Fenland Tour 2001 Page 10

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Tour 2001

Fenland Tour Summer 2001

10 - Spalding to Surfleet Seas End - River Welland, Tidal River Welland and Tidal River Glen.

Saturday 7th July 2001

We woke up late for a 07.00 start. We had to be at Fulney Lock for a straight through on the level before high water locking at 07.30. We were soon in the open and waiting lock at 07.20. We gave the two EA guys a wave who were sitting in their EA Landrover (with wide wheels!!!) They came out and exchanged pleasantries. The outer outward facing flood pointy gates had about a foot to go (07.45).
Just before the level was made they wandered back to the Landrover and shut the door. As the level was made the outer doors came open a bit, but they did not come out of the Landrover. Neil gave a shout then they eventually did, then gave some incomprehensible drivel about not being able to let us through until the falling tide as the tide would close the doors on us!!! ........of course they made NO attempt to use the structure as a lock, the upper inner gates were left open all the time. We were both inside the chamber. This seemed incomprehensible and was an obvious extra overtime ploy, with ABSOLUTELY NO REGARD FOR OUR SAFETY!!!.............Neil shall be making more of this with the EA Welland / Glen Navigation / Flood Control Manager.
Neil pointed out to everybody that the next falling tide level would not be until around 09.30 and there was no way we would get down to Surfleet Seas End and through the single guillotine and pointy outer flood doors Surfleet Lock onto the Glen. At 09.30 exactly we passed out, straight through, flat out! About half way down to Surfleet we heard from Richard, the Surfleet Sluice keeper that the river was level and he could keep the guillotine open for ten minutes..............we got there 20 minutes later!
Richard was unable to do another passage until Monday morning, as he was going away. Earnest moored up to some of the of the rickety drying out posts (10.00), that at least had some sort of ladder!!! This consisted of a wood ladder with ally rungs, that was held up with a pair of flimsy joist hangers. Richard said that there is rather a large “hole” in the river behind us, so we fiddle about to get forward and dig our self a drying out berth, using the power of the engine. During this procedure we narrowly missed putting a window out on some collapsing bank protection wire cages and scratched the side panel - Neil was not a happy bunny. We eventually bottomed in a bit of a precarious position, but the boat stayed out of “hole”. So there we were, stuck at Surfleet Seas End..........
The Captain Beeky Team arrived at 11.50. This consisted of Andrew, his 16 year old son Doug and Terry Streeter. A car shuffle and provisioning exercise was organised. Pete Sykes also departed and was dropped off at Spalding Station. Neil and Doug had a photographic wander about during this and met up with John Chapman, who had rather jamily picked a perfect flat muddy bottom drying out berth, a bit down stream. About 14.30 ish the provisioning team returned and a rather nautical rope lowering of the Safeway bags ensued. John and Ian got talking with a very experienced yachtsman and he hatched a cunning escape plan................!
We left Surfleet on a very fast rising tide at 19.10 and reversed out as far as possible to the downstream of the entrance cut. Neil watched as Frogmoore's stern flew round and John had only just enough power to swing into the flow (it was nearly high springs) Neil gave Frogmoore a chance to dig in and make slow progress downstream. Neil then followed and had to go flat out upstream of the entrance to let a pile of floating crap pass and a rather high speed wooden motor sailer fly up the Surfleet Cut, this was the boat that owned Frogmoore's short term Surfleet mooring!
We now trundled slowly along the Welland Cut against the flood to arrive on the local knowledge EA “stone barge” “mooring” at around high water. This is situated at O^S 344338 Sheet 131, as good as on the Meridian! The port of Fosdyke was deserted. We arrived at 20.45, with rather extensive waypoint plotting / Black Sheep supping / meal finalisation going on! It was a nice meal / wine courtesy of Cap’n Beeky. The good Cap'n also managed to raid Peterborough Currys of the their supply of mini DV video tapes. We had been informed that the stone barge does not dry out on any tide, so it was OK to moor up to it fairly tightly
During our meal a couple of big cruisers came up the Welland Outfall, these we recognised as a couple of “Wash Experience” trip boats from Boston. As the light faded it was a truly a magical evening, nothing but the sound of marsh birds, the tinkling of the ebb tide passed the boats and the creaking of mooring ropes.

Visitor Moorings in Spalding. River Welland.

HayesCoffee? Spalding. River Welland.

Spalding. River Welland.

Fulney Lock. River Welland.

The missed rising tide level!!! Fulney Lock. River Welland.

Fulney Lock. Looking out down the Tidal Welland.

Fulney Lock. River Welland.

One lot of EA staff even JC cannot get round! Fulney Lock. River Welland.

Leaving Fulney Lock - NB Frogmoore flat out. Tidal River Welland.

Leaving Fulney Lock. Tidal River Welland.

Earnest and Frogmoore moored up at Surfleet Seas End. You can see the lost river level through the pointy doors. (Image Pete Sykes)

Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Surfleet Sluice. Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Surfleet Sluice. Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Surfleet Seas End. Surfleet Sluice from the River Glen side.

Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen outfall into the tidal River Welland.

Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Surfleet Seas End. Vernatt's Drain Sluice into Tidal River Welland.

Surfleet Seas End. River Glen above the sluice.

Surfleet Seas End. The Ship Inn - a somewhat strange affair that we did not have time to visit.

Provisioning to our crap mud berth. Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Cap'n Beeky is piped aboard our crap mud berth. Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Glen.

Leaving Surfleet Seas End. This is the yachtsman that gave away the secret of the sands! Tidal River Glen.

Surfleet Seas End. Reversing out into the Tidal River Welland

Motor sailer flys up entrance to Surfleet Sluice. Vernatt's Drain Sluice to left. Surfleet Seas End. Tidal River Welland

Risegate Eau Sluice. Tidal River Welland

Fosdyke Bridge and port. Tidal River Welland Outfall / Fosdyke.

Fosdyke Port. Tidal River Welland Outfall / Fosdyke.

Looking back at Fosdyke Bridge and port. Tidal River Welland Outfall / Fosdyke.

In failing light we arrive at the EA Stone Barge wharf. Tidal River Welland Outfall / Fosdyke.

EA Stone Barge wharf. Tidal River Welland Outfall / Fosdyke.

Trip boat from Boston. EA Stone Barge wharf. Tidal River Welland Outfall / Fosdyke.

Night has finally set in. EA Stone Barge wharf. Tidal River Welland Outfall / Fosdyke.

The Tour continues

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