Tuesday 8th May 2012
West Stockwith Basin to Saxilby Visitor Moorings
07:00 Up to find the sun shining down once more. Off with the dogs for a run along the tow-path. There are dog poo bags and collection boxes along this section. In the main there was little poo to be seen when compared to tow-paths elsewhere.
08:00 had a text from Sue the Lock keeper to say we can leave between 08:30 and 9:00. At 08:55 we were released onto the Trent. There was a strong flow and the trick is not to steer the boat with the tiller. Just aim for the far bank and let the flood tide swing the nose round. In this was the boat rolls a little bit. To much on the tiller and the boat will roll quite a bit.
With the engine on tickover we were doing about 6 knots and not using a lot of diesel. We were going with the flow so to speak. The river was carrying a great number of floating trees which gave us something of a slalom course to steer.
10:55 we arrived at Torksey Lock. We slowed for one boat to leave the moorings and go onto Trent. Then we were through onto the Fossdyke and cruising in the warm sunshine. Soon we passed the mooring that Rosies previous owners had used and where we had collected Rosie from. So in a way, Rosie had done a large circular cruise before returning to her old haunts. So after 686 days or 98 Weeks and 683.5 miles and 652 locks the circle was completed. A lady on a nearby boat recognised Rosie and asked us if we were coming back. Even the Lockie at Torksey mistook us for Linda and Ken and said "welcome back."
13:00 we arrived at Saxilby and moored up. A short time later we moved further down the visitor moorings away from the very noisy railway station and the railway line. Later we saw one of those early warning aircraft with the huge dome above the aircraft tail fly over very low and slow.
Wildlife: The best spot of the day was a Barn Owl quartering a field at around 10:30 as we came up the Trent. A few Skylarks, a good number of Sedge Warbler. Redshank and a pair of Great Crested Grebe and a single Little Grebe. The best butterfly was a Painted Lady and large numbers of Meadow Browns
We met up with the crew of Nb "Mary A" again.
Daily Total
Miles: 20.3
Locks: 2
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 4.2
Miles: 20.3
Locks: 2
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 4.2
Accumulated Totals
Miles: 688.4
Miles: 688.4
Locks: 652
Swing / Lift Bridges: 114
Tunnels: 6
Pump Outs: 9
Engine Hours: 2109.0
Later....
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