Back home at Floods Ferry moorings

We left Whittlesey moorings at 9:30 in sunny but cool weather, descended Ashline Lock and travelled on to Floods Ferry.   I drove the boat most of the way whilst Denise was packing.  There was a lot of vegetation in the water, initially from debris left by the weeed-cutter boat, and further on significant amounts of blanket weed.  We had to stop twice to clear the prop.

We arrived home at 12:45.

Statistics: 6.62 miles, 1 lock, 3hours 15 minutes cruising

Total 3 week journey: 128.53 miles, 52 locks, 63 hours 30 mins cruising

Whittlesey - nearly home

Last night we ate at the Dog in a Doublet. Good beer, including a mild which Denise enjoys, and a moderate meal.  The focus is on flame grilled meat, and there was lots of it in our meal with some thin fries and a bit of coleslaw.

Wind turbines and the Whittlesey Brick Works seen from the Nene

Moored at Wittlesey again

We left our moorings early for us at 8:50 as we were booked to descend Stanground Lock in Peterborough at 12am and had things to do first.  The journey was enhanced by a good view of 2 kingfishers.  On arrival at Peterborough we turned the boat around,  partly filled the water tank and emptied the waste tank.  So Densie is now ready to be left for the winter.

We arrived at Stanground just before our due time and the lock keeper let us through immediately. The lock took us down about 4 ft 6in from the river to the Middle Levels.  Travel thourgh the Middle Levels was slow as the waterway is shallow and narrow with a surprising amount of blanket weed still in the water, presumably encouraged by the sunny weather.  On the positive side the water was full of fish which could be clearly seen from the boat.

We moored at Whittlesey Recreation Ground, where we had stayed nearly 3 weeks ago, at 13:15.  After a rest we completed the job of washing the boat.

Statistics: 10.39 miles 1 Lock 3 hours 55 minutes cruising

Dog in a Doublet - the final lock on the Nene

Last night we had a good meal at the Tap and Tandoor, a gastropub serving an interesting range of small brewery beers and excellent indian food.  I was very impressed when the lady at the table next to ours picked a long green chilli from one or their dishesand put  it straight in her mouth.  She then started making strange noises and her face went red. She had thought it was a green bean.  Sadly her family, us, and the waiter though it rather funny.

A busy day today .  First job in the morning was to clean the top of the boat.  It has not been cleaned for some time and was looking very dirty. That done, after talking to the crew of the boat next to us we decided to fill up with diesel at the nearby Peterborough Boat Centre rather than follow our original plan to go on to March past our marina to fill up there which would have added an extra 2 hours to the journey.

On the way to Dog in a Doublet Lock

The Lock in sight

Moored at Dog in a Doublet

From there we set out for the Dog and Doublet Lock, named after the adjacent pub.  This is the first (or last) lock on the Nene taking the river down to tidal waters. Leaving Peterborough the wide and nearly straight river took us across flat fen country for 4.5 miles which provided little shelter from the blustery wind.  Not too exciting but it had to be done, "because it's there" and is not often visited by passing boaters.

Before

After

We arrived at the EA moorings near the lock at 14:20 having turned the boat around so we could wash the starboard side.  Denise then had the opportunity to touch up the paintwork which had got scratched in the past few cruises.

Statistics: 6m, 0 locks, 2 hours 20 mins cruising.

Return to Peterborough

The weather this morning was pretty unpleasant.  There had been rain most of the night and when we awoke everything was grey and damp.  We waited until 11am before setting out in the hope that the weather would clear.  But it didnt, and there was continual fine rain for much of the journey.

We arrived in Peterborough at 13:20 after eating lunch on the move.  We had planned to go further but the weather did not make us enthusiastic.  Conditions are expected to be better tomorrow.

Statistics: 5.62m, 2 locks, 2 hours 20 mins

Alwalton Lock

Sunset last nght

Another perfect cruising day.  We left late at 11:20 as we are in no hurry and wanted to get to our planned destination of Alwalton after people out for the weekend had left - there are no other moorings in the area.

Between Woddford and Water Newton

A parachute rather than a kite

On our journey I failed again to get a decent picture of a kite but hope the parachutist makes up for it.  We saw several groups of about 6 people floating down after, we think, having been dropped by a small plane that apeared several times.

We arrived at the FOTRN moorings at Alwalton at 15:40 which appeared to be full.  Helpfully another boat moved back a few feet so we could just squeeze in with a few inches to spare.

Statistics: 9.77mile, 4 locks, 4 hours 20 minutes

Elton

We set off from Oundle at 9:00 and cruised fairly slowly in wonderful boating weather: blue skies, minimal breeze, comfortably warm but not too hot and the scenery is lovely with trees along one side of the river and pasture on the other.

Buzzard on hay bale.

We had good sightings of both red kite and buzzards.  I have been trying to get a decent photo of the former for some time but still no luck, they tend to move too quickly for one to be able to find them with the highest camera magnification and the automatic focus does not have chance to work well.  However there was more luck with a buzzard, one was stood on a hay bale and did not move as we passed by.

We are now moored at the delightful village of Elton at the unofficial moorings just above the lock along with 5 other boats.  After mooring we walked into the village to see whether we should eat out this evening at the pub, but they were fully booked so another another meal onbard.

Statistics: 6.61 m 3 locks 3 hours 35 mins cruising

Oundle

Wadenhoe Church

Much better weather today, blue skies and very little wind.  We left Peartree at 10:15, travelled through Wadenhoe with its ancient church overlooking the river and down a couple of locks to arive at Upper Barnwell Lock where there is a water tap.  We filled up and cruised on. 

One of the problems with cruising on the Nene is that there are very few opportunities to dump domestic rubbish.  We now have 3 bags of the stuff in the front well of the boat.  FOTRN has an agreement with the Oundle Cruising Club just below Upper Barnwell Lock for members to use their rubbish bins but we could not see anywhere to moor.

Moored at Oundle

We arrived at Oundle at 14:45 and moored at the unofficial moorings near the old bridge into town.  There are signs from the local Angling Society say boaters should leave by 8am.  However I doubt we will be up by then so we will see what happens.

The reason for moorng at Oundle is the nearby Waitrose where we stocked up for the next 2 days.