COPPERKINS TRIP, APRIL – MAY 2002
This is a report of a trip where we took Copperkins on several tidal waters and explored new (to us) canals - the Selby, Ripon and Pocklington.
Arrived at boat late afternoon and only travelled a couple of miles and 2 locks before mooring at Branston – good pub and good food but apparently landlady only does food if she feels like it. Both very tired so an early night.
Did a good days boating the next day, getting to Sainsbury’s in Nottingham, having moored at Beeston for an hour or so to chat to my cousin.
Next day saw us moored at Cromwell lock mid afternoon, having been buffeted by gale force winds and heavy rain for the last hour or so of the trip. Even the whisky was blown out of my glass. Three boats on the pontoon all waiting for the tide tomorrow. Drinkies on board one of them and we met two couples who were going to be our travelling companions the next day. One couple were liveaboards and very experienced, the others had only done one week hiring three years ago and a trip last autumn taking their boat from Stone to Ventnor Farm Marina at Calcutt. They were apparently out for a run in their car last autumn, saw a sign for a marina called in and paid £2,000 for a mooring. They then bought a boat the next week.
The next morning before we set off a couple of Sikh gentlemen came down to the lock to put some ashes in the river. Apparently this is a designated site for such activity as the water flows to the Ganges. We left Cromwell and made our way to Torksey where we had to moor for the night as the tide was not suitable to get to Keadby in one go.
Next day we set off as instructed by the Keadby lockie at 10am. He phoned when we were passing West Stockwith to see where we were and then told us he would see us at the lock at 2.30 but it soon became apparent that we would be at Keadby lock before that. The tide was taking us down at over 8mph per the GPS system. We therefore arrived at Keadby to find the lock closed, no lock keeper there and a large barge on the lock pontoon. However as Iain stemmed the tide, the lockie arrived and soon had us safe inside – in a hailstorm. We decided to press on to Thorne for the night and doing the lift and swing bridges in a high wind made life interesting – is it always windy here?
Woke the next morning to high winds and at the second swing bridge we needed two BW guys to get us off the banking. We moored above the next lock to fill up with water and it was a very slow tap. Great, we thought, by the time the tank is full, the wind will have dropped. Not so. We had thought of going to Sheffield but a phone call to BW elicited the information that although we could get to Sheffield we might not get back for a while as a lock flight was being dewatered. We decided to head for Ripon instead.
Going along the New Junction canal was interesting as the wind had still not dropped at all. Getting Copperkins off the bank at the bridges was a challenge. Unusually there was a lockie on at the only lock on that canal but it was not for our benefit, a gravel barge was coming down. We met it at the next bridge which was also being operated by BW and this was fortunate as the mechanism broke down and the bridge had to be swung manually. We were very glad we hadn’t tried to operate it on our own. When we turned onto the Aire and Calder we were heading straight into the wind and the waves were about 2 feet high. We moored and even with four ropes out, it felt like being at sea.
Next morning was much better. No wind, just rain.
We turned onto the River Aire and after operating three very heavy locks we reached the Selby canal. This is an unusual canal in that it has high bankings, with the tow path on top, and the water is very clear. There are interesting structures along the Selby and we later discovered that these are for keeping the water pressure each side of the canal the same. This is apparently necessary as the canal is built on sand. We moored at Selby where we had already arranged with the lockie that we would go onto the tidal Ouse in the morning – if the water levels were down.
They were, by about 3 inches, so with warnings that we might have difficulty finding a mooring as they could be under water, we set off. At Naburn lock we said goodbye to the tidal Ouse and entered gin palace land. The boats here are rather grand but according to the lockie, most of them spend their time tootling back and forwards to York. We had planned to stop overnight in York but the friends we had arranged to meet couldn’t make it that night and as the moorings were under water anyway, we pressed on. We eventually moored at Linton Lock on the BW rising pontoon meant for lock working. Only half the boat was on the pontoon but this was more than we sometimes managed! We had a find here as there is a super little pub and restaurant where we were made very welcome. There is a seal in the basin below the lock and the theory is that he came up river about 3 months ago when the river was in flood and he swam over the gates at Naburn lock. We didn’t believe the story at first but we saw the seal next morning and again on our way back down river.
Next day saw us going onto the River Ure and then the Ripon canal. Nice to be on canals again even if the locks were a tight fit for a fifty eight foot boat. Moored in Ripon and I hared up to the Tourist Information office to buy my head of navigation plaque.
Next day saw us retracing our steps to Linton lock where there was yet another tourist attraction – a narrow boat well and truly grounded on a sand bar in the middle of the river which had dropped three feet since we left yesterday. By the time we left next morning no part of the boat was in contact with water but the New Zealand couple on board were not at all concerned at their plight and said they intended waiting till it rained and they could float off again. It might not rain enough for that till September, we were told.
Set off early next morning and again passed through York without stopping – not very good tourists are we? It was fun negotiating all the rowing sculls gathering for a regatta – many of which seemed to have a death wish.. We arrived back at Naburn in plenty of time for our locking out at 2pm in company with another narrow boat and seven GRPs. The skippers of the GRPs made it very clear that they did not want to be held up by “these slow boats” and insisted that they went into the lock first. It was very tempting to go in just a bit too fast but good manners prevailed. We quickly lost sight of the GRPs and the two NBs travelled downriver together. It was very heartening to get to Selby some three hours later to find two GRPs waiting in the river for the lock to be ready. It was even better when the lockie told them to wait till the other NB went into the lock first. Oh, how we smirked as we cruised past on our way to the Derwent. The Ouse here is quite wide but we didn’t meet any other craft before locking into the Derwent an hour later. Here we had to complete a form, part with £12 and get a pollution certificate. There is a pontoon near the lock but as you are not allowed to moor on it overnight, we pressed on to Breighton. Here we moored on a very old pontoon with just three feet of the boat along side. The stern was tied to a tree.
We met some other Copperkins owners here for a meal and two of them, Peter and Elaine Scott stayed with us for the trip to Pocklington.
Next morning we cruised up river, and turned into the Pocklington canal. The hundred yards or so to the lock was extremely shallow and had a bend with overhanging trees. Lots of poling was required to get us to the lock but after we were through it, the water level was fine. This canal is little used and the locks (there are 2 in the navigable bit) are in good condition. The many swing bridges look in good condition too but we found that they needed a good deal of brute force and jumping up and down to get them to move. At one bridge I had to resort to sweeping the gravel from under one end in an attempt to get the gate shut. All too soon we reached Melbourne which is the head of navigation as English nature will not allow boats to pass through the next lock. The locks have been restored but the canal will need dredging if navigation is ever allowed. Had a good lunch in the pub and as it was a lovely day (about the first one we had had) we retraced our steps to the Derwent with, again, much jumping up and down on bridges. We didn’t know if we could get a fifty eight foot boat turned further upstream and after poking our nose up about a 100 yards and attempting to moor on an even more rotten pontoon, we returned to Breighton for the night. We moored in the same place but this time the rear three feet was against the pontoon and the bows were tied to the tree.
We locked out of the Derwent about 4pm next day, just after a couple of three story gin palaces had gone past with a metre high bow wave. Fortunately the lockie saw them coming and kept the gates closed till they were past. Has an uneventful run up to Selby where we again got onto a canal. We cruised on a bit to the Anchor Inn and this was another find. Excellent food and a very convivial atmosphere, even when we left about 12.30am.
Back onto the Aire then the Aire and Calder next day where we moored a few miles outside Goole at a very smelly mooring! There was a factory across the canal which produced some awful aromas. Didn’t enjoy our meal that night.
Next morning we went into Goole and moored up while we walked to have a look at the sea lock and a much bigger River Ouse. Saw a little chandlery and went in on for a prowl around and the owner was the chairman of the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society. He was able to sell us a plaque for the Pocklington which was good as we hadn’t seen any information about plaques when we were on the canal.
Headed back along the Aire and Calder, New Junction canal and the Stainforth and Keadby and amazingly, it was not windy! Moored at Thorne again.
Proceeded to Keadby in the morning in plenty time for our locking out at 4pm. The late hour meant that we had to stop at Torksey again and it was while we were cruising up the Trent that we got a phone call to say one of our cats (being looked after by a neighbour at home) was very ill. She had to be put to sleep the next day.
Next morning, off bright and early to Cromwell where we said good bye to tidal waters for this trip and entered the non tidal river. Moored at Gunthorpe at night on a pontoon.
Next day saw us making for Nottingham again and it was SO nice to be able to work a couple of locks – Castle locks and Beeston. It can get boring hanging on the end of a rope in a lock.
That night we moored at Redhill on the Soar where we had a trip on Runpus before going for an Indian meal in Nottingham with Brian and Susan Dominic, Molly Mockford and Connie Evans.
Late start the next day which saw us back on the Trent and Mersey and heading for our moorings at Barton Turns. We moored that night at Willington where we were entertained by the sea trials of a raft made by some locals for an event to take place in a few weeks time. It cruised remarkably well, being powered by two chaps on bicycle pedals at the back. All went well till a Narrow Boat came the other way and winded. Although the raft stopped well out of the way, the NB owner did not seem to be amused. For us, it just added to the enjoyment of our trip.
Next morning it was raining and we decided to return home rather than go on to Fradley and come back to Barton Turns the next day. Emptied and cleaned the boat in the rain and a high wind (we were getting used to this sort of weather) and headed for home after the boatyard charged up the car battery which was absolutely flat for some reason.
This was an interesting trip with seven spells on tidal rivers, seven spell on non tidal rivers and eleven spells on canals – although some of these were big canals!