Seyella's Journey

The water is down! Well, at least almost in the amber. BW at Newark tell me that Sawley is in the amber, and the Soar is open.
So we’re away at 09:15.

Shared Derwent Mouth lock, and out into the main flow of water from the Trent and the Derwent. The picture doesn’t do it justice, we were doing about 10mph at 800 RPM. We normally only do about 3mph at these revs.

Derwent Mouth

The flood lock at Sawley was closed, so we had to lock through. Newark didn’t tell me that!

Then on to the main Sawley locks, where the level was supposed to be in the amber. Well, in the red is almost in the amber, I guess. Anyway we locked ourselves through, in company with a 20 footer with an outboard. More on this later….

Sawley Lock
An interesting run back under the railway bridge against the current to get onto the service wharf. At one point we had a huge bow-wave but were barely moving forward. I’m glad I asked for the larger engine when we specced the boat.

Filled/emptied as required, then turned again and shot back under the bridge and down to the Soar junction. Redhill Flood lock was surprisingly open, so we caught up with the 2 lads on AUNT EMMA III at Ratcliffe lock.

This was the 20 footer from Sawley. They’d bought it at Sawley, and had to wait for the water to go down till they could move. They’d never had any boating experience, unless you could count one of them having a day trip as a child. The trip involves getting to Newbury, and then to Bristol! After 190 miles and 139 locks to Newbury, then a further 75 and 85 respectively, they’ll certainly be experienced! Good luck to them.

We shared the next couple of locks with the intrepid duo, but then got separated when the charity trip boat “DANDELION” from Loughborough slotted in between us. So we shared Zouch and Bishops Meadow with them, and Loughborough with a Tupperware cruiser.

Zouch Lock
Emergency Mooring “Dolphins” at Normanton. Who’d want to moor here otherwise?
Cleared Loughborough and moored at the (busy) visitor moorings near Millers Bridge.

Remember last Thursday’s post and my last ritual baptism in the cut? And the hat that was “jauntily floating off”? Well it’s probably jauntily floating past Nottingham by now!
A gust of wind took it clean off my head near Redhill, and with the strong current, brisk breeze and proximity of moored boats, I chose not to go back for it. I’m blaming the haircut Mags gave me yesterday…..

A long day, nearly 8 hours, but it's stayed fine and dry, with lots of bright sunshine.

Locks 8, miles 13.