TNC On Tour 2003 Page 27

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Tour 2003

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

Thursday 24th July 2003

Not that much to do today - just Ranby to Stockwith, so we ambled off from Ranby at 08:40. Neil's sub-aqua Nikon digital camera started seriously playing up - it would not turn on after charged set of batteries put in.
Much dismantling and internal twiddling then occurred. Bob suggested trying another CF card in..............the result was that it then worked perfectly, but when the other one inserted, the lock up still occurred. The card was then tried in the laptop card reader............the result being Explorer locking up! So we now had a naff card - and not the one that got wet!
The weed on the Chesterfield?....what weed!.............good progress made, managing around 3MPH, somewhat good for the Chesterfield. No boats in front, we past Hayton at 12:40 and Drakeholes at 14:30. Sadly the White Swan could not be our venue that night, seeing as we had to go out of Stockwith at 07:00 the next morning, back up to Keadby, to get back on schedule for our third transpennine crossing.
We shared a couple of the wide locks with another narrowboat. We arrived at West Stockwith at 17:00 and stopped just short of the bridge into the basin, while Neil sorted out Sue for some diesel and where to moor in the basin. Sue was soon found, she said we could moor at any spare stern on mooring, but said that there was a problem with diesel............she had run out and would not a delivery for a couple of days!
After mooring up, just opposite the Waterside Inn pub Neil did a final dip of the tank - about 3" left, the spare 2 gallons was put in and this raised the level about an inch. So allowing about 1.5 inches for the top feed and movement, then it was thought that the passage to Keadby would be OK, but that it would be a bit dodgy reaching Thorne. The was also the possibility, that if we did not get a move on, we would miss the 10:00 deadline for Keadby Vazon sliding railbridge, that was poorly yet again with Jarvis rail bods yet again fiddling with some of the supports. Fortunately another local boater introduced himself as going down to Keadby with us the next day and said he would shadow us all the way to Thorne, where his mooring was.
As usual a nice pint (Black Sheep and Timmy Taylor's Landlord) and meal in the Waterside Inn. Ed was further impressed by the "standard" of the waitress! We were beginning to get used to Ed's quiet sarcasm...........that seemed to be directed towards attractive ladies...........

Friday 25th July 2003

Both us and the other boat were installed in the lock just before Sue came out and at 06:55 we were out on the gently ebbing Trent. Virtual Neaps, so nothing dramatic envisaged. Very overcast, with some rain, fairly windy, but this was with the weak tide. Centre arch at Keadby rail/road bridge, seeing as the repainting was well underway. The apparent colour will be a rather nice mid green. Arrival into Keadby Lock (08:50) was a non-event for both boats and we were soon out, with plenty of time for the Vazon Rail bridge.
We played tag with all the swing and lift bridges and at Bluewater Marine the other boat crew waved and said they would wait in Thorne Lock for us. The diesel point was free and 72 quids worth was put in the main and spare tank - 34p/L. Staniland's in Thorne is a penny cheaper per Litre, but we did not know if we would make it that far. No kids encountered on swing and lift bridges during the whole day, seeing as the weather was too bad for swimming.
There was some confusion at Bramwith, seeing as the cruiser in front (from Newark) did not know how the lock worked, so we ended up in first (they were probably a bit too wide) and we went up first, on our own. Ed then legged it across to the first New Junction bridges, seeing as this was rather near as the crow fly's. Assorted people going on ahead for the bridges, meant that the bike was not got out. More confusion at Syke House Lock, with new crew - you must NOT shut the over swing bridge until the locking operation has been finished! New Junction Canal - 13:45 to 15:30.
Nasty rain as we arrived at Goole - got a nice 60ft mooring - 16:45. We eventually braved the last of the rain at around 19:00, seeing as Ed and Martin wanted to catch the 19:00 train to Wakefield. Ed just made the train some what lagging behind the agitated Martin. Then there were three.............just Neil, Bob W and Julian E, who predictably went to the Wetherspoon's in Goole. On form Timmy Taylor's and cheap OK food. After tearing ourselves away from ogling at the seething mass of crumpet in the pub (probably THE place in Goole) we went back to the boat for a coffee and some of Julian's rather powerful Pear Eau De Vie.

Chequer Bridge No 51 at Ranby. Chesterfield Canal.

The River Idle Aqueduct in East Retford. Chesterfield Canal.

Coming back down leaving Retford Town Lock No 59. Ed Mortimer (Who seems to think Earnest is a Trad!), Bob Wood and Julian Edgington. Chesterfield Canal.