Back on the Nene

I seem to hve been away from the net for so long. No network coverage at Denver Sluice, a difficult connection at March on the Middle level but now we are back with a full 5 bars in Peterborough.

The tidal passage (2 hour wait at Denver), the crossing of the Middle Level and the return to the Nene were uneventful. The most exciting thing was having to work through Marmont Priory Lock as the lock keeper was not there when we arrived at 5.20 pm. The going was slow into March but we were there in time to go to the Buffet Chinese restaurant. Eat as Much as you want for £14.00 per head. They just keep on offering to cook more food! What is surprising to us is that we were almost the only customers on a Thursday evening. Another couple did come in a little before we left.

We left March at 9 o'clock this morning. The going is slow through Outwell, Upwell and Whittlesea and moorings are rare. We lunched moored on pins to the bank just west of Whittlesea.

55.5 miles and 6 locks since last post

Big Town with City status

At School I was taught that a City was 'a square mile around a cathederal". Apparently the definition has changed because Cambridge is now a city sans cathederal. It's local Cathederal, the seat of the Bishop is in ELY.

But this morning we went to The City Church who were very welcoming and invited us to join them at a picnic lunch in the play area right next to our boat! We packed up a few things and were almost the first there. Here is a picture of the church in Cambridge as I like to see it. A family together at Sunday lunch!

Yesterday was a long day. We awoke and checked water levels. The stream had increased slightly and I decided to go to St Ives lock to see whether we would fit under the guillotine gate. There was 2.2m clearance so we took the opportunity and cruised through flood meadows
to Brownshill Staunch. Here the water was flowing over both gates. I rang the lock keeper at Hermitage lock to say where we were, that we would be having breakfast and then coming to his lock. He said "Forget breakfast and come now!" I took his advice and by the time I got to Hermitage lock there was very little clearance between us and the road bridge over it. "They have just opened sluices" he said, "You are better off the river now".

So we cruised on until we stopped for lunch at teh EA mooring at Stretham near to the pumping station. After a break, we made the decision to go up the Cam to Cambridge a town we have never visited. We arrived at Sunset and moored near the water point of Stourbridge Common, just 10 minutes walk from the meeting place of The City Church.

31 miles, 5 locks (10hr) yesterday.

Company at the Mooring

We stayed on the Town Quay in St Ives today, deciding not to attempt to navigate to Huntingdon on rising river levels after last nights 2.5 inches of rain. We had a visit fom two gentlemen who were fitting new mooring bollards to the quay. These are the type with a half moon steel hoop that one can pout your ropes right through and secure them back to the boat. These additions to a 200 year old quay to supercede the w=victorian bollrds needed planning consent and took three authorities to manage the project:EA,St Ives Town Council and GOBA sharing the costs. All in the name if Health and Safety and to prevent the local people untieing a few ropes after a bevvy of beers on a weekend!

We feel healthier and safer now. The gents doing the drilling and fixing were river men. and they tolfd us that the river was set to rise a good bit yet, particularly below St Ives Lock where the headroom was now below 2 metres. As we scraped a bridge on the Nene at 1.9 metres headroom, I didn't want to chance being stuck under a lock guillotine gate. We stayed here and I am watching the flood level indicators on the quay and the bridge.

Piglet rejoined the crew at lunchtime today after his holiday in Norwich.

One thing that amused us today was the company on the mooring. A lnely man talked for ages about boats and boating and council tax. Some others joined in and we talked about engines and batteries. People were very interested in the narrowboat that was going nowhere today, asking everything from how old she was to the costs and value.

While in conversation I noticed that I was being buzzed by a very fast bird. I looked and saw that it was a sand martin and it had a nest in a drain in the wall tright next to the boat. The parents were obviously feeding young and were in and out all day. As itwas next to a window I took this picture of one of the birds emerging. I tried to get one in full flight but did not realise just how fast they were and how slow a digital camera is to respond to a press in the shutter button.

Wild life photographer of the year? I don't think so.

On the Great Ouse

Since I last blogged we have had quite a trip. We had "no network Coverage" at Salters Lode where we moored last night. We needed to be there to make passage to Denver Sluice at 0830 this morning. We waited in March until lunchtime when my cousin joined us with a parcel of pump spares. The suppliers promise of 'first class post' turned out to be a standard interlink delivery! The parts were duly fitted this afternoon and normal service is restored in the bathroom where the shower can again be pumped out rather than baled.

After taking on water at Denver Lock, during which we were hailed and greeted by Sue of nb No Problem, we moored on 'their mooring' to have a bacon and egg breakfast. I was hoping that they would return before we needed to leave so that we could have a proper meeting but maybe we will meet up on the way back. Their neighbour on a cruiser Bunbury apologised for not being able to helop us moor but looked really rickety with his walking stick. He was enjoying the waterway for the first time for a goodly period because of infirmity.

We stopped in Ely for Deisel and Gas but there was precious little room on any of the town centre moorings so we motored on to stop for the night at Little Thetford 48 hour mooring. Here we got chatting to Julie who owns nb Queen Adelaide which we passed on its mooring on the Queen Adelaide straight. The Great Ouse is one of the most boring waterways I have been on. At least, this part is just hours of reeds and sky. It is worse that watching televised golf.

The locals think that a cow on the bank is excitement.
Here are all of the cattle we saw.


Excited?




Our 6 hour cruise today almost put me to sleep after the excitement of the tidal passage first thing this morning.


We did have a nice view of this delightful sailing boat.