off and headed down to her. There was only one cruiser on the end of the moorings and more than enough space for us to tuck in behind them. As it had now turned seven it was decided that a Fish and Chip take away supper would be in order.

Denver Sat 24 Aug 2013

During the night the rain started, It was warm when we went to bed so we left the engine room doors open and also the back cabin slid, so that was a little job that needed attending to.
When we woke this morning it was still raining but eased off about ten. The.water tank was just about empty and at times the pump was sucking air. The water point is right against the bridge so I had to join two hoses together to reach our filler point.
The moorings are a nice straight quay edge but there are only a couple of rings, one by the bridge and one 70ft away from it, but someone has driven in a couple of large poles for mooring, it still makes it difficult to use the moorings efficiently.

We set off at 1130, I have never seen so many people fishing off their boat as there was along this stretch, some of them were sitting on their decks in the drizzle but others were inside the cockpits fishing out through the side doors sitting in the dry.

As we approached the sugarbeet factory at Wissington a Heron was standing like a weather vain on top of the old pumping station. We carried on upstream past the sugarbeet factory to wind just above the B1160 road bridge. At this point I had to put a coat on as the fine warm drizzle increased to rain. As we made our way back through Hilgay they were still all busy fishing but not catching much. Just below the Hilgay road bridge this little chap looked out to say hello as we passed. Back on the Gt Ouse we turned left to moor for a while at Hilgay Bridge EA moorings, there was only one other boat there and we use to moor next to them when we were at Floods Ferry so we spent a bit of time catching up on fellow moorers. The are crossing from Denver to Salters tomorrow so we said good by and they headed off to Denver for the night. Shortly after they had left we heard from Gwen who would be joining us for the weekend. he was running a bit late so they would meet us at Denver, so we untied and headed towards Denver.
On the way we passed mother Grebe with 4 good sized youngsters. I think this is the largest family I have come across.

We arrived at Denver the same time as our friends from Floods ferry but unfortunately we were a couple of minutes behind another narrow boat, a couple of minutes earlier and we would also have had a bank side mooring, but now we are laying outside “Carpe Diem” for the night.

Home Moorings Monday 26 Aug 2013

We set off at about 10 am with the weather showing every sign of getting better. We had to carry on along the Old West a short way before it was wide enough for us to wind.

We had just passed the Little Thetford moorings when I spotted a cow in the river. I pulled in at an angle so any passing boats had to give it a wide berth and dialled 99 to call Fire Brigade. I was most impressed with the response I received. The operator put me straight through to the Fire Brigade control to who I explained where we were and what we were doing, she accepted all the information I could give without question and within 5 minutes we could see the fire engine complete with flashing lights waiting to cross the railway.
4 Fire Fighters walked along the flood bank, 2 of them donning their life jackets. One of the men told me that they would walk it along where they knew the water was shallow and the bank lower, he then told me this was the third cow in 5 days at this spot. Sure enough a couple of them calmly walked it along a few hundred yards and it was able to climb out by its self.

Seeing all was OK we continued in to Ely and moored close to where the trip boat runs from so that we could show Chris and Gwen, our guests for the weekend around Ely. By now it was really warming up and as we made our way back down to the boat we called in at the Royal Standard for lunch, a good choice as they had Trawler Boys on the bar, a Lowestoft brew.http://www.green-jack.com

Returning to the boat we couldn’t pass the Ice cream van without getting a 99which we consumed in the sunshine on Harnser’s front deck.

A little after 3 pm we set off back to our home moorings so that Chris and Gwen could head back home. I think I can say they both a relaxing couple of days and the weather couldn’t have been better for them.

Old West River Sunday 25 Aug 2013

Following breakfast we spent an hour wandering around the Denver Complex before Diana and Gwen took their car to our moorings and Chris and I set sail to meet them. We had a good run down to Brandon Creek where we picked up the ladies and headed on to the River Lark.

Today was the busiest day I have ever experienced on the Gt Ouse and we met several Narrowboats and cruisers as we travelled along the river.

We turned up the the Lark and were very please to ne able to moor at Prickwillow. By now the weather was so nice that we were able to eat dinner outside on the bank.
After lunch we visited the Pump Museum, I wish now I had taken a membership out as it would have saved me money. Once we had had our fill of the museum we were off again, winding just through the road bridge and heading down stream to the Gt Ouse. Here we turned left and went on through Ely, had we wanted to stop we could have moored right outside the Cutter, but we didn’t think that would be the most peaceful mooring in the area. We continued on to Popes Corner passing vacant moorings at Little Thetford, turning up the old West, hoping to moor at Golds Mere of Hundred Acre. The first was full, the second had a selection of well spaced boat, that if they had moored more considerately would have left loads of room for us. In the end we went about another hundred yards and moored in the nettles and cow poo. Next time I will not be so quick to offer to move to squeeze someone in. Another thing I noticed for the first time was cruisers coming by without slowing, but then dropping their speed when they reached the moored cruisers. Maybe its a bank Holiday thing, I hope so and that soon everything will be back to normal.

Hilgay R. Wissey Fri 23 Aug 2013

We left the moorings a few minutes after 4 pm. The river was quite busy, we met 3 boats and were overtaken by one. Out on the Gt Ouse we headed downstream, under Hilgay Bridge passed the completely empty EA moorings which was a surprise, the moorings at The Ship had been full with cruisers breasted up. Next it was under the railway bridge and then right up the river Wissey. Our plan was to go to Hilgay and see if A. we could get a mooring and B. if the Rose and Crown were doing food. If we failed on ether of these points we would head back down stream to the GOBA moorings for a BBQ. When we arrived at Hilgay the moorings were empty and the pub was doing food so that sealed the deal. We moored up just passed the old road bridge at about 1815hrs. and went to the pub for dinner.
We timed our visit just right as they had just put a fresh barrel of Doombar on and we waited while they drew it through to the pump.

We can hear the traffic on the new bridge but hopefully it will not be to bad. Another plus is that its a BT Hotspot.

Home Moorings Monday 19 Aug 2013

Not long after we moored up a few boats locked up from Salters Lode and one of them lay alongside us for the night. It turned out they were a shared ownership boat out for 3 weeks and planning a remote changeover in Bedford. We told them that we were planning to be off about 9 ish where as they were staying for lunch.

After a good meal at Jenyns last night we were soon looking for our beds. This time they had Adnems and Doombar on.
We where awake just after 6 am by a boat near us running their engine for about 10 minutes, they did this last time we moored near them here as well.

By 9 30 we had finished breakfast and were ready for the off. Sliding out from inside the other was simple as the boat ahead had left at 7 30 heading for Peterborough, so we just attached his forward line to the bollard and as I slid out passed his stern I just passed his centre line ashore, by the time we had gone about he was sitting comfortably against the bank.

The run back to our moorings was uneventful, the wind did freshen slightly but was mush less than the weekend and the clouds did start to gather but no sign of much needed rain.

Denver Sluice Sunday 18 Aug 2013

It wasn’t quite so windy this morning with a clear sky, yesterday the wind hit 32 MPH.

We were awake quite early with a reversing alarm going off. I thought it was something in the marina but it turned out to be the farm on the hill, because of this we were away by 9 AM. I was just able to wind on the moorings by holding the bum of the boat in the slight kink.
By the time we passed through Ely the swimmers had finished and they were running along the waterfront. 

The chap with the Pedalboats was hard at work unloading his van,I don’t think he could get it much closer to the water.

Just before Adelaide bridge we met a group of rowers heading back towards their base.  Their coach was coming up the rear in a plastic dingy with a large outboard, not the most streamline craft for travelling at rowing speed. Once at the River Lark it was hard right and down to Prickwillow to visit the Pump Museum. The first lot of moorings were full, but we just fitted on the end of the ones through the bridge. Not only were the engines running but they had stationary engines and tractors in the carpark. Inside there was also a collection of Meccano models on display.

After lunch we winded yet again and headed downstream back to the Gt. Ouse it was right again towards Denver for the night.

We had just passing under Prickwillow rail bridge when the train of old slam door carriages that I had seen in Ely the day before  crossed the river heading back to Ely. I wasn’t fast enough to get a photo of the diesel pulling them but I did manage a shot of the diesel on the back end. The carriages all looked to be empty.

Over the passed couple of days we have seen lots of people walking along the river bank, following fluorescent orange arrows. Some of them came passed us when we moored at Denver. The are walking to Walsingham from St Albans.

We have moored at Denver Sluice so that we can have dinner at the Jenyns Arms.

Golds Mere,Popes Corner Saturday 17 Aug 2013

As we were on the moorings last night we drove to the Swan at Littleport for dinner. We were lucky to get a table for two, not the best spot in the restaurant right by the till, but it was that or nothing.
While we perused the menu a young lady brought complementary olives, bread and balsamic vinegar/oil. We decided against wine as they had Doombar and Adnams on. It was a good move because after the beer arrived I remembered we came by car and one of us would need to drive back to the mooring.
Both our meals were first class as was the service. All in all a good night.

This morning I left the boat at 8 am to drive to Norwich to pick up my sister for the weekend.The journey only took me an hour but the return was a little bit slow. Once we had her and her bags onboard we went a short way up the Little Ouse to wind. Back downstream we turned hard left at The Ship and headed towards Ely. Today was cooler than late and much windier so although my sister started out on deck it was not long before she had to head inside.

We pulled over for lunch at the first lot of moorings in Littleport and then pushed on to Ely where Kevin had kindly leant me his mooring, this meant that we could have a slow walk round part of Ely ending up back at the Waterfront for an ice cream which we ate by the river. Once this was all taken care of we ambled along the river back to the boat.

The next stop was somewhere for dinner so we headed out of town towards Popes Corner. Passing the railway I spotted what looked to be old slam door coaches making up a train but couldn’t see an engine. Having just passed under the railway  being followed by a hire cruiser a goods train trundled over. All the moorings at Little Thetford were full with a couple of Narrowboats moored to the new piling to the Ely side of them. By now the wind had picked up quite a bit. At Popes Corner we turned right onto the Old West River and it was not long before we met a cruiser and then just before the railway a second. This didn’t bode well with me, surly by 6pm they wouldn’t have passed an empty mooring in this wind, but luck was on our side, just through the bridge I could see the far mooring post of Golds Mere moorings, then another ands another, when we cleared the bridge we could see that there was only one small cruiser right on the end of the mooring, so that was us for the night.

Home Mooring Fri 16 Aug 2013

Last night we ate at “The Cutter”. The meal was very good but I do wish they would tell you when a meal doesn’t come with vegetables. i had duck breast,New Potatoes, Plumb sauce and stewed plumbs. a few vegetables would have added to it. However I would recommend the waffles with black cherries and ice cream as a dessert.

The moorings were very peaceful overnight considering their location with the town to one side and the railway just across the river, once in bed, apart from the sticky heat of the night we were not disturbed at all.

This morning we woke it steady rain and as we were in no hurry decided to sit it out.

We had a knock on the side door just before lunch this morning, it was the crew of Willow who were visiting Ely by car and took the trouble to look us us.Very nice to meet you and will look out for you in September.

Around midday it finally stopped so we headed off through the town to moor by Tesco for a bit of food shopping, by the time we arrived I can only describe it as a very heavy mist falling from the sky so we had a lunch break. Went to Tescos for a few items in the dry and when we came out it was if someone had switched the sprinkler system in the sky on. It finally stopped and we walked back to the boat arriving just as it started again, this time for five minutes and then warm sunshine all the way back to the moorings.

Several boats have come and gone since we arrived yesterday afternoon, but there were still no vacancies, one goes one comes so it always looks full.

I took a quick shot of Adelaide Bridge as we passed under it looking spick and span.

Heading back along the ten Mile bank about halfway between Littleport and Brandon Creek I saw what I would call a large turtle or terrapin, it was about 100mm across its back and an olive green/grey colour, I didn’t see the head. I have seen lots of these on the Grand Union and the Thames but this is the first I have seen in this area.

At 5 30 PM we pulled onto our mooring for the night and refilled the water tank. Checking the weather station I see we have had just on half an inch of rain since yesterday.

Ely Thursday 15 Aug 2013

Last night we had a couple of heavy showers, so it was a good job we packed the canoe away in its bag and took it inside, pity I didn’t do the same for the BBQ.

First job this morning was to clean the prop of the blanket weed etc that we had picked up over the last few days and then at 1030 we were off. Our destination was Littleport and have dinner at The Swan.

Just below the Old Stop Lock before reaching Xanadu day boat hire it looks as if the EA may have done a little dredging, unless they brought the material in by boat to build the bank up.

When we passed the end of the disused arm that I tried to navigate on our way upstream I took a couple of photos just to show the weed. The Grebes were out in force with their young, it looks as if they had a successful second hatching as we didn't see much from the early nesting's and only a few larger juveniles around as the result. You can just see them having a ride on one of the parents back. Kingfishers were also much in evidence on this river.

As we continued down river I spotted an unusual bird sitting on the electricity cables some way away. I thought it was a Cuckoo from the shape of it but it flew a bit like a hawk, but then cuckoos do, what did have me foxed was the colours, but it has been suggested its a young female. There are more photos on my Facebook page.

When we reached the Gt Ouse we turned sharp left towards Littleport.  When we arrived there was nowhere left to moor so the decision was made to go to Ely for the night. So far we had only met 4 boats all day and we knew two of them.
Work is still ongoing on Adelaide Railway Bridge and now its the other side that is open to navigation so we had to travel on the wrong side of the river giving way to oncoming boats.
As we came under Ely railway bridge  the rather fine cruiser ahead of me almost stopped, I thought that maybe he had met a boat in the wrong arch, but it was just the Nautical Bicycles  that are now for hire in the town all over the river.
Here is a short video of them.

Nautical Bicycles

The moorings were quite full but there was a space just big enough for us where the trip boat “Liberty Belle” runs from. Because of the “No Mooring, Trip Boat” signs it looks as this stretch is also no mooring,  but there is actually a boundary line at the end of the reserved section and the trip boat still has tons of room.

GOBA Moorings Little Ouse Wed 14 Aug 2013

Well a bit more happened today. Firstly back to yesterday or what I can remember of it, I spent most of it asleep but came to life around tea time for a bit. It was then that a couple and their son were looking for somewhere to moor for the night so I invited them to lay alongside. They were on a weeks holiday using a friends boat, they handled the boat well but weren't sure of the etiquette of breasting up etc.

This morning after an 11 hour night I was feeling mush better so after breakfast we took our new toy out to play. Its a two person inflatable canoe and we planned to paddle from above Brandon lock to Stanton Downham GOBA moorings about 2.5 miles. Unfortunately we didn’t even get half way there as there is a large tree down right across the river about a mile above the lock and a quarter of a mile above the EA head of navigation, so I don’t know if that will ever get removed.
The canoe performed much better than I had hoped for and if you don’t want to go to fast it paddles quite easily, its also very stable.

We returned to Harnser and set off down stream at 1230, just as another Narrowboat was arriving who were very pleased to take our place

We travelled downstream for the pest part of two hours to the GOBA moorings but there were already two Narrowboats there, however as we approached one of the boats loaded up his gangplank and made ready to move off, this enabled us to slip in his place. We did take the canoe for another little try but we got bit of a wet bum, we are hoping this was due to drips from the paddles coming in and not a leak in the floor material, next time we will just float around for half an hour with no paddling. We still have a small leak in the starboard tube but its very slow, so that will be a bubble test when we get home. So far we are very happy with our toy.

Brandon Tue 13 Aug 2013

Well not a lot to report, we haven’t moved today as I am feeling under the weather following a jippy tummy last night.

We did get an excellent view of the International Space Station as it went almost overhead last night and although I was up most of the night I didn’t go out to look at the Meteor storm.

I thought I would just put this picture up to show how happy the fishing folk are around here.

Brandon Monday 12 Aug 2013

We left the moorings by the Jenyns Arms at 11am and headed to the water point to fill with water. We then retraced our steps from yesterday, by now all those full moorings from yesterday afternoon only had one boat on each.

Today I have seen 6 Kingfishers including a pair. The first landed on the pulpit of a cruiser but by the time I clicked the camera it had gone.

As we made our way along the Gt Ouse I evicted the spiders from the weather station as the jam the rain gauge up.

At the Ship we turned left to go up the Little Ouse or Brandon Creek as its known as. Passing our mooring on the way. The only real points of note where that there were already 2 boats moored on the GOBA moorings where we had planned to stop, so no room for us and a tilt wing or Tilt Rotor plane flew over, I don’t know which.

Sorry about the sound track

As the GOBA moorings were full we pushed on down to the head of navigation for us, Brandon. (we can’t get through the lock) on the way we passed this old wooden house that is slowly falling down. When we reached Brandon we winded in the lock mouth and then moored on the EA moorings. We had not been here long when we heard a noise, looking out there was a lad on our rear deck. I think he was being nosy but I don’t know, so now the rear door is locked.

One of the other things we planned to do was to go down the arm at Botany Bay, but after a boats length the weed stopped us dead. Blanket weed on the surface and Milfoil right below it. The boat stopped as if it had hit a mud bank, so loads of reverse to drag ourselves out. In the end it turned out to be a 6.5 hour day, twice what was planned.

Denver Sluice Sunday 11 August 2013

Checking the battery voltage when we arrived onboard this is what we found, so it looks as if our two smallish panels are keeping things topped up while we are away from the boat.

We got away from the moorings at around 4 pm. and headed downstream to Denver Sluice, on the way saw quite a few Grebes and Coots with young so I suspect that they have had a successful second brood.

We arrived at Denver at 5.30 and found just one mooring space that happened to be the closest mooring to the pub