We made it onto the River Cam - Sunday 17th June

Sunday 17th June 2018
Ely to GOBA moorings above Bottisham lock, River Cam
11.5 miles, 1 lock

The wonders of instant gratification that the internet allows us - well when we are in the right place at the right time!  Yesterday (Saturday) evening my SD card came apart, thankfully after I had extracted that day's pictures.  I was able to go onto the Argos website and order a new one to be collected as they opened this morning.  So Monty walk first, then to Sainsburys for the paper and fresh bread plus my SD card from Argos.  Simple!  Then we were off.

The plan today was to head back to the River Cam.  Chris started off in two layers, then three and ended up in four - the wind was bracing on the back deck.  I was moving about more, so did not suffer quite so much, but in retrospect I should have added a third layer.

 It was not the most exciting journey - miles of this

It is not often you see a floating loo!

This was a large floating EA work platform

they are putting in new piling

The only excitement was spotting a grebe with three babies - not that clear on this picture as one was on her back

Just one lock today and our first on the Cam - we were expecting to be met by the Cam Conservators - we had been warned that they might try to extract money out of us.  There was no one about and as we bought our licence some time ago we were happy to proceed.  I don't think I have ever come across a lock where the electric vee gates open and close one at a time.

 I just had to take this - Monty frequently does the Zoomies!

We had two choices of moorings - we had decided that if there was space at the first we would take it, however when we got there all we could see was two small motor craft at one end and sailing boats and canoes at the other end.  There was space, but not big enough for us, especially with a stiff wind blowing and all that plastic around.  We dithered and hovered and lots of men jumped up from their picnics/barbecues and inquired if we wanted to moor.  They then moved their boats along and then took up position to take ropes.  Just the sort of boaters one needs, especially on a very windy day.

As we were mooring up this family came along with two grey cygnets and three very white ones - something I have not seen before.

The banks are rather high, grassy and

far from straight, but we were in and glad to get in out of the wind.

It is possible to climb up behind the moorings to walk along the flood bank - we chose to turn left as this is what greeted us to the right

Probably easier walking than the other way, but a dog walk on the lead is not quite the same as being able to run and sniff at will.

It is wide open country

Mind it is not a walk to undertake in shorts - just far too many nettles

this is how close we are to Bottisham Lock

The last boat job of the  day was a trip down the weed hatch - Chris did not come up empty handed, but it made a change to actually get weed rather than plastic bags!