Holiday Planning

Our last holiday of this year was always going to be a more sedate affair than the two summer coastal cruises. Our original plan for this break had been a weeklong trip to York with a short stop at Goole along the way. However the tide timings for the beginning of the week simply won’t leave us enough time to round Trent Falls and enter Goole at a sociable and sensible hour. We don’t like the idea of going the long way around (Keadby to Selby and vice versa) both ways as this simply doesn’t leave enough time to enjoy York, by the time you have got there it is time to come back again. So we are looking for a suitable Plan B.

We currently have a few ideas which we are toying with but have as yet to decide which we will opt for. Current thoughts and ideas for our August cruise are:

• Black Sluice – A visit to the recently opened Black Sluice which branches off the tidal River Witham near Boston Docks. This option would give us a relaxed week of cruising on the non tidal Witham, coming and going as we please with no tides to worry about bar the tidal window heading out to explore the Black Sluice. This is a navigation we have yet to visit despite it being on our doorstep and currently the EA has a special offer for visitors of two nights for £11.
• Sprotborough – A cruise along the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation to the village of Sprotborough with possibly a further extension to Swinton to visit Liam’s mum’s cafe should time permit. We have to date cruised the SSYN as far as Bramwith and the junction with the New Junction Canal, so the section from Bramwith to Sprotborough and Swinton is as yet new to us and would give us the chance to explore new waterways and find new places to visit. The return leg of the journey would be via the Aire and Calder Navigation and Goole, giving us the chance to visit Pollington for a curry and also the opportunity to give Cal the chance to stretch her legs rounding Trent Falls with a session spent anchored at Trent End to wait for the tide back to Torksey.
• River Trent – The final option is a week relaxing on the non tidal Trent. This is a route we have travelled many times before but still provides plenty of varied places to moor and visit. We always enjoy visiting the non tidal Trent and always have a great time wherever we end up. If time allows there is still the short section of river from Trent Lock to Sawley that we have yet to navigate so there may still be some exploration of new waters in this cruise as well.

As you can see we are leaving our options open for this cruise. We are intending to cruise alone so we have no concrete plans other than we will leave the marina on Friday evening and get the holiday off to a cracking start, wherever the destination may be.