Category Archives: Canal and River Trust

The Goole Escape, Cutting The Perimeter Fence. 27th May

Selby Basin to ………….

Heather arrived yesterday afternoon with lots of goodies she’d picked up in Doncaster at Scicluna Deli. One of the slices of cake had to be enjoyed with a cuppa as we discussed our cruising plans for Trent Falls. Not being able to get off the river at Keadby was still a sticking point for us all, who could we call other than another helpful Lock Keeper?

We enjoyed a curry from Jinnah, thank you Martin for the suggestion, it was very tasty, and a bottle of wine, then it was early to bed ready for the off this morning.

I have to admit to not having had the best nights sleep as I was not looking forward to mooring up on the pontoon in Gainsborough as the river hurtled past at a rate of knots. Tonight’s high tide would be the highest of the spring tides, 7.84m at Hull, so our plan of doing the trip on a Neap tide hadn’t worked out!

This morning whilst Mick made us bacon butties Heather walked over to chat with the Lock Keeper, it was worth another try. The chap on duty this morning didn’t know Keadby or really our planned cruise, so he couldn’t be of much help, but would call his supervisor. As we finished our butties he came over to chat, today the problem was more to do with the sandbar at Keadby Lock than staffing. They were saying there wouldn’t be enough water to get us over it and into the lock at the state of tide when we arrived. He tried again for us, but the answer was still no.

By now two chaps from the Environment Agency had arrived, they had checked the height of the tide and were happy that it wouldn’t over top the lock so then wound back the flood barrier. Life jackets on, Escape pod at the ready, the sun was out, it was time to go.

David, Karl, Martin and Wendy came down to the lock mouth to wave us goodbye and take photos for us, not often I get photos of me on Oleanna. The lock emptied, not much today due to the spring tide.

Then it was time to put the power on, leave the lock and wave goodbye to the rest of the escape committee. Thank you all for your company, knowledge, apps, photos and our united escape. Hopefully our paths will cross later in the year when we come back up north, but for now enjoy York and pottering about until things open up again.

Out into the flow we soon picked up speed. Mick radioed ahead to Selby Bypass Bridge to check for air draught. It was 4m so not a problem even though Mick got his tongue tide saying that our air drought was 2ft!

Soon the flow got going and our speed increased. We needed to make sure we reached Boothferry Bridge before the tide dropped too much as here sand banks start to show themselves at low water.

Heather has travelled this stretch of the river before some years ago. Selby Bypass Bridge looked new to her. We couldn’t spot the bridge keeper in his high up perch to give him a wave.

Drax Power Station came into view, the steam from the cooling towers heading straight up. The weather forecast and information on the Windy app were holding true.

I’d set Nebo going and could see that our speed was increasing, the sun that we’d left Selby in made us think we were over dressed for the days cruise, but now out on the river we were glad of the extra layer.

Once we reached Barmby Barrage we were now onto new water for Heather.

Passing a wharf close to Drax Power Station there was a high vis rescue boat. Two chaps sat in the rib. You could play spot the difference with these photos, I think one of the chaps spotted us and put his helmet on quick.

A crane sat in a field alongside the wind turbines. Was it a new turbine being put together or had the lid been lifted off? A chap sat high up there working away.

We passed where the River Aire joins the Ouse, then Boothferry Bridge and the M62 lay ahead.

There was no need to radio ahead, although the Bridge Keeper kept a close eye on our progress. So far so good, we wouldn’t run out of water.

Under the M62. This bridge can be seen for miles with it’s gentle curve up and over the Ouse and surrounding area, it always used to be hard to slow down on the slip road off it at Howden. The salt and pepper pots in Goole could just be seen through the uprights meaning we’d soon be back where we started last Friday.

Round Howden Dyke Island, the sand banks only just starting to show themselves, then straight across to the first wharf surrounded by the green of Wren Kitchens. A right angle to keep to our red line on the charts and keeping towards the eastern bank of the river. Here two large ships were being loaded, a reclining figure kept an eye on things, looking down into the hold.

Last Friday we’d been surprised at the lack of debris on the river. You seem to get a lot of it on the reaches up to York. Today however was different, there was plenty of fire wood floating along keeping us company, some of it at one point needed some encouragement to leave us, we slowed down and let it drift off ahead.

Goole Railway Bridge. Today we took the span to the east of the control tower. Here we could see the earlier wooden protection, now superseded by a steel structure, it’s a good job as it looked like the wood wouldn’t be able to cope with a miscalculation from a passing ship.

Now the river sat wide in front of us. The view of Goole clearer than last week. We followed the red line on our charts, taking us across the river closer to the docks.

Victoria Lock entrance came into view, a big yellow sign asking us to radio Goole Docks on channel 14. We’d tried a little bit earlier, but gave it another go.

‘Goole Docks, Goole Docks, this is Oleanna, over.’

The now familiar voice from Ocean Lock replied and Mick gave our location and informed him that we would soon be passing. We were clear to proceed and there was no traffic on the river. ‘Have a pleasant journey on the river’. Thank you.

Now we could finally wave goodbye to Goole.

New water for everyone. Even Tilly was shouting about it below!

We kept our eye out for the markers on the banks. White diamonds to line up and cross between. Numbered posts with what look like Ikea guiding lights on top of them, these are of course more elaborate than just a nightlight helping to show ships in towards the docks.

Yesterday Mick had spent several hours studying the Humber charts and comparing the depths to the red line on our Boating Association charts. The Humber has sand banks that constantly change so the river is surveyed bimonthly, our charts may have been out of date. However the red line followed the channel, so as long as we didn’t stray we should be fine.

A truncated windmill, a lighthouse that both Heather and I thought had a sign with two arrows on it, one pointing upstream the other down stream. Well now looking at my photos the arrows are actually just bolts holding the board to the lighthouse.

Lighthouse! Hang on, lighthouses tend to be at sea on the coast. The occasional one has been built as a whimsical curiosity along side a canal, but this one looked like the real thing and meant business.

Next Blacktoft Wharf came into view. When we’d visited it a few weeks ago by car we’d not liked the thought of mooring to it to wait for the tide to turn. Today we liked the look of it even less for a narrowboat and were glad we had a different plan for awaiting the tide.

There up ahead was our next landmark the Apex Light.

Straight on the Humber and North Sea, to our right the River Trent. Gulp!

The flow was making our progress so easy, zipping along, so far so easy, so easy. The sun was out, only a slight breeze, wonderful.

The Apex Light got closer. And closer. And closer.

Some people say to head down onto the Humber to bide some time waiting for the tide to turn. Others turn and beach their boats on the sandbanks on the southern side of the Humber. But our plan was different.

David and others had said that beaching might mean that as the tide comes in a wave would build up alongside your boat, trying to force you round. Until the level had risen enough for you to back off the bank this could mean water getting in through vents etc. Maybe on a neap tide this wouldn’t be so bad, but today was the highest spring. So our plan was to anchor instead.

Trent to the left, Ouse to the right, Humber and North Sea behind!

Mick moved the tiller round and we turned round the Apex Light. Out from one flow of tide that had been pushing us along to head straight into another! Well we slipped along side ways for a bit before Oleanna managed to turn . Within a minute we changed from doing about 7mph over ground to almost being stationary now facing up stream on the river Trent.

1.5mph meant we crawled up the Trent, keeping quite close to the training wall which was very visible at this stage of the tide.

S L O W L Y we passed the two Trent markers on the west bank. We had to keep close to the training wall as here there is a shallow channel, not the main one, that is over the other side towards the eastern bank. David had given us a landmark to look out for, a drain leading into the channel, this was shown on our charts as being between two anchors.

Heather and I went up into the bow. The anchor had already been placed on the bow locker at the ready, the bucket of chain and rope beside it. I lifted the anchor, Heather the bucket.

I tried carefully to lower the anchor into the water, keeping control as it passed the newly painted gunnels. However it proved a touch too heavy to manage this totally. Clinging onto the chain letting the anchor slowly drop was hard work, so once all fingers were well out of the way I let go of the chain.

The chain followed by the rope pulled out of the bucket, leaving a couple of meters behind, which I assisted out into the water. Now would it bite on the river bed? Mick moved us gently, the flow on this part of the river much much less than in the main channel.

After a while the rope seemed to be getting some tension in it. However it was caught underneath the lower bow fender. Then we drifted over where the anchor must have been, the rope moving down the side of Oleanna. Then back again. I wasn’t willing to try to get the rope from under the fender as this would mean balancing on the bow, I’d rather loose the fender than fall in. But after a while things settled down and the rope sorted itself.

We were at anchor at Trent Falls.

The Goole Escape, Forged Papers. 25th May

Selby Basin

A quick check of all the apps and forecasts this morning whist lying in bed. It was actually too late to make a move when we were doing this as Nigel had already driven past to the lock and returned as I checked the wind speeds at Trent Falls.

A lovely morning here, just lunchtime and early afternoon further down stream would not be so clever. So time to sit out the day again in Selby. Maybe these posts will have a name change to The Selby Escape!

The drawing board came out again. Today the last couple of sheets of working drawings needed to be checked over and then it was groundplan time. This is a plan of what goes where. Normally in a play there aren’t too many scene changes, so there may only be need for one of two groundplans. But with Panto going all over the shop, although not to an actual shop, I needed to draw out seven of them. This took quite a while and took up just about all the space in the main cabin, I did manage to leave the sofa for Mick and Tilly to sit on.

Mick headed into town in search of a new pair of jeans. The only place selling mens clothing, other than trendy skinny spray on jeans, was Wetheralls a local department store that so far has managed to survive the pandemic.

Rain showers, torrential rain and even a touch of hail came and went through the day. We were very glad we weren’t down on the river battling our way through all the weather.

Mick called Keadby on the off chance that the shift times on the C&RT website were incorrect. He chatted through our plans for Thursday morning, lunchtime, afternoon and evening. Not being able to get off the River Trent at Keadby means it will be a long day.

Our current plan is to lock down in Selby, head to Trent Falls where we will anchor rather than beach, then a little while after the flood we will head upstream on the Trent, pass Keadby to moor on the pontoon at Gainsborough. The following morning after the flood has come past we will follow it, hopefully all the way up to Cromwell.

Is that the flood barrier across the lock?

Mick asked about the Aegir on Friday morning. We have been told to tie up on the pontoon in Gainsborough very tightly, facing the north, no slack what so ever on the ropes and add long spring lines. Paul from Waterway Routes has tied up on here before using four ropes each tied off to different points on the boat and pontoon. Advice from the Lockie was that on Friday morning we should wait for things to calm down after the wave has been through, say ten/fifteen minutes and then turn to follow it.

A chat with David later in the day means that the flotilla will be splitting up. Sea Maiden and Lulabelle are looking at heading to York instead, biding their time for the bridge here in Selby to be open to boats, who knows when Tankards Bridge will be open for those higher then 7ft, good news is that Beal Lock on the River Aire is now open, the dredging there complete.

This does however mean we will be a lone boat at Trent Falls. There’s not that much a second boat would be able to do if you got into trouble, but just a bit reassuring.

A different van came past late afternoon, just as the heavens opened, the Environment Agency. Two chaps worked through the rain and closed the flood barrier at the lock. This can only be done by the EA and not by C&RT. The tides are getting higher every day at the moment and with the amount of fresh on the river we suspect it was a precautionary measure.

To celebrate finishing off my drawings we treated ourselves to fish and chips. Mister C’s in Micklegate does gluten free on Tuesdays, presumably when they clean the fryers out and have fresh oil or lard. Their website and bag boasts about their awards and we have to say they were very good. Mine were just as good as at Capplemans in Scarborough.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 flood barrier, 1 cruise plan coming together, 1 extra crew on standby, 1 missing river, 7 groundplans, 1 flotilla splitting up, 2 of each, 1 river found, 1 new pair of jeans.

The Goole Escape, Danny’s 17th. 24th May

Selby Basin

Today passage had not been possible due to staffing shortages. Nigel was at Naburn this morning to pen a cruiser down onto the river, this would mean there being nobody available to pen us at a suitable time of the tide, so today had not been an option. This did however mean everyone had their radios on to listen in.

Around about 9am we could hear one side of a conversation on Channel 9, the cruiser was approaching the bridges. We all gathered at the lock hoping to see what we could see.

The amount of trees not only inhibit an advanced view of the lock, but also there are only a couple of places you can stand to be able to see Selby Rail Bridge swing.

Air droughts were checked with the bridges. Yes they would need to swing. The cruiser was told to hang back whilst permission was sought for the Rail Bridge to swing. There was a gap in trains so the bridge keeper commenced the procedure. Selby Toll bridge followed suit, the traffic there a lot easier to stop.

Once the bridges were open the cruiser was allowed through, having to turn back round to go with the flow.

The skipper wasn’t aware that there was another bridge coming up, Selby Bypass Bridge, so we could hear conversations on the radio down there. Hope they made it to Grimsby okay.

Yesterday David had sent through a set of charts for Trent Falls, the Lower Ouse and the Lower Trent. Humber Charts. These lay out not only the depths of channel, but also the heights of the sand banks above the lowest tides, it is essential to understand these sections of the rivers. We printed them out, all the figures too small to read, ideally you’d want them on a computer so as to be able to zoom in at any given time. Under cover this would be possible, but we prefer to cruise with our pram hood down, giving better visibility all round, this does however have the drawback of things getting wet should it rain.

Mick headed off to chat with David about the charts as I set too hoping to make the most a spare day to get some work done. I put together a story board of panto with photographs of my model and emailed it off to keep others informed.

A blue van came past the chink in the curtains, Nigel was here, he pulled up alongside Sea Maiden. Time for the escape committee to convene.

David had been looking again at the weather at Trent Falls for tomorrow. The patches of sun were now replaced by rain and thunder, wind a touch more than we’d had on our journey up to Selby. He wasn’t too keen. The weather for Thursday looked much much better, sunshine and gentle winds. Tides would mean a later start, therefore a later finish. Another option would be to go to Barmby Barrage a day before and set off from there saving an hours cruise, giving us an extra hour in bed.

Martin and Wendy on Lulabelle are thinking of staying in Selby to wait for the swing bridge at the end of the basin to be mended. A notice a couple of days ago had suggested the bridge would be lifted out mid to late June, opening up the navigation again. At the other end of the Selby Canal there is currently a height restriction at Tankards Bridge. Nigel confirmed that this was set at 7ft, a scaffolding bar flattening off the arch of the bridge. With the current fluctuation of the canal level with water coming off the fields 7ft was a safe height. This of course means Sea Maiden wouldn’t be able to go that way until the bridge is mended. The dredging on the Aire is scheduled for around about now, so the rest of the way back onto the Aire and Calder Navigation should be fine.

Nigel called someone up to enquire if there was any more news of the basin swing bridge, there had been a big meeting last Friday with lots of pointing going on. Permission is still need for a road closure from the council, then works can begin. The official line still being around three weeks.

Maybe in a couple of days time passage up to York would be possible, the fresh water having decreased by then. Time waiting for suitable tides and weather could be done whilst bobbing back and forth between Naburn and York. The next morning tides not for a couple of weeks.

Conversation came back to Thursday. Low tide at Trent Falls would be 16:24. The cruise from there with the incoming tide would be around a couple of hours to reach Keadby Lock. So arrival would be around 18:30 maybe a touch later. All fine until the Keadby Lock Keepers hours were checked. Currently the shift finishes at 20:00, but Thursday 16:30! Oh B***er!!! We’d still be two hours away.

Maybe we could carry on to Gainsborough and moor on the pontoon there overnight and be up early for the next incoming tide? Maybe!

This would be further than David and Karl had planned and the conditions would need to be spot on for them to go, they may stay and pootle up to York for a bit waiting for the next set of suitable tides and lock opening hours.

Nigel would still be here at a suitable time to let us out tomorrow morning if the forecast improved and we decided to go for it.

We chatted through the charts with David. Learnt of another useful app called Anchor Watch. You can set the position of your phone (boat) on the app and should your phone move by more than 20m an alarm will sound. We then all went away to think things over.

I got the drawing board out. Time to update my technical drawings for panto. Not too much has changed so alterations and a tidy up adding title boxes to my plans. I worked through most of them before it was time to pack up for the day.

Mick busied himself in the engine bay. The new bilge pump he’d put in a little while ago hasn’t been working. It makes the right sort of noise, but no water has been pumped over board. Yesterday he’d had a look at it, maybe the bodge job he’d done fitting it had failed!

The new bilge pump has a wider diameter fitting than the old one did. This means that the pipe from the skin fitting is too narrow to fit onto it. Mick has added a short length of narrower pipe which fits inside both pipes. This is taped and jubilee clipped in position as a temporary fix until we can get some pipe of the correct diameter.

Now we watch the weather, river levels, and wind. What else could be added to our escape calculations?

Ah Yes! The Trent Aegir!

0 locks, 0 miles, 0 penning, 2 cruisers zooming by, 1 postponed cruise, 3 charts, 3 weeks, 1 very helpful Lockie, 4:30 clocking off, 3 to 2 to 1 possibly, 8 sheets, 3 pipes become 1, 3rd episode LOD, 1 cat who has given up all hope!

The Goole Escape, Hiding In The Shadows. 22nd 23rd May

Selby Basin

As each boat came up the lock off the Ouse on Friday, Lock Keeper Nigel chatted away. He’d been talking to the Lockie at Keadby and all looked good for a departure on Sunday morning, this had been the original plan. The amount of fresh on the Trent shouldn’t be a problem. Once we were all moored up in the basin we had a boaters conference.

We’d all enjoyed the cruise to Selby. Our concern as to whether Lulabelle had enough power was unfounded. This was Martin and Wendy’s first stretch of tidal water, they’ve done rivers before but mostly canals, so they took today at a steady pace, enjoying it out on the river. Lulabelle had more power if required, but they’d hung back to give more space at the lock knowing we’d not all fit in together.

Nigel’s news that we’d be able to pen down on Sunday had been a little bit of a surprise, but everyone was happy to hear it, although the forecast hadn’t looked so good for down at Trent Falls. We’d check the weather apps and reconvene tomorrow, David mentioned another new one to us Windy which we later downloaded.

Saturday morning we checked the weather, we checked the river levels, we checked the wind at Blacktoft for Sunday. We’d be penned out from Selby around 06:30 make our way down to Trent Falls, anchor there until the tide turned. The wind looked strong down there between 17 and 20mph southerly. Once the tide had turned the wind would then be in our faces and being over tide this would make the cruise up to Keadby a lumpy one.

After our weekly Geraghty zoom the escape committee convened. Not looking good. Tuesday the weather looked more promising, maybe even a touch of sunshine. We decided to postpone our departure from Selby. Monday wouldn’t be possible as there wouldn’t be a lock keeper available to pen us down.

Mick rang and left a message here at Selby for Nigel, then called Keadby who later called us back. All three boats now booked to pen up at Keadby Tuesday afternoon. They also talked about what time we’d be able to pen back out on Wednesday to make it to Torksey or beyond. A late tide would see us arriving at Torksey a little before dark, or Thursday morning as soon as the Lock Keepers shift started which would be a touch later than they would normally pen you out, so not getting the full effect of the tide.

We’ll be on our own from Keadby as Sea Maiden and Lulabelle will have achieved their goal of being on the other side of the breach. A late finish, or an early start pushing against the tide for some of the way? One to think about.

A walk into town to post a birthday card. A visit to Boots Opticians, my new reading glasses have been hurting after five minutes so the kind lady made space for me in the shop and took my glasses away to adjust them, much better.

A recky for suitable places for Sunday lunch. I took photos of nice looking cafes and pubs to look at later. Then we called in at Sainsburys to do a top up shop. We’ll most probably have to do another before we leave as I want to be prepared should we get stuck on a flooded river, after all we know that Cromwell Service Station on the A1 doesn’t do much food with any nutritional value.

In the afternoon I repainted parts of the Town Square model for panto. A pale chrome green and peach substituting the blues. The outcome isn’t quite a bright as I’d wanted but will go with the costumes better. To brighten things up a touch though I added some bunting to the windows and that did the trick.

Photos done and uploaded for people to see I could now pack away my model making equipment. Hopefully the model is now finished and all that remains is to update technical drawings, oh and see if we can afford to have it built!

Sunday. Instead of heading out onto the river this morning we busied ourselves having a good tidy and clean through. Yep we were expecting visitors.

Today I kept a very tight hold of my mobile phone as Bridget and Storm arrived. They were to be our first visitors inside Oleanna since restrictions have been lifted, in fact they were the last visitors we’d had inside in August last year.

They both were very well and there was a lot to catch up on. Sunday lunch all round at The George Inn by Selby Abbey, we’ve known better but it was still nice to be out with friends. We exchanged news of travels, they’ve just spent a month touring Wales in their motorhome and family news.

A very lovely afternoon spent, much better than clinging on for dear life at Trent Falls.

A quick look at the river level about six hours after high tide suggested there was a LOT of fresh coming down, the height looking more like high tide and the speed at which the water was passing, eek!

Beans on toast with a light dusting of cheddar

This evenings dinner, well a rare plate of food, yummy all the same.

All three boats currently booked to pen down Tuesday at 08:00.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 flooded river, 1 change of booking, 2 arms bent, 6 bananas, 1 pack of bacon, 2 chocolate flapjacks, 2 roasts, 1 pork (with failed crackling), 1 beef (quite dry), 0 Yorkshire puddings, 2 lovely friends, 1 pot of chutney, 3 boats biding their time, 1 bilge pump not pumping, 1 extreamly bored cat, 1 Heather on standby.

Secret Baking. 19th May

Viking Marina, Goole

Mick was off on a train late morning, heading back to Hull. This time it was for his second Covid jab. He’d booked it through the NHS website at the Late Night Pharmacy which is just on the eastern side of the River Hull. Yesterday he’d had a phone call from his doctors surgery in Scarborough offering him one on Friday, which obviously he turned down.

On arrival he had to wait outside until he was called in, after seeing several people he was given his jab and sent out the back door on his way, making room for the next person. A much smaller operation than we’d both been to at the Rugby Club in Scarborough.

Whilst he was off the boat it gave me the opportunity to do some secret wrapping and start to bake his birthday cake. Thanks to Christine (Mick’s sister) for sharing a rather tasty looking apricot tart the other day I’d decided to bake a Bakewell tart this year. The pastry base made by substituting gluten free flour and then the almond filling, ground almonds with lots of eggs, sugar and butter.

On his way back to the station he went in search of The Bay Horse on Wincolmlee. No longer a pub sadly, so he couldn’t stop for a pint, but at last he’d seen where Tom Geraghty his Grandfather lived in 1901 at the age of 10.

Not far away he stopped by The Charter House too. The Master of the Charter House was Mick’s Great Uncle, Arthur Kent Chignell, during WW2. So it wasn’t just a trip for a covid jab.

I finished off making the giant strawberry and took loads more photographs of what I hoped would be the final model, although after passing them onto the costume designer I now need to amend one colour choice as it would clash with her costumes. Yes it is panto, the brighter the better, but sometimes it’s better to be a touch more harmonious.

A little while before 7pm there was a knock on the boat roof. It was Joan’s husband delivering our pre-birthday dinner. Peking Duck with pancakes for Mick and lettuce for me with a green onion sauce that she’d made with gluten free soya sauce.

This was followed by crispy lamb ribs which came with roast potatoes and stir fried veg. All very very tasty and highly recommended. If we get the chance for some more food from her I’m hoping the sweet and sour seabass will be on the menu as that looks very interesting. Not your normal Chinese takeaway, but real Chinese home cooking.

Yesterday a new notice about Selby Swing Bridge was put out by C&RT.

Update on 18/05/2021:

We anticipate it will take around 2 weeks for our Contractors to carry out the temporary footbridge installation and the damaged bridge lift, though we are awaiting a precise date from our contractor for this work to commence. There will also be a short closure to reinstall the bridge in around 3 months time (date to be confirmed).

This is good news as it means the route to and from York will be open, just a shame it won’t be in time for us. David called ABP this morning to book all three boats to pen down at 14:30 on Friday. Goole Docks will need to be called on VHF Channel 14 at around 14:00 to request permission to proceed into the docks. He has suggested a channel for ship to ship comms and done loads of calculations as to speed and time of arrival at Selby. Then he has forwarded pages from the Ripon Motorboat club book. We have a copy of this which I bought for Mick years ago. It turns out that David produced the edition we have. So our flotilla will be in good hands. We just have to pray for good weather now.

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 2nd jab, 0 2nd job, 1 colour amendment, 1 bridge to be replaced, 1 yummy Chinese, channel 14, 6, 9, 74, 28 beacon, so many fingers crossed for good weather.

Here is playwright John Godber talking about the upcoming production of Moby Dick. I designed the premiere production of this show about twenty years ago for Hull Truck in their old home at Spring Street. John and Hull Truck are my Hull theatrical roots, I think he’s a bit excited.

https://www.facebook.com/jgodberco/videos/170127981597400

Rules Are There For A Reason! 17th May

New Bridge to Viking Marina

It was left up to Tilly this morning as to when we’d move. Her last morning of freedom for sometime, so she was told to make the most of it. Off she went scouring the long grass for friends.

By about 10am we were the only boat left, David/Paul and Karl had headed off early and WB Lullabelle followed. Did they know when it was due to rain this morning?

At about 11am we were either ready to push off or I’d be settling down to do a couple of hours work. NO sign of the second mate so I set about finishing off the bits for my panto model. My new version of the under sea scenery much better than the original.

When Tilly wants to come in she either comes to the side hatch when it’s open, or jumps on the back of the boat, quite often jumping up onto the roof hatch making the engine board rock to make a noise. Well on her return this morning we heard her land on the stern, but her bell sounded different. Had she managed to change it herself for a quieter version? Or had something happened to it, muffling it slightly?

To us we guessed what had happened, this was confirmed when Mick opened up the back doors. One wet cat. Was this down to wet grass and hunting? No, her head was dry! This was almost certainly down to jumping in, or maybe a fall, or maybe some other excuse for not abiding by the rules which are laid out every time she goes out!

You can be angry. You can laugh. You can chase her round with a towel trying to catch as much of the water as possible before it soaks into the sofa or bed. You can worry every time your cat is out. You can keep them indoors. Or you can let your cat be a cat. Then you can be grateful that she got out from where ever and came back home to share the clean up experience with you.

We think where she got wet was most likely to have been in a short section of drain or pond in amongst the trees. But there is a possibility that the number of ducklings was too big a pull towards the canal. If that was the case, thank goodness she managed to find a way out. However the wet paw prints came from the bank and not the stern button.

As much of a towel dry as I was allowed to give her, she then set about drying herself off by having a bath, thankfully for my end of the sofa, whilst sitting on a towel. Mick lit the stove, the boat warmed up to help with the drying off.

A small boat kept coming past this morning with a C&RT chap sat in it. In front of him it looked like he had a laptop. Was he doing a survey? He headed all the way up to the cofferdam a couple of times.

A big mound of earth just in front of the digger

After I’d finished my model bits and had lunch it was time to push off and head back into Goole. As we winded I did a last zoom in with my camera towards the cofferdam. There a digger was busy and a mound of earth could be seen. Every now and then this morning we’d been able to hear pile driving. Which part was being dug up? I’ll have to wait for Mark’s next set of photos to see. Next time we are up this way the breach will hopefully be mended and we’ll be cruising through it reminiscing.

The four damp miles back to Goole was tracked again on Nebo. I also remembered to have my camera ready to take a photo of the ladybird tile on one of the culvert bridges.

Time to put the panto model together and see if I want to do anything else. A list of notes was written out, nothing major but a couple of hours work. I also took photos so that the costume designer can see what colours I’ve used.

These were also sent off to David the Director for him to have a look at before we have a catch up, so any notes from him can be sorted prior to the finished design meeting with all the creative team and producers.

0 locks, 3.92 miles, 1 wind, 1 soggy moggy, 2 hours drying off, 170 model photos, 1 okay Inn, 1 lovely ship, 1 giant anemone, A4 of notes, 1 model nearly finished, 1 glass of wine to celebrate.

Driving. Breach 50. 16th May

New Bridge

I’m sure breakfast photos must be getting boring!

Yesterday afternoon another narrowboat arrived, keeping well over to the other side of the canal, yet pushing quite a bow wave. We then sat and bobbed about in the resulting waves for a good fifteen minutes until calm was restored.

Have to say we’re a little surprised that not more boats have come out from the marinas for a touch of freedom. Yes the motorways are not that far away and constantly audible, but the amount of sky beats the view of other boats any day.

Fishermen lining up for todays competition

The fishermen arrived and set themselves up along the northern bank and at 11am a shout from one end to the other could be heard, then the plop of bait followed by rods. Todays catches reached 27lbs 6oz. No idea if this is a really good haul, but it sounds like it to me.

After a slow morning watching the local baby boom we headed out for a walk. The towpath officially on our side of the canal, although the northern bank is far busier, we followed it up towards New Bridge and the breach site. The grass has recently been mown despite someone having put a fence across the towpath. There being no sign to say keep out we continued. Under the bridge to where proper fencing keeps gongoozlers away from the cofferdam and new CCTV looks down on the site.

A team of high vis chaps stood around the site. Maybe because they now had on lookers they climbed back into the cabs of the diggers and pile drivers and started to work.

The piles that Mark had photographed from the air a few days ago were now being driven further down. Each one numbered in chalk. The chaps gradually worked their way along the line.

We decided to walk along the flood bank of the Dutch River to have a different view. Someone arrived in a car to check over the generators, all quite busy for a Sunday.

The tide was going out on the Dutch River, Cow parsley stood high on the flood bank and every now and then the remains of some creatures meal sat on the path, muscle shells. Sadly between us and the canal lay a very boggy area, possibly even a drain so the best view I could muster of the level on the western side of the cofferdam was by standing on a stile. No water in view.

Back at the boat Tilly was allowed several more hours of towpath exploration, although the very quick sharp showers that came and went all afternoon brought her dashing home.

Big bolts of lightening towards Doncaster were followed some 15 seconds later by big booming rumbles of thunder. We felt for the fishermen across the way, some already starting to pack up ready for a swift exit after the weigh in at 5.

I continued with my model painting. The Inn now thankfully finished and a few more bits and pieces painted. The underwater scene was partly painted when I had a big change of mind about it, a much better idea which shouldn’t take too long tomorrow to make and paint. This will be a Black Light Scene, illuminated in UV with puppets of fish and mermaids swimming to our principles rescue. After that it will be time to put everything back in the model box, take notes, work through them, take photos and then wait to see what the Director thinks.

An up date of the technical drawings then hopefully the model can be tucked away for safe keeping in my clothes cupboard until needed and we can concentrate on boating for a while.

0 locks, 0 miles, 4th boat, 50 breach updates, 9 hours! 20 babies, 6 showers, 1 biblical downpour, 16 drenched fishermen, 1 final alteration, 2 boaters saving their hugs.

Just A Few Minutes Away. 7th May

Goole

Back in early 2015 we moored at Rembrandt Gardens in Little Venice for the first time. In the other space there was a narrowboat called Bleasdale. The lady on Bleasdale introduced herself and we had chats. Being a distinctive colour in those days on NB Lillyanne the lady who became known to us as Mrs Bleasdale could spot us a mile off and our paths have crossed several times since.

Christmas/New Year 2016/2017 we all found ourselves mooring at Bugsworth Basin. This is when we found out Mrs Bleasdale’s first name, Heather. She does have a surname but we prefer Bleasdale.

Every now and then we do a location check with each other and at the back end of last year we discovered that we were quite close, well Heather was near Torksey and us having just pulled up in Goole. Depending on which way Heather would turn off the Fossdyke our paths might cross, so we hoped to head out from the marina to meet up with her at some point before Christmas if she headed up to Keadby.

Sadly Heathers plans changed and she turned left instead of right, then ended up being stuck in Newark with lockdowns and flooding, we ended up being on the wrong side of the breach.

Over the winter Heather has hatched a plan and was gathering interested boats together. We joined in on an IWA talk about the North East waterways and our interest grew. Would plans work out though? Timings would be important and Heathers suggested expedition would have to make use of the long days of June to cover a large chunk of Tidal water.

As time has gone on we’ve realised that as much as we would love to join her this year our priorities this summer lie at the other end of the country and doing two mad dashes up and down the country just wouldn’t work. So sadly we’ve bowed out of a trip down the Humber to the River Hull and up to Beverley this year. Maybe next year though!

Since cruising restrictions have ended Heather has gradually worked her way up to Keadby and beyond, in fact only a hop skip and jump away from Goole by train. So today we hoped that the weather would be kind to us so that we could meet up.

Yesterday we’d put feelers out for any recommendations for a cafe in town where we could have lunch, but as we thought there were no options. Howden was suggested, thank you Lisa and Al, but we didn’t really fancy a bus trip. However we realised we knew a really rather good café with limited outdoor seating. On Mick’s return from dropping the hire car off he stopped by Morrisons and Tesco to pick up some provisions, Café Oleanna was open.

Heathers train, only a nine minute journey

After a hail storm went over I walked down to meet Heather from the station, thinking please let the weather be kind to us! We chatted all the way back to Oleanna where Mick had set up outside. Our gang plank and stool table came in very handy when the refreshments came out. Soup, crusty bread, cheese and a selection of meats, the boy did good.

Café Oleanna open for business, just a shame about the bright yellow elsan being so close!

Showers came and went, we persevered through most of them, but one did make us retire into the cratch.

A walk down into the docks was a touch of a disappointment to us all as there was not one ship in. Just as well as the level in the pound had been down by about 18 inches and a day of few ships had helped the pumps at the cofferdam catch up with the demand.

We walked over Ocean Lock, across the next swing bridge which leads to Victoria Lock with a rather nice boat moored above it. Then we wiggled our way down to the river bank to shelter under trees whilst another shower went through.

A lovely afternoon catching up and discussing tidal waters. Heather may join us for the day when we go round Trent Falls. Here’s hoping her trip to the River Hull comes off for her.

This morning whilst in Selby Mick had been up to the lock to see if the Lockie was about, no sign but he did get a phone call later. They discussed possible passages both from Goole to Trent Falls and from Selby. Dates were discussed too, our eyes on a certain early morning high tide, Nigel (the Lockie) agreed that that date would be good.

Chats with David from The Goole Escape group later means that we may join forces with them and a widebeam to head both to Selby and then on to Trent Falls. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for good weather.

Mick called Nigel back and booked us in at Selby, just ABP to book with now. Our escape from Goole will be an hour before high tide here and during daylight hours, so we should be fine to go a couple of days before our planned Trent Falls trip.

Next we got to sorting out second jabs for ourselves. Mick had tried yesterday, first for himself and then for me. I have one booked in Scarborough, but if it could be moved to somewhere nearer to Goole that would make sense. However I wasn’t being offered the same places as Mick.

I had a go with two browsers open at once. So hopefully I could book each appointment within seconds of each other. Up came the same vaccination centre in Hull, but Mick was being offered totally different dates to me, mine being two weeks later. After trying elsewhere we decided to book Micks in Hull and keep mine for Scarborough, both falling a couple of days before our planned departure from Selby.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 Inn cloth progressing, 2 passages through Selby booked, 1 destination undecided as yet, 1 eager Mrs Bleasdale, 0 ships, 1 big lock, 2 downpours, 2nd jabs booked, 1 plan coming together, 0 P, 2 boaters 1 cat with fingers and paws crossed for suitable weather.

From The Ground, Breach 48. 5th 6th May

The walk up to the breach site and cofferdam took us past fields of Alpacas.

At one end of the farm a huge log cabin is being constructed, some of the logs a couple of feet in diameter. Is this going to be a house, alpaca shelter or an activity centre of some sort? Whatever it looks interesting.

Passing the lines of fishermen we could see up to the cofferdam. The pumps working hard to keep the levels up towards the docks.

On the other side of New Bridge we could see more.

A digger was balancing on top of a mound of aggregate picking up twisted and rusted short lengths of piling which once used to hold the water in the canal. A standard pickup was being loaded with it to remove it from site.

Several high-vis people stood on the concrete section above the drain. A digger down in the cofferdam, from here we couldn’t see what it had been doing.

A section of piling has been removed over the drain revealing the concrete behind it. For a while it looked like old piling had been revealed along the north bank, but looking back at Mark’s photos this isn’t the case. The piling on this stretch looks dinted and old.

Has piling been removed from the south bank, there are a couple of lengths which are back to concrete and concrete sandbags making up the bank. Looking back at Mark’s photos from before the cofferdam was fully drained this section has always looked like this, no piling.

On the track leading to the site long lengths of new piling lie waiting to be used and more water pipes are stacked up.

We decided to walk over the bridge to see what we could see from the other side. Here numerous large generators were whirring away. Wonder how often the diesel needs topping up and how much that is costing just to keep the water flowing before you add into it the repair?

Looking back into the cofferdam we could now see where the digger had been working. The bank here has had the piling removed and from behind it earth has either fallen or is being dug out. This is roughly where the big hole has been in view for some time.

Our Final Trip Back, 6th May

Thursday was a very early start. Mick picked up yet another hire car. Companies in Goole hadn’t had any vehicles available so Mick was on a bus to be at the Enterprise Office in Selby for 8am. Back for breakfast, then we crossed back over the Wolds towards Scarborough.

Mick had a dentist appointment this morning. I sat waiting in the car managing to do a row on my crochet blanket. I’ve been managing a colour an evening in front of the TV and at the moment it’s not too big to have on a journey.

Next we headed for the house. It’s strange arriving at your home and ringing the door bell before going in. Bill was at rehearsals but Alex was at home. There were a couple of things we needed from inside, including some post. Our new National Trust cards had arrived a month ago and been put in the filing tray which had gone into the shed.

We stood on opposite sides of the living room, 3m between us and had a quick catch up with Alex, whom I think I last saw about 9 years ago. Rehearsals are going well and apparently our house and kitchen are ideal for the show. The set is two houses side to side, like ours. The kitchen layout very similar, so Alex was busy rehearsing the first scenes where there is a lot of kitchen business, trying to get the moves into muscle memory.

Whilst we were there the postman arrived with a new bank card for me. We found our National Trust cards and picked up the boat plants, Thyme parsley and the ailing Christmas tree, I’m hoping it will perk back up on the boat. A short visit at distance. If the NT cards are all we’d forgotten I’d be amazed.

Next, time to pick up a couple of things from Dunelm, a saute pan with lid required for boat life and a new lasagne dish as the old one split in two the other day. After a spot of lunch we drove up to Scarborough Hospital for my appointment of the day, a routine Mammogram.

As I checked in there were no temperature checks as there had been when I visited York Hospital in December, no questions regarding covid other than if I’d had a vaccine. To which the answer was yes, I gave the lady the date, then I was asked which arm I’d had it in. Interesting, would this have a baring on my photos?

My appointment was very swift and I was out waiting for Mick to pick me up in about fifteen minutes.

One last drive by the sea before we left. Poor Freddie sat on his bench, his body language matched the sleet falling from the big black clouds. On our last Sunday walk in Scarborough I’d intended for us to stop at the Harbour Bar and have some chilled medication, but as things have worked out we didn’t manage a last Sunday walk. We’ll just have to do it when we visit next time, maybe the weather then will have warmed up a touch.

The beach donkeys heading home for the day

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 digger, 8 pumps? 1 fallen bank, 63 alpacas, 1 tree cabin, 1 more hire car, 1 row, 1 dentist, 3 plants, 1 rehearsal kitchen, 3 cards, 1 negative, 4 boob squashed photos, 1 pan, 1 lid, 1 dish, 1 last look at the sea for a while, 4 soggy donkeys, 1 bored cat, 1 knitting stash stashed away again.

Engine Checks. 5th May

Goole to Newbridge Farm to Goole

This morning we went to see Laird, the chap who owns the marina, to hand our notice in. Mick is still working on actual dates for us leaving Goole, but having to give a months notice we really hope we’ll be gone within that time. We chatted things over with him and to see if he could impart any knowledge on Trent Falls, sadly he couldn’t as he’s never had the opportunity to cruise round here.

The sun was out so we made ourselves ready to push off, it would be silly not to make use of a nice day by staying put now that there is a stretch of canal to cruise. With the extra ropes we’ve been using to tie up here due to fluctuating levels and a short pontoon this took a while longer than normal. I gave the bow a big push at the front and we reversed away from our mooring.

We turned right, away from the docks and headed towards the caisson. Three boats sat on the visitor moorings, this has been their home since November, all members of the Goole Escape group. We waved as we cruised past, conversations about dates soon to be had.

Exol Pride and Fusedale H sit tied together, going nowhere soon. Such a sad sight. No point in them heading up the way for jolly like us, they wouldn’t be able to wind for one thing, whereas we can do that almost anywhere along the stretch of canal heading out to the west.

At the old Waterways Museum carvings stand outside, one winking as the other reveals herself! We wonder if the moorings outside will ever be reinstated as it’s a very long length to be left empty.

The two and a half miles or so to Rawcliffe Bridge we only saw a few fishermen, no boats. Oleanna’s engine needed to be checked before she has to cope with tides, so Mick opened up the throttle, kept to the centre. This would be impossible on your average canal but at 3m deep and very wide it’s not too much of a problem going fast. She covered the water, me checking the temperature gauge every now and again, a steady 80C, all well.

A slight vibration noise was coming from below, we’ve heard this before when the weed hatch lid hasn’t been tightened down fully. Please note our weed hatch is completely separate from the engine bay, so therefore there is no chance of water entering the engine bay and causing us to sink. Maybe we need slightly thicker blocks of wood under the locking mechanism than before, or maybe the coats of blacking have affected something.

I’d been excited at the prospect of them pushing the outside away and moving it again. But now I wasn’t so sure! I told them as much at the back door, then I shouted at them! They ignored me and said I’d get used to it again!

We slowed our speed passing the marina at Rawcliffe Bridge. The boats here were stuck between the breach and the stop planks at the caisson for months with fluctuating levels. At least there is now a route out should they choose to take it and a short distance to pootle should they want to.

More fishermen lined the banks. The last little kink in the canal before the M62 bridge and we could make out New Bridge where just beyond the breach site is. I managed to zoom in with my camera. I could see the cofferdam, a chap in high vis and diggers moving about, all quite hazy at nearly two miles away.

We carried on to near the chimney that stands on it’s own on the north bank, winded and then pulled in. Now where were the mooring pins?! We’d need tyre fenders, these weren’t attached to ropes yet! We managed it in the end watched over by the second mate.

As Tilly knew where she was as soon as I opened the cat caravan the other day we had no hesitation in granting her shore leave. In fact a little bit of encouragement was required. A short walk along the towpath with plenty of sniffing and admiring the view, which contained no cats what so ever!

Tilly came and went working her way through quite a lot of ‘Thank you for coming home’ Dreamies. We had an early lunch and when Tilly reappeared she was licking her lips we suspect she’d found a friend to enjoy for lunch too. Her first in over six months.

A walk up to look at the breach was next passing numerous fishermen, apparently since the breach the fishing has been really really good along this stretch, maybe it’s something to do with the water being pumped round the cofferdam and all the extra air in the water.

I’m saving telling you about the breach until tomorrow as today was way too exciting for just one post and tomorrow will be a boring day in comparison.

Tilly had a few more hours coming and going, or snoozing on the bed through the afternoon. I got my work out and Mick worked on our escape plan.

He made phone calls to the Lock Keepers at Selby and Keadby. Selby was just the answerphone, but a chap answered at Keadby. He was a relief keeper so wasn’t willing to offer advice. Over the next few days they were expecting several boats from our direction.

On Friday there is one boat headed out from Selby. They are hoping that when they reach Trent Falls or End, the tide will be such that they will be able to turn up onto the Trent as the tide turns and help push them up to Keadby, no beaching or anchoring for them.

Then on Monday three boats are setting out from Goole an hour before high tide. Originally this was two boats who had hired a pilot to go with them, another boat has decided to tag along. They will make their way to Trent Falls anchor for quite a few hours. Then about 40 minutes after the flow starts they will have enough depth to start to head up the Trent to Keadby. Mick estimates their journey will be around 12 hours and on a spring tide. We’re not too keen on doing the trip on a spring tide and four boats all anchored might be interesting once the tide comes in and starts moving them about.

So it’s still looking like we’ll head to Selby before going down stream. But a chat with Selby is a must.

During the afternoon I got a text from my doctors surgery offering me my second jab at the Rugby Club in Scarborough. I went to the website to see when appointments were available, another two weeks and only on one day. Would that day coincide with the perfect day to go round Trent Falls?!

Mick called his surgery and as yet they don’t know when the next batch of vaccine will arrive with them, but he was told he could go through the NHS website to book elsewhere. A look with various options of location came up with similar dates to Scarborough. Would we be able to make it to some of the venues in time? Should we just head to Hull? Until we know which tide we’ll be taking, we will not book anything. Jabs are important, but so are tides. I however have booked one for Scarborough just in case, I can always cancel it if we can get them elsewhere.

With some work achieved and Tilly home we decided to head back to the marina. Staying out overnight would be lovely, but tomorrow is an early start with a trip to Scarborough, so we have no choice.

The cruise back wasn’t so sunny, dark clouds were looming. It still felt good to be moving on the water again. Tilly considerably quieter inside than on the way out this morning.

Of course as we came through the caisson gates the wind picked up, it started to rain. Mick turned Oleanna back in towards her pontoon and I hopped off the bow at the first chance. An Andy manoeuvre to get the stern in was needed to fight the wind, trying not to grate the paintwork on the bow with the overhanging pontoon was quite hard. The centre line was tied to a cleat to stop Oleanna being blown onto our neighbours. The bow line tightened, centre line loosened, a touch too much. Stern line passed over, pulled in, all as it started to SNOW!!! Well thank you!

0 locks, 8.23 miles, 1st cruise this year, 1 wind, 1 months notice, 1 nervy cat, 1 boat speeding along, 3 moving boats, 27 fishermen, 1 breach visit, 2 sides of the bridge, 1 Inn started again, 2nd jab invite, 2 much happening at the same time, 1chat with a lockie, 1 answer phone, 1 friend, 1 happy cat, 1 snow shower, 4 very very cold hands, 1 Mrs Tilly stamp of approval.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: Canal and River Trust

The Goole Escape, Cutting The Perimeter Fence. 27th May

The Goole Escape, Forged Papers. 25th May

The Goole Escape, Danny’s 17th. 24th May

The Goole Escape, Hiding In The Shadows. 22nd 23rd May

Secret Baking. 19th May

Update on 18/05/2021:

Rules Are There For A Reason! 17th May

Driving. Breach 50. 16th May

Just A Few Minutes Away. 7th May

From The Ground, Breach 48. 5th 6th May

Engine Checks. 5th May