WIDE RIVER AND BIG LOCKS.

 

Small Boat big lock

And by big locks I mean BIG locks.

We sat out the weather at Shardlow before heading to Shardlow marina for a pump out next day.

It was great to see that a new sign had been erected at the entrance to the marina, and the vegetation had been cut back to.

https://www.shardlowmarina.co.uk/

Cruising through the moored boats to get to the pump out was still challenging in the gusts of wind, but the Captain made it look easy.

Oh no!!! what was this, a wooden fishing boat moored (well abandoned) on the service point. We stood and scratched our heads trying to work out how to get to the side, so the Captain could at least could get off and find out was was occurring.

With a lot of manoeuvring we eventually managed to get close enough for him to jump off and go to the office. He returned with one very annoyed lady in tow, muttering under her breath about what she would like to do to the owner of the boat. Apparently the boat had been on the slipway for sometime before it sank, and now he was blocking the services as he pumped the water out. She was not a happy bunny at all, but this didn’t help us, and our full toilet. After much discussion we decided to untie the boat and push it out, using our boat to allow us to get to the side and the services. And it worked, yippee. I asked her what she was going to do about the boat, and after covering the marina’s logo on her shirt, she said sink it again, she was joking, well I hope she was.

But we got our pump out, and at £10 it was a bargain. After tying the offending boat up once more we headed out, it was then off to our mooring for the night on the pontoons at Trent Lock. We were lucky and there was space for us on the inside. We headed to the pub later, The Steamboat, and said hi the Simon the owner before enjoying a couple of pints outside watching the world go by. The Captain was very happy as they had Camden stout on.

Only a short hop again next day and we headed to Beeston on the outskirts of Nottingham. Only 2 locks today, the first a deep double lock and we were on our own, 2 boats had penned down just before us and the lock took an age to fill, then I realised one of the bottom paddles was still a little open, and this with the badly leaking gates meant the lock wouldn’t equalise, and I couldn’t get the top gates to open. I dropped the paddle fully and lo and behold the gate opened.

The second lock was only the shallow flood lock at Beeston, I jumped off and then jumped on again, the lock had so many helpers on there I wasn’t needed. It turned out to be a group from Leicester on a team building exercise, so no exercise for me.

Now we were on the Beeston and Nottingham canal.

My Captain had decided we would stay on the moorings at Beeston for the night, as it was somewhere we had never stopped before. They aren’t the best moorings as you have to moor against a highish wall, and there are a lot of large willow trees along the whole length of the moorings. At first it appeared that there was no space, and we had accepted that it was not to be, when we spotted a boat getting ready to leave, we hovered waiting for him to set off but disaster, he got something around his prop and everything stopped. Never mind, so off we went again only to find a couple of boats further on a great spot for the night.

We headed to the pub (of course) The Boat and Horses, a huge pub with a function room and large garden. Although they didn’t do food, you could bring your own, or order it in from a range of takeaways, and on some nights they had independent food trucks in the car park. What a great way to drum up business.

https://www.facebook.com/p/Boat-and-Horses-Beeston-Rylands-100090484647109/

A quiet night even though we were right by the road. Then into Nottingham. Just before we moored outside Sainsburys, a great spot, and the mooring weren’t busy at all, I spotted NB Manatee, Caroline and Oscar the dog’s boat. We had travelled up and down the Erewash with them the previous year, and spent a lot of time in the pub with then too. We called but there was no sign of life.

We didn’t go to the pub that night, surprise surprise, the Captain wasn’t feeling well (man flu) and didn’t want to spoil our plans for the next couple of days which involved seeing family.

Our first visit was to my daughter Jess, hubby Stuart and baby Lowen in Mansfield where we had a bbq with them and my son Adam, wife Julie and little Dylan came to. Before leaving for Mansfield I walked down to Caroline’s boat and had a chat with her, and was enthusiastically greeted by Oscar the dog, who even after a year remembered me.

Lowen, Dylan and me

Our next visit was back to Ripley, my home town, to meet up with my sister Diane and hubby Mick. This turned out to be a boozy afternoon and I caught up with a few people I hadn’t seen for a long time. We had a great time both days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripley,_Derbyshire

Then it was time to leave the canals and head out on to the big wide river, with its huge locks, these hold around 6 to 10 boats (sometimes more) and are usually manned by lock keepers, but not always.

Coming out onto the river Trent at Meadow Lane lock is always breathtaking, the banks seem so far away after being on a narrow canal. At the first lock at Holme Pierrepoint I was reminded how big these locks actually are. Our home Avalon Two looked so tiny and insignificant in it. There was a lock keeper on, so my job is to hold the front of the boat steady using the rope through a runner in the side of the lock to do this. For big locks the flow of the water is actually quite gentle.

Our mooring for the night was at Gunthorpe, but with no room on the pontoons outside the pub, we had to moor against the wall just before the lock, not ideal for me to get on and off the boat, but the Captain managed to get us by a ladder which helped. And yes we did head to the pub, the Unicorn, a Marston pub but no darks on.

Next morning and time to head to Newark, we waited to see if a lock keeper would turn up, but by 10am it was obvious we were on our own. The locks are electric and you use your BW key to operate them. On the control panel buttons control the sluices (paddles) and gates, one button opens and of course one button closes. As I started a lady boater joined me, she explained she had never had to operate these locks and was unsure how they worked, so I took her through it step by step. She still didn’t look to confident when we parted company, but I hope I gave her enough training to help.

Our aim was Newark and the pontoons for a couple of days, buts that for next time

24 miles, 11 locks, and 2 canals and 1 river

JUST POOTLING ALONG

 

We made it to Fradley on Tuesday and Nick very kindly took us out for tea at the Mucky Duck, the beer was good, with Camden stout on for the Captain and Nick. The food was nice too and we spent a very pleasant evening together.

Next morning, just as we were ready to set off, they passed us and moored on the water point, I wandered up to say my good byes, only to discover Alison was having trouble opening the hatch to access the tap, we use our waterways key for this, but the lock was just spinning. About ready to give up, I look at the back and found a latch, which when turned opened the hatch. Great, or so we thought, but oh no! there was no tap inside to turn the water on, very strange, as I was sure I had seen other boats using the water point. More investigation and I discovered a stop valve at the bottom of the pipe, which when turned let the water flow, I got a bit wet at this point, as it was unexpected and the flow of water was a little fierce. But problem solved. We said our goodbyes and headed through the little swing bridge, turning right to the first lock of the day.

There was a queue for the lock, and we ended behind and all electric boat called The Ace of Spades, a reference to the Motorhead record of the early 1980’s, I know this because the name was accompanied by a picture of Lemmy, the lead singer with the band.

Lemmy

https://youtu.be/wTWET5aJMoE

Me being me, I headed to the lock to help the volunteer lockee lock the boats waiting up and down. The crew off Ace of Spades came forward, and it was apparent she was not well, she explained she wasn’t having a good day but would help were she could, I told her not to worry, I would be happy to help them through the coming locks. Luckily there were lockees on next 2 locks, but as soon as I could leave the Captain in the capable hands of the volunteer, I walked to the next lock to lend a hand.

I walked a lot that day, and at the final 2 locks of the day I managed to get there and help them out.

We moored for the night in Alrewas, and the Ace of spades moored in front of us. We had a chat with Andrea and Chick. She was so grateful for our help and asked what our tipple was, but I told her not to worry, I was more than happy to have been of service and didn’t expect anything for it. We eventually headed back to our boat for a well earned lunch. As I was just finishing mine, Andrea knocked on the boat with a bottle of wine for me, and a couple of little bottles of rum for the Captain, again I assured her it wasn’t necessary but she insisted. What a lovely gesture.

Of course we headed to the pub later, and I was pleased to see a Slimming World meeting just starting in the village hall, so I popped in (I need to get weighed now and again to keep my membership valid) I wasn’t so happy when I came out, but not surprised either, and that’s all I am saying about that!

It didn’t stop me going for a pint though. At the first pub and our favourite, the George and Dragon we met with a problem, not for the Captain for a change but with my drink. The pubs coolers were broken, so all the lagers were warm, and you know you cant drink lager warm. The barmaid made sure we were aware of this when we ordered, unfortunately I really fancied a pint of cold crisp lager, so we decided to move on to the next pub, the William IV, a nice drink but very quiet so we decided to go for the hat trick and try the final pub in the village The Crown, very nice in here indeed and very busy.

We left next morning without seeing Andrea and Chick again and headed on to the water point, no problem here at all. Then the first lock of the day which takes you down on to a river section of the canal. Again I headed off to help and had a nice chat with the crew off NB Minty, they were going down the lock only to wind and head back to their mooring in the village. As there wasn’t another boat waiting to come up I turned the lock in our favour, whilst doing this another boat turned up behind us, the crew jumped off with a windlass but didn’t come to help me with the lock, but just stood and watched, nowt a strange as folk. Luckily a boat turned up below the lock and its crew came up to help, so one in and one out. As we left the lock the reluctant crew actually did come forward to help lock the boat up, very strange behaviour.

Our aim for the day was Burton upon Trent, and Shobnall marina for diesel, this is one of the cheapest and friendliest marina’s on the system, and the Captain was very happy with the price. We then moored at Shobnall fields, but we didn’t head out as we were staying in Burton the next day for shopping and a pint (or 3). There is a Lidl within easy walking distance of the canal, and a couple of great micro pubs. The Weighbridge, and Outwoods Brewery, we tried both of course.

https://www.facebook.com/p/Shobnall-Marina-100063568994555/?locale=en_GB

Our time on the narrow canals had come to an end as our next lock, Dallow lock was the last of the narrow locks, after this the locks we are doing wide and deep. It was here we met Gina and Steve on NB Kathryn, we are related by marriage, her son and my daughter, it was a lovely surprise and we had a quick catch up whilst doing the lock.

Willington was our home for the night, and another couple of great pubs, The Green Man, and the Dragon which is right on the canal. It was a lovely afternoon and we sat in the Dragon’s beer garden and had maybe 1 to many, as they had Dark Drake by Dancing Duck, which is one of the Captains all time favourites.

The weather for the next few days was given out to be very windy and wet, but it didn’t turn out quite as bad as predicted, and after a night at Swarkstone (no pub) we made it easily to Shardlow. We passed the Ace of Spades and waved to Chick but there was no sign of Andrea.

When we came to moor we had to ask the boat behind us to move up a bit, as they had left a gap at the front of them, which meant there wasn’t quite enough room for us to get in behind. The Captain off NB Wanderer was happy to do so. We were soon in the pub, The New Inn, with a pint of Titanic Plum Porter for the Captain and Madri for me.

https://www.thenewinnshardlowpub.co.uk/

More high winds forecast for the next day so we stayed put as we needed to go into Shardlow marina for a pump out, and we know from experience that this is hard to do even without 40mph gusts of wind making steering the boat difficult.

25½ miles, 15 locks, 1 moveable bridge, 2 canals and 1 river the Trent.