TNC On Tour 2003 Page2

The Tuesday Night Club Official Web Site

The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2003

2 - Drakeholes to Goole - Chesterfield Canal, Tidal River Trent, Stainforth and Keadby Canal, New Junction Canal and Aire and Calder Navigation.

Tuesday 17th June 2003

Earlish start at 07:35 another nice start to the day. It was quicker going back as there was no small GRP cruiser to hold us up! We arrived at West Stockwith waterpoint (just before bridge) at 10:50 and topped up with water. Trundled into waiting West Stockwith Lock at 11:20 and Sue locked us straight out, hitting the Trent, just before high water. We were soon flying down the Trent at around 8MPH...............
The Keadby Locky would not answer his fone to let him know we were at the M180 Bridge. Neil foned Sue at Stockwith to check number, but she assured me this was the right fone number. The Keadby locky eventually answered fone, but by this time we were approaching Keadby rail / road bridge. Sue advised us to use the centre (never lifting arch) - we found out why - contractors were painting the now none lifting span. We throttled back early to give the Keadby locky time to prepare lock. As we passed the Ladgoda - 4 we saw that one gate was open, but there was a small rubber boat moored in it!
We winded below the lock, then crept back against the high springs ebb and into the lee, sheltered by the coaster. The locky told us to hold, while it exited, at rather high speed, then followed a none touchy entrance, which earned a "That's the way it should be done!" comment from locky.
Steve Parish had been in communication and managed a few shots of us entering. It was a now common, TNC none stopping arrival for Steve, as he jumped on in the lock (13:15). The road swing bridge was soon swung and off we went for the expected hour wait at Vazon slide railway bridge. Amazingly it began to open on our arrival....then closed a bit..............then opened again! It did seen rather whizzy and faster than last remembered.
It was the normal, rather fast passage along the Stainforth and Keadby. We stopped at Bluewater Marina for gas regulator and diesel, but the gas regulator was the wrong type. We had to keep the gas turned off, just turning it on as and when we wanted it, seeing as the auto changeover valve / regulator was leaking a LOT of gas into the gas locker
We also stopped at Joshua Boat Builders and Thorne Marine, but all useless. We then pressed on through Thorne Lock, seeing as poor old Thorne did not seem any more welcoming than last time we were there.
We eventually stopped for the night (17:55) at the New Inn, at Stainforth, a poorly little village that was mostly being pulled down! The New Inn pub garden bank was rather a dog poo mine field, mainly supplied by the landlords dog, amongst the plethora of "no dog fouling" signs.
There was no food on Tuesday night at this real ale devoid pub due to "Darts Night". We therefore went to the rather sad, very cheap, but none poisonous fish and chip shop. After the fish and chip back on the boat, we departed for one pint of foamy John Smiths......not too bad, if you like that kind of stuff. Then the "Darts Night" started..............other than it was Karaoke night.........with the patio doors wide open. We soon retired back to the
boat, to drown out the row with the boat stereo. All in all not a wonderful evening - but we would certainly not forget it in a while.
Martin Clark has just chipped in to remind me about "Baz" who had been requested to perform "Honey", during which we found it hard not to have hysterics.

Wednesday 18th June 2003

It was a rather overcast morning that soon turned to rain. Late breaky. Bloody gas bottle ran out (Yes - probably had all run out of the gas locker drains!), even though we were only turning it on for cooking, so the diesel electric kettle was brought into action. we eventually dragged our selves away from Stainforth at 10:55, still in the rain.
A green / cream Stevie Hudson boat chugged out of the centre gated section of the crank your self Bramwith Lock - just as well Neil remembered this and we did NOT enter the lower part of the chamber!
We past Bramwith Junction at 11:45 and we turned right as for Goole, via the New Junction Canal and Aire and Calder Navigation. A rather blind bloke in a fortunately fast wooden cruiser pulled right out in front of us at Bramwith, to whizz along the New Junction as far as the Don Aqueduct, then moor up on the approaches.
It continued raining along the New Junction. A bit of dual person bridge wheeling sped up the umpteen swing and lift bridges. We met rather slow trip boat coming up in Syke House Lock. We turned into the Aire and Calder at 13:25. A Graveller met coming up soon after, then we caught up with rather slow BW crane barge, which was swaying along, with the floatation side pontoons still connected. This departed, and winded just before Goole.
We arrived at Goole Visitor Moorings, by Goole Boat House at 14:45. All moorings taken, so had a long water fill up, while Neil bought bottle mounted gas regulator and new hose jubilee clips (some rubber gas pipe had
been found in ships stores) The gas supply soon restored and old auto changeover demolished to reveal probable cause of leak - a couple of duff "O" Ring seals. Eventually we moved up onto community barge space, seeing as we found out it was not due back until the next day.
That night venue was to be the previously visited Wetherspoon's "City and County", situated in an old bank. Excellent pints of Timmy Taylors Landlord and Old Hooky. Meals were on 2 for one offer..............but we chickened out of having TWO each!
Flustered Capt Beeky, who foned us while in the pub was put in touch with wayward Steve Haywood, for his mini "JP Owners Club" mini GiG at Bosley.
On the way back we went to look at the Ouse waterfront, for the first time from dry land and were greeted by magnificent sight of "Rix Falcon" and "Rix Eagle" winding mid stream, then ploughing on back against the flood to enter Ocean Lock. "Rix Falcon" was particularly loaded and looked as though it had no freeboard at all. Neil's camera soon ran out of image space, but he manage to delete a couple of images to catch on camera, the two barges going under the swing bridge out of the docks.
All in all a good end to the day.

Drakeholes Tunnel. Chesterfield Canal.

Looking over the River Idle valley. Chesterfield Canal.

Gringley Lock. Chesterfield Canal.

Shaw Lock. Chesterfield Canal.

Shaw Lock. Chesterfield Canal.

Misterton Top Lock. Chesterfield Canal.

Misterton Low Lock. Chesterfield Canal.

The start of the Chesterfield Canal, just above the basin.

Leaving West Stockwith, Bound for Keadby downstream. Tidal River Trent.

Keadby road / railway bridge is getting a facelift! Tidal River Trent.

We are well over, just below Keadby, ready to wind and go into the lock, when this prat comes through on the outside in virtually no water! Tidal River Trent.

Passing Keadby, getting ready to wind. Tidal River Trent.

Rather cool controlled entrance into Keadby. Tidal River Trent.

Rather cool controlled entrance into Keadby Lock. Tidal River Trent.

About to exit Keadby Lock - "Come on Steve!.........we don't stop to pick up crew!" Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Leaving Keadby Lock. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Vazon Sliding Railway Bridge. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Martin Clark, Steve Parish and Will Chapman. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Wykewell Lift Bridge. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Thorne. The old Ladyline base is now Louis and Joshua Boatbuilders. The Canal Tavern is just beyond Thorne Bridge. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Thorne Lock. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Staniland's in Thorne. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

The site of Dunston Hill Swing Bridge. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

The New Inn at Stainforth. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Bramwith Swing Bridge. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Waiting for Bramwith Lock. Beware the lower part of the chamber is only used as a lock extension, so there could be someone working the lock. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

Bramwith Lock. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

The River Don floodgates, each side of the River Don Aqueduct. New Junction Canal.

River Don Aqueduct. New Junction Canal.

Low Lane Swing Bridge. New Junction Canal.

Top Lane Lift Bridge. New Junction Canal.

Syke House Lock. New Junction Canal.

The River Went Aqueduct. New Junction Canal.

The River Went Aqueduct. Looking back down the New Junction Canal.

Nicely loaded barge. Aire and Calder Navigation.

New Bridge. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Looking back up the Aire and Calder Navigation from railway bridge near Goole.

Goole, Waterways museum to right, followed by a VERY small section of Visitor Mooring, then sanitary station / waterpoint. Goole Boat House is just beyond the narrows. From this point in, only pleasure craft exiting, or entering through the docks are allowed. Aire and Calder Navigation.

Looking down the Tidal River Ouse from the Goole waterfront.

Goole waterfront. Two Rix tankers come up on the evening flood.

The second Rix tanker has spun round in the flood and makes a beeline for Ocean Lock. Goole waterfront.

The Tour Continues...

Home Page | "Earnest" | "Beatty" | Canal Restoration