Ouse advice please

Summer Sailor

Summer Sailor

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Hi All, I am thinking of buying a riverboat in Holland and am thinking of keeping her on the Ouse. I would be very grateful for any local advice?

1) Any particular towns/villages/marinas that would be best to keep her?
2) Is it a tricky approach from the North Sea? Any advice on times, tides, locks, etc..?
3) Does anyone know any good online resources for this area?

many thanks, ss
 
Summer Sailor said:
Hi All, I am thinking of buying a riverboat in Holland and am thinking of keeping her on the Ouse. I would be very grateful for any local advice?

1) Any particular towns/villages/marinas that would be best to keep her?
2) Is it a tricky approach from the North Sea? Any advice on times, tides, locks, etc..?
3) Does anyone know any good online resources for this area?

many thanks, ss
Click to expand...

Which Ouse? Yorkshire or Great?
 
Hi SS,

I had a boat on the Great Ouse about 5 years ago.

Very pretty river with several interesting towns and also lots of secluded places to moor.

Visit www.goba.org.uk. Membership of G.O.B.A (Great Ouse Boating Association) is a must as they maintain/own the majority of the moorings.

There are several low bridges and some locks are quite narrow so check the dimensions carefully. Nicholsons guide is useful and there are three (I think) maps printed by Imray.

Ely has a great marina looking onto the Cathederal. I think its the best place to moor. There are, however, lots of other good marinas inc' Huntingdon, St Ives, Bedford, St Neots.

Many of the Towns/City's are Historic and pretty. You can moor right in the centre of most (including Cambridge).

There are several navigable tributaries off the Great Ouse which are also interesting.

Access to the "Middle Level" navigations is easy, allowing passage to March, Peterborough and the River Nene.

I know passage through the Wash and Kings Lynn is tricky but perfectly possible with planning. I cant comment specifically not having done it.

All in all a great river to choose and one I will pobably return to one day.
 
Hi SS and welcome and good luck of course in your venture.

Boated on the Gt Ouse for ten years so know it quite well. Firstly be very very careful of what you buy, especially if you're buying abroad, though there's some stunning boats and bargains in Holland. Toyed with buying one there myself

MAKE SURE it'll fit the river. Can't remember the lock sizes offhand but 10 feet and not many inches is the MAX beam and air draft is a problem too depending on where you want to go. There's a quite low road bridge at Hermitage lock at the end of the old West then Buckden upriver I think the air draught is a tad under 8 feet. If you want to get all the way to Bedford then there's a bridge there that's only just on 6 feet. Get yourself a good river guide, Imray do a good one, and make sure any boat will fit. There's a quite famous story of a chappie 15 years or so ago who had his new boat craned in at Buckden marina and he couldn't get under the bridge upstream or through the lock at Godmanchester down stream. Had a cruising range of 4 miles. One of my "buddies" in St Neots bought a Sheerline (I think) and the only way he could get under Buckden road bridge regularly was to put a tonne of gravel int eh bilges to drop it an inch or so.

So I'll say it again, MAKE SURE whatever you buy will fit.

There's some nice marinas St Neots, Huntingdon, St Ives and Ely and there's some others and even others on the Cam, depends what you're looking for and how refined you want your boating. There's also some folk who just moor alongside the bank and risk the possible "crime problems" for cheaper moorings. Don't know current prices but eight years or so ago we were paying c£1400 for probably the nicest marina in St Neots but I bet it's more now.

As regards getting into the Ouse from the Wash, done it a couple of times and as long as you time it right it's not too bad but you need your wits about you and the weather and I think I'm right in saying you can't come in to the Wash and Kings Lynn AND get the nine or nineteen (???) miles upriver to the first lock at Denver Sluice on one tide. You're either too early for the tide in the Wash and run aground or you run out of tide on the run upriver to Denver. Call the lock keeper at Denver for advice he's really really knowledgeable and will tell you the best days and exact times to do your trip. 01366 382340

You might be best off getting your new boat to say the Broads and having it trucked to the Ouse?

Oh and if you're one of the many new boaters who think you'll keep your boat on the Ouse and then "just pop out in to the Wash for a play", think again, it just doesn't work.
 
ProDave said:
My Nicholson's inland waterways map quotes it as 9 feet 10 inches by 82 feet.
Click to expand...

Most of the locks are quite large but if you want to navigate the whole waterway there is one near Bedford (Papermill lock, I think) that is only 10' 6".

Air draft will be the main limit as there are several low bridges.

Still a great waterway though.
 
trouty12 said:
Most of the locks are quite large but if you want to navigate the whole waterway there is one near Bedford (Papermill lock, I think) that is only 10' 6".

Air draft will be the main limit as there are several low bridges.

Still a great waterway though.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right, the Papermill lock is downstream of St Neots, and our old Fairline Mirage would just about clear but the Sancerre's would barely scrape in though I THINK they rebuilt the lock four or five years ago but IIRC forgot to widen it.

Just say it again, double check that whatever boat you buy will fit.

And this is quite interesting

http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/river.php?wpage=GO

And says 10 feet 4 inches is max beam. Length's not a problem, 85 ft seems to be the limit.
 
trouty12 said:
Access to the "Middle Level" navigations is easy, allowing passage to March, Peterborough and the River Nene.
Click to expand...

So long as you don't have much air draft. From memory I think you'd struggle much over 6ft, I have 8ft6 air draft and the middle level is no go.

My boat is on the Gt Ouse at Buckden, lovely river, lots of interesting boats on it (plus a fair few narrowboats).
 
You'll not believe it but Earith, what forty miles inland, is tidal and regularly gets seals swimming between the locks. There's two locks, Hermitage and Brownshill and the Hundred Foot channel comes on from the Wash close to Hermitage making that 2 mile section tidal. Most odd. And the marina tends to be a little bit stinky. Not being a snob or anything but the mud can get a bit "special" at times.
 
Hi,
You can get from Kings Lynn to Denver Lock on one tide.... I did it last week. It is not the best sea entry and quite limiting with the tides. Great inland boating for the correct sized boat, but not a good base for coastal boating.

Much over 10 foot beam and you will start to struggle getting into locks. Much over 6.5 foot air draught and there starts to be limitations.

Fairline mirages, Ocean 30's Sancare 30's are all popular boats, the biggest 'new' boat that fits most of the system is a Shearline Tri Cab. but you will need a set of skinny fenders to get in most of the locks. Tight doesn't come close!!!
 
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