Work party over and only a day late we’re back.
Yesterdays work party consisted of clearing the weed from the by-wash at lock 16 and doing a bit of strimming around the depot while others carried out some work on Centauri and other stuff up at lock 18. WRG and CRT reps arrived to set up for next week, which looks like it’s going to be a busy one. The plan being to prepare a hard standing site at lock 15 ready for the plant and machinery needed for the restoration. It sounds like it may be heralded as the new way forward with Grantham Canal Society, Waterways Recovery Group and Canal and River Trust all working together to improve our waterways. If this all comes to fruition don’t forget you heard it here first. J
Today just a quick trip to T-A to retrieve bedding and the like that may become stale if left on board and a few catch up jobs around the house.
Back to the trip.
Monday morning saw us away through the Beeston and Nottingham canals through to the Trent. I must say I was impressed with the state of the waterway having expected to find it like Leicester but it turned out to be a pleasant run without that run down feeling. A quick stop at Sainsbury’s on the way through for Karen while I dog sat.
Getting back out onto the Trent we passed Lock 1 on the Grantham canal.
It’s a shame that this lock will never be used again but if all goes to plan the new route will come out further downstream and below Holme Lock and the watersports centre.
A lot bigger that what we are used to but one reason for this trip is to see how we would cope with the larger locks if we want to go through to York in the future. After mooring we walked up to the lock and spoke to the lock keeper who was most helpful and explained the best practice for navigating these locks and pointed out this was the deepest and the following locks would only drop us about seven feet whereas this was 14. Through Stoke lock and moored at the pontoons at Gunthorpe bridge. Friend Ian Joined us and treated us to a meal at the Unicorn, a very pleasant way to spend an evening.
Having lost so much time to rain at the start of the trip we decided to turn back the following morning (Tuesday) rather than go through to Newark. This run was to be a new experience for us as well, owing to the fact that we had the headroom to run with the wheelhouse up.
Leaving Gunthorpe.
Just a short run and night stopped at the moorings above Holme lock
Chose the higher mooring as the preceding lower bank has a concrete shelf protruding under the water. Perhaps not the best decision because the new paintwork got christened even with loads of fenders. L
Ah well it had to happen some time.
Spent the evening watching canoeists practicing
And trying to take arty photo’s
On Wednesday it was steady run back to Devil’s Elbow because Karen wanted to get some wax on the other side of the boat before I scratched it any more.
This seems to be the dogs favourite spot.
Back to Pillings on Thursday to tank and pump out (Which we can do at the same time now that the openings have been separated) before mooring up and home.
A good relaxing break – but why do weeds and grass grow twice as fast when you are away?
