Hazelford Lock to Kiln Pontoon, Newark
No shore leave for the thug this morning, we’d be moving on. Frothy bergs from the weir passed us as we made ready to move off into the misty morning. It was a touch gloomy out there, but at least it was cool.
The Bromley is used as a landmark on the river to radio ahead to Hazelford Lock, today the moorings were empty, the pub sadly closed. We carried on downstream, the banks peppered with fishermen.
The mooring at Farndon was empty, but it would sit in full sunlight once the mist had burnt through, we also wanted to be closer to Newark.
Rounding a bend Mick suddenly put Oleanna into reverse. ‘Fisherman!’ The chap on the bank quickly scurried about lifting his line. He’d caught us. Mick put us into reverse, the thick red line spanned down the cabin side. The chap dropped his rod, he must have cut the line, he busied himself on the bank.
We now had a long length of tough fishing line trailing. We drifted as Mick pulled in the line, thankfully the current wasn’t too strong as we were quite near the weir by the power station. Meters and meters of line were pulled up, no longer a potential problem getting wrapped round the prop or shaft.
The lure however seemed to now want to be on the move, so the line needed tethering somehow. It got wrapped around the pram hood frame a few times with several knots to stop it from slipping. We’d investigate later to see what we’d caught.
Now we could see the Parish Church ahead. Should we stop at Newark Marina for diesel and an up to date chart of the Tidal Trent. I’d asked on the Trentlink Facebook group about the latest edition of the charts, version 18. There have recently been a few amendments and new markers added by volunteers to assist boats around shallow areas that have been catching boats out. We bought our current charts 8 years ago, so they are well used and are now due for retirement. Sadly the diesel point at the marina was not free, we carried on carving our way through the millions of Geese.
Heathers mooring was free, in full sun but may get shade later in the afternoon. However I’d have difficulty getting off due to the high bank. We kept it in reserve.
Town Lock was being set for us as we arrived, we dropped down with the castle just ahead of us. What we really could do with would be a mooring on the east bank, maybe just below the castle, but none are to be had on that side of the river where tall buildings create shade. The wall opposite had several boats already moored up, space but the wall too high for me again. We carried on fingers crossed for a space on Kiln Pontoon.
There was maybe just enough room for us on the very end, if we overhung by a bit. Or should we carry on and see if Kings Marina might have a space for us. Level access appealing. We reversed up to see if the pontoon would be possible, it was, phew!
Once we were settled it was time to see what events this weekend we might be able to make the most of. This and into next weekend there are Heritage Open Days. We’d made a list of possibles last week, most of the ones I’d fancied involved walking tours, so they were out. One Mick fancied was a tour of Lowdham Signal Box which was built in 1896 and for 120 years controlled trains on the Nottingham to Lincoln line. It was taken out of service following the resignalling in 2016, and has been moved and preserved, and is now fitted out with period Midland Railway signalling equipment. I logged on to see if I could get two tickets, but only one was available, I seemed to have booked it. At least Mick can have a railway afternoon tomorrow.
Mick bobbed up to Waitrose to pick up his new phone. Tilly and I stayed in the shade, the boat exterior not shaded until late afternoon. I knitted, Tilly snoozed, when Mick returned he started to make sure his new phone had everything on it it should.
I watched The Escapist, 2008. Set in a prison, it takes a while to get the hang of the two narratives running side by side. One the preparation of the escape the other of the escape itself. It also took a while to get the volume turned up so I could hear it. Brian Cox is a lifer who hears that his daughter has become a drug addict and is near to death following an overdose. He starts to plan his escape to see her with the assistance of other inmates. The cast has lots of familiar faces, some playing parts you’d not normally expect of them. Some graphic moments, hints in the setting as to the ending, a well crafted film.
A phone call to Cromwell Lock to book our passage next week was followed by one to Torksey Lock. Tide times not necessarily good for getting to Torksey and getting up the lock in one go, so we may have to wait overnight on the pontoon before heading up onto the Fossdyke.
A sad gits curry from Waitrose maybe hadn’t been the wisest purchase as it required the oven to be on for half an hour, but it was super tasty.
1 lock, 8.4 miles, 30 meters fishing line, 1 gordy fish, 6 barbs, 1 hot day, 1 ticket, 1 grounded cat, 1 sad gits curry, 1 new phone, 0.75 of a sock, 2 hot for 2 much knitting.
