So our visit was well timed as the inevitable has now happened with a third lockdown.
Sadly this means few photos from the breach site as things progress and people stay at home. Yesterday Chris Conroy posted the levels in the docks for me on facebook.
‘Dock level today is 5m 98cm as of 14:36 4/1/21 ….Normal levels are….lower level 6m 20cm …Upper level 6m 55cm’
So a 14 inch difference between low and high levels. If we assume that 5.98m is what it was yesterday, hopefully if he keeps giving me readings from the dock gauge we’ll be able to see if there is a problem of dropping water.
No more pack up lunches on board for a while
He also reported that the pumps by the caisson gate have been altered slightly but are still operational to keep the level in the docks up. Limited shipping is allowed into the port at high tide so as to minimise the loss of water. Normally there is too much water coming down the Aire and Calder and the excess is monitored and discharged as necessary.
Yesterday C&RT issued a Navigation Closure Notice for the New Junction Canal as follows. It does however refer to locks on the Aire and Calder Navigation.
To reduce water levels at breach site below Pollington Lock water levels from Ferrybridge Lock to Pollington Lock have been slightly reduced and the locks closed for public use.
This is a short term measure being reviewed on a daily basis. The locks and sections above Pollington Lock will be reopened as soon as this is possible.
The section from Pollington Lock to Goole Caisson and Sykehouse Lock will remain closed.
Towpath closed from Pollington Lock to Went End Aqueduct due to bank slippage
One day we’ll be back to views like this
Today C&RT have issued an update, although you have to go and look for it on their website! Earlier email updates seem to have stopped.
Update 05/01/2021
We are continuing to carry out inspections of the breach site twice per day to ensure safety of the area. These inspections have confirmed that the repair is structurally sound and there is no further flood risk. We have lowered water levels in the canal to reduce the rate of water loss from the breach and the escaped water is being pumped away into the River Don. The water levels in the canal are being managed through the pumps near Goole dock.
Our project team met on Monday 4 January to begin work to repair the breach. The repair work will first require the removal of the water from a section of the canal around the breach point. This will involve the construction of a temporary dam at two locations by piling across the navigation to create a ‘cofferdam’. The design of these temporary works has commenced.
Once the cofferdam is in place, which we expect to be in the next few weeks, the water in the canal can be pumped around it in order to ensure a constant water supply to feed Goole docks. Until the cofferdam is in place it is difficult to be precise how long a permanent repair will take as this very much depends on what damage we find once the water is removed.
The twice daily inspection of the damaged area of canal bank will continue until this cofferdam is in place to ensure public safety. Although we understand that local people may like to visit the site to see the work we’ve done, we advise people to stay well away from the area where the breach has occurred.
From here in Scarborough all we can do is wait, see what we can see on the internet and rely on kindly souls in Goole to keep an eye on Oleanna’s ropes along with many other boats. I suspect the permanent fix will take some time, thankfully we’re not in any big hurry to move. When we do move we may have to cruise new water to escape Goole and go out onto the Tidal Ouse, turning left towards Selby or right to Trent Falls!
Hopefully Oleanna is still smiling
0 locks, 0 miles, 5.98m, 3rd lockdown, 1 builder being put on hold, 2 boaters trying to watch from afar, 4 fingers and 2 paws crossed,1 cat slightly miffed that her itallics are being used by other people!
Not knowing what the tier review would bring today we decided to head down to the marina to check things out.
A light dusting
Scarborough managed to avoid the snow of the last few days, but as we crossed the top of the Wolds we could see that there had been a dusting. This soon cleared as we descended the other side of the hills. Drax Power Station sending up big plumes of steam into the chilly air.
Exol Pride sitting on her mooring with a full tank
As soon as we pulled into the marina we could see that things had improved with the level. Across on the far side of the channel leading into the docks the wooden edging was now submerged.
She’s higher
Oleanna’s ropes sat loose necessitating her being pulled in for us to climb down. Today this was more like a big step, no booster block required just a steadying hand on the cabin side.
Meow!
We’d planned to rehang the front door blinds and put the pads back into the window bungs we’d taken to the house for washing, but in our haste to leave we’d left them all in Scarborough.
A better view again
Mick checked temperatures, 2 C in the engine bay. A touch chilly but okay. The heating went on inside and the water pump turned on. Oleanna’s water tank must be very low now as it no longer registers on the gauge. The electric kettle was filled from the tap on the pontoon and water from the tank only used for washing up after lunch.
Sitting higher
I got my tape measure out again. What was the height difference between pontoon and the water? I got a little bit excited with the height and confused at the same time. 3ft 2 inches, 10 inches higher than when I’d first measured it. My confusion being when I’d first measured it, this was before Christmas and not on Boxing Day. So our rise today since Boxing Day is six inches, not the 10 I’d got really excited about. Still good and going in the right direction.
An update to the C&RT website said.
Update 29/12/20
On 28 December our team, with our contractors – Kier, returned to site to place more stone and clay in the hole and this has considerably reduced the leak. The stone provides stability and the clay seals the passage of water in the gaps between the bags, and we have also spread waterproof material over the breached area.
We will continue to carry out daily checks to ensure the situation does not change. Water levels in the canal are now rising back towards normal.
During the event, in order to protect water levels in Goole Docks, we closed the gates from the canal and pumped water in. With water levels rising in the canal we should soon be able to open these gates again though navigation will not be permissible along the canal until we have undertaken further works as a precaution.
Now that the immediate risk has been significantly reduced, we are able to begin to look in more detail at designing a permanent repair in the new year. Our engineers are considering the options and how such a repair would be achieved.
Although we understand that local people may like to visit the site to see the work we’ve done, we advise people to stay well away from the area where the breach has occurred.
To leave slack or tighten?
We had our packup lunch with a cuppa, then planned to go for a walk along the river bank towards Trent Falls. We discussed whether to tighten the ropes or not. Should the level drop again, they would need loosening, but if the level kept rising Oleanna would get looser and with any strong winds she’d end up going all over the place. We thought that maybe taking up some of the slack would be the way forward.
Shortly before we left I had another look at Facebook. There was a new post from Mark Penn from above the breach site. His footage showed the flow of water through the temporary repair to have increased again, possibly a stronger flow than it had been on Boxing Day, certainly stronger than yesterday!
Some of the filling, aggregate and clay has been washed away again. You can see right under the concrete, Not good.
Mark contacted the Project Manager at C&RT to report it. Someone was heading to monitor the situation. Reports later are that for now they are okay with the amount of water coming out. It is now flowing in the right direction, under the canal to the pumping station which pumps the excess water into the River Don. Before when the breach happened the water reversed the flow of the drain and sent the water towards East Cowick, with potential for flooding the villages.
It is suspected that the canal level will be dropped again to reduce the pressure on the fix.
We changed our minds on the ropes and have left them slack, in case the level drops again, which it almost certainly will.
RSPB Blacktoft Sands
Slightly gloomy we drove out of Old Goole, through Swinefleet, Whitgift and Ousefleet. Mick pulled the car into the car park at RSPB Blacktoft Sands only for us to be stopped by a big sign saying the car park was closed due to Covid -19. We found a spot on the right angle bend where we could park instead and walked up to the flood bank.
Not much of a view at the bottom of the bank
Here another sign thwarted our plan. The footpath follows the side of the flood bank, not the top. The top being private land. Not much point if we couldn’t see the river, anyway I’d not put enough layers on for the very cold temperatures out today, too much time spent on land!
River Ouse to the left, River Trent just below the trees ahead
We aborted our walk and headed back towards Scarborough instead, the sun setting behind muted coloured hills. With the radio on we heard that North Yorkshire will as of midnight tonight enter tier 3 and Goole remain in tier 3. So we now won’t have to sneak across tier borders to get to Goole should we want to check on Oleanna before we have to hand the car keys back to the hire company. A positive on a not so positive day.
Winters day
0 locks, 0 miles, 10 inches higher, 2 happier boaters, 1 pack up, 1 fix un-fixed again, 1 leaking canal, 2 sad boaters, 1 boat with slack ropes, 1 closed car park, 1 very chilly day, tier 3.
Selby Swing Bridge to Selby Basin to West Haddlesey Flood Lock
Sculpure by the swing bridge
A call from the Sainsburys delivery driver asking could he be early was welcome, he arrived quarter of an hour before our slot. We were glad to see that the plastic bags that had been compulsory during lockdown have now gone mostly. This does mean delivery takes a little bit longer, but the driver was happy for the crates to be put on the stern of Oleanna and then for us to sort our purchases before handing them back. Sadly they had sent a substitution for Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, not a good choice in my opinion so it was left on the van. Stocks of white wine should last for a while longer.
A mighty chunk of ginger
The dates on a box of eggs were a touch disappointing, but at least they arrived in recyclable cardboard rather than the plastic boxes we’ve had on the last couple of deliveries. I did have to laugh at the amount of ginger that we got too, washing peg for scale, we’ll have to have ginger and lamb with everything we eat !
Swapping at the bridge
With everything stowed we headed for the swing bridge managing to time it well with Richard and Heather bringing Isabella through. Needing to dispose of rubbish we also topped up the water tank. We’ve been seeing numerous photos of overflowing bins around the network since the Bank Holiday weekend, here in Selby there was plenty of space.
Goodbye Selby
Jobs done Mick winded Oleanna, leaving NB Gandja by the lock, they’d made it from Naburn yesterday and as we pulled away back towards the swing bridge it looked like WB Doofer was just coming into the lock from the tidal water, another escapee from York.
See you again somewhere Isabella
Through the bridge we had to keep a very keen eye on our position on the Waterway Routes map. According to our trip computer Oleanna was about to reach a mile stone. After 0.59 miles of todays journey Oleanna had reached her 4000th mile, just before Bawtry Road Bridge. There were Hoorays!!! all round.
A short distance further on a crane was in the process of lifting a weed boat into the cut. These don’t collect duck weed, but would most probably be used to cut and collect the pennywort that is taking over in parts. A touch further on we pushed past the large island we’d encountered yesterday and then we gave a reedy island a centre parting.
Weed cutter flying
Nearly two hours later we passed under Tankard’s Stone Bridge and had a choice of where to pull up at West Haddlesey. The flood lock ahead was closed which wasn’t that surprising and a short while later WB Doofer came past and worked their way through onto the River Aire.
Some cookie dough had just finished baking when two familiar heads bobbed along the top of Tankard’s Stone Bridge, we had visitors. Bridget and Storm our friends who used to own NB Blackbird had come to have a catch up whilst we were reasonably close. We all sat out on the moorings having tea and biscuits chatting away the afternoon, lots to catch up on as we haven’t seen them for around 18 months.
Doofer at the flood lock
Whilst part way through telling a story I maybe leaned forward just a touch, the contents of my pocket slide out and made a small plop noise as it hit the surface of the water and glid down to the bottom of the canal. My bloomin phone! We had a look to see if we could see it, maybe the metallic cover would glint back at us? Maybe it wouldn’t.
My Northern thug
We tried a torch, then Mick got out his endoscope, but couldn’t get it to work. So we gave up till later, it wouldn’t be going anywhere and we had guests.
The Wasp crew back together
The rain beat it’s forecast by an hour or so. We persevered sitting outside for a while, but in the end gave in a retreated to inside. Bridget and Storm are the first two people to step onboard since March other than ourselves. We did our best to keep our distances whilst we had another cuppa and finished off the cookies. A lovely afternoon with plans of another meeting in the next month or so, hopefully.
It then peed it down! Not conducive for trying to find a mobile phone at the bottom of the cut. But when it started to dry up a touch Mick got his endoscope working. He worked his way along where we’d marked the spot the surface of the water had devoured my phone. A glimpse of something, yes it was my phone. Now how to get it out?
A net that can see
The endoscope was tied onto the end of our cat landing net and this was used to try to locate it again. Sadly this meant the silt got stirred up and the water became cloudy. So we decided to wait until dark when our powerful torch might just help.
Delving into the depths
With the boat pushed out from the bank we shone the torch round. Holding it at an angle worked best as you could see where the beam hit on the canal bottom. But sadly nothing was obviously phone shaped. A trawl around with the landing net again didn’t bring anything up other then the silt. The hope of recovering my phone to possibly be able to reuse the sim card was drifting away. I’d be needing a replacement one of those as well as a phone! I really shouldn’t have mentioned about throwing my phone in the cut in yesterdays post!
Thanks Tilly for your support!
0 locks, 5.33 miles, 1 swing bridge twice, 13 cars, 7 pedestrians held up, 4000 miles! -1 box of wine, 1 large chicken, 1 larger chunk of ginger, 1 weed cutter, 1 mooring to ourselves, 2 ex-boaters, 1 pair of pants, 1pair of socks, 3 hours of chat, 4 friends, 1 sunk phone, 1 endoscope, 1 landing net, 1 sighting.
Naburn Water Point Pontoon to Naburn Visitor Moorings
Levels were certainly dropping this morning, but would they get low enough for us to head downstream tomorrow? Our main hope for the day was that the levels would come down enough, early enough for us to play do-ci-do and reverse back to the 48 hour moorings and let Tilly out. We all had our fingers crossed.
Just as we were about to tuck into breakfast we heard an engine and movements from outside. Had someone else arrived? Or was someone leaving?
It was the latter. The Abandoned boat was on the move. Kenny, the Lock Keeper had managed to track down the owner the other day, the chap hadn’t been pleased when he was told his boat had been moved. He apparently changed his mind when he heard that his boat would have sunk if no action had been taken. A couple of days ago smoke was seen coming from the abandoned boats chimney, but nobody saw him until this morning. He asked the hybrid boat to move out as he wanted to be off, so they did as requested. His manoeuvring meant that he ended up across the sterns of everyone else and required a push and then his bow pulling round so that he didn’t remain pinned to us for the rest of the day. He said nothing, headed off upstream, Kenny said he was headed to Linton Lock. Each to their own!
Tom decided to study the charts and lots of words about the Ooose. He obviously needed some assistance so I lent him some, sitting on the book to keep it warm. Very helpful I thought.
Waiting
The lady from NB Gandja came to say hello, we’d been wondering where abouts of the river they’d got to. They had enjoyed their trip up to Ripon and on their way back they had moored at Boroughbridge when the river started to come up. Someone from the homemade vessel, No 9, had knocked on their roof at about midnight and suggested that they should move to the floating pontoon above Milby Lock. The following morning some C&RT staff told them not to move until the level dropped. When it did they had called Kenny at Naburn, but he told them there was no space, so they headed into York Marina as the river was due to rise again. She was hoping for a discount as they weren’t using any of the facilities, just electric and water, at £27.50 a night! Glad we’d headed to the lock! They plan on heading to Selby on Tuesday, so we may see them again down the way.
To while away some of the afternoon we tagged along at the very back of an heritage tour around the lock. These were taking place over the weekend with a volunteer talking about the history of the Ouse and Naburn Lock. We missed about a third of it, but did find out that the lock island had once been home to a corn/flint mill and workers cottages. The mill and lock were serviced by a blacksmith in one of the buildings which still stands.
Up to the yale lock
The chap showed photos of the floods on Boxing Day 2012 when the lock island was under water, right up to the yale lock on the office door, quite impressive. Neither Mick or myself remember that flood, November 2000 was the highest recorded, the gate across the bottom of the lane by my dad’s house had only one bar left above the water on that occasion, I suspect in 2012 there were at least two bars visible.
1.3 the moorings should be visible
Back at the boats the level was getting more and more promising. Tilly did her best to be patient, waiting for her shore leave to return. We waited for a view to come back to each side of Oleanna. Being hemmed in without a view was getting to all of us. At least you got to go outside!!
So nearly there!
The afternoon wore on, Jo had headed out to the park with her kids and a friend, maybe we should have done the boat shuffle before she went out. Mick chatted to Kenny and Richard, both of us heading down the lock in the morning, we’d be joined by a couple of cruisers heading to Goole. We waited and waited. Was that Tiger Storm we could hear? We waited. That had to be them! I baked a loaf of bread for Mick and then got a fish crumble ready for the oven.
At half an hour past my dingding the back of Oleanna dipped. Tom went to chat with Jo She, She needed to settle the kids then could move her outside and give us some back. This all took way too long, a Tiger Tom should understand my needs and hopes, but they just slid away.
About to be set free
As Jo pulled back we could just see the edge of the moorings glinting in the evening sun, any earlier and we’d have been paddling. Everyone was out and ready to move round. Jo winded and headed off up the cut to wind again and return to the visitor moorings so her kids could have easy access to the bank.
Then it was our turn. Mick reversed Oleanna back to the nearest end of the moorings. A blast of reverse then an adjustment with forwards meant he flooded the moorings, luckily my end stayed dry, well drier as there was a layer of sticky silt that the ducks had been paddling about in.
Reversing
Doofer moved outwards, the hybrid boat pulled back and Richard reversed NB Isabella back towards the moorings. Doofer and the hybrid moving back in, both against the pontoon. They will be following us down the lock in a few days time.
As we finished tying up, the beeper went announcing that the crumble was ready. It also meant that it was way past cat curfew. Should we risk letting Tilly out for the first time in days. Our decision was no. Should she get carried away and stay out overnight the tide would not wait for us. She would have to make do with a view tonight.
BUT!!!!!!!!
0 locks, 0.06 miles in reverse, 1 boat gone, £27.50! 5 boats shuffled round, 0 milk at the shop, 7pm land visible, 1 balloon, 1 so so bored cat, 2/3rds of a tour, 1 loaf, 1 crumble, 6 days without a view, 2 sun setting vistas revealed, 1 early night.
I woke at 6:30, my internal clock nudging me awake at the time we could have been leaving if the levels were good. But there was no surprise as I looked out the front, the levels had gone back up again! Back to sleep it was.
Some old wires for the telephone engineers
This morning’s Geraghty Zoom included Revengeful Gutters, Ging Gang Goolie, Currier Couriers and slight envy of Marions new Fire Pit they’d be trying out tonight.
By 11 the levels at Viking Recorder seemed to be levelling out, but would they fall sufficiently for us to head off downstream tomorrow morning, which is when our original plan had been. A look at the forecast suggested not and the level would drop a bit, but then go back up again!
She tried to explain things to me. ‘It’s like your be’doingee ball Tilly. We can only tie the good dry outside up when the ball hits the floor, but at the moment it spends a lot more time in the air than on the floor. When it does hit the floor it immediately jumps back up into the air.‘ I’d be able to put my paw on it to stop it bouncing back up, they’d do the same if they really cared about me!!!
Sign post
After watching, La Course, the Womens one day race of the Tour de France we had a chat with the Lockie. He confirmed that we wouldn’t be going anywhere tomorrow morning, but with fine weather for the next few days Monday is looking like it might be possible. Fingers crossed.
NB Large Marge following us downstream in 2016
Four years ago today we’d woken early and entered Naburn Lock in the mist heading back to Selby after a few days in York. We’d managed to visit the city when the levels had stayed low for a few days and as we left the river was rising again, by the end of the day the mooring bollards at Naburn were under water, today they were nowhere to be seen!
Would the shop at the campsite have our newspaper? We went to ask, but they don’t sell papers. With no shop in Naburn Village we’d have to do without a paper today.
St Matthews Church, Naburn
Instead we went for a walk. The grass verge to the village is wide and mown. St Matthews church sits on the outskirts. We could smell food coming from the pub, but resisted and headed off down Vicarage Lane to find the old railway line, now Route 65 of the National Cycle Network.
The old East Coast Mainline
In 1864 this route was opened knocking half an hour off the journey time between London and Edinburgh. It carried trains like the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard, coal and steel from Yorkshire to other parts of the country. Trains would also take workers from the villages south of York in to Rowntrees factory on the Foss Islands line. Local passenger services stopped in 1958 and the goods traffic ceased in 1964.
Only 10 miles to Selby, it feels like another world today
In the 1980’s work was underway developing the Selby coalfield which coincided with electrification of the rail line. Possible subsidence in the area might cause speed restrictions on the line, now was a good time to bypass the swing bridges at Naburn and Selby creating a new route, getting British Coal to pay for it.
Once the new route opened, the stretch from Riccall to York was sold for £1 to Sustrans and formed the first six miles of the National Cycle Network.
The solar system
To mark the millennium, staff from the University of York created a 10km, 575,872,239 to 1 scale model of the solar system. Scale models of the planets are positioned along the route, The Sun being closest to Tescos in York and Pluto just outside Riccall and there are 1/3 scale models of the Cassini probe and Voyager 1.
King of the castle
Today we joined the route around about half way between Uranus and Jupiter. Heading towards the Ouse we soon came across a raised mound up to a turret made from signal ducting. We climbed to the top expecting a view, but trees got in the way. Below a sign suggested sitting on a bench at the base and lining your view up with a stick. This we did, and there was the view, the central tower of York Minster. Originally this could be seen from the turret, but an oak tree has grown to mask it.
By Naburn Station there is the Tuck Trike Saturn Stop. Here picnic benches offer a break to walkers and cyclists, there is a cafe, a hut with a portapottie and quite a few artworks around the site.
We then walked past Saturn on it’s plinth, a sign post pointing the way to the next planets in each direction.
Naburn Swing Bridge was our next landmark, sitting over the fast flowing Ouse.
Naburn Swing Bridge
Murals have been painted on the concrete walls, poetry added to the rounded sides of the bridge and high above everything sits The Fisher Of Dreams with bicycle and dog.
Designed by Pete Rogers the sculpture was commissioned as part of York City’s Millenium celebrations. The design involved the community, three ideas were formulated, in January 2001 a vote was taken and The Fisher of Dreams was chosen.
On the bridge
The sculpture depicts a person holding a fishing rod sitting on the supports of the old control tower. On the end of the fishing line is a cut out of the Flying Scotsman.
Behind the figure lies their bicycle, a dog with cocked leg taking a wee on it’s saddle. A very amusing sculpture which it was nice to get to see from a different angle.
From below
Down below a big cruiser fought it’s was upstream against the current.
We retraced our steps and then walked down into the village. Those chips smelt good!
Late afternoon we could hear funny noises from outside. Was someone having a shower? Did someones engine have a strange rhythm? It was in fact a cruiser turned up to fill with water. They pulled in behind us and tied up to the boat on the outside, hoses passed over boat roofs. He’d run out a few days ago, so today he really needed to fill up!
Big bum!
That wasn’t the end of the excitement for the day. I’d just served up our lamb potato and spinach curry when there were voices and engine noises coming from the lock area. One big cruiser was in the lock facing upstream.
One on the way up
Ropes were being passed round the swing bridge, then another cruiser came in behind them. The tidal river was so high the height difference up onto the none tidal section could only have been about a foot. These were almost certainly the two cruisers that had left the other day. Wonder how much diesel they’d used pushing against the current to get here from Selby?
Make that two
0 locks, 0 miles, 3.75 miles walked, 1,443,300,000km to Uranus, 648,860,000km to Jupiter, £1 for 6 miles, 1 swing bridge, 1 fisher, 1 engine, 1 bike, 1 dog, 3 cruisers moving, 2 boaters wondering what cat kebabs taste like.
Overnight the river had continued to fall. Here in Naburn when we woke the mooring bollards were above water again, a good sign, but it was raining and due to continue raining for most of the day. A look at the Viking recorder level and the forecast levels showed that in York the river had just started to level out before it would rise again. We’d guessed as much, but the predicted levels were high again.
The levels recorded below Naburn Lock were starting to show the influence of the tides again, would there be enough fresh going downstream to make it possible to escape during the afternoon and not have to wait for the tide? This was a question to ask the Lockie when we saw him next.
Bollards!
A look at the weir was needed, it was more audible than it’s been in the last few days. The difference of levels on the tidal and none tidal river were visible again, hence the weir making a lot more noise. The downstream pontoon no longer level with the island, still a lot of water crashing around though.
A height difference
The Lock Keeper was hanging around when we returned. We asked what the possibilities were of heading downstream this afternoon a bit earlier than with the tide before the next rise in water really got going. He wasn’t keen on the idea, fare enough.
Rafted boats at the lock
He did say that if the levels remained more or less as they were now then he’d be on duty for the morning tide and be able to pen us down at 6:30am in return for a bacon butty. Well we already knew that the levels would rise again, a carrot dangled then drowned again!
Moreby Hall visible downstream
A wet day followed as the levels gradually rose again.
Tilly is finding it hard here. Being cabin bound is one thing, she kind of copes when in places like Paddington or BUMingham. But here there is nothing to watch through the windows, being hemmed in on both sides isn’t helping her deal with things. Her incessant pleading at the back doors is not helping our mental health either!
Mick popped back to see the Lockie later on. He’d still pen us down if we wanted in the morning, however he wouldn’t recommend it. We already knew this. If we were to go boats would have to move round. Jo is on the outside of us all and is waiting for a friend to help her on the Tidal Ouse. It would be her first time and on a new to her widebeam, so totally understandable. No need to play do-ci-do then.
Watching the film
Mick lit the stove as it was getting chilly. I made a round of mustard and cheddar crackers and then we all settled down to watch The Sence of Ending, a gentle English mystery. Jim Broadbent plays Tony, who receives a letter from the estate of the mother of his 1960’s university girlfriend. He has been left some money and a diary. Who’s diary was it and why won’t his ex-girlfriend, Charlotte Rampling, hand it over to him. What happened after they split up and where have their lives taken them since. An enjoyable wet days viewing.
A lock lampost
The weather forecast is looking up and hopefully we will have several dry days. Fingers crossed the levels start to go down and stay down long enough for us to get to Selby and maybe across the River Aire to Knottingley.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 wet day, 1 missing boater found, 1 stern gland tightened, 1 greaser filled, 1 red dot boring now, 1 cat climbing the walls, 1 bacon butty passage, 2 boaters staying put, 1.22m minimum, 1.54m at midnight, 1 river on the rise, 2 boaters using shore based facilities, 2 boaters hoping to still have a cat in the days to come, wonder what feline steak tastes like, at least she’d be quiet and we’d have a varied diet.
On waking the first thing to do is peek out of the curtains. Not much of a view side to side of the boat, but front to back we get something. This morning the cratch was covered in dew so it was hard to gauge if we’d started to go down or not. A harder look suggested we’d peaked last night and were now about 8 inches lower than when we’d gone to bed. Phew!
Mooring signs visible again!
Mid morning Mick loaded the broken shower controller into a bag and walked up to the bus stop on the main road, I went along to stretch my legs. We were surprised to find quite a queue at the bus stop, all from the campsite no doubt. Maybe they’d been planning on getting the river bus into town this morning, but despite the levels starting to drop the bus wouldn’t be running today.
Steps into water
On the map it looked like I might be able to walk along the road for a while and then join the flood bank where the river comes close to the road. So I waved Mick goodbye and headed southwards along the road. No footpath as such, but enough width to the verge to not have to walk on the road.
By the next buildings, Naburn Grange, was another bus stop where nobody was waiting. The Grange has a riding school and it looked like a group of guides were about to have a lesson. I continued along the verge, it getting narrower and higher as I approached bends in the country lane. I could see through the sideways trees that the river was very close, but there was no access to the bank, turning around was my only option.
Waiting to get on the bus
Back at the bus stop I just got to see Mick climbing on board the 42 before the bus sped away. There had been 16 people waiting, 4 got in a taxi and when the bus arrived a sign said it could only hold 18 passengers, there were already a few on board!
New junction, to us, in Fulford
The bus route took him through Fulford where a new junction has been created at the end of Fordlands Road, this is because a new housing estate is being built on fields along Germany Beck. The road here has been elevated and is surrounded by walls as this stretch used to flood several times a year, cutting off the bottom of the village. Hope the new houses are elevated too!
The River Foss
Mick was dropped off in Fishergate and walked the rest of the way to Screwfix on James Street. The chap there was surprised as the end of the controller had sheared off, a new one was found and handed over. His walk back into town took him along the side of the Foss. Not in flood, but the river had a good surface of duck weed. Where the Foss meets the Ouse a flood barrier was built many years ago to protect help protect the east side of the city from flood water backing up the Foss from the Ouse. Upstream of the barrier is Castle Mill Lock which can only be operated by IWA volunteers, this needs booking in advance. We’d been hoping to head up this way, not far as it is only navigable a short distance, but we might have managed to get to Heworth Green Bridge or alongside Huntington Road where I lived as a student for a few months. However work is ongoing at the flood barrier and the Ouse being in flood right now has put a stop to that idea.
Back in Naburn I decided not to abandon a walk, so carried on towards Naburn village and then climbed up onto the flood bank which protects the road. From here I then joined the walk from yesterday.
A step down now
Back at the river the levels were still dropping. A step down onto the pontoon now. However we’d be going nowhere today.
I had intentions of sorting out my Etsy shop with things I knitted earlier in the year, nobody can buy them if they don’t know they exist. But instead I wheedled out some possible photos to recreate as paintings. However I had little impetus to get much done.
Plumbers assistant
Mick returned with the new tap and after some lunch he became a plumber. We now have a shower that works again, hope this controller lasts this time.
Hooray
Today my family should have arrived from London, weather and floods having cancelled their visit. This evening they were going to cook and tomorrow it would have been our turn, we’re all trying to save pennies. So tonight I decided to get the leg of lamb out, no point in stuffing it in the freezer for later, might as well cook it. As I set about in the kitchen Mick lit the stove which kept Tilly quiet for the rest of the evening.
Happier cat
Garlic, rosemary and rapeseed oil was rubbed all over the lamb before I popped it in the oven. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar for the last fifteen minutes.
Accompanying the joint I did some roast new potatoes with courgette, pepper, red onion and sweet potato. A very nice meal, it would have been even better to have been eating it with family. Oh well.
More wall showing
0 locks, 0 miles, 3 miles walked, 42 bus, 1 new tap, 1 working shower, 8 possible photos, 1 drab day, 1 annoyingly bored cat, 0.8m lower, 1 step up, 1 leg of lamb between 2, which will keep us going for a week.
A quick check out of the front window at about 6am proved we were now on the move, upwards. The levels were rising. Overnight we had passed the level we’d reached a couple of days ago, but luckily the forecast level was gradually dropping, still high but out of the red zone.
View at 8am
Around about 8am we could hear an engine followed by voices. The hybrid cruiser narrowboat had escaped from York early this morning and sought refuge here at Naburn. They rafted up to the abandoned boat relieved to be moored to something floating.
10:40 and our new neighbour
What to have for breakfast? I decided to make us blueberry pancakes, we still have a few in the freezer that were ordered by accident. With no sourdough starter discard handy I had to hunt through my recipes for a recipe that predates my bubbling friend. There was one that had been a great success using Red Bob Mill 1 to 1 flour. No stocks of that brand on board I hoped that Sainsburys plain gf flour would do a reasonable job. Well the American brand must have quite a lot of xanthum gum in it as todays batter was more like a normal pancake mix. I decided to make larger than normal breakfast pancakes and scattered blueberries on top as they cooked. A little rubbery, a different recipe will need to be found for when I have no starter to use up again.
2pm
I had a message through from Scarborough friend Georgie wanting to pick my brains about an installation for York Mediale. We arranged a time for me to be stood outside to receive her call. Turns out the project she is currently working on is very similar to the Water Torture Cabinet I designed for A Regular Little Houdini, but with a couple of extra problems thrown in for good measure. It was good to hear that Top Show (scenery fabricators in York) are still in existence as six years ago the chap who ran the company passed away. The two chaps working for him were hoping to take over the business and continue. It was nice to be problem solving again, hope I helped.
Water Torture Cabinet from Houdini
Soon afterwards my brother rang. They had been thinking overnight and looking at the weather forecast along with river levels. If they’d been going camping in Kent and the weather looked as dire then they would have already cancelled, but a trip to see us in York made it a harder decision. With rain forecast for all day Friday, no possibility of cruising up to York for the day, the only place we’d all be able to sit would be around our dinette table, that’s if the river level stayed low enough to not require waders. So very sadly their trip is cancelled. Very disappointing, but nature has played her card.
Rafted boats at 2pm
Josh starts back at school very soon and he needs to settle into how that will work before they plan on having a weekend away. He may also be on the late shift at school, so leaving after school to head north on a Friday may not be possible. Instead we may do a trip south to see them. So we shall have to wait for post and the yarn I’d bought to knit Jac a new top, I was quite looking forward to getting my needles clicking away again.
That was six steps yesterday
Whilst I was on the phone the levels kept rising and rising. Two bricks worth disappeared under water, just how high would the level get?
2:15pm Looking out towards the tidal section of the Ouse
This afternoon the river on the tidal side of the lock was very high. A walk over to the weir and it almost looked level, fantastic for white water rafting, but very different from when we’d arrived below the lock a couple of weeks ago.
Two weeks ago below the lock
We chatted with the Lock Keeper. Yesterday he’d tried to find who owned the abandoned boat, apparently it was sold in March and C&RT have no record of who the new owners are! Well at least it is safe rafted up to the pontoon with us all.
Two cruisers that had been moored on the downstream pontoon had headed off to Selby earlier. The skippers very used to river conditions as they used to deliver large rolls of newsprint to York Press on the Foss, their powerful engines would also help with most situations and the swing bridges would need to be swung for them as they zoomed by. Jo, on the widebeam next to us, had been booked to head downstream today, but none of us would be going anywhere until at least the weekend.
3:40pm almost high tide
The Lock Keeper was keeping a close eye on the levels. If it got higher it would soon be over the top of the lock gates, he’d then swing the swing bridge over the lock meaning those on the pontoon above the weir could still have access from the lock island. If it got even higher he hoped that they had sufficient supplies on board as the water covers the island and the water can get to chest deep when it’s really bad.
Viking Recorder at 6pm shortly before the peak
In the past the lock cut has been filled with boats seeking refuge from the floods. Rafted right across from the water point pontoon. Then ropes have been tied to trees across the cut so boats could tie to them and stay away from the banks. He can’t remember the maximum amount of boats he’s had here.
Naburn at 4.15pm
But today the peak of the flood should arrive around 8pm and the expected level in York would be around 2.5 meters, so we should be fine.
A comfy spot
We walked along the river bank, past where we’d been moored yesterday afternoon, the tops of the ladders only just visible. A fisherman had taken up camp where the river bus normally pulls in, at least it wouldn’t be dropping passengers off today!
Not much of a view
Following the path towards Naburn we thought we’d get river views, but the height of the Himalayan Balsam was way too high, so we only had a view of the footpath.
Moos on Naburn Ings
The view did widen out across a field which will be part of the flood plain, cattle grazed here today, but apparently you can quite often see deer. We followed the path round, noting that the caravan part of the campsite sits at the same height as the field we were walking in. The tent field seems to be a touch higher, so the London Leckenbys may not have had their tent swept away.
Now the water was so high in the cut that it was flowing over the top of the lock gates, the lock we are moored behind is no longer used and has gates about a foot higher. Left photo today, right 2 weeks ago when we arrived. The ladders on the moorings were now below the water and very soon the mooring signs became submerged. The pontoon we are all attached to now has a step down onto dry land.
Webcam of Kings Staith this afternoon
Just in case, we decided to top up the water tank. The Lockie thought we’d still be able to reach the water point, but there are times when the level has been so high that the waterpoint has actually been submerged itself. On these occasions a hose with a closeable nozzle on the end comes in handy. Connected up to the tap and left pressurised this would mean boats would be able to connect up to it and get water.
Both hoses needed today
With the tank filling I cleaned Tilly’s pooh box out and then decided to have a shower as the tank filled. Just as I was rinsing off the suds there was a bang and something hard fell into the shower tray, just missing my feet. What the?! The water on/off side of the control had shot off and water was spouting out of the side of it. I tried putting it back on with no luck, water sprouting everywhere!
Broken controller
Wrapped in a towel with the shower doors closed behind me, shower pump still going, I tried to think how to stop the water, where was the stop cock? A shout to Mick through the back doors, he was chatting away on the pontoon, I was dripping inside. In a slightly calmer moment I’d have thought about turning the water pump off, luckily Mick had that thought for me.
Tilly seeing why she’s not allowed out
Of course he wanted to see what had happened, and what would happen if the pump was turned on again. ‘Ooo! I see what you mean’. The storage shelves behind the shower were emptied, the unit pulled out and the stop cocks to the shower turned off, we could now have water elsewhere in the boat, isolating the shower.
No ladders, no lock waiting signs, no high wall anymore
The control was removed and looked at, we no idea how the end had been fixed on in the first place. A hunt round for the old control that Mick replaced last year, it had lost the ability to change the temperature, but nowhere was it to be found. Only one thing for it a trip into York tomorrow to take it back to Screwfix and get a new one. At least not having a shower will help in saving water.
The disused lock about 8 inches to go
The water kept rising. Last look before sundown there was maybe another foot to go before we’d be needing wellies to get off the pontoon. Hopefully this was where it would stop.
0 miles, 0 locks, 1.55m higher in York than when we left, 1.2m higher than when we arrived in Naburn yesterday, 2.8m cabinet, 2 mile walk, 1 cancelled camping get together, 1 sad Pip, 1 more boat, 6 safe boats floating, 1 broken shower, 1 laser pen needing new batteries.
Scarborough Railway Bridge to Naburn Water Point Pontoon
What a rainy morning. Before river traffic commenced the water was fairly calm, fast flowing past us but calm. One boat came past heading down stream and pulled up at the bottom of Museum Gardens, a kind of hybrid of cruiser and narrowboat.
Just above water
As the rain lashed down around us I had quite a long messenger conversation with my old college friend Nick. We’d been hoping to catch up whilst being around York, yesterday would have been a perfect time to meet, a sunny evening, but it was too short notice by the time we got into town. The plan had been for him to visit this morning, but with torrential rain that simply was bonkers. As we’ll be staying north this winter we hope we can catch up at another time.
Our mooring last night, 4 inches above
The level had gone down a touch this morning, so at least when our Sainsburys delivery arrived nobody needed to be wearing wellies! Our shopping was quickly sorted, quarantine goods went into the shower cubicle where it would be drier than the welldeck. Fridge items came inside to be dealt with, but that was put on hold until we’d pushed off, winded and headed back towards Naburn, the river level was not going to stay where it was for long.
Guildhall Building Site
At the back of the Guildhall a large floating pontoon was tied up to where the trip boats sleep at night, this had been brought from Queens Staith. It looks like the building works are supplied by road to Queens Staith, loaded onto the pontoon which is towed to the back of the Guildhall where it is craned off onto site, much easier than bringing everything down the side of the Mansion House.
Heading downstream under Ouse bridge
Our progress on the river heading downstream was fast and we made it back to Naburn in about an hour. The level hadn’t started to rise here so we decided to give Tilly some shore leave before it was likely to be cancelled.
A few puddles but it looks like it won’t drift away
Now on the third different bit of towpath near Naburn Lock, Tilly was very tentative to step off, but on seeing that there was some dry land she soon jumped up onto the bank and headed off. She’d been given a couple of hours leave.
Mick tested the depth here . To the sides of each ladder are large chunks of wood to help protect the ladders and boats from each other, but in rising water these may well be something that your boat could end up sitting on. We didn’t plan to be near them for very long.
Mick went to chat to the Lockie who lives on site. The water point pontoon had been vacated by two cruisers yesterday and already Richard and Heather had moved onto it. Breasted up against them was the widebeam we’d seen at Linton Lock. This is where we should move to as the level is set to rise much higher than it did the other day. We just needed to leave the end where the water point is so that people could access it.
The one thing we needed now was Tilly. Mad cat woman time, in the gale that had now settled in. Shouting and shouting, listening for birds giving away her location or for her to reply to me. Nothing.
I walked up and down, spending more time where she spent most of her time before. But of course we were now moored nearer the lock and there was a good patch of trees at that end.
No blistering but not smooth
I did the circuit again. We emptied the yellow water, trying to be interesting, but we failed. Another circuit, then another. I checked the paint I’d applied yesterday, thankfully it hasn’t blistered up. I still wasn’t interesting enough! Another circuit. Eventually I heard a reply. Thank goodness she hadn’t gone walkabout and lost her scent in the wind! She came trotting back out from nowhere and jumped straight on the boat.
Time to make a move.
View out the front
So right now it decided to tip it down. We’d both put coats on, but not waterproof trousers. There wasn’t far to move, but we both got soaked in the process. We pulled alongside Doofer the widebeam, their bow curving away from us so I opted to throw our bow rope over their T stud. I did this very well, but also managed to catch their full bow and button. I tried again a couple of times, but also got their anchor.
View through the bathroom porthole
I am cautious stepping onto other boats, you don’t know how grippy the gunnels are, having bad grip in one hand doesn’t help either. I waited for Mick to acknowledge that I was going to step across, not wanting any movement between the two boats. When I felt safe I hopped over made sure our rope was round their stud and climbed back on board Oleanna to tie up. We were now the third boat breasted up to the pontoon.
Steps
One boat has been sat on the moorings for the last few days, nobody on board, just loose ropes. Mick had chatted to the Lockie about it, should they move it to the pontoon? With the Leeds C&RT office closed the Lockie couldn’t get contact details for the owner and he shouldn’t move it without permission.
Suspect we’ll all be here longer than an hour
A while later we could see the Lockie and the chap from Doofer bow hauling the narrowboat along to join us. Jo had originally pulled up to where we’d been the other day on the high wall, but the Lockie wasn’t keen on this. Levels are due to rise in York to around 3m, so he advised her to move alongside us which would be safer. Everyone was out battling against the wind and rain, boats rafted together. We adjusted ourselves to try to level up the sterns for safer access across to land, which was just as well as Jo was about to take her kids to Leeds.
Breasted up ready for the Tsunami
All safe now we sat and waited for the levels to come up. This took it’s time. We’d all been in a rush to get breasted up in the wind and rain as if we’d been expecting a tsunami from York.
I forwarded the forecast levels to Andrew in London for them to think about. If the river does come up that much the pontoon here will be at the same level as the water point, any higher then wellies or waders might be needed to get on and off the pontoon, who knows if the camping field will remain above water?!
During the afternoon we only had a four inch rise. I finished making some buckwheat lasagne to use up the bolognese sauce from two days ago. The gluten free lasagne you can buy in shops isn’t that good, but with my sour dough starter and a bit of resting time my version is far tastier.
