Anyway, to things more pleasurable - boating!
I took Skylark up the Ouse to St Ives. The river was very quiet, just me and the birds really. The weather started a bit cold and dull but brightened up as the week went on, ending up cold and sunny.
The work to improve the upstream gates of St Ives lock were delayed due to high currents so this work was still going on when I arrived and was expected to take another four weeks so, if you are planning a trip up or down this stretch, check first.
I was allowed to moor overnight on the downstream landing stage which sounded like a good idea, the town being just a short distance away, but there was a torrent of water coming through the adjoining sluice and, while it was nothing like sailing across the southern oceans, the combination of this and a strong side wind made it a tad more choppy than usual. The picture above doesn't do the situation justice - you must take my word for it! Anyway, I set my ropes and fenders as best as I could to allow some movement but not so much as to create regular clashes with the floating pontoon and, after a disturbed night, I went into town to the nice little farmer's market and then left. It's always fun turning in the river when there's a strong current and a side wind. It tested my boat handling skills and, as I was the only person to see it (thankfully), I gave myself a modest 7/10 - could do better.
Returning to Brownshill Staunch in the sun was lovely but the wind had increased further by the time I got there. I found the lock against me and the brisk wind was pushing me onto the landing stage. I took the quick decision to land and wait until the wind dropped, which it would do eventually, to allow me to move again. As it happened, a boat entered the lock from the Ely direction after about 15 minutes and the kind man agreed to assist me. So, with him at the bow, I reversed off the jetty and, as I moved backwards, he pushed my bow off the steel and woodwork. I then waited in the river for him to come through and then took his place in the lock. 8/10 - it just goes to show how helpful boating folk are.
Much the same thing happened at Westview marina where I took on water and pumped out. This time there was no-one to help so I weighed up the risk of putting the boat into forward gear, turning the tiller away from the jetty and walking alongside until it was clear. It seemed the only good option at the time so I put the plan into action. Once clear of the jetty, I stepped on board to take full control. 3/10 - don't do that again.
Incidentally, while I was on the jetty, I happened to see one of the seals in the river. Well, I saw his head bobbing about for a couple of seconds and then disappear. This is apparently more than some people had seen including the EA Lock Keeper. 8/10 - pity you didn't have your camera ready.
Returning to Ely for an overnight stop, I traveled through the Old West River and saw more Kingfishers than anywhere else. This is a nice stretch of river especially now when there's no one else about and there is no weed clogging up the water.
Next morning I woke to a small covering of frost. Not much of it about but enough to remind me that we are not yet very far into spring. However, the sun was bright and things soon warmed up. I left early to take advantage of the best part of the day, getting back to the Little Ouse as the next wave of clouds appeared.
Just before I finish with an arty photo, I'll just mention I bumped into Mike and Gena on the waterfront and we had a chat over a coffee. I asked if they still had the nice leaded glass panel I had seen at their house for sale as I had an idea for a further improvement to Skylark's interior. They said yes so I picked it up on the drive home. More about that in a later post.
Now for the arty photo... the view from my rear hatch (if you pardon the expression).
Mmmmm...congratulations, you have found the edit facility on your computer at last. 2/10.
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