After our early morning coal delivery (which broke our sack truck), G headed off in MR towards Littleport to meet up with our mates on NB Yarwood. I headed off by car to try and replace the sack truck, fill the car with diesel, do a Tesco run and then to Soham to see if I could swap the expensive cat bed (
new and unused by one careful lady owner) for a sack of, equally expensive, dog food.
All of the mission successful, except for a folding sack truck, I rejoined MR to find Lesley, Floyd and Fletcher on board. Lesley had driven up from Brandon Creek and Joe hadn't yet arrived on Yarwood - he's usually last. I missed the dogs' reunion, but I'm told all 4 went nuts in their joy at meeting up again.
So this is the gist of the subsequent planning meeting; we're stuck until March.
With high tides until 2nd November (therefore no hope of hitting level waters with the Middle Levels until at least the 4th) and Islip lock, which is at the top end of the River Nene, closing for repairs on 5th November, we have no chance. After those repairs are finished, the locks at this end of the Nene will be closed until 28th February. We are too cowardly (or sensible) to sit it out on the Nene waiting for Isis to re-open. I did offer another option which was to get onto the Middle Levels as soon as the tides and rainfalls permit and then go out through Wisbech to the sea with both boats strapped together and a pilot and then back in at The Witham Navigation by Boston. Equally, if we can't get level waters, we could do the same thing but go out through King's Lynn. For some reason my contribution to the planning meeting was met with a lot of strange noises. My subsequent offering to buy another round was met with far more agreeability.
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| This is the first year we have lived aboard and not found edible Field mushrooms - although I did get some Oyster mushrooms earlier this year when I was out on the kayak. I certainly don't fancy eating these! |
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| Look what I found on Tesco's shelf - an 8 pint metal cask at £15.99 |
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| G is actually out there fishing in this - his float is the only splash of colour today |
It snowed overnight and there were hailstones on the ground this morning - strong North winds and intermittent heavy showers. If I was still harbouring the slightest hope of getting out it has been washed away with this rain. So, we will keep the car and plan for at least one day out a week to.... well... somewhere. Lesley and I will study Memory Map to try and find some nice circular walks to drive out to with the dogs to get away from this wretched flood bank. After all it was our intention, originally, to stay for the winter.
Come and spend sometime on the Wissey, well sheltered from prevailing winds and some good walks. Good bus connections to Downham Market and Kings Lynn. Little Ouse to Brandon good connections to Bury, Thetford and Norwich. Walk to Santon Downham from Brandon along river wonderful autumn leaves. Carol and Mark nb Sunrise
ReplyDeleteWe love the three tributaries.
DeleteThe Wissey is not well off for moorings away from the road though - always a problem for us with Daisy cat. Love the sound of the walk to Santon Downham - we always used to take our caravan there at this time of the year; beautiful. I also used to ride through there a lot.
I'm sure we'll be fine and thank you for the info - is Bury worth a visit? We'll look out for you.
Well we like the mixture of old and new, market days are Wednesday and Saturday. Lots of parking easiest to find is the cattle market.
DeleteWe shall give that a day out then, I love visiting cattle markets. On the dog walk subject 'they' are recommending avoiding Thetford and Sandringham Forests at the moment due to a plethora of a mite that has been biting and has been fatal to some dogs. It's a shame if we have to miss the autumn colours.
DeleteI had a look at the north sea off Cromer this afternoon - scary!
ReplyDeleteCromer is very bleak on a bad day - I love it though, don't you?
DeleteI got my bigger stronger folding sack truck from Maplins.
ReplyDeleteI think the others have no taste for adventure the wash sounded like a good plan to me.
I thought the Wash sounded like a brilliant idea. They're no fun anymore
Deletehi, I too got my sack truck from maplin's, £19.99, half the price than any place else
ReplyDeleteCandy
nb spitfire
Thank you Candy and Kevin - it looks like Maplins has it. I'm off to find the nearest branch. That's a really good price.
ReplyDeleteRichard is up for the wash - especially in someone else's boat! Seriously though it's on Indigo Dream's bucket list :-)
ReplyDeleteOf course, being a 12 hour trip with a tide on the sands, I'd have to stay on shore to do dog-sitting - I'll take everyone's dogs (and maybe Daisy in a security-guarded safety cage!)...
Sue, nb Indigo Dream
Tell you what Sue; you take Daisy the dogs and Graham (who doesn't want to do it) and Richard (who does want to do it) can come and help get me out. Now that sounds like a plan!
DeleteI have to admit that I have a soft spot for Adnams Broadside, remember, things could be worse, you may be stuck until next year, but at least you are stuck near where you can get decent beer!!!, I think we are less than 2 hours drive from you, so will try and meet you for a meal during your enforced stoppage.
ReplyDeleteBeardy Chas
Chas and Liz it would be fantastic to see you; if you don't mind the drive come to the boat and have dinner. Or we could meet up somewhere. Would Downham Market be the nearest to you?
DeleteGive us a date and we'll work to it - we have plenty of time.
An 8 pint Broadside,Wow! Beats the hell out of the old Red Barrel. When's the Party, we'll be there?
ReplyDeleteJohn that was Friday - it's Monday today! Do you really think there would be any left?
DeleteJoking apart, I didn't actually buy one which turned out to be a disastrous decision if you see the next blog. We hope Angela is OK x
Curious as to why you are stuck there apart from the stoppages, presume your boats are too long for Salters Lode and you need to pass through from Denver to Salters Lode on the level?
ReplyDeleteI noticed Harner passed through the other day, he may be shorter.
On the Boston crossing, my wife Gill used to work for Crofton Pallets who own Wisbech Port, just down from the Yacht harbour. (They import timber from Latvia)
Quite a few years ago she called me to say a load of narrow boats where crossing to Boston, her boss and her had an invite to cross with them as a guest on one of the NB's, she turned it down but the boss went along, they crossed halfway, beached on sandbanks for a barbie at low tide, then resumed the journey to Boston Grand Sluice, he showed Gill photos of this epeic journey, Wish I could have taken her place.
Got it in one Andy, we are too long and need a level tide. With all the 'fresh' water coming down from Bedford and a series of high tides we can't get a level. The tides don't start to reduce until the 2nd November; the lowest being the 7th (but that's still assuming no rain). We would then have to cross the middle levels and all up the Nene to Thrapston where Isis lock closes on 5th November. Can't be done unless we were willing to sit on the Nene outside Isis (no water or facilities) until it re-opened. The Nene is, for us, too dodgy to risk it.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the Wash - you have to have a pilot these days - but no-one else fancies it. I haven't checked the stoppages up by Boston, could be problems there too. We'll be fine here.
Gill really did miss out on that one
PS Harnser is shorter and can lock through normally.