Category Archives: Environment Agency

Another Day Another Stoppage. 28th August

Oundle Marina

Ken very kindly gave Mick a lift back to Peterborough today so that he could pick up a hire car, well van. Today would be a trip to Scarborough for a change over of lodgers and an opportunity to add to the compost wheelie bins at the house, three full buckets to deposit. Mick had hunted round for a good deal on a car, it being Bank Holiday weekend meant it wouldn’t be cheap, but luckily he found that the Peterborough branch of Enterprise would be open today, saving us another days hire which we wouldn’t need.

I signed into the Geraghty zoom, changed to Sundays hoping that more people would be able to join, Saturday morning activities popular for both young and old. Subjects covered were good places to go on holiday, awol cats, and watering trees.

Mick soon returned, boat chores, water, yellow water all done. The van was loaded up and after breakfast he was on his way up to Scarborough, leaving Tilly and me to hold the fort.

Being on Oleanna on my own (apart from my feline assistant) meant I could take over pretty much all of the boat. Drawing board set out on the sofa, model box on the table where Mick usually is allowed a few inches, boxes of model bits and paints here there and everywhere. I hoped today would be a productive day.

Boats came and went all day. A cruiser was put in the water. Others arrived to fill with diesel, all the time I kept my head down working, all the time Tilly closed her eyes, a shame the mooring here isn’t cat friendly.

Late afternoon Sue from NB Cleddau popped her head up to the mesh in our hatch and asked if I’d like a cuppa. A break would have been nice, but I was doing my best to make use of the extra space and a day sitting still, that list of notes slowly getting worked through. She did however bring the news that Islip Lock was closed due to a mechanical failure and would be closed until further notice. Islip is closer to us than Irthlingborough Lock which was closed until a couple of days ago. We’ll keep an eye on notices and hope it opens quickly, we’ve places to be!

I worked on into the evening, stopping for a Co-op chicken tikka masala with a homemade gf nan bread. Then I continued for a while longer, my front cloth my main aim of the day and still in need of more work.

In Scarborough, Mick met one of our lodgers, cut the grass (it actually needed cutting!), made up a bed for the night and did some laundry. All the familiar feline neighbours were still about suggesting the human neighbours haven’t moved house yet.

Just as I was packing up for the night emails started to come in from the Director, she has a young family so tends to do work after their bedtime. This did mean I didn’t get to turn the TV on and have a cuddle with Tilly until after 10pm!

0 locks, 1 broken, 0 miles, 1 van, 3 buckets, 3 feline neighbours, 0.75 front cloth done, 10.5 hours work, 1 very bored cat.

Sticking Close To Home. 23rd August

Pudding Lane FOTRN mooring

A cuppa in bed followed by a bacon butty.

A work day for me, even though we’d not moved anywhere this morning I still didn’t get set up until gone 10am. Last night’s hunt round for Tilly made us a touch nervous about leaving the doors open, but with it being so muggy we risked it. Thankfully she spent all morning asleep on our bed, didn’t even come through for her morning dingding.

Across the way two boats moved off from the lock island mooring, reversing out of the weir cut and then going down the lock. A while later there were conversations, NB Still-Waters was coming up the lock, another narrowboat that had moored here last night chatted with them. Presumably he headed off ahead to get the next lock ready for them. We waved as NB Still -Waters pulled away, maybe we’ll catch them up, but more likely they’ll stay ahead of us up to Northampton.

Todays mission was to get my panto floor painted. I’d come up with what I thought was a reasonably simple cobbled floor that faded out, shouldn’t take too much painting! Well it took the morning and into the afternoon. Maybe I should have done bigger cobbles!

Part way through the day a loud ‘AHOY OLEANNA!’ came from the lock. It was Jaquie from NB Mosi-Y-Tunya. We’d last passed their boat moored up at the Fish and Duck, they’d headed off to the Commonwealth Games. Another boat who will no doubt speed on ahead of us.

Tilly stirred from bed at lunchtime and ventured outside. Frequent visits inside were made, only a few Dreamies required today. Mick kept an eye on her, she didn’t venture far at all, hardly into the sideways trees closest to the boat, staying close to home and by 5:30 she was inside snoozing. We wondered if yesterday she’d used up this outside. But it felt more like she was nervous of wandering further afield, maybe yesterday she’d got lost for a while, it certainly made for a much quieter day.

**An almost crack through the crack of a porthole**

During the afternoon a group of lads arrived at the lock, a down stream boat had left the lock empty but had closed the guillotine gate. The lads managed to lift a paddle and fill the lock, there was plenty of swimming going on. I think we ended up with around ten teenagers sunning themselves and having the occasional dip.

An engine noise was heard from below the lock. We wondered what would happen with the swimmers. It turned out nothing much, no boat showed itself. The swimmers left to be replaced by dressed youngsters with bottles of beer. Another engine was heard from below the lock. A chap walked up to operate the guillotine gate, saying another boater had had difficulty in opening the control panel door. This chap tried as the youngsters moved away.

The cabinet wouldn’t open, no matter what the chap did it simply wouldn’t open. He headed off to see what he might be able to use to open the door, still no luck. In the end they decided to call the EA for assistance and wait below the lock. Two chaps arrived an hour later. It seems that the cabinet is particular about the key you use as it opened straight away for the EA. The chap tried his other key and bingo it worked.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 floor, 2 ships, 1 gangplank painted, 4 hours of intermittent shore leave, 1 cat staying close, 2 troublesome keys, 10 youngsters, 1 big pile of rubbish.

Quite A Flow. 19th August

Angle Corner Rural Mooring to Ashline Mooring

Not being able to go through Stanground Lock today we had a choice, to stay put on the rural mooring (24hr mooring) or move on and be that bit closer to Stanground for Saturday morning. We chose the latter to cut down on the cruise to get us there for 10am.

We un-flung our ropes off the big posts, crossed over Angle Corner, no other boats in view, then I headed back to work below whilst Mick pushed against quite a flow towards Whittlesey.

A temporary method of holding the mesh in place meant I could have the side hatch open today, Tilly wasn’t too bothered as she was busy having her morning nap, dreaming of Mrs Tilly stamped moorings in the middle of nowhere with no woofers and an abundance of friends.

After an hour of work I came back up top ready for Ashline lock. Up ahead we could see the flow coming round the bywash, would this pin us to the lock landing?

At the lock a chap had just arrived and was walking over to the weir with a handle, presumably to adjust how much water was coming through. The lock was full, so required plenty of turns to the slackers for it to slowly empty. Chatting to the chap he said that the Middle Level had been struggling for water for much of the summer, so they were glad of any water they could get, and blimey it was thundering round the lock. Just to raise the lower level by an inch would take time as the drains stretch off in many directions for miles.

**Will Mick be able to get her moving?**

With Oleanna in the lock Mick passed a rope up to hold her to the side. I started to wind the slackers up. Round and round the windlass/key went. 78 times and 60 times. The force of the water coming into the lock nothing like that going round the bywash. It took forever to fill, almost time to have a morning nap ourselves! Good job we’d roped up to stop her from being bashed about all over the place!

**Nearly at the top, only another ten minutes to go!**

We pulled in behind NB Nina on the moorings. Gave Tilly six hours, knowing that she was unlikely to make the most of her time, due to the number of woofers and the lack of friendly cover.

Back at work I concentrated on a few versions of my troublesome scene. By the end of the day I had three versions, here’s hoping Abi takes to one of them, I know which one I prefer.

Mick sat out at one of the picnic benches and had a go at mending the water pump that he’d removed yesterday. He thinks it’s sorted again, we’ll see!

Around 7pm a boat pulled up heading towards Stanground. With no space left on the mooring we offered for them to breast up to us, which they accepted. They are booked for 10:15am at the lock, so both boats will be up and off early.

1 lock, 2.67 miles, 1 straight on, 1 fast flow, 1 pump mended for the third time, 1 unimpressed cat, 1 very VERY slow filling lock, 1 woofer neighbour, 3 versions of Petiti, 1 designer with her fingers crossed.

https://goo.gl/maps/UfjcXEbCU1p1NstF8

Goodbye Great Ouse. 15th August

River Wissey GOBA mooring to Salters Lode, Middle Level

Still with water to get we were on our way quite early. We knew there was little chance of being able to wind before we reached Hilgay, we’d tried a couple of months ago and now with the levels lower and more reed growth there wasn’t even any point in trying. A dog stuck it’s nose out from the stern of the narrowboat nestled into the bank as it’s owner yawned as we passed.

It was a little bit tight turning by the water point rather than heading a bit further on to the official winding hole, but Mick managed in the end and we were soon moored up by the water point, filling up and having breakfast.

A new blue plaque on the bridge shows off it’s new name and a chap walked back and forth watering the flowers.

Back to the junction with the Great Ouse where we turned right, time to head to Denver for our crossing at midday. The birds are starting to gather overhead, readying themselves to head for warmer climes!

The two long stretches of EA moorings are still fenced off as you approach Denver. Today the notice regarding Littleport Station Road EA mooring dated January 2021 was rescinded and the mooring we’d been staying on recently is now officially open again. It sounds like piling work was carried out there and it looks like something similar will need to happen at Denver to get the banks stable again.

Denver Sluice came into view, we pulled up alongside NB Poppy May to make sure we were all ready for our tidal crossing. The anchor has been attached and ready to be deployed for months now, the well deck just needed a bit of a tidy up, excess items put into the shower. Then we waited and chatted with Angus and Julie (I think) from Poppy May.

A few years ago they had brought their boat onto the Great Ouse, now they were heading back towards C&RT waters, so this would be the first time for both of us heading downstream with the tide to Salters Lode.

The Lock Keeper arrived and started to empty the lock, he came for a chat. He would lock us both through at the same time, no need to worry about sand banks lurking under the surface. We were to lead the way with NB Poppy May following a short distance behind. One boat would be heading towards us. We would head straight into the lock and Poppy May should turn in towards the lock and wait by the guillotine gate for their turn. At 62ft long they were on the border of requiring the river to be on the same level as Well Creek.

The gate opened and as we went into the lock we turned and said our farewell to the Great Ouse. We arrived on the 20th May and now twelve and a half weeks later we were leaving.

A cautionary tale of ropes and loops and locks was told to Julie who then proceeded to pull her rope all the way through the big riser at the bow. The bottom guillotine gate was lifted just a bit and cloudy silty water started to swirl around the bows of the boats. We were going up several feet onto the out going tide.

Thumbs up, we were on our way to cross the half mile of tide, the ebb pulling us out towards Kings Lynn. I stayed at the bow knowing a rope may come in handy at Salters Lode. Up ahead we could already see the boat heading for Denver, we passed and carried on down stream.

There were a few houses on the west bank, one with quite a lot of washing out. Was this where the lock was? Or was it just that bit further on round the next bend near the next house? A chap sat on a chair watching us approach. I shouted back to Mick that this was the lock. ‘Are you sure?’ Fairly. As the chap stood up from his chair I could now see the LOCK sign, but I checked anyway. ‘Yep this is it’. Just in time for Mick to start to make the turn. With the tide going out we’d been told to head straight for the lock and not to turn to face the out going tide as we’d end up dragging along the tyre wall.

The approach to the lock is narrow with a wooden fence helping to guide you in. Mick turned, a blast of bow thruster to avoid the starboard side from hitting the bank and into the lock we shot. Full power to stern! We’d not touched the side. Phew!

**Mick chatting to Paul the Lock Keeper**

At the bow it had seemed a lot calmer than our first ever turn in at Selby, but I believe the atmosphere was a touch more at the stern.

Now we dropped down on to Well Creek. A quick discussion as to where to aim for today. The moorings on the Middle Level tend to be 36hours, not helpful for having a full day to work for me. The next couple of places we’d be stopping at will not be cat friendly either, so we decided to stay put and moored up on the landing a short distance away from the lock.

Tilly got to have a good explore round. She wasn’t that impressed, less so with the pontoon surface. Every step had to be checked twice, then the gathering swallows swooped down on her, angry at her existence.

**Template for my model with a stretching cat**

Work came out and I concentrated on my painted ironwork for the portals. Part way through the afternoon however my right hand started to ache a lot. Yesterday when we’d pulled up on the Wissey I’d done something to my hand whilst moving a fender. It had been painful for a little while but eased off. Today it warranted some pain killers and an early stop to work, not something I’ll be able to do every day.

***I’m going to end up like a waffle if I lie on here too long!***

As we watched the TV this evening Tilly decided that she’d head out again for a twilight check of the surroundings. Thankfully today the one way door returned to being one way. We did our best not to laugh out loud as Tilly crashed into the glazing and slid down onto the floor. Not deterred she tried again, clinging on with her claws for a while before giving up and heading into the bathroom to check on the new doorway there. Of course this was also glazed!

2 locks, 5.24 miles, 0.5 miles tidal, 2 rivers, 1 creek, 1 right, 1 left, 1 full water tank, 1 load washing, 1 holey outside, 2 many birdies, 2 portals closed, 1 farewell to the Great Ouse, 1 left handed mouse.

https://goo.gl/maps/vHG1A5nVkSiyiXr27

Working Pootling. 9th 10th August

Jubilee Gardens, Ely to Padnell Fen GOBA mooring to Littleport Station Road, EA Mooring

The drawing board was out straight after breakfast, time for the final push before my white card model meeting on Thursday. Mick popped to Sainsburys to get a few things to keep us going, Then we winded in the entrance of Cathedral Marina waved to Stewart on WB Misty and headed for the service mooring, well to join the queue.

**Can you tie up a better outside PLEASE!**

A boat had just pushed off allowing the next one to pull in to fill and empty as required. We pulled alongside them to wait, I continued working below as Mick chatted away. It seemed to be taking forever for them to fill with water, the lady had filled a couple of buckets then turned the hose on again. It turned out that she’d only just turned the tap back on! Once they were full we pushed out to let them out then came back in to fill our water tank and empty yellow water. The washing machine had been busy so we needed quite a bit. By the time we’d finished another two boats were waiting.

Time to say a final farewell to Ely.

The chap who we watched building extensions to his boat appears to have built a couple of what might be granny annexes, each with a tent on a floating platform.

With Mick at the helm and me below we pootled our way downstream on the Great Ouse, the high banks masking any view, but there was a nice cool breeze coming in through the hatch. We’d decided to head for the River Lark and the nice mooring there where Tilly could have some shore leave. Thankfully there was space and we made ourselves at home quickly.

All afternoon I continued amending drawings so that the set can be priced up. Only one scene left to draw up, the final one where I’d changed everything.

As we were somewhere nice with space to sit out we got the barbeque out. Mick filled a bucket of water which was placed close to the fire just in case. We enjoyed veg kebabs and some teriyaki salmon before the sun started to set and both of us started to feel very chilly, in fact we even got goose bumps!

What a wonderful sunset. Every time I looked out of the hatch it had gone one step redder.

Amazing.

Wednesday. We needed to move for ease of access to a station. Our advance party on NB Cleddau had checked to see if the moorings near Littleport station had reopened. Photos had been sent to us a few days ago, we just hoped that there would be space for us.

Facing the wrong way we tried a couple of times to wind, but the river was just about 60ft wide, a little bit further upstream we managed and headed back to the Great Ouse where we slowed to let a cruiser pass and then turned right towards Littleport.

The missing scene was almost drawn up by the time we had passed The Swan on the River pub, there was space here, but we carried on to the mooring nearer the station.

Not one boat was moored, so we pulled in at the far end then pulled back hoping a tree might just give us a touch of shade this afternoon. Sadly what shade fell on Oleanna only lasted about an hour until she was back in full sun!

By 6:30 all the technical drawings for panto were done. Tilly was hot and bored and annoying. A blue Ikea bag came out and the model was packed away into it ready for the morning. Here’s hoping it gets approved and I can quickly get it coloured up.

0 locks, 7.22 miles, 2 rights, 2 winds, 1 slow tap, 1 full turn, 1 quick tap, 1 empty wee tank, 1 favourite mooring, 3.5 hours shore leave, 2 owls heard not seen, 1 stunner of a sunset, 1 pantomime drawn up, 28C inside, 1 model all packed up, 1 designer with her fingers crossed for tomorrow.

https://goo.gl/maps/eG4WNDumbiSSnpU46

https://goo.gl/maps/jpPszqTqWusc9oK99

Maybe It’s The Cinnamon. 5th August

Middle Fen (One Pound) GOBA Mooring to Aldreth GOBA Mooring, Old West

The Middle Fen/ One Pound mooring might just be my favourite from this summer. Once up the bank there is plenty of space to sit out. There is no passing footfall, and your nearest neighbour is a few boat lengths away. On an evening the Kingfishers dart back and forth, several of them. Sadly this morning it was time to move on and leave a space for someone else to enjoy the mooring.

Today blue skies had returned, we’ve had a lot of cloud lately.

Brownshill Lock needed setting in our favour. When we’d come upstream a chap had been confused about how to open and close the guillotine gates (it has one at each end) he’d not seen the downstream control cabinet, small and identical to the one at the top gate. I had no such problem and filled the lock by pressing buttons whilst Mick managed to keep our cabin sides away from the big overhang of the lock landing.

We were joined for our descent by a small rib, who were out for an adventure. They didn’t have a key to operate the lock, so seeing a narrowboat arriving below they decided to go straight back up with them.

Across the tidal section passing Earith. We kept our eyes peeled for GT, Heathers boat that is now in the water, but we couldn’t spot her. The water point here has been closed by the EA until it has had a thorough clean, the Littleport tap on the Ely Ouse is also closed leaving one tap between us and Denver sluice.

At one time we’d toyed with the idea of returning along the Hundred Foot Drain to Salters Lode, cutting down on our return trip. But with water levels low we’ve abandoned the idea, the thought of getting stuck and having to wait for the next tide not that appealing at the moment, if ever.

A nose peeked up to our port side, a seal, most probably heading towards Westview Marina where a Mum and her pup can often be seen. It dived before I got chance to take a picture, instead I got three Egrets a Cormorant and a few ducks in one shot.

Whilst in Brownshill Lock Mick had called ahead to the lock keeper at Hermitage Lock, as we approached the light turned from red to green and we were soon inside the lock under the road and heading down onto the Old West. There have been plenty of tales of how low the Old West is, these started about a month ago. The lock keeper had said we’d only be dropping about 8 inches and the Tidal level was lowest he’d known it. Well he was wrong, we dropped at least 2 foot onto the Old West where the tide mark is visible about 9 inches above the current water level.

It was slow on our way out, today it was slow going on our way back. We kept to the middle, watched weed glide past beneath us and were soon joined by the Terns fishing in our wake.

The GOBA mooring at Aldreth came into view, one cruiser sat at the near end, we headed to the far end and moored up, enough depth so no problem. Tilly was given 6.5 hours, I’d promised to go for a walk with her today, so I walked as she skipped along the top of the flood bank to the next bend and then back again.

It was a bit early for lunch, so I started to prepare a Moussaka for our evening meal. As I added the red wine to the mince, oregano and cinnamon, a wasp came in through the window attracted by something. Then as I stirred the meat sauce another three came in to join it. What was it they were coming in for? Red wine? Cinnamon?

We checked outside to see if we’d moored alongside a nest. No sign of one, just a few wasps doing their best to get in through closed windows, some aiming for the mushroom vents. We kept everything closed and hoped they’d get bored and move off. The cruiser moved off, Tilly came in, the doors were shut and we reversed back to the other end of the mooring. I didn’t actually believe that they’d managed to move the outside. But this other outside wasn’t half as good as the first one!

I got on with model making, propy bits, a few tweaks, alterations and additions, managing to cross off five hours work.

As I put the moussaka together the wasps came back and hung around until it was baked and eaten. Doors closed again, just as we wanted to have windows open to cool the boat down too!

2 locks, 6.86 miles, 2 miles tidal, 1 seal, 1 rib, 3 egrets, 543 wasps, 1 inside the stove! 2 outsides, 5 hours model making, 2 thrones, 1 wasp magnet, 1 cinnamon stick, 200ml red wine, 1 lovely sunset.

https://goo.gl/maps/bGDHi7VC1JcYYwyv5

Now We Know!

About a week ago I posted about the discrepancies in measurements at St Neot’s Lock and how the EA website quoted two different measurements in imperial and metric.

Just How Big Is It?! 28th July

Well yesterday Paul from Waterways Routes took a trip to St Neots to visit the lock. He took along with him a 5 meter tape measure and proceeded to measure out the locks length and width. Here are his findings.

“I measured the length as 55.2m (181’1″) which matches with the 55m (180’5″) I measured from Google Maps earlier. Using a 5m rule there will be a small potential error in that. To play it safe I’m going to show it as 53.98m (177’1″) which makes it the same as the EA data in imperial measurements.“

“I measured the width across the lock (NOT the entrance) which comes to 4.27m (14’0″) between the concrete walls, which is reduced by 3.5cm each side by the looped hanging chains so the width for boats is 4.20m (13’9″). That was measured at the top of the walls and, as the lock was full, I couldn’t see if the walls tapered or if there were larger obstructions lower down. It’s likely that two 2.08m (6’10”) narrowboats without fenders could fit side by side with 4cm to spare, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it. What a shame they didn’t build the lock a few centimetres wider which would have cost nothing at the time. In practice the extra width within the lock which is wider than the lower gate is wasted and just means it takes much longer to fill or empty.”

The lock dimensions on the Waterway Routes maps will now be amended and included in the August edition. So when we say to people that the maps are the most up to date and accurate maps you can get, we’re not lying. We’ll see how long it takes for the EA to update their information.

Thank you Paul.

Autumn Before August. 31st July

Brampton GOBA mooring to Houghton EA mooring

Rain. Rain! We had some rain!!! Not a lot, but some! At least it’s a start, it just needs to carry on.

Tea with breakfast this morning and we pushed off just before 9am.

The river curves around Portholme Meadow, 260 acres of alluvial flood meadow, one of the largest areas of grassland in the country. Dots of people could be seen walking on the paths. In 1918 the meadow was used as a Training Depot Station by the RAF.

As we approached Godmanchester Lock I spotted NB Claddau tucked in down the arm above the lock, we’d not ventured down there, maybe next time. Today had a tinge of ‘next time’ about it. We realised that we’d not had that much of an explore around Bedford, St Neots, or Huntingdon and Godmanchester we’d just cruised on past and it almost certainly deserved a stroll around it’s streets.

The angled approach to the lock and the strong wind caught Mick out, but that was soon rectified for him to drop me off to set the lock. A hire boat arrived below just as we were about to empty the lock, chatting to the lady she was saying they’d hoped to reach Bedford today, but the head wind and going against the flow they thought they’d not make it. According to our maps it would take 12 hours to reach the upper river in Bedford on a kinder day.

**There’s a developer somewhere waiting for this house to fall down**

Onwards under the two bridges in Huntingdon, a rather nice but ramshackled house between them sported Wonder Woman giving advice for the pandemic. We wondered how much it would cost to rescue the house and remove it’s current tenants of pigeons!

Along the banks we spotted Chestnut trees, their lower branches starting to turn orange with bright green conker shells growing plump. Sloes covered the Blackthorn bushes, will they last till the first frost has come to split their skins. Elderberries hung dark dark red. Nature bringing Autumn close before August has even started.

Houghton Lock looked as though there were a couple of volunteers on duty. As I’d not worked this lock on the way upstream I hopped off to lend a hand. The lock tends to be manned at weekends and these two chaps were very jolly. More boats appeared below and even though the lady had come up to see what was happening she got a fright as Oleanna appeared through the bottom gates.

A couple of boats were moored on the island, we tucked in close to a cruiser for the rest of the day. Just so long as there weren’t any woofers about Tilly could explore to her hearts content, which she did, not returning for several hours!

Early afternoon a boat approached the island, NB Cleddau, they’d been aiming for the moorings at Hemingford Grey but been told they were full, so they grabbed a space a little behind us.

Another afternoon of work, which didn’t go according to plan, but I did come up with a design for my portal headers which I was quite pleased with.

Sue invited us round for drinks on the terrace at 5pm and as Pimms was on the menu it would have been very rude not to join them. We had a couple of hours of chat and drinking on the bank as Tilly proceeded to give NB Cleddau a full walk through! They have double glazing!

2 locks, 4.72 miles, 2 volunteers, 1 island mooring, 4 glasses of Pimms, 1 each, 4 glasses of wine, 1 very nosy cat, 1 cat 10 rats, 2-1.

https://goo.gl/maps/CSPrqf4fhcaxTPm76

Where Did He Come From? 29th July

Paxton Pits to Brampton Mill GOBA Mooring

The level came up last night, we had slack ropes this morning. However the flow on the river has just about stopped. Water levels around the whole system are in trouble and it looks like rivers are not going to escape. For several weeks there have been amber boards up along the Great Ouse. We’ve become used to such boards when the levels have been high in the autumn and winter, but right now it is the opposite, we really need some sustained rainfall.

An early breakfast for us and we were on our way heading down stream, hoping for an early in the day arrival at Brampton to secure a space before the masses arrived.

It was a lovely morning, one where you remove your jumper almost as soon as you’ve put it on. Kingfishers chirped as we went past, zipping and zooming out of view too quickly for a photo.

Offord Lock was around the next few steep bends, the lock cut heading away from the main course of the river. Round the first bend. Hang on, where did he come from?! Ahead of us a narrowboat, we’d not seen him until now.

We caught him up at the lock and I went to lend a hand I asked where he’d come from. He was heading for diesel and as he turned the bend towards the lock he’d run out. So his boat was currently running on what ever he could find below, he’d managed to get about 3 litres together, citronella oil was mentioned, at least he’d be free from mosquitos for a day or two!

We chatted as the guillotine gate was lowered, Offord Lock only 100ft long so most definitely not shareable. I wound the bottom gate paddle gear for him 59 turns to raise it, then we pushed open a gate each before he headed off to top up on diesel at the marina below.

59 turns to close the slacker, hard work. Mick joined and lifted the guillotine gate to refill the lock. As we’d been heading up stream we’d heard that the bins here had been removed, boaters however were still leaving their rubbish! Today this is no longer possible as the fencing around the bin area has been moved, although I bet some boaters still will leave rubbish! Not a case of changing bin contracts, these bins have gone!

The A14 was busy unlike the GOBA moorings beyond it, not one boat moored on them. We still wanted to be that bit further on. Brampton Lock was waiting for us, we dropped down, wound our way around the islands, past the pub and pulled up where we’d been a couple of weeks ago, next to the big tree which would give us shade later on in the day and somewhere to sit out.

We arrived just before 11am, just as a cruiser was pulling away. We had the big field to ourselves for an hour or so until NB Ivy May arrived and pulled up a few feet away on the other side of the tree. During the afternoon the moorings filled up, a cruiser leaving not quite enough space in front of us for another boat. Despite having been the first to moor we now looked like we had left git gaps around us. Mick pulled us back as far as we could go, hoping there’d be enough space for a short one in front.

I spent the afternoon working on Piccadilly Circus and on board the ship. Finer details will be done after I’ve put everything into the model box to see if it works. So if anyone has any ideas on panto type Victorian adverts I can add to Piccadilly Circus please pass them on, who knows your idea may just make it onto stage this Christmas. I also spent sometime wading through on line catalogues and requesting samples to be sent out to me, lots of pink and purple fabrics, one with extra sparkles that I know we wont be able to afford, but I hope I get a sample of it!

Later in the day Mick contacted Paul from Waterway Routes regarding the length of St Neots Lock. On Pauls maps he uses the navigation authorities dimensions, after all they should know how big their locks are! A quick measure on google maps confirmed what we already knew. Paul plans to come out to measure the lock to get the correct dimension and then inform the EA. So in a future update Waterway Routes will be even more accurate than the EA.

2 locks, 4.86 miles, 1st boat, 1 extra rule regarding fences, 236 turns at Offord, 1 aching shoulder/neck, 1 hot water bottle, 12 episodes of Sherlock Holmes, 2 scenes, 5 barrels nearly made, 8.5 hours, 2 git gaps not of our making.

https://goo.gl/maps/As3tRrypqnDZN6eU8

Just How Big Is It?! 28th July

Great Barford GOBA Mooring to Paxton Pits GOBA Mooring

A wind before breakfast to fill up with water on the other bank. Tilly wasn’t impressed by the number of swimmers already in the water, Tilly Too was so upset she had turned her back to it all and was found staring at the curtain! As the tank filled we topped our selves up too with cereal.

The lock being full was handy so we headed straight in. I spotted some interesting stonework just above the lock with C&F 1844 carved into it. Is this from a previous lock here?

As I waited for the level to drop in the lock I looked around for the teasel head I’d photographed on our way up, spotting that it had been cut very low down, I suspect it’s in a flower arrangement somewhere.

Somewhere along the wiggles to Roxton Lock sits this interesting house. A playground for young and old. A rather large treehouse in the garden, a landing stage and an old branch over the water which has ropes, pallets and all sorts, wonder if it’s suitable to sit on the end and read.

Pulling up at Roxton Lock I could see a chap below on a paddleboard, he paused for a little while and then headed off downstream whilst we sorted the lock out. By the time we got going again he was nowhere in sight. Back under the A1, not too busy today.

Over the four miles between Roxton and Eaton Socon we gradually caught the paddleboarder up, only just over taking him before the GOBA mooring where one of the boats from the festival was moored, washing hung out to dry.

Thankfully the lock was in our favour, so as I lifted the slackers at the bottom end the paddleboarder climbed out, removed the skeg and deflated his board, a noise we have grown accustomed to whilst being at this end of the Great Ouse.

Now to decide where to stop for the day. With only one boat on all the visitor moorings in St Neots we wondered why it was so empty. Maybe it was because of the regatta last weekend. Maybe because there was a fair in town. Maybe it was because boats had just moved off this morning.

We had a quick think, we’d press on, cover more ground today and then hopefully have a few shorter hops between nicer moorings over the next few days giving me more time to work.

Two cruisers pulled out from Ouse Valley River Club, would there be room in the lock for all three of us? We followed them, then they vanished round a corner to the left. A quick check on our map stopped us from gliding on past the navigable route, the signs just about invisible behind the friendly cover.

At the lock the two cruisers had joined a queue behind a couple of narrowboats, add a canoe into the mix too, it was busy.

On our way upstream we’d wondered if the lock might be wide enough for two narrowboats side by side. The entrance is noted to be 10ft 10″, so not possible to come in together. Inside it is a little bit wider, I reckon maybe as much as 2ft, but this wouldn’t be wide enough for two narrowboats side by side.

I’d put a photo up on facebook of Oleanna in the lock and a debate had started as to how many boats you could get in the lock. On our Waterway Routes map it gives dimensions as being 10ft 10″ wide by 107ft 11″ long. In our Imray guide book to the Great Ouse the lock is mentioned at being 3.3m wide by 32.9m long. Both agreeing with each other. Then a look on the EA website for lock dimensions had proved confusing and an interesting read as someone had got the conversions between metric and imperial wrong. But which of their figures were the actual correct ones? Imperial or metric?

**Data from the EA! Someone needs to return to school!**

Every boat entering the lock today took it that the lock wasn’t wide enough for two narrowboats side by side, and that the length was 107ft 11″. The two narrowboats went into the lock, refusing to let the inflatable canoe in with them. The lock was reset for the two cruisers. Their combined length was around 60ft, Oleanna being 58ft 6″, no chance of us sharing with them if we believed the 107ft 11″. As the level lowered we could clearly see that there was enough room for us too, but it was too late to join them.

As we refilled the lock Mick paced out the length, 70 of his paces. Oleanna is 26 paces long with fenders down, so call that 60ft. So 60 / 26 = 2.3 ft a pace. So 70 x 2.3 = 161 ft. Not the 177ft 1″ as mentioned on the EA website. Of course our measurements were far from scientific, but we can safely say that we’d have been able to share with the cruisers and still have plenty of room and saving a whole locks worth of water in an area bordering on being in drought.

One of the ladies on the cruisers was celebrating her birthday today and they were heading for a Chinese takeaway on Godmanchester, further than we were planning. The two narrowboats further ahead, we had no idea where they were heading, we kept our fingers crossed that Paxton Pits would have space for us.

Thankfully there was a cruiser moored at the far end, leaving enough room for us. We had lunch before we enquired how their dogs were with cats and then letting Tilly out.

The afternoon was filled with one scene from panto, an explorers library, a generator and the cruisers engine running, Tilly went AWOL and Mick rang insurance companies for a quote on house insurance. Quite a productive yet smelly afternoon.

4 locks, 11 miles, 2 winds, 1 full water tank, 5th in line, 3rd lock full, 4.3 miles paddled, 107, 177, or 161? 0 bins, 4.5 hrs work, 1 hour late, 1 new plan, 1 props maker on board, RIP Bernard.