Random Pics

 While Abz was here she got on really well with the lady off a nearby boat.  They spent a good hour chatting about one thing and another.

 

It could have been because they had a dog which Abz took to.

  

 Once Abz had gone home I had a quick trip up to Doncaster having promised a friend a trip out.  On the way back on Sunday the gates of Long Sandall Lock refused to work after I was in.  It is the water level indicator again.

  

and today a Vulcan flew over.  Bit of a coincidence as the  boat that had the trouble on Sunday was also a Vulcan from Stainforth.

Keadby to Thorne

 

Abz arrived safe last evening.  Only trouble was she did smell rather strongly of milky sick.  Just as they came around the corner to the boat Izzy was sick all over Abz. Hey ho.  The joys of children :-) Washing machine working as we go.

 With the weather looking fair we made a fairly early start. and headed out to the first of the bridges.

 

 

 As we moved up the canal the chap in the signal box was on the ball and as we glided towards the Vazom Bridge he opened up for us.  A fascinating piece of workmanship.

  

 Immediately after the railway bridge is the first of the swing bridges.  Abz does have slight problems with lifting the locking gear but as it is the closing of the bridges that is the greatest help it all works out rather well.

 

 A few minutes later and we are in the middle of nowhere.  As you can appreciate this is fenland and is as flat as you could make a landscape. Plenty of straight bits to get bored with.

 

 It is still nice to get to a bridge that you won't have to open.  The bridge at Crowle and the railway station on the right.  The excitement. :-)

 

The railway and the canal come together regularly.  Not only does one run alongside the other just yards away but on a couple of occasions the railway gates need to be closed to operate the swing bridge.  At least some of them are electrically operated so little bother to those of smaller stature.

 

More excitement.  A boat coming towards us.  The only one for some time and turned out to be the only one today. Abz took some time off from tea making to come up to the stern and have a rest.

 The concrete mushroom at Thorne can be seen for miles around.  It appeared on the horizon ages before we were any where near.

 

What was I saying about electric and bridges.  This one decided that the locking gear was staying put and no matter what I did it would not work.  Luckily for me a BW workboat came down with people going ahead to open bridges for it.  They soon reset the bridge and I was on my way again.

 

The very next bridge got half way open, stopped and refused to do anything else.  I rang up the control and they will send someone out.  It will most likely be the people I have only just seen at the other bridge and so it means a wait till they get to Keadby and back to here.

 Abz took the opportunity of the sunshine and the good supply of dandelions to turn into an advance Queen of the May.

 

Bluewater Marina looks busy with boats doubling up in places.

 

At last Thorne.  Louis and Joshua have ceased trading and Tyler Wilson (I think) have taken on the site.  At least work is still going on here. 

 

and the pedestrian bridge is still not working as it should.  The people come out to it fairly regularly, look at it, give it a good kick and leave it open for the boaters.

Lee of Thorne Boat Services came onboard to sort out a niggle.  The support that holds up the drive shaft isolates part of the bilge from the pump.  A quick burning job and its sorted.

 

And its time for a shower and look through the book.  The Book Exchange I started 18 months ago is still going strong.  The window cill is full up so next time you pass drop in and swap.

Abbey found some friends.

Two swans came, they both Demanded food! also fed ducklings, its a surprise they could get to the food!

I made two new friends, Jo and Phoebe.

Also made friends with little Jack Russel, Bonnie. Today we've been to the park and its cafe.
We moved the boat round to be fixed... gave Jo and Phoebe. a ride back.

Abbey.

Lincoln to Keadby

 There has been a delay between the movements and the blog as the speed of getting on line has been bad in places so I have waited til it was better than logging in and going off to make a cup of tea while it did something other other :-)

.

Not a bad day for the move.  It looks as though the sun is coming out soon so by 1200 I was ready to get a few feet further on

  

 First stop was the middle of Lincoln to get some bits and pieces to live off during the next few days.  Didn't buy any tobacco as I have now been a non-smoker again for a fortnight.

  

Decided to empty everything that needed emptying while I had the chance and leave the rubbish behind.

  

A friend Jan has a house in the Burton Water complex.  Sadly I never had chance to try out her mooring.  She had told me that the mooring had never had a boat on it but I wonder if  it was built for plastic rather than a 60 ft narrowboat. Sorry Jan I did wave as I went past :-)

 

All the way from the Pyewipe Inn to almost Saxilby there is work going on to improve the footpath and make it (it seems) a cycleway.  It looks as though they are making a good job of it too.

 

Not the sort of thing you expect as you chug along.  Hundreds of chandeliers burning brightly.  Didnt see one that would suit a narrowboat though. 

  

 Saxilby is looking brilliant with all the blossom out on the cherry and apple trees.  Stayed here the night and topped up with gas and derv from Tongs DIY.

A bunch of youngsters had a BBQ next to the boat and there was the usual noise and lots of beer.  BUT when they had finished and left I looked out and you wouldnt know that they had been near.  They had either deposited their rubbish in the bins or taken it home with them.  Nice one.

 

 Its long straights almost the whole way to Torksey.

  

I met up with Sid and Heidi and moored the boat near to the lock to either pick them up and go back to visitor moorings or have a cuppa at the very popular cafe that has been open for a while now. Theres another book exchange here too so do your bit and drop in. Had a word with Neil who is on duty and he says that there is no-one else coming in so as long as I keep away from the water point I should be ok here for the night.

 

0900 the next morning its out onto the Trent.  Its quite high today.

 

 For the first hour I am fighting the tide which is still coming in.  It takes me and hour to do 3 km.

Its not long before the speed is up to 10 kph and slowly creeps up to 12 and on a couple of occasions I see that I am doing 14 kph.

Up in the break in the trees is the folly at Gate Burton.  You can stay there the night if you have a good piece of plastic to pay with.

Around a bend appears the Little Kirkby with a large empty barge in front of it. Plenty of splashing up at the bows as it goes past.

Knaith looking as idyllic as usual but even more so in the fine weather.

Where there is a nice flat face to the sandy banks the Sand-martins have moved in.  Hundreds of them in places. and the flour mills of Gainsborough looming up in the background for what seems like for ever.

But finally its about half way through the journey to Keadby with the bridge at Gainsborough and the traffic jams on the bridge.

Aftyer a bit of high speed travel its West Stockwith and the access to the Chesterfield canal.  One of my favourites with all the meandering and a pub at every lock :-) At least thats how I remember it.

Several small villages are along the Trent banks to break the monotony. No where to stop though.

You know you are getting near the end when the M180 bridge comes into to view.

Once you are under it the next bridge - the old lift bridge at Gunness -  is not so far away.

Just the other side of the bridge is the wharf where the big boys play but never mind its only a short distance now to the lock at Keadby.  A turn around mid stream and then its a matter of sidling up to the lock entrance and trying to get the bows inside while the stern is still being dragged past by the tide.

Keep well back from the gates.  If you get too close - see the blog for last year - you can end up with several inches of water inside the boat.

At last its time to moor up and make a cup of tea.  Thats the problem of single boating.  If you don't have down the stern when you start you don't have it till you finish.

Now its just a wait until Abz arrives later this evening to help with the trip up to Thorne tomorrow.

The Local Pratts are out and about.

At Stamp End Lock there are works underway to hopefully widen the road.  There are signs up to say that the road is closed but pedestrians still have access.

and so too can the Dickheads.  A group - well only one acted like a Dickhead - while the other three looked on have just passed..  One of them was old enough to be the father but I doubt if he had any control if he was.

Apart from throwing in sandbags on the way past he also threw in several large lumps into the river.

Soon they were on their way back and this time it was a road sign and more sandbags that went in.

and in goes another sandbag
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A good likeness don't you think.  If the powers that be find him I would like to hear the excuse cos it wasn't him that threw things in to the canal.

I will pass the photos on to the people working across the canal and the British Waterways.  I am fed up with hitting things or getting rubbish round the prop that morons have dumped into the canal.  It is not a bloody dustbin.