Viking Marina to Pollington Lock

Both of us were awake around 6am, after trying to pretend we were still asleep for a little while we gave up and got up. A cuppa each then it was time for Mick to take the van back to Scarborough. I originally was to get a lift to Tescos for a few bits but when we got to the gate and noticed the lake on the approach road had grown overnight and I’d have to wade back through it, it was decided that Mick would pick things up on his return as he’d have a Brompton with him.

What a lovely morning. Blue blue skies as I tidied away more things in the boat.

By 9am there was much activity going on in the marina. The boat crane was being moved about. I headed out for a nosy and to keep an eye open for our Sainsburys delivery. The boat crane was heading for a cruiser out on the hard, a lorry sat waiting to transport it to the Broads for adventures new. All this would take time, but would it coincide with my delivery arriving?

The nice delivery lady pulled up as close as we dared and was happy to move should the lorry want to leave the marina. We were speedy with popping everything into bags and thankfully had plenty of time before the lorry wanted to leave.

Time to repack items headed for the freezer, a chicken to joint. Mick phoned, his mission to take things to the tip in Scarborough from the house before returning the van had failed, the tip being closed on Wednesdays! Then trains had been cancelled between Scarborough and Hull due to a goods train becoming separated from it’s engine. Thankfully Mick was allowed to change his route and return via York, normally a more costly route.

A bite to eat was needed then we went to check out of the marina, handing in our gate fob. Three months and two days Oleanna had been in residence. In that time we’d only managed to use 18 units of electric, far different than when we stayed a couple of years ago and the electric bill exceeded £300! We are wiser now than then.

Once the ropes and fenders we’d left tied to the pontoon were recovered, the cratch and pram hoods rolled and folded away, life jackets on we were ready. We reversed away from the pontoon, winded and headed out of the marina, turning left towards Goole docks.

Time to fill our diesel tank. Mick had paced out the gap between the big gravel barges and the floating drydock, we might just fit. He reversed Oleanna into the diesel point the bow came round with a few inches to spare, made to measure. 50 litres, the domestic price now lower than £1. We paid our dues and then said our farewells. Thank you Laird.

The wind was starting to pick up, just as we were wanting to wind. It helped to a certain point then hindered the last part of the manoeuvre, but we got round in the end. Time to head along the very familiar straights, a cruiser just beating us to the way ahead.

Fishermen lined the banks a match in full flow meaning not many responded to our Hellos. We did see a few fish being reeled in. On we pootled, darkening skies threatening to soak us.

Past the breach site. The cooling towers of Drax gradually getting further away, bye bye to the NORF.

Ducks, Herons, Swans, Grebes and the occasional Lapwing kazooing overhead. Oh it’s so nice to be back out in nature again.

At the end of the New Junction Canal we continued heading westwards, waving to our friend David who moors at the far end. The last few years we’ve taken the fast route southwards on the River Trent, but this year we’ve opted to cross the Pennines before making our way southwards.

How much further? The skies were really starting to turn dark. Patches of blue sky and low lying rainbows brightened our view. It was a touch later than we’d hoped and Tilly deserved some shore leave, so we pulled in on the visitor moorings below Pollington Lock.

Once our location was noted from What3Words, Nebo stopped and cruising report on it’s way, I recited the rules to Tilly.

You have one hour. No Friends home dead or alive, or putting them on the roof for later. No jumping in, no bullying, no going on other peoples boats. She ran to the stern doors, once opened she shot out, towpath time!

I accompanied her for a little walk to the far bench, her tail held high as she followed me, then this was followed with thank you head nudges. There wasn’t really enough time for her to explore further as she required her quota of ‘Thank you for coming home!’ Dreamies.

A touch more unpacking before we tucked into Toad in the Hole with some rather nice mushroom and onion gravy. That’s the sausages used up from the freezer in the house, the chicken stock was still solid so will be used tomorrow.

0 locks, 8.6 miles, 2 winds, 1 left, 1 van returned, 3 cancelled trains, 3 diversion trains, 2 boxes cereal, 6 bags, 4 boxes, 2 moving cruisers, 1 chicken jointed, 18 units, 50 litres, 1 mass fishing match, 1 hour, 1 walk, 6 sausages, 14782 compressed photos, 1 blogger trying to remember what to put at the end of the days list!

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