And off we jolly well go…

There was a handful of boats moving yesterday, and we could have done so ourselves but we had visitors coming in the afternoon and it’s really handy on the Trent Lock pontoon.

First boat up Trent Lock, having to plough through all the flotsam.

The water level had dropped down to amber overnight.

Another boat, the Whitby, thumping her way upstream.
Whitby used to be run, under charter, by the Threefellows Carrying Company.

We had a pleasant afternoon catching up with regular blog correspondent KevinToo and his mum Sylvia. That pork pie is to die for, mate! Thanks for coming to see us.

So, on a slightly murky morning, we cast off from the pontoon that’s been home for the last few days and headed to the water tap to replenish our depleted tank. We were moving quite nicely backwards with the flow, so I thought we stay that way, and pull in to the tap just down from the entrance to the Erewash. All went well till I tried to get in to the bank. There’s a funny little cross-current which squirts you back out when you get close, probably caused by an eddy at the junction. I did get there though, eventually. 

Tank filled and rubbish and recycling disposed of we set off upstream.

It’s not far to Sawley Locks, and the river flow had slackened considerably over the last couple of days so we were there in 10 minutes.

Approaching Sawley Locks


The paired and mechanised locks are to the left, to the right, up the river channel, are moorings for the services.

One lock was empty so we used that, and were soon out on Sawley Cut.


Derby Motor Boat Club moorings on the left, long-term then visitor moorings on the right.

We pulled on to the wharf at Sawley Marina for diesel, we were running a bit low having not filled since Apperley Bridge up there on the Leeds and Liverpool. The marina has a policy of selling the red stuff at a proportional split of 60/40, cruising/domestic. So I don’t normally fill here and didn’t today, just putting in enough to get us to Burton and Shobnall Marina where they’re a bit more accommodating.
Then we had the flood lock at the top end of the cut to negotiate before returning to the river for another short sprint above the large Sawley Weir.

Back on the river, the M1 crossing ahead and the weir taking the river around Sawley Cut to the right.

Derwent Mouth, where the River Derwent comes in from the right.
The Trent comes around the bend on the left, but our route is straight on, up to the Trent and Mersey Canal.

Derwent Mouth Lock, Lock 1 on the T&M


Mags is happy; we’re off the river! She’d much rather have the predictability of the cut.


We pulled in above the lock, in time to watch the last race of the 2016 Formula 1 season. An interesting last few laps…

Locks 3, miles 2½