CX54WEK
Well-Known Member
Day One – Burton Waters to Torksey
So its day one of the Easter Break. The weather is great, the hoods are off and NC sets off into the spring sunshine alone meeting BV and Dev later in the day ready for the off up the Trent on Saturday. As usual the beer flows well and the BBQ is fired up but on this now familiar stretch of water, no unusual incidents occur. The moorings are busy with a mix of cruisers and narrowboats which is unusual for this normally quiet stretch of visitor moorings. Everybody is enjoying the best of the weather.
Day Two – Torksey to Muskham Ferry
Day two and a relatively late start. The tide isn’t until 11.30am and with the water levels low in the Trent we are delayed further awaiting enough water to get over the cill of the lock. Eventually we are set free and have an uneventful run up the Trent with a few time trials revealing a distinct lack of performance from NC although with some coaxing and encouragement she will get up onto the plane and cruise away with the other boats.
A couple of hours later the weir at Cromwell comes into view and we lock up onto the non tidal Trent. An hour later we are moored outside the Muskham Ferry after a few words with the arsey dinghy owner. He didn’t seem to understand that we couldn’t make NC a few inches narrower to make her fit into another mooring. Still even grumpy old men cant damped the party mood.
Day Three – Muskham Ferry to Newark to Hazelford Lock
A nice lazy day today and we all split up and head our separate ways for the day. First stop for us is Newark to stock up on provisions and have a little tidy up of the cockpit and cabin which by this early stage look like a bomb has hit. With order restored and the water tank refilled we head off this time for Hazelford Lock Island. Again a day with no incident. Can this be true? Later in the day we all meet up again for another BBQ and yet more beer before the lads set out in the dinghies and the ladies explore the lock island and cottage. This mooring is a nice secluded spot ideal for a BBQ or to just sit back and relax.
Day Four – Hazelford Lock to Gunthorpe
A real lazy day today. Only five miles and two locks to negotiate. The local boats are all heading for their home berths so with some luck the river should be much quieter. To our surprise the visitor moorings in Gunthorpe will easily fit our three boats with room to spare. This is usually a very busy mooring. So with high spirits we hoist the beer flag, inflate the palm tree and drink and BBQ the night away.
Day Five – Gunthorpe to Nottingham to Stoke Lock
We split up again today. NC is heading for Nottingham and a supermarket the others are hanging around in Gunthorpe to meet family and friends. We set off reasonably early to negotiate the two locks to Nottingham and still leave plenty of time for shopping. We reach Nottingham in good time and despite a stiff breeze have few problems along the way. We then head off in search of beer supplies before returning to the boat and heading back downstream.
We have our first scare of the break at the next lock heading back downstream, Holme lock. We enter the lock soundly enough rope up and descend as normal, however on the exit from the lock I drop the bow rope which is more than long enough to snag the props, so Liam drops the boat into neutral whilst I recover the rope. In which time the wind has blown NC sideways across the lock straight towards the top gates beam on. With a lot of shuffling back and forth Liam manages to turn the boat in the lock, NC is about 25ft long the lock is about 26ft wide. He never touched a thing forward or aft however now we are facing the wrong way in the lock so he has to reverse out of the lock and cut before using the flow of the weir to turn the boat the right way around and continue on our travels. Even the lockie was impressed and gave us a round of applause.
Finally we moor topside at Stoke lock for a quiet evening and a pleasant walk around the nature reserve. Again this is an underused quiet spot to chill out in the middle of nowhere.
Day six – Stoke Lock to Fiskerton to Hazelford
Day six and we head off downstream earlish to meet up with the others with no great plans for the day. We stop at Gunthorpe for a swift coffee and a refill of water before heading back downstream for yet another BBQ at Hazelford. En route we pick up Chrisnico and crew and have a few ales in the Bromley Arms at Fiskerton before heading back to the Lock to cook some food. BV joins us later in the day having had a slow cruise down from Gunthorpe to recharge the batteries.
So its day one of the Easter Break. The weather is great, the hoods are off and NC sets off into the spring sunshine alone meeting BV and Dev later in the day ready for the off up the Trent on Saturday. As usual the beer flows well and the BBQ is fired up but on this now familiar stretch of water, no unusual incidents occur. The moorings are busy with a mix of cruisers and narrowboats which is unusual for this normally quiet stretch of visitor moorings. Everybody is enjoying the best of the weather.
Day Two – Torksey to Muskham Ferry
Day two and a relatively late start. The tide isn’t until 11.30am and with the water levels low in the Trent we are delayed further awaiting enough water to get over the cill of the lock. Eventually we are set free and have an uneventful run up the Trent with a few time trials revealing a distinct lack of performance from NC although with some coaxing and encouragement she will get up onto the plane and cruise away with the other boats.
A couple of hours later the weir at Cromwell comes into view and we lock up onto the non tidal Trent. An hour later we are moored outside the Muskham Ferry after a few words with the arsey dinghy owner. He didn’t seem to understand that we couldn’t make NC a few inches narrower to make her fit into another mooring. Still even grumpy old men cant damped the party mood.
Day Three – Muskham Ferry to Newark to Hazelford Lock
A nice lazy day today and we all split up and head our separate ways for the day. First stop for us is Newark to stock up on provisions and have a little tidy up of the cockpit and cabin which by this early stage look like a bomb has hit. With order restored and the water tank refilled we head off this time for Hazelford Lock Island. Again a day with no incident. Can this be true? Later in the day we all meet up again for another BBQ and yet more beer before the lads set out in the dinghies and the ladies explore the lock island and cottage. This mooring is a nice secluded spot ideal for a BBQ or to just sit back and relax.
Day Four – Hazelford Lock to Gunthorpe
A real lazy day today. Only five miles and two locks to negotiate. The local boats are all heading for their home berths so with some luck the river should be much quieter. To our surprise the visitor moorings in Gunthorpe will easily fit our three boats with room to spare. This is usually a very busy mooring. So with high spirits we hoist the beer flag, inflate the palm tree and drink and BBQ the night away.
Day Five – Gunthorpe to Nottingham to Stoke Lock
We split up again today. NC is heading for Nottingham and a supermarket the others are hanging around in Gunthorpe to meet family and friends. We set off reasonably early to negotiate the two locks to Nottingham and still leave plenty of time for shopping. We reach Nottingham in good time and despite a stiff breeze have few problems along the way. We then head off in search of beer supplies before returning to the boat and heading back downstream.
We have our first scare of the break at the next lock heading back downstream, Holme lock. We enter the lock soundly enough rope up and descend as normal, however on the exit from the lock I drop the bow rope which is more than long enough to snag the props, so Liam drops the boat into neutral whilst I recover the rope. In which time the wind has blown NC sideways across the lock straight towards the top gates beam on. With a lot of shuffling back and forth Liam manages to turn the boat in the lock, NC is about 25ft long the lock is about 26ft wide. He never touched a thing forward or aft however now we are facing the wrong way in the lock so he has to reverse out of the lock and cut before using the flow of the weir to turn the boat the right way around and continue on our travels. Even the lockie was impressed and gave us a round of applause.
Finally we moor topside at Stoke lock for a quiet evening and a pleasant walk around the nature reserve. Again this is an underused quiet spot to chill out in the middle of nowhere.
Day six – Stoke Lock to Fiskerton to Hazelford
Day six and we head off downstream earlish to meet up with the others with no great plans for the day. We stop at Gunthorpe for a swift coffee and a refill of water before heading back downstream for yet another BBQ at Hazelford. En route we pick up Chrisnico and crew and have a few ales in the Bromley Arms at Fiskerton before heading back to the Lock to cook some food. BV joins us later in the day having had a slow cruise down from Gunthorpe to recharge the batteries.
