Day 2 – Sunday 1 July 2007 Owston Ferry to Newark 07:45 – 16:35 39 Miles 9 Hours (ave 4.3 mph) 2 Locks
We left Owston Ferry early in the morning to catch the tide, which never really happened. We did get a small push at first, but it soon ran out, and by Stockwith it was flowing out at quite a lick. After Torksey, which we reached in just under 4 hours, we were pushing a 2.5 mph flow, and only keeping our speed up by hiding in the slack water on the inside of bends. We had a couple of showers, one was very heavy with hale stones thrown in. I think Cromwell Lock was quite surprised when we phoned up, and he seemed quite impressed that we made it through the flood waters. The rise at Cromwell was small, as the waters were a lot higher below than above. The reason soon became apparent as we slowed to 3mph in the full force of the waters. Cromwell radioed ahead to Newark Nether, who was also quite shocked to here a boat was on the move (first one all week), but Cromwell told him we had come across the Humber – which presumably means something around here. We struggled through the strong flow, with few bends to break the flow, but as we left the weir behind the flow slowed a little. Nether called up again, wanting to know where we were. When I told him the A1 bridge, he said we were a lot further than he thought we would be! The flow out of the main river as it joined the Newark Dyke was again very strong, and slowed us to 2.6 mph, but once passed we sped up to 5.3 mph. A boat was moored above the lock, waiting to go down to Torksey – we couldn't work out why he didn't go as it would be easy for him going down, but he was worried about stopping... The lock keeper said we could moor at the lock, but we continued up and got a pump out at Kings Marina. The water level on the Newark level wasn't to far off normal now, but there was still a good flow on it. The gates at Newark were still closed, and though Newark Lock did mention when I phoned them earlier they were going to try and open them this evening, it was obviously to early. Newark also said that the level was rising at Sawley again, and so we might only get a short chance. Nether told us they were going to try again in the morning, and so after mooring up above bridge to have a look at the gates (not much water difference really). We had some mediocre chips from the chippie on the main road, and returned to the marina for a quieter night. -- Michael Askin http://shoestring_DOT_zapto_DOT_org/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
