Proper Boating!

So the half term holiday started off rather damp to say the least, with more than 24 hours of rain from the Friday well into Saturday. We had pre booked with Goole Docks, giving them at least the required 24 hours  notice of our departure time for 4pm Saturday for Hull, however when calling them up on the vhf, they informed us that due to traffic we wouldn't be penning out until at least 5pm. All pleasure craft local to Goole Docks know the protocol, that commercial traffic takes priority, however it was at least half an hour after our vhf call that commercial traffic contacted Ocean Lock to make a move. This was very frustrating, due to daylight hours now drawing in, however we just made it into Hull Marina after a fast run, due to the fast failing light, by the 'skin of our teeth'.
It is awkward at Hull at the moment due to their restricted lock operations, due to faulty outer gates. The lock is closing 18th November for 4/6 weeks for repairs, and 'hope' to be operational again for Christmas.
We had a good two days here on the visitor pontoon, before heading back to Goole on the very early am tide, as Peter had to be back to attend a family funeral for Wednesday.

On Thursday morning we returned back to Goole and loaded Moonshine up once again for her trip to Doncaster. It has been at least 7 years since we last headed inland to Doncaster, and thought this would make a nice change to finish the week off. On entering the New Junction, we caught up with Aquarius from South Yorkshire Boat Club, and together we made light work of working the bridges between us.

We parted ways with Aquarius at Barnby Dun, and continued onwards obtaining a good mooring on the Doncaster town visitor moorings after approximately four hours underway.

Since Doncaster wasn't brilliant for exercising the dogs, we headed back downstream to Barnby Dun just after lunch on Friday where dog walking terrain was much better, and fish and chips from the local chippy. Whilst waiting for Peter to be served, I was salivating at the window of the local Chinese takeaway.....maybe next time.

On Saturday the rain was set to return later in the morning, although you wouldn't have thought so whilst walking the dogs in glorious sunshine. We thought it would be best to get a wriggle on and move off to Sykehouse before the forecast heavy rain hit. We departed Barnby Dun around 10.30am, with Helen operating the road bridge. Aquarius had now caught up with us as he had come from Doncaster, however an opportunistic narrowboat whom had been moored on the downstream side of the bridge whistled motioning the fact he wanted to come through also, which wasn't a problem, however he advised another narrowboat was also wanting to come through and that they had cast off and would be quick. Well I am not sure of what their idea of being quick is when you have loads of traffic waiting at that very busy bridge. The bridge had been closed by the time that narrowboat had started to move off the mooring, and unfortunately the owner didn't look very happy. Some people seem to live in their own little world, having no regard for others. Unfortunately your damned if you do and damned if you don't in situations like that, and run the risk of being abused by motorists.
Anyway, after ranting about that incident between ourselves, we kept pace with Aquarius once again working the bridges between ourselves. By the time we arrived at a manned Sykehouse Lock, it was raining quite steadily....it's not pleasant but this is proper boating!
We spent a rather wet night at Sykehouse Lift Bridge, however that didn't seem to stop the firework displays in the village.
Sunday morning brought with it the sunshine which burnt the low mist away, and after a lie in and leisurely dog walk to Sykehouse Lock and back, we were soon underway returning back to base at Goole Boathouse by lunchtime.


We have had a nice week away, with both the combination of tidal and inland work, but it will be back to the 'grind stone' over the next few weeks due to work commitments in the lead up to Christmas. The port injectors are coming out this Monday for refurbishment, and if needs be the starboard injectors at a slightly later date....fingers crossed this doesn't turn into an overly expensive job.

Record Breaker

Upon returning from holiday the other week, myself and and the girls had had enough of tidal work to last us a lifetime due to the wind causing lumpy conditions during most passages (not Peter it seems to be bred into his blood!). We were all set to have a sedate bank holiday weekend up the canal, however now that the winds had died down we really couldn't miss out on the opportunity to visit Hull again.
Hull Marina are still having issues with their outer lock gates, and are only penning 3 locks, 2 hours before, high water, and 2 hours after. It is always prudent to phone ahead, but they are still welcoming visitors to the marina, however upon arrival we had to lay on their waiting wall within the outer basin.

This weekend we had an extra furry crew member...my mum's elderly Yorkshire Terrier who will be 13 next month. She was exceptionally relaxed and well behaved during the trip, unlike our own dogs which at this rate may very well need pacemakers fitting within the next few years!

After lots of shopping and not many dog walks due to this weekends record breaking August bank holiday temperatures, we departed a very full Hull Marina lock on the earliest pen, as the lock keeper was trying to limit the amount of gate operations. 

We traveled at displacement speed until Reeds Island waiting for another Goole boat (Mijo) which was in the following lock pen to catch up with us. By mutual agreement we both decided to plane up to Goole as there were three ships inbound for Goole, and we didn't want to be left waiting for Ocean Lock to deal with the commercial traffic prior to us.

It's been a fabulous weekend, however next weekend Moonshine needs her port turbo tending to. Here's hoping for cooler weather more appropriate to working in the engine room.

Making A Run For It

Day 13. Ipswich to Lowestoft

We are now into our our final week, and slowly making our way back up north. Due to today's forecast wind later in the day ,we had an early 7am start to get to Lowestoft. After penning through Ipswich Lock, we had a steady run down the River Orwell at 6 knots with the ebb and then went up onto the plane at Harwich Breakwater. Conditions were quite lumpy in Hollesley Bay and off Lowestoft, and we were glad to finally arrive at the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club. The winds got up a lot stronger than forecast, and there were some rather impressive waves rolling into the harbour entrance, making navigation difficult/arduous for several yachts entering the harbour. However 'Kingfisher' ABP's brand new pilot boat made very light work of it.
The forecast for the week ahead doesn't look clever at all with yet more wind forecast.

Logged 52.5 Nautical miles

Day 14&15. Lowestoft

We are now itching to get moving again, and as much as we like Lowestoft, we need to make progress towards the Humber before the next batch of bad weather hits. If we don't make that move tomorrow, there will be no alternative but for us to leave Moonshine down here, and for us to return home until the weather abates.

Day 16. Lowestoft to Wells to Grimsby

We departed Lowestoft at 7am with the intention of making Grimsby. We had a decent ish run to Winterton Ness, then as  we headed towards Cromer the sea conditions really chopped up with wind against tide making those pesky crab pots very hard to see and making for an uncomfortable ride. Despite this we still managed to stay on the plane, and decided we would head into Wells for a few nights and considered it was the best thing to do for our dogs. Once moored in Wells Harbour we had lunch and a rest, but more importantly this gave us time to contemplate the forthcoming bad weather forecast and possible sea conditions and the possibility of becoming weather bound in Wells (this happened to us a few years ago, and we swore it would never happen again as it is such an awkward place to get to, and with fast running tide and other boats manoeuvring not carefully!).  Natalie wanted to stay due to the previous bit of a battering, and the weather was beautiful once in the harbour, so it would have been so easy to ensconce ourselves there. However, one of our friends on 'Serenity' had just departed Wells after our arrival, to head north, and said sea conditions were more reasonable...this spurred us on to make a run for it and to cover that final sea leg back to Grimsby, whilst keeping close to Skegness to get a smoother ride. It is safe to say that the Wells to Grimsby trip was by far the best this holiday...not flat calm, but NOT choppy, but most certainly a decision well made! We are now safe and sound and back on home territory. 

Photo courtesy of Henry Young Master of Putford Harvester. Moonshine just departed Lowestoft.

Logged 117.2 Nautical Miles

Day 17,18&19. Grimsby

We have spent a few days in a very windy Grimsby recovering our land legs yet again. We are so glad we made the right call by leaving Wells the other day. Once Sunday day 19 arrived (Peter's final day off work), it became pretty apparent we would be stuck here for yet another day. Monday looks a lot calmer, so it looks like Peter will have to call work to advise of our situation. We are all looking forward to getting back home now, as there is only so much you can do in Grimsby whilst waiting for that all important weather window.

Day 20. Grimsby to Goole

The weather was a lot calmer today to get back to Goole on the pm tide, or so we thought! The morning was spent with the mammoth task of packing up. As soon as the lock gates were open we departed the moorings at Grimsby. We went slow at first as there were some pretty big troughs off Immingham despite the neap tides as there was still a fair bit of wind against tide. As soon as we reached Sand End LF the river calmed off, and we then had a very fast run back up to Goole. Once we reached our mooring at Goole Boathouse we had to tidy all the carnage up in the front cabin, as all the previously neatly packed belongings had spilled out from their bags. 

Logged 34.9 Nautical miles

The last two and a half weeks have passed very quickly. Moonshine, as ever, has run exceptionally well despite a weak port turbo which will be replaced within the very near future, along with the need to replace Moonshine's tender. We have certainly covered some ground this holiday, visiting Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, Essex and finally home to East Yorkshire in some quite choppy seas which were far from pleasant at times....at least we will be able to reminisce about our experiences like old sea dogs.
Planning ahead to next year already, we have decided on a sedate coastal holiday that we can ALL enjoy without rushing from port to port, with our no 1 destination being Wells and actually being able to enjoy our stay next time for a longer period. Once in Wells the wind can do what the hell it likes!
Total Logged 548.2 Nautical miles

A Change Of Plan

Day 6. Ramsgate to Rochester

A change of plan this morning. We would have liked to have moved further down the coast to Eastbourne, but since strong winds are forecast over the next few days we decided to head back and go to Rochester in the Medway. We had a good run at sea into the Thames Estuary, but it was a bit choppy off Whitstable Bay as there was a large fetch for the SW breeze, but once in the lee of the Isle of Sheppey it was a lot smoother. We arrived at Rochester Crusing Club at high water, which made mooring up a lot easier as the tide can run very hard here.

Logged 44.7 Nautical miles

Day 7&8. Rochester

The next few days were spent sight seeing, dog walking, shopping in neighbouring Stroud and relaxing in Rochester with a view to waiting until the strong winds abated. However, even Rochester has succumbed to the UK's homeless population, as there were loads of rough sleepers in shop doorways in the high street.

Day 9. Rochester to Brightlingsea

Time to move on today after three very enjoyable days in Rochester. We ran at displacement speed to Darnet Ness, from where we could plane out of The Medway into The Thames Estuary, heading to the Medway secondary channel. Sea conditions were quite calm, which due to the recent high winds had fortunately been blowing off the land...it would have been a different story had the wind been in the NE. We was against the flood all the way until we entered The Colne Estuary where we then got help from the tide. We arrived off the town moorings just before high water, where we had a short wait for the Harbour Master to escort us into our allocated berth in the East Marina. We have a very pleasant panoramic view across the harbour.

Logged 48.2 Nautical miles

Day 10. Brightlingsea

We spent a lovely day at Brightlingsea, dog walking and looking around the chandler's looking at replacement brands for Moonshine's tender. We would like a slightly bigger version to our Narwhal 240 to accommodate 4 adults and 3 dogs whilst still allowing us stern access. The Narwhal has given us sterling service over the last 15 years, but has now nearly reached the end of its life.
We have loved Brightlingsea, being moored in the East Marina, watching the world go by and will be sorry to leave.

Day 11. Brightlingsea to Ipswich

We left Brightlingsea as soon as there was enough water over the sill, and had a good fast but short run against the tide to Harwich, where we dropped off the plane and then went steady up The River Orwell. Once in Ipswich we came through the lock on the level and immediately took on fuel. Time to relax once again amongst the hustle and bustle of busy Ipswich.

Logged 32.6 Nautical miles

Day 12. Ipswich

We have had fun exploring the vast marina and town that has some impressive historic buildings. We popped into the most prestigious Lakeland store that is known as Ancient House in the Buttermarket area  which dates from the 15th century. Considering Natalie hates the Lakeland store, she rather enjoyed investigating it's quirky layout, and didn't bat an eyelid whilst I spent ages debating with myself whether I could justify a £20 spend on 16 large pegs to fit Moonshine's tubular rails for drying towels etc.
As ever we have loved it here, but time to move on once again back to Lowestoft, where hopefully we can purchase another 7" fan, as one of ours has just this minute packed up!

Baking Hot

Day 1. Goole to Grimsby

Leaving Ocean Lock on the first pen didn't quite go according to plan this morning, due to outbound commercial traffic  delaying us somewhat. However, once underway we enjoyed a flat calm passage to Grimsby in the baking hot sunshine, entering the Fish Docks on the very last of the level with only minutes to spare before the gates closed.
Tomorrow, we are unsure if our destination will be Wells next the Sea or Lowestoft (the latter being our preferred choice being the start of our holidays), but this decision will be very much weather dependent.

Logged 37.5 Nautical miles

Day 2. Grimsby to Wells next the Sea

Another hot day and the decision was made to head to Wells, as later in the day the weather was forecast to blow up making a trip further down the coast unpleasant. We had a slightly bumpy passage in a SE 4 with wind against tide, but the welcoming sight of the Norfolk coastline was a fine sight to see. As it turned out we probably could have made Lowestoft, as the predicted rather impressive storms hit Wells later that evening, bringing with it some extremely wild windy weather.

Logged 54.4 Nautical miles

Day 3. Wells to Ramsgate

Today was a lot cooler, still warm at 25 degrees, but more acceptable than the mid thirties of the previous two days. We decided to cover as much ground as possible, and after departing Wells as soon as there was enough water we headed straight for Lowestoft to the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club for fuel. The sea state was very smooth until Sheringham to Winterton Ness, and from there it smoothed out again. We departed Lowestoft on smooth to glassy seas, whilst not quite decided if we would head to Harwich or Ramsgate. Since I was keen to make Ramsgate whilst the sea state was calm, a decision I quickly learnt to regret when we hit very choppy seas in a SWF5 outside of the Thames Estuary approaching the Kent coast for a full arduous hour. Battling approximately one meter wave heights with wind against tide from Kentish Knock to North Foreland, which for a 35 foot boat isn't very pleasant. When in sight Ramsgate's pier entrance was a very welcomed sight indeed.

Logged 125 Nautical miles

Day 4 & 5. Ramsgate

Today (day 4), certainly wouldn't have been a day for crossing the Thames Estuary, after checking the wave bouys on Cefas. Lottie is utterly exhausted (remember she was the one hit worst with a recent gastro bug). She pants a lot whilst underway, even in calm conditions, so we have to keep them hydrated using a small syringe as she refuses to drink whilst the engine is running. After yesterday's long sea passage and after checking the weather, we are enjoying a few days in port to recover our 'land legs', and will treat ourselves to a Weatherspoon's on The Royal Victoria Pavilion which incidentally is the largest in the country. One thing we have noticed since last visiting Ramsgate, are the amount of homeless and rough sleepers in the town and harbour. The town has certainly become more run down and deprived since our last visit. Hopefully tomorrow morning we can move on further along the coast.

Fighting Fit

This weekend the tides were just right for a trip to Hull.  We had a nice calm run each way, however on Sunday the river was especially smooth due to the forecast light airs.
The new flood defence scheme has started on Victoria Dock Village, and the western section of the river promenade has been closed off, resulting in a detour around the residential village to get to the eastern end for our afternoon dog walk.

Thankfully the dogs are all back to full health after our last holiday to Newark and Nottingham.
They all had contracted a nasty gastro bug which took a full 7 days each to recover from, resulting in a two night vet hospital stay for Lottie as her back end had gone due to dehydration. We have since learnt that Sconce and Devon Park in Newark where we had enjoyed several dog walks now has notices up advising dog owners/walkers of an outbreak of Parvovirus. We suspect they had picked the bug up from here, but we will never know. The vet even checked Lottie for Alabama Rot due to us having been to Nottinghamshire, but we were advised this takes a hold very quickly (which we knew) and that it is often fatal.
Thankfully they are all back to their usual noisy selves and fighting fit once again. Hopefully our main summer holiday aboard Moonshine in a few weeks will be a lot more enjoyable experience.

Poorly Dogs on Holiday

A week last Saturday, armed with new starter batteries, we had a long days cruise from Goole to Newark stopping at Torksey to let the tide build and let the dogs off. Upon arrival at Cromwell, there were no vacant moorings hence the busy bank holiday weekend, so we had no choice but to continue onto Newark after being advised not to moor at Nether Lock due to potential antisocial behaviour. We didn't even expect a mooring in Newark town, however there was loads of space on the wall near Castle Barge.

After a few days spent in Newark, we headed upstream to Stoke for two nights, with a trip to Nottingham mooring on the visitor pontoon at Meadow Lane Lock.

We then trundled back down river on Thursday to Farndon, and was lucky enough to lay on the CRT visitor pontoon, avoiding Farndon Harbour's (in our opinion) hefty charges for their river pontoon with no facilities or security. At this stage we knew Scout was 'a bit off' in the bottom department but otherwise fine. We found a nice farm shop called Hardy's where we were able to purchase some chicken to aid settling her.

We headed back down river to Newark on Friday for some lunch and shopping, before heading back downstream to wait at Cromwell for the tide, before heading to a very busy Torksey Cut. Upon arrival there was no available mooring, however we noticed that a narrow boat which was moored economically right at the end of the pontoon could move back a touch to enable us to squeeze our stern onto the end. The narrowboater was very good and pulled as far back, when asked, allowing us access ashore.  Another cruiser arrived about an hour later and you could see the dismayed look on their faces, until we invited them alongside. They departed just after 4am bound for Wells next the Sea. Just after their departure, Lottie our other dog started panting quite distressed until she was let into the saloon where puppy pads were still down for Scout, relieving herself immediately on the pads. She normally would be mortified and upset at doing her business on the boat or even in the house, but she must have known that that is what the pads intended use is for....better out than in I always say!

On Saturday morning we departed a now deserted Torksey Cut, and thought we would head downstream and wait at the Gainsborough pontoon so that the trip wouldn't be as long without a toilet break for the dogs. This also gave us more water over the notoriously shallow part of Marton Bend. Getting towards spring tides now and with hardly any rain to speak of recently, parts of the river were very shallow. We departed Gainsborough after a three hour break to meet the flood tide at Keadby and planed back to Goole. Once safely back at Goole Boathouse, we quickly loaded up the car to get back home.

It now seems plain egg for breakfast and a bland mix of chicken and white rice for tea  is on the doggy menu for the next few days...as upon returning home Tia got the dreaded dog bug also. 
During Sunday, Lottie went downhill rapidly due to dehydration and a trip to the emergency vets in Morley, Leeds was required. The vet was ready to prescribe medication until she saw Lottie had no strength to hold her weight on her back legs so then decided to keep her in overnight due to her dehydration and discomfort. What was an enjoyable trip away has now ended with a sour taste left in our mouths.