Category Archives: River Ouse

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.

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.

Apex Before The Rain. 3rd May

Goole

Tea in bed on the boat, Tilly excitedly trampling over me desperate for ear and chin rubs and a view out of the window, which admittedly could be of some wonderful tranquil scene but for now a cruiser out on hard standing will do.

Excuse me where do you think you are going?!

Our first morning for a while where we could do as we wanted rather than be up and doing things. However Mick had come up with a suggestion which was weather dependant and with the weather set to become wet at 11am we needed to not drag our heals. Mushrooms on toast with a cuppa and we were ready.

At Christmas we’d driven to Blacktoft Sands to see what we could see of Trent Falls from the south shore of the Ouse, but the footpath on the floodbank was private and we’d not fancied a walk along just looking at a green bank so we gave up. Today we chose to try the north bank where the road is closer to the river.

So we drove through Howden then turned off towards Gilberdyke, a good comedy place name used by a certain Yorkshire playwright frequently. Then headed for Yokefleet, Blacktoft and Faxfleet all of which sit alongside the River Ouse.

That way lies Keadby, Torksey, Newark and Nottingham

There was a handy parking area just as the road turned away from the river so we made use of it and walked up onto the floodbank. A wide area of reeds kept us from the rivers edge and at first we actually couldn’t see the water. The hills to the east marked out the route of the Trent, hills to the north east showed where the Humber headed off out to sea.

As we walked towards Blacktoft we could start to see the water and the Apex Light. The light marks the junction of the River Ouse and River Trent. At high tide it is important to stay to the east side of the light as there is a training wall which gets submerged. Today the tide was on its way in and we could just make it out above the water, no cutting that corner!

In the distance I could make out a cruiser heading up stream from the Humber. Then a second one. We paused and managed to take photos as they passed the apex. Were these two boats part of the Goole Escape group who’d made a trip to Hull for the weekend? It turned out they were. They had been booked to go up Ocean Lock at 11:30 as the dock master wanted to use the return water of a vessel penning out from Goole.

Above the hills marking the Trent we could just make out one of the towers of the Humber Bridge.

The wind was bracing to say the least and dark clouds were starting to gather. We headed back to the car and pulled in at Blacktoft to have a look at the wharf there. Someone on Canal World Forum had suggested that this might be a good place to tie up to whilst waiting for the tide to turn. The tide was now coming in at a rate of knots.

The wharf is obviously suitable for ships to tie up to, but we suspected we’d end up tying to the wooden supports and being constantly aware of places we might hang up on or under as the tide came and went. Apparently there is a charge to moor here, but you’d be unlucky to be seen. With the wind over tide the water did not look inviting today, but then a storm was brewing!

We headed into the Old School which had a big sign inviting you in to buy books or use the toilets which was very welcome. Bunting hung from the ceiling, group photos of 1960’s ladies all clutching their handbags and old photos of the river when it was full of ice. Brrrrr!

By now the rain was starting so we headed back to Oleanna and Tilly. More stowing of things. I managed to move the freezer drawer so that we’d be able to use it again. It seems to get stuck when turned off and has stopped coming out as far as it did originally, so currently we’d have to dismantle that end of the dinette to get the freezer out! Sorting this out and adding magnets to the galley drawers were on the jobs list for this winter. They may get sorted before we leave, but then they may have to wait for next winter.

Mick lit the stove, Tilly was even happier. They still won’t let me out though!

We hunkered down for the rest of the day avoiding the need to be out in the rain. Time to do a big shop. Over the last six months we’ve timed a Sainsburys delivery the day after receiving our veg box from Tree Top Press. Seeing what was in the box each week I’d work out a menu and order things accordingly, but today I had to do it all from scratch!

I can’t remember what lives down there, but my head still fits through the hole

This evening as the rain has continued and the wind has buffeted us about, we have stayed cosy inside and enjoyed a joint of roast pork with all the veg from our last box. There are still things in the car but they can wait for tomorrow when hopefully it will be drier.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 lamp, 2 escapees, 1 muareen, 1 wee break, 1 wet and horrible day, 1 resigned cat, 1st solo supermarket order, 1 joint, 2 full boaters not going anywhere yet!

Preparation Is The Key. 20th April

Goole

We didn’t quite manage to leave the house at 8.30am, but soon after with another boot load of things including a set of steps. Goole Boathouse will be blacking Oleanna for us, but I’m going to be doing above the top rubbing strake on the gunnels and refreshing the tunnel bands whilst she is out of the water.

The chaps had started to abrade patches where the blacking was flaking. We headed into the office for a catch up. Whilst cleaning Oleanna off for blacking they had been surprised at the amount of the previous layer that had been coming off her, certainly the area on the swim looked like it hadn’t been prepared properly.

Boats tend to be grit blasted after construction to get rid of mill scale which happens when the steel is rolled at the steel mill. This then gives a good key for the 2 pack blacking to stick to. It looked like either she hadn’t been grit blasted or a layer of grease had been left on her in places.

We talked through solutions. Not everywhere was flaking, some of the original layers had stuck as they should.

The best course of action would be to get her grit blasted and start again, but they don’t offer that service in Goole. For this we’d have to go elsewhere. We’d thought about using bitumen to give her a coat of something, then finding a boat yard for this time next year to get her sorted. But this was seen as a step backwards, even if we’ll end up getting her grit blasted next time she comes out of the water.

In the end we decided to carry on with the chaps removing as much of the loose layer as possible and then 2 packing over the top. She won’t look as good as she should but will have the best protection she can get right now. We’ll think about when and what to do over the next few months.

Time to get going on the gunnels. Dungarees on, tools at the ready.

We’d brought along our cordless drill and attached what I call the attachment of doom. One of these worked wonders on Lillian’s roof years ago, I was wanting to get back to the steel where rusty patches were. However our drill batteries are seriously on the way out, so after ten minutes the drill didn’t have enough umph anymore.

Angle grinder of Oblivion and my Boaters PPE gloves

I was loaned an angle grinder with an attachment of Oblivion! A disc with a thick wire brush, this worked a treat. I was warned of the dangers by one chap, then the other suggested I should wear gloves. As I’d really rather not loose any more digits Mick hunted round for my Boaters PPE gloves which have leather fingers.

Now power tools are made for male hands, heavy and bulky. So two hands were needed at all times. I worked my way round attacking any rust spots getting them back to shiny steel. The chaps (I’ll try getting their names tomorrow) worked from bow to stern with the first coat of 2 pack. Once the catalyst is added there is an hour and a half in which you can use it before it goes off, so no stopping. I did feel a touch bad as their lovely coat of black then got covered in dust.

Then followed a little break, blimey my shoulders were aching. Time for lunch before starting with the orbital sander. The gunnels and tunnel bands got a good sanding back, I was glad I’d overestimated the number of sanding sheets I’d be needing only ending up using half of them.

Next a wash down before some fertan was applied to the areas I’d attacked the most. A misting of water back over the top of them to help the fertan do it’s job in killing off any remaining rust. My job list for the day was complete. It may take my hands, arms and shoulders a while to recover though!

Whilst I was busy working and topping up my vitamin D Mick was busy inside. He’s been wondering for a while why the Alde boiler doesn’t show up on any of the Victron statistics. It is of course a gas boiler, but when we’re hooked up it can work off the electric. So far we’ve had to be careful with what else we use at the same time. The electric kettle necessitates the boiler to be off. Mick had a good look round in the electrics cupboard and thinks that if the boiler was wired in a different way he’d be able to keep an eye on things better.

He checked in the cabin bilges by moving the fridge out. All was lovely and dry down there. The front step where the water pump lives was also checked, also dry. He pumped the accumulator up.

A mission to find a 20 litre container with a lid is on going. Before we head out onto tidal waters, Mick is wanting to check on the anti-freeze problem we had when on the Thames two years ago. A load of clinker/stuff clogged up cooling system and we don’t want this to happen again. If the coolant is okay it would be nice to be able to put it back into the system, saving replacing it and also the problem of disposing of it.

With the freezer having been empty for months the drawer has got stuck. Last time a few biffs on the back of the drawer (accessible from under the dinette seating) got it freed up. But this time it was being stubborn. More time is required for this along with a better solution to the problem of condensation.

He also had a chat with the chap from Goole Boathouse regarding Trent Falls. Choosing the right day and weather is the key. He would anchor rather than beach a narrowboat as when the flood comes in a wave can build up against your boat if you are beached. If anchored you still need to be ready to lift it and be on your way. A new copy of the Boating Association charts was purchased which means we now have charts from Naburn all the way to Cromwell.

A good day with lots of jobs ticked off the list. Loads more for tomorrow!

With regards to the scrapyard fire, there was still smoke coming off the site today, white and far far less than yesterday. Wonder how long it will be before it is fully out?

0 locks, 0 miles, 1st coat, 2 pack, 2 gunnels prepped in 1 day, 1 attachment of doom, 1 attachment of oblivion, 1/3rd sheet sander, 2 numb hands, 2 aching shoulders, 1 pooped Pip, 20 litre container needed, 1 obstinate freezer, 1 lonely Tilly.

PS For those who get the blog by email, are the photos appearing normally? Or only partially and in a line? Please let me know.

High And Drying. 19th April

Goole

The view wasn’t so good this morning. There were two things missing, one the view the other Tilly! Outside it was foggy, or was it smoky?

We both made comments along the lies of being glad we wouldn’t be heading out onto the Tidal Ouse this morning due to the fog, today being the first day leisure boaters could book passage through Ocean Lock. Yesterday we’d pulled out the relevant Nicholsons guide which apparently has good navigation notes about Trent Falls. The other book that was sought out was our Ripon Motor Boat Club “Cruising Guide to the North East Waterways”, this has a wealth of information in it.

Todays breakfast was a meagre one of just toast and spread, maybe we should have tried one of the jars of jam we threw out yesterday! First job, empty the wee tank, yes we could have used shore based facilities, but that’s not so good in the middle of the night.

Time to untie Oleanna, a slightly simpler job than the last time we’d done this, then we backed away from our mooring, me pushing the bow out to help start the turn. Several people were about, asking if we were heading far.

Our pootle wasn’t a long one, we came out of Viking Marina, turned left, then right at the nesting swan into Goole Boathouse Marina and then right down the last arm towards the slipway.

Looking over the Dutch River we could still see flashing lights of fire engines, one hose and white smoke rising from the scrapyard. There was a slight smell in the air too. I think we’d been lucky last night to miss the smoke.

Oleanna trod water whilst last weeks boat was hitched up to the tractor and gradually pushed backwards towards the slipway. All air vents into the engine bay were covered with tape and then the boat was eased back into the water. Blimey the stern only just staying above the water before she started to float off the trailer.

Once the boat was clear it was our turn. Mick brought Oleanna in towards the slipway. We are quite deep drafted and the level in the docks was quite good, but not as high as it can be, so we soon ground to a bit of a halt.

With us and ropes off of her we pulled her back to allow the trailer to be brought in to meet her. Vents and exhaust taped and bunged up, we then pulled her as far forward as she would go. She was pushed over to meet up with the side guards on the trailer and eventually pulled out. Mick says her back deck did dip under a touch, I’m glad I wasn’t at that end to see it. Just glad we weren’t going flying on a crane, because that is scary!

Once out and on dry land a prop was popped under the stern as she was overhanging the trailer somewhat. Time for a look round to see what over 4000 miles, 2500 locks since brand new had done to our two pack and how well the anodes were holding up.

Well on first look all seemed good. The anodes still have a couple of years left in them, it was hard to tell how the hull was doing with all the gunge on it. The chaps set to work with the pressure washer and a big scraper, knocking off a few hitchhikers in the process.

As they worked their way round the verdict was that she was in good nick, a little surface rust in parts. Then on one section of the swim the blacking came off leaving it almost bare steel, Hmmm? They didn’t seem too bothered by it.

We decided that as Oleanna is not likely to come out of the water for another four years it would be worth getting new anodes welded on. Here at Goole Boathouse if you buy them from them they fit them for free, so for just over £100 it’s worth doing them earlier. Cheaper than getting her out of the water just for that job.

Whilst Mick walked back round to Viking for the car I had a walk up to Goole Caisson. The Waterways Museum that closed a while ago now seems to have been take over by an auction house. Such a shame.

Up at the caisson the lights are still red, nothing much has changed there. Reports of it going to be opened have not as yet come true.

With Mick back we walked up towards the service block where several boats have been moored since what feels like forever! One of these is owned by David who set up the Goole Escape group on facebook. Time to introduce ourselves.

It was good to meet up and compare notes. I think David’s calm attitude with ABP has helped a great deal. Tides look good in a few weeks time, which way were we planning to go when the time came.

David has been round Trent Falls several times so was able to offer us some advice. With ABP penning boats out an hour before high tide this means that if you headed for Trent Falls you’d be pushing the tide for an hour and then have a long wait before the tide comes back in again. So David and Karl plan to actually carry on up stream with the tide to Selby. Then when there is a suitable tide they would leave Selby and head downstream to Trent Falls, have a shorter wait for the tide to come in and then head up the River Trent to Keadby Lock. Doing it this way means doing the trip is likely to be easier and boats wouldn’t be restricted to when ABP let you out. We may well follow suit, plus it means cruising on the part of the River Ouse we’d otherwise not have been on.

Oleanna’s nose, which didn’t go red this year

A few more things went in the car and we headed for home. Driving down the long road alongside the Dutch River we could still see smoke rising from the scrap yard. A fire engine sat close by and a TV camera pointed at a fireman. Sadly our waving wouldn’t make prime time tv as the camera faced away from us.

Mick said we’d have a bit of a bump when we got to the end of the road and he certainly was right. The fire service had been drawing water from the docks last night and this morning. Around ten tenders had attended, and numerous hoses had been joined together to reach the blaze. So our hire car had to hoik itself over the fat hose to get out.

Back at home we were told off by Tilly. Her food bowl empty and she was insisting that her new dingding time was midday and we were late! The afternoon filled itself with jobs. Wallpaper was patched up in a bathroom, one colour added to my panto model and the boat dinette cushion covers went in the washing machine. Hopefully these will be okay as the fabric said dry clean only, fingers crossed they still fit the cushions when returned to the boat!

0 locks, 0.19 miles, 1st trip this year! 1 left, 2 rights, 1 trip computer, 2 slices toast, 1 nesting swan, 1 boat out of water, 1 jet wash, 4 anodes, 1 mile walk, 1 full car, 1 escape plan, 1 bathroom ready for paint, 1 mardy cat.

Making Plans. 16th April

Yesterday news came through from the Goole Escape group that C&RT would be updating their notice regarding passage through Ocean Lock in Goole.

Mick’s inbox was checked frequently yesterday, nothing. But this morning as we were having our cuppa in bed the following appeared.

Update on 16/04/2021:

We have been advised by Associated British Ports they are to open up limited penning for leisure craft from Monday 19th April.

Bookings will be controlled by the Duty Assistant Dock Master at Ocean lock on Tele: 01405 721128 on a first come / served basis and with a 24 hr confirmation call required.

ABP will offer a penn out at 1hr before HW and a penn in at 1hr after HW on daylight tides only and this will be managed around commercial traffic.

PLEASE NOTE: penning outside of these offered times is not available and that at no times should vessels anchor in the Goole reaches nor any part of the Ouse from the area of Skelton Railway Bridge to the Apex.

We won’t be one of the first boats to leave Goole. But we have been looking at the tide times to see when might be a possible tide to get us round Trent Falls to at least Keadby. Then the next tides to carry on upstream to Torksey and Cromwell. There is a date in mind and research to be done regarding Trent Falls.

The list of jobs at the house has gradually been getting shorter. Builders have been giving the roof and chimney stacks some tlc over the last couple of days and Frank has fitted us a new bath panel. The bathroom just needs to be decorated now.

Appointments for all three of us are in the diary. Sadly no news of our second jabs yet.

Press stud replaced, blind ready to go back up in the bedroom on Oleanna

The list of jobs on Oleanna remains long, but work will start on that list soon.

My panto model, which I’d been hoping to get finished by the end of the month, will have to sit on the back burner for a little while whilst things get sorted.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 good update, 2 relieved boaters, 1 booking to be made, 2 many jobs to do, 1 press stud sorted, 1 chicken jointing lesson to be given (Frank), 1 quizzical cat, 1 garden catch up to fit in (Duncan), 2 busy but smiling boaters.

Two To The North, One To The South. Breach 42 12th April

The first boats to cross between Sykehouse and Pollington Lock happened today. The passage is assisted and pre-bookable with C&RT.

Two Lock Keepers and a volunteer were on hand to see boats through. Apparently ten boats had booked passage, but only two headed northwards from Sykehouse and one southwards from Pollington.

The pound is being kept low, some say to help protect the cofferdam at the breach site. Others that there is another leak between the reservoir and Pollington Lock. But what ever the reason it looks like the low water level over the last three months has affected the banks of the canal in several places. With less water pressure in the pound the piling in places has fallen towards the water. At Christmas I posted photos of areas where this had happened on the Aire and Calder, there are now patches on the New Junction Canal.

Levels at Southfield Reservoir are obviously low too. The sailing club is looking elsewhere for it’s members to sail for the foreseeable future. Luckily the normal depth of the Aire and Calder is around three meters in the main channel so the passage between locks didn’t necessitate any boats scraping the bottom today.

One of the boaters moored at Rawcliffe Bridge visited the breach site today and had a chat with the engineer in charge. According to his post to the Goole Escape group it is looking like the breach will not be repaired until the late summer. C&RT are in talks with ABP regarding Leisure boats using Ocean Lock. Also they are looking at removing the stop planks at the caisson in the next couple of weeks, this will enable boats currently stranded at Rawcliffe Bridge to move to Goole should they want to.

Hopefully the stop planks will remain out which will mean that we’d be able to give Oleanna a bit of a blast up the cut to check everything is running smoothly before heading out onto the Tidal Ouse and Trent. It would also give boaters who don’t plan on escaping Goole the chance to at least get out from the marina for a short pootle.

Elsewhere on the network non liveaboards can now stay overnight on their boats. Some areas of the network will get very busy as they did last year when Lockdown 1 ended. But in other areas there are problems, another culvert is causing problems on the Llangollen. At the Figure of Three Locks on the Calder and Hebble, which has just reopened, a large plastic pedestrian barrier was drawn through the lower ground sluice paddle box this morning, damaging the paddle so the lock can no longer hold water. Hopefully this will be sorted soon.

Could That Be The Hole? Breach 41, 10th April

Thankfully the weather hasn’t stopped Mark from visiting the breach site today, here in Scarborough it is doing it’s best to snow, I suspect drones and the fingers that control them are not too keen on the white stuff.

The cofferdam is now fully drained.

You can see where people have been walking in the silt. Levels to the west of the cofferdam are still low.

There is a large puddle (bottom left), for want of a better word, very close to where the big hole on the towpath is. My first thought was could this be where the piling or base of the canal has given way.

But then Mick said , why is it full of water?

Maybe this is where the breach is but the route out for the water is higher than the hole, so it has acted as a kind of U bend like you get on a toilet. Once the water level is higher than the route outwards the water drains away until it is level with the last thing blocking it’s route out. The footage below was taken on the 30th December.

Certainly when water was draining into the drain below it was rushing under the towpath, over the top of the drain and around the end of the bridge where there are now large boulders. The footage below was taken on the 29th December by Mark. Where the digger on the back of the boat has it’s bucket is where the hole in the towpath is. So the stern of the boat is right over where the big puddle is today.

Hopefully the engineers have been to site to have a look and see what the extent of the damage is.

10/04/2021 Looking down into the drain today

It may well be that most of what was once under the towpath over the drain has been washed away.

Large blocks have been placed on the bank presumably to stop machinery and vehicles from missing the access ramp into the cofferdam.

The pumps keep going supplying the docks with water. Hopefully a sufficient amount to increase ABP’s confidence which hopefully will then lead to limited passages through the locks for leisure craft.

The Goole Escape group now has 45 members. Most boats are moored in Goole but there are a couple of boats who are stuck at Rawcliffe Bridge which is between the breach and Goole caisson. Currently stop planks block their way to access the docks.

David has called the Lock Keepers at Naburn, Selby, Keadby and Torksey in the last couple of days. All locks off the River Ouse and River Trent are operable. But unfortunately the swing bridge out of Selby Basin is currently unsafe to use, the main bearing on the bridge has weakened, possibly due to heavier than normal road traffic over it. Surveyors have advised C&RT not to use the bridge until the problem is rectified. Then at Tankards Bridge there is a 7ft height restriction. So currently there is no escape route through Selby. The Lockies at Selby are going to keep us updated as things progress.

So escape routes will be to York, Barmby, Keadby, Torksey. Some boats are talking about heading to Hull or even Grimsby.

Thank you Mark once again for letting me use your photos.

Adjusting The Squelch. 7th April

*This post was superseded by A Glimmer Of Hope yesterday*

Whilst waiting for news regarding the breach and possible escape from Goole we’ve not been idle. Well I say we, but in regards to boaty things Mick has been the busy one whilst I’ve been working painting my panto model.

On our last visit to Oleanna we brought back the life jackets. These were in need of a service, in fact a year overdue. Last time we paid for them to be checked over to much consternation from readers. This time Mick followed instructions on Youtube.

He checked for any damage, wear and tear. Weighed the gas bottles. Checked the dates on the firing mechanisms. Blew the whistles. Inflated them and left them overnight (well a couple of days) to check they remained inflated.

A couple of the firing mechanisms had a few months left on them and Mick had broken one of the clips that is used to indicate that a firing mechanism has been manually fired. The green clip obviously needed replacing so it was worth getting a couple of new mechanisms.

When they arrived the oldest dated mechanisms were swapped out for the newest and put into the jackets we use the most, these will last us till 2024. The middle aged ones were put in our two spare jackets, these will last till December 2022. The oldest ones we are keeping as spares and run out in February 2022.

The next job was to fold and roll the jackets back up into the covers. This is possibly the hardest part of the servicing. But they are all done and in the crate ready to be returned to Oleanna on our next visit.

Next was the VHF radio. We bought our hand held radio a few years ago and use it to listen in to the big ships around Goole and when we are on tidal waters. You should have your radio licenced and have completed a course to use it. Mick has been meaning to do the course for a number of years but had never got round to it, I suspect like many others. My sister-in-law had looked into it for his birthday last year, but it was going to cost too much.

With the only way out of Goole for the next few months being through the docks to Ocean Lock and down onto the tidal Ouse (when/if ABP allow leisure craft), we have decided the cost of the VHF course and test would be worth doing. ABP normally require leisure boats to have two crew, life jackets and a VHF radio. Should the chance arise to be able to pen down onto the Ouse we’d rather meet all the criteria.

The RYA VHF/SRC (Short Range Certificate) Marine Radio Course can be done online for £75. Then the test costs £60 on top. Mick contacted Scarborough Yacht Club to see if they were running the courses and test. This was possible, although the test would have to wait until after April 12th and would be done on a one to one basis at the Yacht Club at Scarborough lighthouse.

Once the course fee was paid a chap popped the handbook through our front door the following day and Mick was ready to do the course. The course takes around 10 hours and Mick has worked his way through doing all the modules in the last week. Before he books for the exam I’m going to look at the course too. Should we be in an emergency situation and Mick not be able to use the radio, I would at least know what to do.

Once the exam is passed Oleanna and her crew will meet all the criteria that ABP require, if this also means that we can cruise as a flotilla with other boats who haven’t got VHF all the better.

*Sadly later in the day Mick received an email saying that as Scarborough Yacht Club building would remain closed until 17th May, exams would not be possible until after that date.

A few days ago marked our 7th anniversary of being boat owners. Today marks our 4th anniversary of the three of us moving onboard Oleanna in Sheffield. So I’d best do a Where Were We

Where were we

2020 Lockdown Mooring 3, Calveley, Shropshire Union Canal. LINK

2019 Above Lemonroyd Lock, Aire and Calder Navigation. LINK

2018 Stourport, Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and Beverley. LINK

2017 Victoria Basin, Sheffield and Tinsley Canal and Crick Marina, Leicester Line. LINK

2016 Bulbourne Junction, Grand Union Canal. LINK

2015 Kingswood Junction, Stratford Canal. LINK

2014 Bugbrooke, Grand Union Canal. Sorry no link, we were on too much of a mission to write a blog. But we did get Lillian off the River Nene where her EA licence had run out and up the Northampton Flight, her first narrow locks.

A Glimmer of Hope. Breach 40, 7th April

Today David has had a more promising response from ABP.

I have had a call through from the Dock Master at ABP this morning. The information that I gathered from the call I have summarised.

The main challenge at the moment is replenishing water used by Ocean Lock. Operating the lock whilst being able to retain functionality of the dock, and enabling contingent use for emergency operation is a somewhat difficult balancing act.

There are some high tides predicted for next week and the port are expecting some particularly deep droughted commercial vessels. With a higher usage, this will hopefully give the opportunity to see how the pumps at the breach site contend with replenishing water levels in the dock.

Depending on how next week goes there will be further assessment regarding lock operations. The situation will be reviewed with the possibility of LIMITED use by Leisure craft. I stress the word limited.

ABP have suggested that the offer to help coordinate this would be well received by them. Hopefully this could at least give the opportunity for boaters who would otherwise be stuck here for a longer period of time, to leave Goole.

We should be mindful of how this message is disseminated. In the first instance, it is probable that a limited number of bookings will be considered, keeping the number of pens to a minimum. The danger is that the message could me misconstrued and assumptions made that operation is back to normal. This is highly unlikely to begin with. ABP have been very clear that this needs managing closely. The last thing they want is craft stranded on the river due to a snow ball affect of people expecting to use the lock as normal.

With the above in mind, I’d like to start to gather info regarding how many people would ideally like to pen through and the destination they would be heading for. If you could let me know by comment or DM that would be great.

I am awaiting a further update from the dock master in due course, and will of course update this page accordingly.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a season of cruising waters afar, following these testing times for everyone.

David.

Well done to David. We’re keeping all our fingers and paws crossed. Any further information I get I will pass onwards.

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna

Category Archives: River Ouse

Just A Few Minutes Away. 7th May

Engine Checks. 5th May

Apex Before The Rain. 3rd May

Preparation Is The Key. 20th April

High And Drying. 19th April

Making Plans. 16th April

Update on 16/04/2021:

Two To The North, One To The South. Breach 42 12th April

Could That Be The Hole? Breach 41, 10th April

Adjusting The Squelch. 7th April

A Glimmer of Hope. Breach 40, 7th April