Left at 12:45
arrived at 17:45
Derek up as always,
hes fidgettier than usual as we have to wait till 1ish to go out on the tide
to Keadby, it will be life jackets for
this bit, its usually quite fast running.
It’s very misty but we think it will burn off and be sunny again, it was
really hot yesterday, we are in a dip so its a realy hot spot. I was lazy, as usual; if we are mooching
about all morning I didn’t see the point of dashing. I had a shower, Derek was
chatting to people on the pontoons, seeing who was going down to Keady or up to
Newark or even through the lock. He thought if the Dutch Barge behind us was
going to Keady we would have to stagger our arrivals, he’s not he’s going to
Newark!! Derek was pleased. I keep
sorting bits and pieces round for when we get home, we should be home for
Thursday now, YIPPEE. I was beginning to
think we would never get home, it’s been a long time?? I went up the slipway to
make a few phone calls, the reception is rubbish in the dip, and then I decided
to give the top of the boat a soapy rinse? Its very dusty. Derek and all the other men from the boats,
were all watching the water? Its worse than watching paint dry!!! I put the blog in the computer, then 2 boats
came in, a Dutch Barge and another NB, the barge is coming down to Keady so
Derek has made his mind up that we and the other NBs would get off in front of
it as we don’t know if we will all fit, he should be slower than the us. 11:47 and we were going to have lunch and the
sun is starting to beat down on us, Derek even put his cream on without
prompting from me. Well, as is usual, havinga timetable for men is next to
useless? I don’t know if offends their manhood being told when they should
leave but!! 12:35 and they have started
to move off? Derek hung on but as it turned 12:50, we followed behind the
others. There were only supposed to be 2
NBs going to Keady, us and one other and the Dutch Barge, well one other
Charlie! Set off. The water is flat calm
but you can see its running, the lockie at Keady said we would be pushing the
tide for an hour or so, we have no problem with that because we have a big
engine, the other is front of us ??? wait and see, maybe with all the foot
tapping and walking up and down the pontoon, they got engine envy? We do like to plough our own furrow, but Derek
can also be a good team player, not so the others, me thinks. The lady in New
Dawn (Dutch Barge) said they will wait half an hour or so to set off, that
should give the three NBs time to get there and be up and out of the lock,
leaving it free for them. 1ish, we have
caught up with NB Wand ring, and the other is in our sights, I think Derek’s
dander is up, watch out NBs, Esmereldas engine doesn’t take prisoners. Spoke to Derek, he says hes just letting the
engine do its thing and he’s not at all purterbered, the lockie had been on the
radio and it appears we are now about 6 for Keady some had come out of the lock
at Torksey, so the sooner we get there the better, the lock takes 3 NBs at a
time. I can just envisage NBs twirling
in the running water already (in my minds eye of course) I hope not. A purple broadbeam came towards us on a bend,
behind it was a lovely black windmill(no sails), he seemed to be going very
fast, Derek said about 7 miles an hour and thats what we are doing at the
moment? We were up to the 1st
NB and at 1 26 we have overtaken him, 1 40 is we overtook NB Priann?? I took Derek a cuppa, we are only going at
about 3 m.p.h. but the tide is the same so it seems faster, I asked him about
overtaking, he is as I thought, thinking that with so many boats heading for
the lock, we ought to crack on and be first in the queue if possible. Its quite
treacherous at the mouth of the lock and you really have to be prepared
to get it right first time. The water
has been fairly flat, but running quite a bit, we have passed a large Power
station and are just passing a big white factory unit. There is a town or village in front of us, it
has large pilings all along the shoreline, which looks like big cargo barges
must use it. There was a large building
set back from the water, all of its windows were shuttered up with metal, it
had a lovely wooden tower on top so looked nautical. Further along there were riverside properties
and a few slipways and metal stairways for smaller boats to use. There are more factory/warehouse units and
new build waterside properties, with balconies overlooking he waterway, I only
have a cursory map, no companion for this water, I think it must be
Gainsborough. I don’t think we’ve ever
been on the Trent before when it’s been so warm, the sky is a lovely shade of
blue, although some of the clouds are tinged with grey. Its 3:20ish, I took Derek a cuppa and a jam
sandwich, I was right it was Gainsborough, our next landmark is Stockwith Lock,
which leads to the Chesterfield Canal, we haven’t been there before, bet
Derek’s adding it to the list!!! We
should arrive roundabout 5ish, so if we’re first wwe may have to wait in the
lock for a while, we’ll just have to wait and see. 3:36 passing Stockwith turning. 4:55ish we have jsut passed under the
motorway, Derek has spoken to the lockie, the lock is ready and waiting for us,
5 15 we were in the lock?? I thought
Derek had changed his mind, as we approached the lock, he did a slight
sidewards manouver, straightend up and we went in.!! The water was cascading
through the top gates and there was a lot of very large duck weed in
there. The lockie passed a ring down on
a rope for me to pass him our bow line, he did the same to Derek, the gates
closed and we had a very foamy ride up, all by ourselves, I had to close the
side hatch as the water was spraying up as far as the window, we got the front
deck washed. When we were at the top,
the gates opened, we sailed towards the very large road bridge, Derek said to
tell him when he was at the bridge? The lockie, well the one in the road
control house said, you’ve passed the barrier? Derek had been getting
instructions from the lockie in the main tower!! I shouted back to Derek. The tower lockie
wanted Derek to get beyond the lock gates so he could shut them, The Dutch
Barge and 1 NB were coming up, he needed to empy the lock ready for them. I told the front lockie there were two many
bosses, he laughed, we pulled back behind the closed lock gates and he opened
the very large road bridge, sirens and lights flashing. It was quite full on the moorings but we
pulled up just a bit in front of the facility block and stopped for the
night. Derek went to find fish and
chips, someone had said there was a chip shop nearby, it was shut, so we had a
fry up instead for tea.
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