In a boat on the river

Just back from Ely and a week hiring a sports cruiser on the River Great Ouse.

Took it up river and took the Old West River hoping to reach St. Ives Cambridgeshire.

The course of the old river got very narrow and alarmingly shallow and meandering which with buffeting winds left me wishing the hire boat wasn't so de-tuned ( and wondering if we'd strayed up a certain creek without a paddle)

but we managed to navigate through featureless but wildlife rich fenland to Hermitage Lock which is manned by the Environment Agency and tidal between that lock and St Ives lock.

Somehow the boat didn't seem keen to finish that stretch, but we phoned the lock keeper ahead of arrival, he could see us down river and said if we'd been closer we could have gone through with the boat ahead of us.

On arrival the traffic light stayed on red and after holding station a while we called the keeper again who said he'd come down and talk to us.

Really friendly he was and explained they had just had a report of a fallen tree blocking the river upstream of the lock. They were short handed due to fuel availability but we could pass through the lock but it would be 40 minutes before their own boat arrived by road to go and investigate the size of the tree and there was no guarantee we'd get any further.

Declining to proceed the boat seemed happy as we turned back.

Mooring up later we checked for updates. Not only was the fallen tree substantial and going to take several days to remove but another tree had been identified as likely to fall and not only that but just after we left an electrical fire in the lock control had put the lock out of action for a few days.

If we'd gone through we'd have joined a couple of other boats now stuck for days  between the lock and the blockage!

I'm sure our hire boat knew something!



Didn't bother taking any rods but enjoyed feeding the fish crumbs at dusk!

What a great few days that most of been lovely pictures Paul, a good decision to turn back.

Kirky's Dad wrote:

What a great few days that most of been lovely pictures Paul, a good decision to turn back.

Yes it was a terrific holiday!
Still laughing about it, especially when I was helming and I said  "I think there is another boat ahead coming towards us"
and the reply as I heard it was, "Yes and there is one behind us"
I looked but couldn't see one behind us.
Turns out I was being told "Yes, and there is a swan behind us"



Checking up on how things turned out on the lock since we got home I learned that the fallen trees had been removed but the lock was still out of action.
Also found out that shortly after we gave the boat back a cruiser moored in Ely went on fire ( no one hurt fortunately)
We were relieved to find it wasn't the one we hired!

First night sleeping back on land I woke  up convinced I could feel the boat moving!

They say sometimes in bed the earth moves.

Kirky's Dad wrote:

They say sometimes in bed the earth moves.