Last night as we sat waiting for the joint of pork to roast, in our new oven (but that’s a whole different story), I came across a story on a boating facebook group regarding a breach on the Aire and Calder Navigation. Levels had been dropping and were said to be about a foot down.

Hunting round on facebook and Canal World Forum we found more information. The breach, we think, is near to New Bridge 21, between Southfield Reservoir where the New Junction meets the Aire and Calder and where the M18 crosses the canal as it makes it’s way toward Goole.

By Goole Railway Bridge there are a set of stop gates which were closed yesterday afternoon. These are here for such a purpose, to stop the water draining out from the docks.

The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings to areas around East and West Cowick who were badly flooded earlier this year. There is a lot of water in the pound which stretches from the River Ouse, to Pollington Lock on the Aire and Calder and then down to Sykehouse Lock on the New Junction, plus all the water reserves in Southfield Reservoir.

Photos of the closed stop Gates looked like the level had dropped by about a foot, but reports from boaters at Goole Boathouse Marina were saying two foot. We are all well aware that in such circumstances people tend to exaggerate and currently 2 meters tends to be more like 4 foot for many!

Not sure how fast news travels so I contacted Lisa (a friend yet to be met) who’s boat is moored just across the way from us. She was aware of the situation and her partner Al was at their boat.

He’d been loosening ropes around the marina, the level having dropped by about 18 inches. At 9pm the level seemed to have stopped falling.

Al headed over to Oleanna, loosened our ropes, adjusted fenders and reported back to Lisa who forwarded news to us.

Today we’d booked a hire car for me to attend a hospital appointment in York. We’d already planned to then head to the marina to give Oleanna the once over and run the engine.

Apparently there are police manning the border between tiers 2 and 3, but we have a very valid reason for crossing the border today.

During our trip to York this morning Lisa was forwarding photos from the marina. The view from Oleanna’s starboard windows won’t be much, but thankfully she is upright. Big thank yous to Al for keeping an eye on her overnight.

Coming out from my appointment Mick had BBC Humberside radio on with a report on the breach. Aggregate is being dropped by helicopter to try to block the breach.

We’re heading there now and will report back later, maybe tomorrow on what we find. A huge big thank you to Al and Lisa for keeping us informed.