TNC On Tour 2002 Page 12

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2002

12 - Melbourne to Selby, including Pocklington Canal to Thornton Lock - Pocklington Canal, River Derwent, Tidal River Ouse and Selby Canal.

Sunday 7th July 2002

After breakfast NOT on the move we exited Melbourne Basin at 09.25 and then reversed up the little used open stub of the canal to Church Bridge. Beyond here the final couple of hundred yards to the padlocked Thornton Lock was a sea of rushes. Still it had to be done. So with much forward and reverse, Earnest eventually cut a passage through the reeds all the way to the lock wing walls, where we were able to tie up and get off. This was at 10.30. From here we all decanted and had a route march up the canal to inspect the "finished" but still not open section up to Coates Lock. Walbut Lock was passed first, sitting there, ready for boats only locked up with BW handcuffs, rather pointless as Thornton Lock was securely fastened. Swing Bridge No8 still did not have a bearing fitted, the same as in our last visit here in 1997. Coates Lock was now finished, in 1997, when we last walked up here, this was a hive of volunteer action.
We had not time to walk further, so legged it back to Thornton Lock (12.10), then went full throttle out through the reeds to try to trash them as much as possible. Melbourne Basin was passed at 12.30 and we carried on back to Barmby with gusto, as we were due to meet John Chapman in Frogmoore here at 17.00.
No problems with passage back to Barmby (17.05) where we found John Chapman, the two live aboards from Elvington Lock cut. NB Frogmoore II and FT (floaty thing) Serena waiting. John looked rather haggard. Apparently after we had left for our trail blazing run back down the River Derwent, Elvington Lock upper guillotine broke! It was then manual wind.
The hauliers then had to lock both Frogmoore and Serena down singularly then get strapped together using a collection of tyres around Frogmoore's stern. It had indeed been a terrible passage. Frogmoore was minus one front window and Morse control lever and had scratches down the sides and on the side windows, which amazingly were all intact. The ensemble arrived at Barmby at 02.30 that morning!!!
John said that WE were late and that we could only get up to Selby that night................or rather John only fancied the tidal passage up this far, with the floaty thing beside Frogmoore. Neil lent John a pair of Mole grips which made a handy Morse lever!
We locked out onto the Tidal River Ouse with Frogmoore at 17.30, then we just hovered in the weakish current down stream as Serena was locked out and John and the live aboards strapped Frogmoore and Serena together. We hung around as Frogmoore / Floaty Thing ensemble ambled out of sight, going up on the flood. John was going to time his passage by GPS, so that it would be high water at Selby, to make the casting off / locking up of the engineless Serena as easy as possible. Neil got bored, so turned Earnest's engine off and managed the usual half an hour steering up on the flood, with out power. The weather had not been brilliant since the down pour in Goole, rather dramatic black clouds on the way up, but no actual rain.
Earnest arrived at Selby (19.45) as Serena was being untied, by the time it was locked through the ebb had started. Earnest and Frogmoore had to come in against the ebb.
The Selby Locky did not seem to pleased that "Floaty Thing" had been deposited on his doorstep, as he locked us through at 20.00. Frogmoore then towed Serena through to the visitor moorings the other side of the swing bridge. During this time we filled up with water while having a chat with the locky.
Finally at 21.10 we legged it into town to go to the unlicensed "Raj" Indian then another quick leg to "The Albion Vaults" before last orders. This excellent pub was as still the same as on our last visit(s) to Selby in 1997. It is a tied house to the small Mill Brewery at Snaith.

Reversing back to Thornton Lock. Robin has a go at a weed blockage. Pocklington Canal. Picture Peter Wright.