Keadby to West Stockwith

[Scholar Gypsy]

Good views from the hill at Gringley-on-the-Hill, pub nearby. One should be able to see Lincoln.

Edited October 17, 2019 by Scholar Gypsy

[noddyboater]

42 minutes ago, MHS said:

It’s a beautiful day after the wind and rain yesterday. Hoping to get towards Retford tonight but slow progress as it’s pretty shallow still. It’s 5 years since we’ve been up here, are there still moorings at the Hop Pole? I think it’s just reopened. 

 

Yes there are moorings outside the Hop Pole which has indeed recently opened again. We haven’t been in yet but have heard that it’s aiming for the upper end of the pub market, or a restaurant that serves drinks in other words. 

If you want a real pub try the Kings Arms at Clarborough, there’s more than a good chance I’ll be sampling an ale or two in there later.. Avoid the canalside Gate Inn though unless you want a meal. Terrible beer. 

[MHS]

Thanks for the advice. We will be pottering up and down until the floods ease & tides suit our trip up to Cromwell, so will have time to explore. 

[Momac]

West Stockwith pubs

Earlier this year the landlord at the waterfront boasted at great length about his fastidious beer keeping and immediately served  me a pint that was well on the way to becoming vinegar! I thought the food there edible but really not good value.

The white hart own brand beer is cheap but it is not going to win any prizes. The food however very much makes up for that and must be the best value of any pub grub. We almost always have one meal there when visiting . Like most things  it is not going to last forever as the product is very much down to the energy of the landlord and landlady team for which it has been a way of life for the best part of 10 years.

[Jim Riley]

Why did the locky send the boat out late, they can ascertain the amount of fresh, state of tide and make a sensible prediction as to the best time to set off out to arrive at the right time, no stemming the flow for ages. Just what is the issue? It could well lead to problems at some point. Do they not have the knowledge, if not why not, is it safe to employ them on that job? 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

Why did the locky send the boat out late, they can ascertain the amount of fresh, state of tide and make a sensible prediction as to the best time to set off out to arrive at the right time, no stemming the flow for ages. Just what is the issue? It could well lead to problems at some point. Do they not have the knowledge, if not why not, is it safe to employ them on that job? 

 

I ask the Trent lockies for their suggestions, make my own calculations and where they differ I use mine.

 

Except for Cromwell, it appears that they can 'drag' someone off bankside duties (grass cutting etc) and get them to man the locks. Knowledge levels are very (lets be kind) 'variable'.

Mind you - it may have changed as I've not been up to Keadby or Stockwith for a couple of years.

[MHS]

2 hours ago, Jim Riley said:

Why did the locky send the boat out late, they can ascertain the amount of fresh, state of tide and make a sensible prediction as to the best time to set off out to arrive at the right time, no stemming the flow for ages. Just what is the issue? It could well lead to problems at some point. Do they not have the knowledge, if not why not, is it safe to employ them on that job? 

To be fair, the Trent was all on red boards. We knew that this was only a trip to be done with a decent boat and experienced crew. There was loads of fresh and he hadn’t seen the tide change to incoming as it would have been dark and before their shift started. 

We made it fine, but it would have been less stressful if we’d been out 30-60 minutes earlier. I definitely wouldn’t have fancied fouling our prop on the trip. 

[Momac]

3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Mind you - it may have changed as I've not been up to Keadby or Stockwith for a couple of years.

Keadby lock keepers were professional when we went in there unexpectedly in July due to transmission issues on our friends boat. One of them I recognised and has been on duty there since we started boating in 2008. 

 

West Stockwith experienced lock keeper is pretty good. In September the apprentice  was a bit quiet but there were no issues. 

 

 

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I ask the Trent lockies for their suggestions, make my own calculations and where they differ I use mine.

 

Except for Cromwell, it appears that they can 'drag' someone off bankside duties (grass cutting etc) and get them to man the locks. Knowledge levels are very (lets be kind) 'variable'.

Mind you - it may have changed as I've not been up to Keadby or Stockwith for a couple of years.

The Boating Association, I gather, are looking to include more information on passage planning in a future edition of their guide. Like you, I prefer to try and work it out myself and then check it with them rather than just follow the lock keeper's suggestions blindly!

[Momac]

To be fair there are a lot  of variables which ,below Gainsborough, mean any mathematical passage plan can easily be half an hour out.

[peterboat]

2 hours ago, MHS said:

To be fair, the Trent was all on red boards. We knew that this was only a trip to be done with a decent boat and experienced crew. There was loads of fresh and he hadn’t seen the tide change to incoming as it would have been dark and before their shift started. 

We made it fine, but it would have been less stressful if we’d been out 30-60 minutes earlier. I definitely wouldn’t have fancied fouling our prop on the trip. 

I fouled mine a couple of years ago and clipped the Gainsborough railway bridge hard!! no control at all  scary to say the least