We Overshot! 5 July 2018

Thursday 5th July 2018
Great Barford to GOBA moorings just past Priory Marina
8.75 miles, 5 locks

Before I start - something I should have added yesterday.  I am sure some of you who read this blog have got to that age where if you ever dry your hands on one of those hot air machines the skin wobbles around somewhat alarmingly?  If you are not old enough yet, you will be one day.  Well my left hand has regained its youthful smooth skin that does not stay wrinkled if you pinch.  No botox for me - just a very nasty small insect (since deceased) who bit me yesterday morning.  Hopefully the swelling will go down soon - I have removed my wedding ring, just in case.

Today was hotter than ever, even when Monty and I went out shortly after 7am it was hot.

When we were here four years ago the instructions from Ken were that narrow boats needed to creep through the no entry arch as we are too long to get through and turn into the current from the correct arch.

So that is what we did.

We studied them hard this time and felt they may have moved the signs over, so we decided to use the correct arch.

If you look at the far left and how the strip of wood/piping goes and then check above, I don't think they have.  We went through the indicated arch and made the turn, so all was well.

Off along millpond calm water

They do need to trim a lot of vegetation round the signs along here - this is very far from being the first that is almost obscured.

The first lock of the day at Willington was against us.

I was thoroughly bemused when I got there as the top end gates were all but shut (they should have been open)

and the slacker at the bottom end appeared to be open (it should have been shut), but no water was moving.

I shut the gates and opened the bottom end slackers to fill the lock and all was well - the mechanism on the above slacker seems to be permanently up.  We made it in and out slowly - these locks can easily take 25 to 30 minutes to complete.

On we went past Danish Camp - the scene of nb Cleddau's crews' joint 70th birthday party last September.

and past their boat 'Artful Dodger', but no sign of Ozzie the Owl

who travels with them when they take the boat out.

 There were some moans and groans when we spotted this boat on the lock landing at Castle Mill Lock - there was, however, room to get in to let me off before Chris went into the open lock.

We had forgotten just how deep this lock is, so the next trick was how to get the rope from Chris to me - was the boat hook long enough to pass it up?  Sadly no - I should have taken a rope with me to pass down to Chris to attach to his rope.  We just did things very slowly and Chris managed to control the boat

It really is very deep and even when full you could not get on or off a boat without using a lock ladder.

Yet more new words to learn - slackers (paddles on the canals) are now inlet and outlet penstocks

and the penstocks are situated in the middle of the lock to one side rather than at either end.

 For the first time in all this heat we found it necessary to get Monty's cool coat out, which really does work at stopping him from overheating.

A nice healthy sized family

 and a heron cooling his feet whilst waiting for elevenses.

Then to the third and supposedly final lock of the day at Cardington

 The lock was against us, so I left Chris on the lock landing whilst I went to ready it - a serene picture of calm

as is this one of the lock

All very different to how things were on 31 December 2017

There are always lots of things to watch at this lock as it is situated in Priory Country Park - it is a while since I have seen one of these.  There was also the dulcet chimes of an ice cream van, but sadly we could not see it, so no chance of a refreshing break.

It took us a long time to get through this lock and at one point we thought we were in for a very prolonged wait. As I depressed the 'lift gate' button, the gate did indeed lift a few inches and then stop as it is supposed to do.  All these guillotine gate locks have a time delay, so the water is allowed to go in gently.  The delay on this one is 5.5 minutes, but worryingly a fault light had come on.  Would it work and go up?  The delay finished and no, nothing happened.  We waited and waited for the lock to continue filling. Once full we lowered the gate and pressed the 'open gate' button.  It moved a bit and we had to wait for another 5.5 minutes and then lo and behold it went all the way up.  This is the lock that was under repair until yesterday due to vandalism.  We phoned the hotline to report the issue and hope they do something about it or there will be very long delays when people start arriving for the festival in earnest.

On past Barns Hotel

The reed cutters were busy - preparation for the coming influx of boats?

Past Priory Marina - we go in there tomorrow (Friday) ready to go home on Saturday for a few days.

and there are the GOBA moorings, empty and inviting with the Oasis Pyramid in the distance, but we overshot.....

We decided to carry on to go up the Bedford Town Lock to go and view the river before it becomes unrecognisable as it surely will be once all the boats, stalls and thousands of people transform this idyllic scene in just over a week's time for the

The river festival takes place every other year.  This is supposed to be the biggest and the best .... so far......

Turn left out of the lock, past the weir and there is 'our tree'.  We were moored here four years ago and have been promised the same site again this time.  We live in hope - the shade it affords is very welcome.

past moorings on our left

 
under a footbridge

we turned at the 48 hour EA moorings (with water tap)

and gently glided back the way we had come

We have never sailed this bit of river at a non festival time, so it really was an ideal opportunity to see the river as it really is. 

Past Castle Mound which is opposite 'our tree'

On we went past the lock

Repairs to the wooden boarded edges were being done - more work in readiness for the big weekend

We winded just past this narrow boat whose crew had stopped to talk to us at the lock

Rowers were about to take to the water as we headed back to the lock.  A diversion well worth making.

Back to the lock and as we emerged at the other side The John Bunyan trip boat was pulling in to off load locking crew.  The first part of the Cleddau birthday celebrations in September took place on this boat whilst we were entertained by a Jazz trio and wonderfully refueled with a splendid cream tea.  Today's passengers seemed to be enjoying cold lagers - was I jealous - you bet I was!

They pulled away to enter the lock, so Chris could access the lock landing to collect me after I had undertaken an important task

This was very close to the lock and just too hard to resist!

On such a hot day you expect people to be enjoying the waterway - full astern for this lot though whilst they stopped to pick up 'a man overboard'

Yet more who had fallen off - or had the temptation to cool off just been too much to ignore?

This man seemed to be in charge and very proficient he was on his paddle board

On we went back to the moorings which, thankfully, we still empty.  We winded, moored up and then to our horror

discovered a mass of broken glass left in ashes of what must have been a fairly recent camp fire - not the best idea with everything being so dry.  After the cut sustained yesterday by Monty (thankfully it is all okay) we had to get down and try to clear as much as possible away.  A very messy nasty job.

Your challenge for the rest of the day - re-create a Budweiser bottle to make sure we did not leave any bits behind!

The rest of the bottles were tucked into long grass in the box

along with all the rest of the rubbish from whatever picnic they enjoyed - we have the lot on our bow deck and will dispose of it once we are in the marina.  We reckon someone slung the bottle into the fire to see what happened!  I'd like to think they stood well back as it exploded, but then again.......!

So eventually we were able to tidy up and relax and enjoy this wonderful spot

 

I don't think the neighbour will give us much trouble

The paddle boarder came past with another group of youngsters who told us they were heading off for a picnic

The lady at the rear, who I assume, had the provisions, told me they had only brought cake and chocolate, no sandwiches!  I do hope the chocolate was in a cool bag or they would have been eating a soggy mess.

Chris and Monty went off to explore.  The Oasis Pyramid has at least one swimming pool and we still have no swimming costumes!  They also discovered a huge Tesco about a 10 minute walk away  from these moorings, just past the Oasis.

Normal service will be resumed shortly.