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Guest
Guest
Just seen property advertised for sale in Stoke Ferry, near River Wissey. Is this river navigable?
Any details appreciated.
Thanks
Any details appreciated.
Thanks
G
Guest
Guest
Yes, I beleive it is, but no further cept in a dinghy. But it's ten miles from... another river. Soo, unlike most rivers where you can go trundle this way or that , it's only one way. How do I know this rubbish? Cos I looked it all when up before I met Colin in case he thought I ws a complete dipstick not knowing where the rivery bits were....
G
Guest
Guest
you can go on a few miles east, or it's 10 miles back to the great ouse. from this junction turn to starboard and after a few miles denver sluice lets you on to a tidal stretch to Kings Lyn and the sea. Alternatively turn to port & its about 17 miles to Ely, beyond that you can reach cambridge, huntingdon, bedford & several small rivers. Maximum dimentions tend to be about 50 feet by 12 foot 6, some bridges are 8 foot or less air draft.
Try www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/navigation and click on great ouse.
Try www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/navigation and click on great ouse.
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Now you're talking about PROPER boating, none of this wussy sea boat wide open spaces and nothing to avoid stuff. Ditchcrawlers with attitude, that's us.
The Wissey runs from the Great Ouse, just before Denver Sluice, eastwards for about 10 miles to the head of navigation just after Stoke Ferry. Lowest bridge on the river is 2.5m and normal depth is 1.2m but when we went down it last year (2000), it was down to 0.8 metre in places. Beautiful clear water though, on one stretch with the wife driving in about 2 metres depth, we had a huge pike swimming in front of the boat for ages, just like you see with dolphins and porpoises on the telly. Of course it didn't jump up out of the water or anything, but still it was interesting watching it swimming in front of us. (Had nothing to do with the spear gun arrow I'd just fired through it though - only joking, I missed the bugger).
For the last mile or so to Stoke Ferry, the river gets really windey and narrow and you find yourself almost parting the reeds with the boat as you go through and hope there's no-one coming the other way. Pretty river and a good pub at the end, though the Rose & Crown Hilgay, further up river is even better, very boater friendly. Gives a discount to boaters and delivers morning papers to you too if you want. To be fair though, having done the Wissey once or twice, there's no real reason to do it again, unless you really like looking at Sugar Beet factories
The Wissey runs from the Great Ouse, just before Denver Sluice, eastwards for about 10 miles to the head of navigation just after Stoke Ferry. Lowest bridge on the river is 2.5m and normal depth is 1.2m but when we went down it last year (2000), it was down to 0.8 metre in places. Beautiful clear water though, on one stretch with the wife driving in about 2 metres depth, we had a huge pike swimming in front of the boat for ages, just like you see with dolphins and porpoises on the telly. Of course it didn't jump up out of the water or anything, but still it was interesting watching it swimming in front of us. (Had nothing to do with the spear gun arrow I'd just fired through it though - only joking, I missed the bugger).
For the last mile or so to Stoke Ferry, the river gets really windey and narrow and you find yourself almost parting the reeds with the boat as you go through and hope there's no-one coming the other way. Pretty river and a good pub at the end, though the Rose & Crown Hilgay, further up river is even better, very boater friendly. Gives a discount to boaters and delivers morning papers to you too if you want. To be fair though, having done the Wissey once or twice, there's no real reason to do it again, unless you really like looking at Sugar Beet factories
G
Guest
Guest
Oh no no no Ed. The Ouse and Cam may be 12'6". Actually narrowest lock is Baits Bite at Cambridge and that's 4.35m. Jesus Green Lock is narrower but you're not allowed through it anyway.
But once you go up the Old West and back on to the Great Ouse towards Huntingdon and Bedford, you're down to a max beam of 10' '8". Our Mirage is 10' 6" and in a couple of locks we have to take the fenders up.
Agree with the rest of your post though.
Pretty important to make sure the boat'll fit the locks. 3 or 4 years ago we had a chappie have a boat, I think it was a Broom, delivered by road to Buckden Marina. He had a lovely time just going between two locks 'cos it was too wide to get through either of them.
But once you go up the Old West and back on to the Great Ouse towards Huntingdon and Bedford, you're down to a max beam of 10' '8". Our Mirage is 10' 6" and in a couple of locks we have to take the fenders up.
Agree with the rest of your post though.
Pretty important to make sure the boat'll fit the locks. 3 or 4 years ago we had a chappie have a boat, I think it was a Broom, delivered by road to Buckden Marina. He had a lovely time just going between two locks 'cos it was too wide to get through either of them.
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Guest
Guest
Re: It was this big!
I apologies for over generalising but I agree that its nice to talk about the relaxing sort of boating for a change. We havent even mentioned the relief channel! (that will get them wondering)
I apologies for over generalising but I agree that its nice to talk about the relaxing sort of boating for a change. We havent even mentioned the relief channel! (that will get them wondering)
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Guest
Guest
Oh Ed you are awful - but I like you
Ah the new relief channel. Have you been up it yet? What's it like? I hear the lock's a bit tight.
BTW, when you come out of the new lock, can you go also right towards sort of Thetford too or is that blocked off and just left to KL?
Tell all.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by colin_maslen on Wed Nov 28 23:40:52 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>
Ah the new relief channel. Have you been up it yet? What's it like? I hear the lock's a bit tight.
BTW, when you come out of the new lock, can you go also right towards sort of Thetford too or is that blocked off and just left to KL?
Tell all.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by colin_maslen on Wed Nov 28 23:40:52 2001 (server time).</FONT></P>
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Re: Tales from the riverbank
Just then, as Mole sat down to admire his handiwork, a large motorboat rumbled by, close to the edge of the bank, smashing everything, and a big bloke leaned over and harpooned him with a spear gun.
The end
Just then, as Mole sat down to admire his handiwork, a large motorboat rumbled by, close to the edge of the bank, smashing everything, and a big bloke leaned over and harpooned him with a spear gun.
The end
hlb
RIP
Re: Tales from the riverbank
Mole looked up with a sly grin. The harpoon had parted his hair and stuck in the lock gate behind him. The rope snaking and rapping round the big blokes leg. This would have been fine had he not just hailed tut-th-wife. " Ey luve, back thi sen up a tuch". Now th-wife who was a hod carrier in the treacle mine at Sabden, was having the weekend off.
She glared back at her husband with a toothy smile. ( Except her teeth had fallen out when he smacked her, and were now lying all over the floor. )
She put one big mit on tut throttles. and then with a mighty roar. Th engines spluttered and farted and th-prop shafts start wizzing round backerds. Causing the boat to go awfull slow. Then the boat starts goin backerds and its picking up quite of a lick and the ropes goin tighter and tighter, round th-big blokes knobley knee's.--------Please carry on?
Haydn
Mole looked up with a sly grin. The harpoon had parted his hair and stuck in the lock gate behind him. The rope snaking and rapping round the big blokes leg. This would have been fine had he not just hailed tut-th-wife. " Ey luve, back thi sen up a tuch". Now th-wife who was a hod carrier in the treacle mine at Sabden, was having the weekend off.
She glared back at her husband with a toothy smile. ( Except her teeth had fallen out when he smacked her, and were now lying all over the floor. )
She put one big mit on tut throttles. and then with a mighty roar. Th engines spluttered and farted and th-prop shafts start wizzing round backerds. Causing the boat to go awfull slow. Then the boat starts goin backerds and its picking up quite of a lick and the ropes goin tighter and tighter, round th-big blokes knobley knee's.--------Please carry on?
Haydn
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Tales from the riverbank
The big bloke with knobbly knees began flailing around try to catch hold of something. But unfortunately the strongest of the deck fittings (the flower pot nailed to the table) was out of reach. Just atthat moment the kettle started boling, so Tut was forced to go downstairs to make a pot of tea.
The situation was getting desperate. It seemed that the teabags were in the wrong cupboard. Or had they run out of teabags? Surely not. Tut checked all the cupboards, and briefly considered re-using an old teabag, but dismissed the idea from her mind. At last she found the teabags, and with a huge sigh of relief put two of them in the pot having first swilled it round with hot water in regulation fashion.
Back on deck, things were getting worse. The big bloke with knobbly knees and the rope leg wrapped round his leg an into the lock was beginning to realise that he hadn't had a cup of tea for almost a quarter of an hour. Or even a biscuit. At last, Tut brought the freshly-made tea back up on deck. The boat was still trying to move back, but all the time the rop round his leg was get tangled up in things like ropes do, or even one of the knot things that make you wonder why anyone loops ropes up into neat coils. As the lock got closer, Tut turned the radar on: the power drawn from the massive radar immediately drained the entire electrical system, so the engine stalled. Even so, the lock was drawing closer with all the tangling. The lock gates began to close around them. Tut and her husband looked at each other in horror as the realised that they had picked up the wrong cups, as his had only 4 spoonfuls of sugar in and hers had the 6 spoonfuls.
The big bloke with knobbly knees began flailing around try to catch hold of something. But unfortunately the strongest of the deck fittings (the flower pot nailed to the table) was out of reach. Just atthat moment the kettle started boling, so Tut was forced to go downstairs to make a pot of tea.
The situation was getting desperate. It seemed that the teabags were in the wrong cupboard. Or had they run out of teabags? Surely not. Tut checked all the cupboards, and briefly considered re-using an old teabag, but dismissed the idea from her mind. At last she found the teabags, and with a huge sigh of relief put two of them in the pot having first swilled it round with hot water in regulation fashion.
Back on deck, things were getting worse. The big bloke with knobbly knees and the rope leg wrapped round his leg an into the lock was beginning to realise that he hadn't had a cup of tea for almost a quarter of an hour. Or even a biscuit. At last, Tut brought the freshly-made tea back up on deck. The boat was still trying to move back, but all the time the rop round his leg was get tangled up in things like ropes do, or even one of the knot things that make you wonder why anyone loops ropes up into neat coils. As the lock got closer, Tut turned the radar on: the power drawn from the massive radar immediately drained the entire electrical system, so the engine stalled. Even so, the lock was drawing closer with all the tangling. The lock gates began to close around them. Tut and her husband looked at each other in horror as the realised that they had picked up the wrong cups, as his had only 4 spoonfuls of sugar in and hers had the 6 spoonfuls.
ccscott49
Member
Re: Tales from the riverbank
Think Matts has lost it! anybody for a leopard!
Think Matts has lost it! anybody for a leopard!
hlb
RIP
Re: Tales from the riverbank
Now Colin.
The big fat bloke with Knobbly Knees.
Spat the tea out angrily,
he'd got quite a temper on.
The rope that had rapped round his leg, had cut them off. Just above the knee.
So he's groveling around on the floor,
trying to catch th-wife for his tea.
The force ont lock gates were tremendus and so with a great big creek.
The lock gate fell off, in the water.
And the mole had a great big freet!
Well. Then alt water, came gushing, and spilling all over the place.
And th mole were swimin like buggery, just to get outa the place.
Mean while poor Colin -----------------
Haydn
Now Colin.
The big fat bloke with Knobbly Knees.
Spat the tea out angrily,
he'd got quite a temper on.
The rope that had rapped round his leg, had cut them off. Just above the knee.
So he's groveling around on the floor,
trying to catch th-wife for his tea.
The force ont lock gates were tremendus and so with a great big creek.
The lock gate fell off, in the water.
And the mole had a great big freet!
Well. Then alt water, came gushing, and spilling all over the place.
And th mole were swimin like buggery, just to get outa the place.
Mean while poor Colin -----------------
Haydn
ccscott49
Member
Re: Tales from the riverbank
Poor bloody mole! Moles cant swim!
Poor bloody mole! Moles cant swim!
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Tales from the riverbank
Meanwhile poor Colin was trying to pretend to all the people watching the lock that this was all normal. He stemmed the gushing blood from his legs with some nice napkins, and neatly stowed the snapped off pieces of leg in a deck locker, and made an extra note of the list of things in each locker.
His wife was now becoming hysterical. "You've used the Sunday doilies, for crissakes! Today is Saturday! Now what?!!"
Colin's boat was now heading downstream at speed - noticeably moving, perhaps even at a slow walk. With the lock gate attached and at last with the right cup of tea, he could take stock of things. His wife Tut jumped back on board having nipped to the shops to buy some more doilies and get back to the boat as it moved at least thirty yards downriver, attached to the lock gate originally tied on to colin leg, but now firmly attached to the flower pot with a round turn, several half hitches and a purple clothes peg plus a few more knots. The lock gate made an ideal river craft, with a low draft, and very sturdy. Colin called the lock keeper and asked if he might consider a part exchange of his boat for the floating lock gate. The lockkeper laughed, and toldim that the lock gate was quite expensive....
Meanwhile poor Colin was trying to pretend to all the people watching the lock that this was all normal. He stemmed the gushing blood from his legs with some nice napkins, and neatly stowed the snapped off pieces of leg in a deck locker, and made an extra note of the list of things in each locker.
His wife was now becoming hysterical. "You've used the Sunday doilies, for crissakes! Today is Saturday! Now what?!!"
Colin's boat was now heading downstream at speed - noticeably moving, perhaps even at a slow walk. With the lock gate attached and at last with the right cup of tea, he could take stock of things. His wife Tut jumped back on board having nipped to the shops to buy some more doilies and get back to the boat as it moved at least thirty yards downriver, attached to the lock gate originally tied on to colin leg, but now firmly attached to the flower pot with a round turn, several half hitches and a purple clothes peg plus a few more knots. The lock gate made an ideal river craft, with a low draft, and very sturdy. Colin called the lock keeper and asked if he might consider a part exchange of his boat for the floating lock gate. The lockkeper laughed, and toldim that the lock gate was quite expensive....
boatone
Active member
Re: Tales from the riverbank
I thought d'oillies wer waterproof wearing apparel from up north....
Actually, is it just me or is thread getting sadder by the post.......
TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
I thought d'oillies wer waterproof wearing apparel from up north....
Actually, is it just me or is thread getting sadder by the post.......
TonyR
boatone@boatsontheweb.com
hlb
RIP
Re: Tales from the riverbank
Mean while the mole is still angry.
Cos its lost its home and its greenhouse.
All gone down river and smashed up, with the terrible flood.
He calls on his mates in the river.
And the frog did all of he could.
So the Pike ( Thats Colins pike from up the thread. Thats now caught up with them) and the toad. (Who had been sat having a beer in the pub all the time.) and the water rat.
All got ganged up all together.
They were a reyt gruesum sight.
And they all paddled off together,
Like Ottila the Hun and his mates.------------------
Haydn
Mean while the mole is still angry.
Cos its lost its home and its greenhouse.
All gone down river and smashed up, with the terrible flood.
He calls on his mates in the river.
And the frog did all of he could.
So the Pike ( Thats Colins pike from up the thread. Thats now caught up with them) and the toad. (Who had been sat having a beer in the pub all the time.) and the water rat.
All got ganged up all together.
They were a reyt gruesum sight.
And they all paddled off together,
Like Ottila the Hun and his mates.------------------
Haydn
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Oh Ed you are awful - but I like you
Havent got past Hartford this year as my enfield fell off, so I can only fantasize about the mythical relief channel, till next year.
Havent got past Hartford this year as my enfield fell off, so I can only fantasize about the mythical relief channel, till next year.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Tales from the riverbank
They soon caught up with Colins floating lockgate and lightly-smashed boat combo, and joined the lockkeeper on deck. It was easily time for another cup of tea.
At first mole was angry about his broken conservatory, but Colin suggested that the riverside house first pointed out by NormanWyatt furthe up the thread could be a useful alternative. Mole got angry again, and said that the house that Norman was considering was his own, and it had been on the market for some time. Now, just as Norm had got interested, the boat/lock fiasco had rather taken away some of the appeal viz it being a house by the river, now no house and no river, and all colins fault.
Colin realised he was in a pickle. The lockkeeper and all the animals were somewhat upset at him, although at least he had got clean away with everything as far as looking like a dork in front of bystanders, which of course was the main thing. At leasr the rat seemed happy, gnawing away at one of colin's old bits of leg.
There was only one thing to do. Colin had a word with Tut, who went pale. But there was no other option. She went downstairs again and came back with the Special Shortbread, tears in her eyes. The lockkeper and the animals eyed the tin with their beady eyes. This would be a day that they would all remember for years to come. Tut took out not one but TWO pieces of 15-year olde cambridgeshire genuine muddy-flavoured shortbread for them all to share. None of them had ever seen such extravagence.
The lockkepper became bolder. He offered to perhaps reconsider the idea of Colin upgrading his boat to have the floating lock gate instead. Colin was delighted. No more cramming things into little lockers, much better deck accomodation, and top speed almost the same if he paddled it from the back with a stick from time to time. Although the trade-in price seemed a little steep at the Mirage, £10grand and another piece of shortbread, it would still leave colin with most of a packet of shortbread, plus the other packet of Luxury Balvenie 40%-sawdust shortbread that nobody knew about, not even Tut.
And so it was that colin moved all his gunk out of the mirage on to the much roomier old floating lock gate, helped by Tut, the wife. The animals all helped too, and although they hadn't realised that the boat was only the two-cabin version with the smaller diesels, the pike reported that the antifoul looked ok underneath and only needed a bit of touching up. They stopped at the chandlery for some tape and a tin of International all-in-one two-pack leg-repairing resin adhesive bonding fluid varnish mastic, rinsed the soggy ends of colins legs and put them back on the stumps, and although they got them the wrong way round, colin said it didn't matter and he'd sort it out at the end of the season if necessary.
The animals were quite pleased with the mirage, although the toad felt that the wc was quite badly designed and not really enough leg room. Was this the end of the story? ....
They soon caught up with Colins floating lockgate and lightly-smashed boat combo, and joined the lockkeeper on deck. It was easily time for another cup of tea.
At first mole was angry about his broken conservatory, but Colin suggested that the riverside house first pointed out by NormanWyatt furthe up the thread could be a useful alternative. Mole got angry again, and said that the house that Norman was considering was his own, and it had been on the market for some time. Now, just as Norm had got interested, the boat/lock fiasco had rather taken away some of the appeal viz it being a house by the river, now no house and no river, and all colins fault.
Colin realised he was in a pickle. The lockkeeper and all the animals were somewhat upset at him, although at least he had got clean away with everything as far as looking like a dork in front of bystanders, which of course was the main thing. At leasr the rat seemed happy, gnawing away at one of colin's old bits of leg.
There was only one thing to do. Colin had a word with Tut, who went pale. But there was no other option. She went downstairs again and came back with the Special Shortbread, tears in her eyes. The lockkeper and the animals eyed the tin with their beady eyes. This would be a day that they would all remember for years to come. Tut took out not one but TWO pieces of 15-year olde cambridgeshire genuine muddy-flavoured shortbread for them all to share. None of them had ever seen such extravagence.
The lockkepper became bolder. He offered to perhaps reconsider the idea of Colin upgrading his boat to have the floating lock gate instead. Colin was delighted. No more cramming things into little lockers, much better deck accomodation, and top speed almost the same if he paddled it from the back with a stick from time to time. Although the trade-in price seemed a little steep at the Mirage, £10grand and another piece of shortbread, it would still leave colin with most of a packet of shortbread, plus the other packet of Luxury Balvenie 40%-sawdust shortbread that nobody knew about, not even Tut.
And so it was that colin moved all his gunk out of the mirage on to the much roomier old floating lock gate, helped by Tut, the wife. The animals all helped too, and although they hadn't realised that the boat was only the two-cabin version with the smaller diesels, the pike reported that the antifoul looked ok underneath and only needed a bit of touching up. They stopped at the chandlery for some tape and a tin of International all-in-one two-pack leg-repairing resin adhesive bonding fluid varnish mastic, rinsed the soggy ends of colins legs and put them back on the stumps, and although they got them the wrong way round, colin said it didn't matter and he'd sort it out at the end of the season if necessary.
The animals were quite pleased with the mirage, although the toad felt that the wc was quite badly designed and not really enough leg room. Was this the end of the story? ....
hlb
RIP
Re: No. Thats Not The End\"\"
And they all lived, happy ever after. Amen
Now thats the end.
Haydn
And they all lived, happy ever after. Amen
Now thats the end.
Haydn
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Cut!!! all rights reserved.
Any resemblance to any persons living or dead is intentional, especially that colin and the mole, tho not his nice wife (colin's wife, not the mole's wife, obviously) . The events in this story are totally true! Mostly.
Any resemblance to any persons living or dead is intentional, especially that colin and the mole, tho not his nice wife (colin's wife, not the mole's wife, obviously) . The events in this story are totally true! Mostly.
