The summer 2009 trip

[Naughty Cal]

Decided it is really time we should start planning the first of our excursions this summer. Our late summer holiday will be the Broads however we fancied somewhere we hadnt been for the first trip. The fens was the first place that sprung to mind.

 

Bank holiday we are going to Spalding (not too adventurous i know), But June/July we were hoping to head down towards Cambridge.

 

Any advise on good/bad routes would be much appreciated and good/bad mooring spots would also be very helpful.

[magpie patrick]

Decided it is really time we should start planning the first of our excursions this summer. Our late summer holiday will be the Broads however we fancied somewhere we hadnt been for the first trip. The fens was the first place that sprung to mind.

 

Bank holiday we are going to Spalding (not too adventurous i know), But June/July we were hoping to head down towards Cambridge.

 

Any advise on good/bad routes would be much appreciated and good/bad mooring spots would also be very helpful.

 

NOT TOO ADVENTUROUS!!! SPALDING!!! I know your boat is a different animal to us canally types but I'd give my eye teeth to get a boat to Spalding! Are you going through Fulney Lock? I suspect your 8 foot 2 headroom may restrict how far you can get above there. It may also be problematic at some locations on the Fens, especially the middle level, but as you can scoot round on the Wash that might not be a problem for you

[Naughty Cal]

We can fold the arch and get 6'5" air draft if need be.

 

Just thought i should add we will have two weeks to do this adventure plus a further weekend so 16 days. Two of which will be getting to Boston and back to access the wash.

[starman]

Definitely join GOBA (Great Ouse Boating Association) which gives you access to many good mooring spots they have created on the Ouse network.There are decent EA 48 hour moorings around too. The bottom end of the Ouse between Denver Sluice and Ely is wide and a bit straight but the tributaries – Little Ouse, Lark, Wissey are pretty and well worth exploring. Ely itself has excellent moorings along the city centre riverside and much to see. Above Ely the river splits to the Cam which is easy down to Cambridge but can be busy with rowers at the city end and the Old West River which will take you to Hermitage lock where there is the tidal New Bedford link back to Denver Sluice - you'll need to take advice on using this as it can get shallow.

 

Apart from Cambridge, which can be busy, there's plenty of mooring and the whole area is rarely crowded -- easily do-able in the time you have. It might be tempting to buzz down the New Bedord as a shortcut to the Cam but, personally, I think Ely, the Wissey and the Lark with its little steam engine museum at Prickwillow are highlights not to miss.

[Naughty Cal]

Definitely join GOBA (Great Ouse Boating Association) which gives you access to many good mooring spots they have created on the Ouse network.There are decent EA 48 hour moorings around too. The bottom end of the Ouse between Denver Sluice and Ely is wide and a bit straight but the tributaries – Little Ouse, Lark, Wissey are pretty and well worth exploring. Ely itself has excellent moorings along the city centre riverside and much to see. Above Ely the river splits to the Cam which is easy down to Cambridge but can be busy with rowers at the city end and the Old West River which will take you to Hermitage lock where there is the tidal New Bedford link back to Denver Sluice - you'll need to take advice on using this as it can get shallow.

 

Apart from Cambridge, which can be busy, there's plenty of mooring and the whole area is rarely crowded -- easily do-able in the time you have. It might be tempting to buzz down the New Bedord as a shortcut to the Cam but, personally, I think Ely, the Wissey and the Lark with its little steam engine museum at Prickwillow are highlights not to miss.

 

Thank you. Our draft is around 2'11" but we can lift the drive should we need to. This still only makes our draft 2' though.

[Neil TNC]

NOT TOO ADVENTUROUS!!! SPALDING!!! I know your boat is a different animal to us canally types but I'd give my eye teeth to get a boat to Spalding! Are you going through Fulney Lock? I suspect your 8 foot 2 headroom may restrict how far you can get above there. It may also be problematic at some locations on the Fens, especially the middle level, but as you can scoot round on the Wash that might not be a problem for you

 

Since Fossdyke Marina opened, to use as a stop off place, to get the tides right, it is childs play. Here are some slightly adventurous versions.

 

Welland

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_01/fen8.html

 

Glen

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_04/Tour04_19.html

To make things more interesting, we did the outward journey in the dark - not as daft as it seems, tides were right (you need high springs to be sure of draught at Surfleet Sluice and to a lesser degree at Fulney Lock) low winds, we knew the route, had GPS track and it is magically markered (like a Xmas tree at Tabs Head!)

 

Obviously you can go back to Boston, instead of going across the Wash on the way back. A narrowboat will fit the airdraught dimensions of Surfleet Sluice, access to the River Glen (6ft air draught 14.6 ft wide). To do the Welland or Glen you don't have to go out into the Wash proper, it is not that exposed (only for a short time at Tabs Head), as you are behind training walls, for most of the route. Due to having to travese Fulney Lock and Surfleet Sluice at level water on a falling tide (EA do not like salty water into their fishing lake, sorry navigation) It is impossible to do the passage between on one tide. For some reason EA did not like using Fulney Lock as ...err... a lock! Maybe this will change as they plan to spend some money on it.

Since we did the Welland the low Four Mile Bar footbridge on the Welland has been raised, to minimum 3m. EA do now not like private boats in the Coronation Channel (flood channel round Spalding).

For trail boaters, there is a nice slipway at the Welland Yot Club, (£5 a day) and a new one on the River Glen at Surfleet.

You can do these EA navigations on a Gold Licence*, we found having a Gold licence helped as EA could not then wriggle out of "bothering" to send out staff for Fulney Lock. The Sluice keeper at Surfleet Sluice we found very helpful.

 

Gold Licence*

I got my moneys worth out of it in 2001, Welland, Nene, Great Ouse, Medway and Thames

[Naughty Cal]

We plan on buying visitor liciences for both trips. Dont think its worth paying for a Gold one for three weeks tops.

[MoominPapa]

We plan on buying visitor liciences for both trips. Dont think its worth paying for a Gold one for three weeks tops.

You can buy an EA visitor license at Gayton Marina, before you set off down the Rothersthorpe flight to the Nene. They will also sell you the EA equivalent of a BW key.

 

Beware of low bridges on Well Creek. The official headroom of Upwell church bridge is 6'-5" (It's also quite shallow, but we get a 2'10" depth narrowboat along, so you should manage). Plan to stock up with heavy provisions before Upwell.

 

MP.

[ditchcrawler]

We plan on buying visitor liciences for both trips. Dont think its worth paying for a Gold one for three weeks tops.

I think you will find a month licence cheaper.

Brian

[Naughty Cal]

I think you will find a month licence cheaper.

Brian

 

We are doing the trip in two though. Not a continual trip of three weeks. It will be four days (ish) then two weeks later in the year.

[Hairy-Neil]

You can buy an EA visitor license at Gayton Marina, before you set off down the Rothersthorpe flight to the Nene.

 

MP.

 

Phylis's boat is far too big for Rothersthorpe, she's coming via the sea.

[MoominPapa]

Phylis's boat is far too big for Rothersthorpe, she's coming via the sea.

D'oh!. Of course she is. Ignore me. And the bit about Well Creek. (Wanders off, mumbling).

 

MP.

[Naughty Cal]

D'oh!. Of course she is. Ignore me. And the bit about Well Creek. (Wanders off, mumbling).

 

MP.

 

Its the thought that counts

[Neil TNC]

I think you will find a month licence cheaper.

Brian

 

Indeed, rather more so if Phylis has a rivers only BW licence.

 

A weekly and monthly EA Anglian Region short term licence would be about the same as the Gold top up amount on a BW Canals and Rivers Licence. If Phylis has a rivers only BW licence it would still be a fair bit cheaper to have the two short term licences.

Edited February 11, 2009 by Neil Arlidge

[Athy]

Upwell Church bridge is indeed a bit of a booger: it's set at an angle so you can't see what's coming until you're actaully entering it and is lower at the church end than at the other end. Luckily there is rarely anything coming, though we did encounter another narrowboat there on Christmas Day 2007!But there is at least one bridge further along, at Nordelph between Salter's Lode and Outwell, which is probably lower. If you can get under that one you can get under any bridge on the Middle Levels.

[Neil TNC]

Upwell Church bridge is indeed a bit of a booger: it's set at an angle so you can't see what's coming until you're actaully entering it and is lower at the church end than at the other end. Luckily there is rarely anything coming, though we did encounter another narrowboat there on Christmas Day 2007!But there is at least one bridge further along, at Nordelph between Salter's Lode and Outwell, which is probably lower. If you can get under that one you can get under any bridge on the Middle Levels.[

 

 

Now that Ramsey Hollow Bridge is raised (on the 40ft), Exhibition Bridge is the lowest on the Middle Level.

This is on the River Nene Old Course, variable level section below Lodes End Lock. We were lucky and with a quick bit of improvisation we got under.

[Naughty Cal]

Dont think we will go that way.

[MoominPapa]

Upwell Church bridge is indeed a bit of a booger: it's set at an angle so you can't see what's coming until you're actaully entering it and is lower at the church end than at the other end. Luckily there is rarely anything coming, though we did encounter another narrowboat there on Christmas Day 2007!But there is at least one bridge further along, at Nordelph between Salter's Lode and Outwell, which is probably lower. If you can get under that one you can get under any bridge on the Middle Levels.

Even Exhibition Bridge and Infields Bridge? I'm asking because we've been through Nordelph no problems but not tried those, and the ML nav notes imply they are much lower (5" for Exhibition). We'd struggle at five feet, but if the numbers in the Nav notes are wrong (and I have know it!) then we might be OK.

 

 

BTW, I came across mention in the Commissioner's Annual Report of a boating fatality at Infields bridge. Have you heard about that? It would be good to know of any lurking dangers there.

 

MP.

 

Edited to say: Looks like Neil beat me to it. I'll have to see if the Morco chimney is detachable. This photo shows that Melaleuca is a low-slung sports-model. It's the one with burgundy panels. The black semi-trad in front of Melaleuca is, I think, a Liverpool shell. Certainly the one behind is, but that's moored the other way round so bow-to-stern comparisons are not valid.

 

Edited February 11, 2009 by MoominPapa

[Neil TNC]

Even Exhibition Bridge and Infields Bridge? I'm asking because we've been through Nordelph no problems but not tried those, and the ML nav notes imply they are much lower (5" for Exhibition). We'd struggle at five feet, but if the numbers in the Nav notes are wrong (and I have know it!) then we might be OK.

 

 

BTW, I came across mention in the Commissioner's Annual Report of a boating fatality at Infields bridge. Have you heard about that? It would be good to know of any lurking dangers there.

 

MP.

 

Edited to say: Looks like Neil beat me to it. I'll have to see if the Morco chimney is detachable. This photo shows that Melaleuca is a low-slung sports-model. It's the one with burgundy panels. The black semi-trad in front of Melaleuca is, I think, a Liverpool shell. Certainly the one behind is, but that's moored the other way round so bow-to-stern comparisons are not valid.

 

Infields Bridge (20ft River) is certainly the next lowest on the through routes.

ISTR we measured this at 1.75m at the centre (the two girders are curved)

 

If you ever get up Great Raveley Drain, trying going (gently) through the control sluice and see how far you can get up Monks Lode. Is is worth persisting up the VERY narrow New Dyke as there is a winding point at the end, dredged many years ago by John Shotbolt.

It is all there at:

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_01/fensindex.html

[MoominPapa]

If you ever get up Great Raveley Drain, trying going (gently) through the control sluice and see how far you can get up Monks Lode.

I think the the MLC must have read your website, Neil, there's now a prominent notice on the sluice saying "Limit of Navigation"! We've discovered the hard way that you can't wind 60ft just downstream on the sluice, it's necessary to reverse back to the wiggle at the boundary of the nature reserve where it will _just_ go round.

Is is worth persisting up the VERY narrow New Dyke as there is a winding point at the end, dredged many years ago by John Shotbolt.

That's on the list.

It is all there at:

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_01/fensindex.html

It's a great resource. Many thanks for all your efforts in producing it.

 

MP.

[Neil TNC]

I think the the MLC must have read your website, Neil, there's now a prominent notice on the sluice saying "Limit of Navigation"!

 

MP.

 

I think we have been responsible for a few "No navigation" notices!

I was going to say something about EA (flood control)...but I won't.