Retirement with No Problem

Salters Lock, Middle Levels to Fordham, River Wissey, 2 miles 2 locks

There were a lot of boats to try get to Denver today.. well 6 in total, and all various lengths.  If Paul the lock keeper could get No Problem to sit in the sand and Moore2Life to do the same on the tidal side of Salters Lock, then everyone would make the trip on a “Lazy tide” as the Lock Keeper put it.

As the tide was coming in we were sent into the lock followed by Chas and Ann with NB Moore2Life… both the upstream and downstream gates were open.. the tide evened it out… I tried and tried to push NP out as far as I could .. but she stuck fast, and we sat on the sand….

Again far too much silt around this place.. Although we cleared the lock, we did not get out far enough, and Moore2Life was left in the lock.  Paul had no choice but to shut the gates behind Moore2life or too much salt water would have entered into the Middle Levels as the tide rose.  This left NP and Moore2Life to wait for the incoming tide to float us so we could continue on our way to the Denver Lock complex. He was hoping to get another narrowboat out to sit on the sand so that he could get all 6 narrowboats to Denver today.. NB Solace would have to stay behind and lock through tomorrow..

It took a while for the tide to come in enough to float us, it really was a funny feeling just sitting on the sand, something that has never happened to us before.. Vic was so laid back about it, he decided to make tea and toast.. well we hadn’t had our breakfast yet!!

After waiting about 20 minutes for the tide to rise we soon zoomed to Denver on that incoming tide,  passing boats that had left at the same time as us at the other end of the half mile..

It wasn’t long till we were through Denver Lock, and here I looked back to see Moore2Life following us out and towards the lovely visitor moorings…

Goodness it was so very hot today.. We stayed at Denver until 4pm, trying to keep cool, then moved on up the river and turned left to join the River Wissey before mooring this evening on the lovely GOBA moorings just south of Fordham.