Water Temperature

We were surprised at the weekend to see that even the water temperature on the tidal Trent had responded to the warmer weather and was sitting at around the 20 degrees mark. The shallower waters of the Fossdyke were well over 20 degrees, in some parts closer to 25 degrees, no wonder the weed grows so well on there!

In stark contrast on the salty waters of the Atlantic we rarely saw over 10 degrees. Even on one of the only sunny and warm days we encountered at Seil the water temperature was still below 10 degrees. A shame as we had really fancied a dip in the sea and a swim in the anchorage but alas at these temperatures it was just not an option. Liam had trouble just cleaning the weed from the sterndrive. It was too cold to even keep your hands in there for more then a few seconds at a time.

As the days now steadily grow shorter and the weather starts to turn cooler the temperature of the water on the Trent and Fossdyke will steadily drop. But even in the depths of winter the Fossdyke is often warmer then the summer sea temperatures we encountered in the West coast of Scotland. I wonder just how cold those waters get during the winter months?

Back to Work

We have had a great four day break on Naughty-Cal. It was over far too soon but now we are back to work. Never mind though it is a short week this week. We will be back onboard before we know what has happened.

Here are a selection of pictures from our break.

Heading to Torksey

Waiting for the lock

Lovely morning on the Trent

Cobwebs blown away.

Sunny West Stockwith

Not our usual mooring spot but a nice one all the same.

Sunday lunch in the Haxey Gate was really very nice.

Basking in the sunshine

Shopping stop at Gainsborough.

Heading upstream

A nice evening at High Marnham

A cloudy day after so much sunshine

The Brownlow Arms. We always have a lovely meal in here when we can and it was spot on again this time.

Creeping back downstream at low water.

Easy to see the banks today.

Plenty of mud showing.

The sunken island is showing today.

Back on the ditch.

Beer stop in Saxilby.

And finally back home to Burton Waters where we enjoyed a lovely meal in The Woodcocks. The food in here has improved no end of late.

Flying By

Yesterday we had a cracking day on the tidal Trent helped no end by the brilliant weather.

We left West Stockwith at 11.15am and had a quick pit stop at Gainsborough to do some shopping before heading to Dunham Bridge for a few hours and then onto High Marnham ski club for a nice meal in the Brownlow Arms.

The lads from the ski club very kindly took us out in a couple of their boats. They are frighteningly quick.

Today it is time to head back to Burton Waters. This few day break has really flown by.

Moving On

Sadly we have to leave beautiful West Stockwith today. Our batteries are ready for a bit of a charge and we have had our alloted 48 hours.

This afternoon we will move onto Dunham Bridge before later in the evening heading to High Marnham to visit the Brownlow Arms for dinner.

It promises to be yet another hot day.

Another Fine Day

We had a great day at Neil and Linda's wedding yesterday. Congratulations to the happy couple.

The yacht club at West Stockwith proved to be a great location for the evening reception.

A great day was had by all.

Today we will be walking hang overs off as we go for a walk to the Haxey Gate for Sunday lunch before walking back to the boat through Misterton and along the canal.

Lovely Day

Well what a lovely day for a run down the Trent. Blue skies and light winds the whole way.

Escaping the Ditch

This long bank holiday weekend we will be escaping the ditch for the first time in what feels like a long time. After several weekends of just plodding into Lincoln and back it will be nice to get out onto deeper water and give Naughty-Cal the chance to stretch her legs again.

We are heading to West Stockwith for the first couple of days, a friend of ours who keeps their boat there is getting married tomorrow so the festivities will take place in the West Stockwith Yacht Club. An ideal place if ever there was one for a boaty wedding.

So tonight we will be heading to Torksey. Hard to believe this will be the furthest we have traveled by boat this month!

In the Beginning

Back to the planning for our Thames trip next summer and time to figure out where we will be starting from. The beginning is always the best place to start from I suppose and in this case we will be using the beginning of the navigable non tidal Thames at Lechlade.

The chap who will be delivering us and Naughty-Cal again knows a slipway at Lechlade that he can use so this seems as sensible a place as any to begin our discovery of the river. Starting in the far most upper reaches also means that we will be very much on a one way trip, not doubling back on ourselves and we will be tackling all of the locks going down hill. Much easier for us.

The upper reaches of the river look more meandering and windy then the lower reaches so should provide a nice contrast and a nice relaxing start to the holiday.

He's At It Again

Liam was at it again last night. Baking that is!

This time he made a lovely apple and blackberry pie with apples from our garden and blackberries foraged from the nearby Rivelin Valley.

Very nice it was too served hot with some nice low fat custard. Yummy.

Back to Normality

After the ordeal of last week's infected wound and a barrage of antibiotics to take away the infection and any other living organism in the body, it was nice to finish the last dose of drugs early yesterday morning, jump in the car and drive to work. Oh for a sense of normality.

The wound will still be some weeks away from properly healing but is now in a state where I am much more comfortable and its care is much less time consuming and painful.

So it is back to the grindstone and grafting away the hours each day until the next weekend comes around and we can escape to the boat once more. This coming weekend we should even escape the Fossdyke for a few days. The furthest we have ventured since coming back from Scotland!

A Nautical Party

Just a few pictures from the weekends Nautical themed party for you today.

Sensible?

We had another sensible E Pontoon fancy dress party!

This year's theme was anything nautical.

Breezy

It is a breezy day at Burton Waters.

We have had a lazy morning with a slow breakfast and are soon heading down to Saxilby for our annual E Pontoon fancy dress party.

Rest

After a week of rest I am ready for a few days away on the boat. We will still be taking it easy though, doctors orders and I still have the rest of my antibiotics to finish off.

I'm sure we will enjoy it though.

Research

With nothing much to do this week it has been the ideal opportunity to get some research in for next year's Thames trip.

I think we will have another great trip from what we have found so far.

Day Three

Day Three of being sat at home bored.

This is not for me.

Not A Good Start

Well this new week didn't get off to a great start with me signed off work and being fed two lots of antibiotics due to an infected wound.

Doubt there will be any nasty germs or infections left after I have eaten this little lot!

Steady Does It

It was a genuinely steady day yesterday, neither of us felt like doing much after we both had good nights out on Saturday so we just pottered around in Lincoln splitting up the day with a few drinks here and there and a spot of shopping in Joules after we found they had a sale on.

When we had finally had our fill in town we headed back towards the Pyewipe for the last couple of drinks in the sunshine before heading back to the marina where we enjoyed a lovely dinner of sirloin steak, cajun new potatoes, blue cheese mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. A delicious way to end what has been another great weekend.

Next weekend promises to be something a bit different. We are not going to Lincoln for a start!

A Good Night

We both had a good night out. Liam on a stag do and me meeting up with friends in town.

Today there is a classic car show in Brayford Pool so we will spend the day milling around in Lincoln before heading back to the marina for some steak later.

A Good Start

What better way to start a busy day then a nice cooked breakfast with turkey sausage, black pudding, toast, scrambled eggs, cherry tomatoes and oyster mushrooms.

Delicious.

Now on with some chores.  The water tank us full. We will shortly be heading across to the fuel berth to fill up with diesel and then it is on to Lincoln to do the food shop and pick up a few other bits and pieces.