Goodbye January

The month has passed surprisingly quickly considering I've spent it on the same few miles of river.  The wind has picked up again this evening and the boat is bobbing around like a cork. All part of the fun of boating but I may need seasickness pills soon.  I've spent the last few days on the EA mooring at Littleport which is secluded but still only 5 minutes walk to the rail station which is on the outskirts of the town - apparently they built it here so it was next to the track.

Daybreak saw a thin mist over the river cloaking the scene in a eerie quiet as this lone dog walker passed on the opposite bank.

Mist over the River

Having collected the car I drove home to collect some tools and wood to build a couple of shelves inside the galley cupboards to make the space more usable.  I visited Houghton lock while passing and the lock is currently reversed to act as a weir.

Houghton Lock

Round at the mill both sluices were fully open making the normally tranquil mill pond suitable for kayaking on the far side.  Not a place to let the kids paddle today.

Houghton Mill Pond

Having seen the water levels at St Ives I doubt the river will be useable for at least two weeks, longer if we have any more rain. I have therefore decided not to try to get to St Ives on this trip - even if I made it I could easily be trapped which doesn't appeal.  I'll therefore spend the next few days in the Ely area and then early next week head back through Denver onto the middle levels to spend a couple of weeks exploring those drains I can get the boat onto. I will visit Ramsey for a few days and would be happy to see anyone who lives nearby call in for a cruise.  I'll keep the blog updated with progress.

Stormy Weekend

Well it's certainly been an interesting weekend weather wise.  Saturday morning was overcast but dry so I completed the last few miles to Denver and caught the train to Kings Lynn.  I spent a pleasant few hours walking around the town and visited the riverside where they have recently installed new visitor moorings - miss these and the next stop is the wash, not that I'll be heading down here.

I returned to the boat and in the late afternoon it suddenly went very dark and within minutes a vicious storm blew in bringing hail, rain and very strong winds (I was beginning to wonder if the UKIP Councillor might be right after all). Thankfully, after 15 minutes it left as quickly as it arrived and dropped to a stiff breeze and light rain. After a quiet night I awoke to a splendid sunrise on Sunday. 

On checking the ropes I noticed that the water level had fallen a good 6 inches overnight, you can see the normal water level on the pilings. This is a result of the EA running water through the sluice into the tidal stretch to make space for all the extra water that will be coming down river over the next few days.

By mid morning the level had dropped another 4" and I decided to move off as it has been known in extreme cases for the EA to drop the level so far that boats become grounded.  I headed down toward Littleport but it soon started raining and the wind strengthened to I moored up by Higay bridge for lunch.  The weather worsened as another front came through and it was soon blowing a gale with horizontal rain.  By 3pm the front had passed and as the sky ahead was much lighter I decided to continue onto Littleport.  Progress against the flow was slower than I hoped and as the sun was setting I headed for the moorings at the junction with the Little Ouse just as the sun was setting over the river in splendid reds and yellows.

And now its time to settle by the fire with a good book.

24hr Shore Leave

After a short trip up to Littleport I stocked up the fridge while I still had the car and then headed home for a long standing dinner date with old friends. A very pleasant meal was had at Mattoni near Peterborough, which I can recommend. The half shell scallops to start we're delicious, although I think they may have overdone the spirit as the flame was still burning when I finished.
I spent the night at home where I left my car before heading back to Littleport by bus & train. As the busway crossed the Ouse below St Ives I was pleased to see the levels had dropped but there was still a strong flow as there is still a lot of water upstream.
Once back aboard I lit the fire as the temperature aboard was around 2c but quickly recovered to a more comfortable level. I then headed onto the river Little Ouse to visit a boatyard and top up the diesel tank, which swallowed 150 litres, and replaced an empty gas bottle.

An hour later I moored up for lunch at Higay bridge a few miles from Denver and decided to stay here overnight as it is a nice quiet spot with a lovely view down the river. I'll head to Denver tomorrow and stop overnight at Downham Market.

On to Littleport

Just a short update as not a lot has happened. After spending the last few days in Ely I received a warning notice from the local council for staying on the visitor moorings for more than 48 hours and had to move. Many of the 48 hr mooring on the canals are extended to 14 days during the winter months and I forgot that the rivers are not the same. With the threat of a £500 fine I decided not further outstay my welcome and have moved a few miles down river to Litteport. I have to leave at least 48 hrs before returning to Ely which is not an issue, just means I'll be spending money in another town. I'll stay on the mooring here for a couple of days and then move to Denver on Friday and stay for the weekend.

Managed to catch a nice shot of a Grey Heron wading by the bank. This bird can teach you his to stare.

Next week I'll head back up river stopping for a couple of days each in Littleport and Ely by which time the river above Earith nay be navigable, so long as we don't have any more rain.

 

Weekend in Ely

Well having returned to Ely and collected my car I picked up some more coal and logs to keep me going a little longer and then decided, after much thought, to invest in a generator to provide mains power and charge the batteries without running the engine. I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the cheapest UK dealers is based at Bar Hill about 10 miles from my home and were selling the Honda EU10i generator for £740 which is cheaper than many on-line companies. I have considered solar panels which are obviously free to run and don't require one to keep petrol onboard but I would need 2 or 3 and I really don't want them cluttering the roof as I have to walk on it to operate locks being a single hander. On Sunday I drove into the fens to look at the water levels, which were very high around the main drainage ditches.

 

I also called into Prickwillow to see the famous vicarage. When it was built, in the 17th Century it had two steps to the front door. The effects of draining the fens caused the ground to shrink and fall as the water was removed and as you can see from the photo it now has 9 steps.

 

Ely to Earith and back

Yesterday I decided to cruise down to Earith to see how bad the river is for myself and make a judgement as to whether I thought it safe to navigate. I have been on the Thames in flood so have some experience to draw on.
The trip was very pleasant, the day was bright although a bit chilly at around 5c with the wind dropping that a degree or two. The river changes after Popes corner where the Cam joins and is much narrower and meanders through open fenland. At one point it passes through a pretty tree lined section with small lakes on either side. This offered a welcome respite from the wind.

A little further along I was treated to the sight of a sole Oyster Catcher and managed to snatch a quick photo while on the move.

On arrival at Hermitage lock at Earith I called in to chat with the lock keeper and assess the river. I explained that I had experience of rivers in flood and would consider heading up to St Ives unless he felt it really was unwise. However, as he pointed out that the next lock was "reversed", which is basically set partially open to allow water to run through and thus impassable by boat, I accepted defeat. And to be fair, on looking at the river I would be hard pressed to identify it in the wide expanse of water spread before me. I filled the water tank and spent the night moored on the lock landing.

This morning I decided that a return to Ely was advisable as the facilities at Earith are limited. I spent the morning cruising back to Ely and the afternoon working my way across to the marina by rail, bus and foot to collect my car. Resigned to another week in Ely I thought transport would be useful, especially as the trip will now extend into late February due to the closure of Stanground lock.
I am moored on the visitor moorings just outside the city which gives me a view across open countryside and, tonight, a rather splendid full moon.

Back to a Ely again

I spent a couple of days on the Little Ouse and then headed up to Denver to be ready to head through the middle levels if the the Nene looked likely to drop enough to let me get through Stanground before the lock is closed on 20 Jan for a month. Unfortunately the tides at Denver mean a crossing at around 06:00 or 18:00, both of which would mean making the crossing in the dark - no thank you.
So onto plan B or possibly C or D by now. I've moved back to a Ely today. A bright clear morning but definitely a bit of a drop in temperature this week. I was lucky enough to have the camera ready when I saw a Kestrel hovering above the bank. Very pleased as I've been trying to catch this beautiful bird for ages.

Realising that return is not an option I'm hoping the river levels will drop enough to let me move above Earith to St Ives and possibly to the head of the navigation in Bedford as I now have a month to fill.

Onto the Little Ouse

I spent a quiet few days in Ely while the last round of wind and rain blew through. Steve, my eldest son, visited on Saturday as it was his birthday and I couldn't get to him. After a tour of the amazingly full car parks of Ely we ended up parking his car in the Cathedral car park and walking down to the river. We spent the afternoon catching up before we retired to the Cutter Inn for dinner an pint or two to wash it down. Good food and good beer I would recommend the pub if your in need of sustanance in a Ely.

Steve reminded me that Stanground lock, my entrance to the river Nene, is due to be closed for a month from 20 Jan. While there is plenty of time to make the trip I couldn't actually pass through the lock with the river at it current hight. So it looks likely my Christmas cruise will be extended by a further month. I'll check with the lock keeper on Monday as the chances of the river falling in time but judging by levels further upstream there is still a lot of water to run through yet.

Meanwhile I've continued my exploration of the tributaries and have moved onto the Little Ouse which joins the Gt Ouse a few miles beyond Littleport and runs for 14 miles to the village of Brandon. The river is navigable beyond Brandon for shorted craft, the lock is only around 35 ft long.

After a keen overnight frost the morning was bright and clear. Steve headed off to March to compete in the 6 mile frostbite run and I set off up down the river in bright sunshine which was just strong enough to take the chill off. However after a couple of hours it clouded over and gentle breeze picked up and it suddenly felt much colder. Around an hour later I reached the GOBA mooring a little over half way along the river and quickly moored up and headed for the warmth of the cabin which was quite cosy. The mooring here is in the middle of open countryside and I'm looking forward to a quiet night.

 

Tonight's mooring

The forecast is good so I'm looking forward to continuing to Brandon tomorrow.

River Lark day 2

I spent the evening watching Sherlock on iPlayer as I missed it last on Sunday due to lack of a tv signal and slow internet. This morning arrived with yet more wind and rain - it really is getting a bit much now but at least it's not snowing. By late morning the rain had stopped and I headed up the river Lark towards Jude's Ferry which as far I can take my boat - smaller craft can get a little further.

The Lark is a river of two halves. The stretch from the Ouse to Isleham lock is quite wide and straight having been adjusted over many years starting with the Romans.

Above the lock it becomes much narrower and meanders along a more natural course and is a very pretty stretch of river.

I had intended to moor at Jude's ferry but unfortunately the mooring was very high and would have damaged the boat cabin so I turned around and headed back to a quiet little mooring I had seen on the way down. I am now settled by the fire for the night and will head off this river and onto the Little Ouse tomorrow

River Lark

As mentioned in my last post I plan to spend the next week or row exploring the smaller rivers which feed the Gt Ouse. I've started with the Lark which is a short river running from the Ouse near Littleport towards Bury St Edmunds although it is only navigable for around 9 miles to Jude's Ferry near Mildenhall. I left Ely around midday and spent an hour cruising up the Ouse then turned onto the Lark and followed it for 3 miles to the little village of Prickwillow.

Prickwillow visitors mooring

After a couple of bumpy nights at Denver and a windy one in a Ely it's nice to be moored up in the tranquility of the open countryside. An early night with a good book is next on the agenda.

Return to Ely

After checking with a few of my friends it appears the Ouse is running fast and high at Hartford and the Nene is onto the grass at the embankment in Peterborough, the kyaker's we're enjoying the course below Orton where the fall is only around a foot I'm told. Clearly not going back to Oundle for a week or two, particularly as there us more rain forecast.

I've decided to return to Ely to stock up on supplies and explore the smaller rivers off the Ouse.

When I opened the curtains this morning I was greeted by the sight of a fantastic dawn light through the trees across the river and found my camera just in time to catch it.

Dawn over Denver

As rain was forecast for the afternoon I set off around 8:00 with a frost on the roof and frozen ropes. It took almost 4 hrs to cover the 15 miles to Ely as I was heading against the flow which was running at about 2mph against me. Had a couple of stops en route to warm up by the fire and get the feeling back in my toes - I know I have thermal socks but must have left them at home.

On arrival at Ely I found a space, quite busy today, and popped into town. After lunch I tried out my new telephoto camera lens, a post Christmas treat, by chasing some gulls and am very happy with the results given it was a grey overcast day.

Expect to see more bird shots appearing on the blog. Particularly if I get down towards Wicken Fen.

 

A day at Denver

After yesterday's failure of the lock I decided to stay on the Ouse for a while longer. The Nene is still on red boards and the embankment at Peterborough is flooded so no point in rushing back as I doubt the Nene will be safe for at least a fortnight. Once the rain eased I decided to travel a mile down to Downham Market to buy some kindling and catch the train to Cambridge. After dropping through the lock it was a straight run down the man made relief channel which is very wide and very straight.

Relief Channel

The garden centre was only a half mile walk and we'll worth it as I picked up a sack of kindling for £3.50. The supermarkets charge that for a small bundle about a tenth the size so I was very happy as I carted it back to the boat.

I then headed to the station and, as I had 40 minutes to wait, decided to grab a coffee and find the waiting room. I'm not normally a fan of railway waiting rooms as they tend to be occupied by old ladies who smell faintly of wee, but it was cold and wet on the platform. However I found the waiting room at Downham Market station a delight. It was like stepping into the 50's, I expected Bernard Cribbins and the Railway Children to appear at any moment.

The rest of the day was spent travelling to and from Cambridge with a couple of hours walking around the shops in-between. This included another expensive trip to John Lewis - damn your tempting clearance sale.

I'm now settled back at Denver quietly roasting at 22c as I seem to set the fire to blast furnace mode.

My latest revised plan is not to plan as it's pointless. I'll spend a week or so on the smaller rivers: Little Ouse, Wissey and Lark and have a trip to Ely to restock the larder.

Bumpy water

After a bumpy noisy old night on the river I was looking forward to going through Denver and onto the middle levels to find a more sheltered mooring for the weekend.  I had booked to go through at 9:30 but was advised that it might be later due to the high spring tide.  By 10:15 with the tide falling I thought something was amiss and called the lock keeper who wasn't aware of my booking. He turned up 10 minutes later apologising for the mistake, which was unusual, and went to prepare then lock while I readied the boat.  The lock gate remained firmly closed and a the lockie explained there was an electrical fault and the lock was for want of a better word locked.  The duty electrician was called and after a couple of hours the electrician still hadn't solved it, the tide was falling quickly and the weather was turning nasty.  Not wishing to push my luck I decided to return to the visitors mooring to await better weather.

Choppy water at Denver

This proved to be the right decision as the wind really strengthened in the early afternoon and is still whistling around the boat this evening. The waves are lapping against the boat which is gently rocking.  As the forecast is pretty poor over the weekend I don't plan to move too far although I will head for somewhere a little more sheltered if possible in the morning.

A New Year

I saw in the New Year quietly with a wee dram while watching Jool's Holland's Hootenanny as I do most years.  I had moved out of Ely for a quiet night, only disturbed by unruly weather rather than unruly revellers.  I moved back to Ely on New Years day as I needed to stock up the larder having finally finished the leftover turkey and gammon joints. After another stormy night I woke to a calm morning with blue skies.  More rain is forecast so it's unlikely I'll be able to get to St Ives for a week or two so I've decided to make my way back through Denver and explore the middle levels for a few days while I wait for the Nene to settle down.

Ely

I left Ely mid morning on a sunny day with only a slight breeze to take the edge off.  The trip up to Denver was uneventful and took around 4 hours.  The highlight was capturing this photo of a  Cormorant on a power cable - another common bird on the river which has alluded me until now.

Cormorant

Journey's end is the visitors moorings at Denver sluice which are on the left.  The actual lock is directly behind my chimney with the lock landing on the right bank.  I'm booked through on the tide tomorrow morning around 9:30.  The tide will be quite high due to the strong wind due so I may be delayed until the water level falls to a suitable level to cross to Salter's Lode.

Arrival at Denver