It didn't look good BUT Yahoooo we're out

Last night we watched the lights of the Jenyns Arms from our windows. Even we didn't want a pint badly enough to answer that siren call!

 That's Yarwood in the sandwich over there - at 9.00am we were told our only hope was the pm tide. At 9.30 am they phoned and said they'd call us through in 30 mins and we could sit in Salters Lock and wait for a level tide - if we didn't get one they'd close the sluices at Earith for 30 mins to stop the flood water coming down and give us a level water.

All hell broke loose with dogs needing emptying, anchors attaching and life jackets donning. I gave us a 0% chance of getting out in the morning and 30% in the afternoon so we were really rather caught out.

 Up comes the gate at Denver and off we go with Yarwood pulling across from behind us

 Nice to have a change of scenery

 A nice straight path thanks to Bill and the rest of the dredger crew - very different from the convoluted route we took coming in

 We could still feel the sand lifting us underneath though

 Looking back, Yarwood gives us a head start to give themselves space for the sharp manoeuvre into Salters Lock

 (Sorry - blogger won't let me delete or enlarge any pics at the moment!)

 Turned into Salters just gently kissing the side - 9/10 for the skipper (1 point deducted for knocking over a bottle of ginger beer). However, as we turned in the lock wasn't open so we had to brake sharply and Joe, behind us, had nowhere to go.

 A glimpse of freedom through the gate - but still no guarantees it would be opened

 

 Looking back at Yarwood in Salters - our bum hanging out and they are outside tied on to us

 G off to see what's what or not

 Lesley just chillin'

 ...and then the gates open. Out we go onto the middle levels at last. Snow? What snow. Cold? What cold. Adrenalin carried us through.

 Salters Lode Lock receding into the background and .. oh bum ...forgot about this low bridge and we still have the bike and stuff on the roof. I hover the boat whilst G gives the bike a firemans lift down the gunwhales - how they didn't both go in I'll never know!! Wish I'd had a hand free to take a photo

 

Safely under and moored up at Outwell/Upwell in good time to walk the dogs before lunch and a pint at the pub.

 

All quite ordinary really.

 

Thanks again for all the good wishes - that's what made the difference!

We're on the starting blocks

Left Ely after lunch yesterday and moored on the EA moorings by The Ship overnight. Woke this morning to delightful waves in a 20 knot wind; at which point G had a lovely vision of hanging a sharp left into Salters in a howling gale with the flood water pushing us down on the ebb tide.

 At this point we decided we weren't going to play.

After a stiff whiskey  coffee and breakfast we modified the plan to cut out the trip down the Little Ouse (Brandon Creek) for fuel and just run dead straight down wind onto the lock moorings at Denver and see what we could sea (OK, just the salty bit).

 So there they were still hard at it

 

And here we are moored up to the high lock landing out of the worst of the wind on the non-salty side.
 Muttley has been on a course of steroids and anti-bios for 2 weeks and is currently drinking and, subsequently, peeing for England. G is going to get very fit over the next 24 hours with all of the lifting him up and down - never mind; good practise for Holland (did I mention that?)

 They'll let us through this one (the 'pusher' tug thingy went through earlier) but Salters still looks unlikely - but hey ho; we can't get through if we're not here.
I wonder if G's reversing skills cover reversing back up river again into Denver Lock!

Just a thought, if it hadn't been for the drought and stuff we could have been sitting here with Seyella, Windsong, Rock'n'Roll  and, I think, More 2 Life - funny old world!

 

just a quick one regarding the great escape (or not)

After oil and filter changes plus a shop for perishables tomorrow, we shall be heading off towards the   Little Ouse for fuel prior to travelling down to Denver Lock moorings.
Our  'window of opportunity' to escape these waters has been reduced to 10ish Sat morning or 2.30ish Sat afternoon. Sunday they are, apparently, doing lock repairs and by Monday the tides will be too high. If we don't get out Saturday it will be at least another 2/3 weeks.
Due to a recent abundance of rain/snow there is currently a surfeit of 'fresh' coming down river which will probably stop us getting 'level waters' and, thus, prevent our escape.
Oh, the good news is that the dredging is ahead of schedule and almost complete so, if you're 62ft or under you will be able to come and go as you please ....well ..on Saturday you can!!! I have no idea what this stoppage is about, but couldn't it have been done between last September and next Friday when no one could use it?

To all those folks who have phoned, stopped me, face booked G and/or e-mailed us, thank you for both your concern and interest and I will sort the blog out when we start moving again. Promise