Friday 28 September 2012

We decided it wasn't safe to stay in St Ives

as we didn't want to be trapped upstream of Hermitage lock. With the lockie there telling us that the water had risen by 8" overnight and with a series of higher tides now about to start, we thought we'd better make a run for it or risking staying this end for some time. The problem with getting off the tidal bit is that the lock sits under a low road bridge and there can be insufficient headroom for long periods of time (now how many times have I typed that this year!)
So we filled with water to the brim to sit MR as low as possible and we moored on the town wall so that I could dash into town for food to cover us for an unknown period of time as we didn't know where, and for how long, we might be stuck. The irony was that it was a beautiful sunny day.
 This is far and away one of the prettiest moorings anywhere, let alone St Ives, but we never use it
 as your roof is level with the paving and far too tempting for 'happy' people to jump on and off of during the night
 needless to say I returned to find G happily chatting to the gongoozlers whilst cleaning his tiller arm
 so we winded and were off - leaving the gongoozlers to feed the swans
 The current was getting ever stronger and we stonked down to Brownshill Staunch where, although in theory the lock was against us, the water was running straight through. There was less rise and fall than in John Sergeant's waltz. All of the massive sluice gates were open.
 We moored on the lock landing and had a further conversation with the lockie at Hermitage who thought we might get through later in the day as the tide fell. So we made the decision to go through Brownhills onto the rise and fall EA pontoon in Earith. If we were going to be there awhile there was sewage disposal, pump out, refuse disposal and diesel - bearing in mind our fire is disconnected so we're running the central heating more than normal.
 Feeling we'd been very sensible I re-set the lock (still having to wait for the time delay, despite level water), but try as we might we couldn't get MR off of the lock landing - the stream kept shoving us back on. In the end we sort of bumped her round and in, it wasn't elegant but we got her in and not a single glass broken.
 The scene on the other side was as if we'd been dropped into a different planet
 just look at this lot!!!!!!!!!!
 The river channel is in the foreground 

 but then the two channels converge
 So we moored up gratefully to the safe pontoon at Earith (having shifted along an unoccupied wide beam which was moored 6ft back from the end) and settled down for lunch knowing that we would be fine there indefinitely if we neded to.
 We took some further airdraft measurements and reckoned we were an inch lower than we used to be - that probably means we've more rubbish on board and in our bellies! Another conversation with the lockie at 5 ish and we decided to give it a go
 we got through with a top box seam to spare and here we are safely on the other side and allowed to moor on the down river lock landing for the night. We asked why, with so much water on the other side, that the sluices weren't open to dump water down the 40ft drain/Old Bedford River, especially as it looked half empty. Evidently the RSPB wouldn't let them as the far end of that waterway was saturated and would damage birdlife if they let any more water through!!!? On the downstream side we heard the water levels were quite low and a narra had got stranded - who knows
 Anyway, we were safe and through and moored in time for Daisy to go a mousing

18 comments:

  1. Phew!

    Bird life comfortable while boaters get in trouble eh?!

    Levels are all over the place on the Ouse, I heard that a boat was grounded at Denver the other day!

    Stay safe, but then you are learning over there, much needed for the winter months!

    Take care you both xx

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    1. We heard a narra was grounded but didn't know it was Denver

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  2. Are you ABSOLUTELY sure you want to stay down there for the winter???? xxxxx

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    1. No I'm not sure, but not for the reasons you might think. We knew we couldn't stay at the top end due to flooding but, having come back to the 'safe' end in a now howling gale, I realise how bleak, exposed and boring it's going to get with only Ely, Downham Market and the 3 tributaries to break the monotony.
      How is Ozzy please?

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    2. Pip PS I forgot about Cambridge - throw that in and not getting stuck in the ice and it's starting to sound like a good idea again! xx

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  3. The rivers are so moody this year - we had a lovely fortnight on the Thames, moored up at the Thames and Kennet Marina for a fortnight (have decided to have an easy trip back to Limehouse over several weekends) - 2 days later, the Thames is on red/yellow boards for most of its length!

    Hope the river comes down by the time we're ready for some cruising next weekend!

    Glad you're in a safe place, even if it is boring!

    Sue, nb Indigo Dream

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    1. Sue presumably she's safe in the marina - I think your Wallingford experience was the scariest. Saturday looks glorious and Sunday horrendous - why not have a day cruise and lunch out on Saturday and put her back in the marina and try again the following weekend!!!

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  4. We're helping Greygal to move nb Greyhound to ABNB this weekend so we don't have to even think about moving ID! Just as well, Lou is in doggie hospital (long story) for a few days so we don't need any more stress!

    Greygal is selling nb Greyhound (but keeping runaround nb Henry H)to fund 'project liveaboard' - watch this space!

    Sue, nb Indigo Dream

    ps. I will catch up with my blog one day!!!

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    1. Crikey - you won't be doing that in one weekend - unless Greyhound is off the Llangollen - send Sarah our love we're expecting another visit from her (especially if she brings pizza)

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  5. Sorry to hijack your blog Jill..

    Sue, I was looking to see if the pub here at Whittington is dog friendly and when I googled your post http://indigodream.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/the-odyssey-2009-day-33/ came up with the info!

    It should be a good day tomorrow so we will sit in the garden, but great info thanks.

    I did try to post a comment but was such a faffle to sign in I gave up!

    Hope Lou is OK, and yes please Pip an update on Ozzy

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    1. Sue NP, happy to act as intermediary for Sue ID and maybe we can ALL persuade Pip to update us on Ozzy
      Hi-jack anytime

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    2. I think boaters need a chat room, what do you think? We could have a quiz once a week and a chat to each other!

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    3. Sounds like a plan but forget the quiz as we'd all (well I would) cheat on the internet. Have you seen the breach on the Trent and Mersey Canal - 12 mile section gone!!!

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  6. Back on my old territory again I see.
    I also often wandered about the Old Bedford often been empty. Even when the road between the Old Bedford Sluice and the Hundred Foot Bridge was a foot deep and impassable the Old Bedford was not full. We where told there is a RSPB Reserve at Manea in the Ouse Washes which at a certain time has birds getting ready for the trip to foreign climes, and if flooded would not get the food for their journey.
    Above Hermitage seals could often be seen basking on the mud banks at low tide between there and Brownshills Staunch.
    If the flooded sections in your pics is just before Earith this is flooded in winter for the Fenland Skating championships, heavy, heavy, frost permitting.
    Earith still has a local eel catcher, he puts baskets out between Hermitage and an old bailey bridge downstream from your moorings.
    When I used to journey past your current mooring quite a few years ago and fishing around Houghton/Godmanchester not many narrowboats where seen on the Ouse, still seems to be the case. The daughter visited a few weeks ago, we picked up and dropped her off in St Ives, we had a drink at the Dolphin and a look see at the Waits near her home, I was surprised how few NB's there where about.

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    1. So that explains the RSPB bit. No seals around this trip but we did see them 2 years ago.
      The flooded section was exactly where you said - I have a job for you as my guest blogger and then I could have a night off.
      I don't like the idea of 'heavy, heavy, frost'. We're only staying out here to try and avoid getting iced in for the 4th year on the trot!

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    2. Yes, but have you seen the pathetic appeal for money to repair it! I am cross, I am just about to do a blog, not good when I am cross!

      http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/get-involved/appeals/help-repair-the-trent-and-mersey-canal-breach

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  7. Guest blogger, no thanks, not enough time to keep up with my own and keep track of all the other boatie and car blogs.

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