Slow travel

 5pm the lock keeper said. Tide'll be right. So that's that. First we drive across England to retrieve the heating unit, 200 + miles round trip, in the only hire vehicle available- a van! With the unit in the cavernous van, a dash back to Selby, an old abbey town on the banks of the Ouse. At 5 we are dropped metres down in the tidal lock  to start the slog to safety at Mg Auburn lock, 6 miles from York. The river is liquid mud, logs, branches, planks. One such wedged under our bows so the Cap'n pushed it off with our boat hook. 3 hours later,  the tide had turned and we finally reached the lock. Cap'n used his new VHF (very high frequency) radio to communicate with the Locke, meaning the VWC (very wet crew) could seek a wine, dry clothes, much relief. Overnighted in the tree lined calm of the pound at Naburn. Phew.

  From the bottom photo up, the strange, one of the only 2 in the world, a sliding railway bridge. It retracts like a bent elbow to one side of the canal. At 9.30 sharp yesterday, the operator retracted the bridge, after 5 trains in 40 min had raced across it. Open at last, the assembled convoy moved west, with the first boat stopping at a swing bridge, key operated, allowing all in the line to proceed.  At the next bridge, maybe a lift one with a huge counterweight as pictured, the new first placed boat opened it. And so for most of the day, cooperative boating. Dinner in the Pollington Kings Head, a club like atmosphere into which we were absorbed. Drinks on the house for the Capn's birthday. 

 Metal boat, a large sardine can, not great for a heat wave. The rather poor snap above shows the max temp, 41.8! Forewarned, we visited air con establishments - the great Lincoln library (thank you Andrew Carnegie), the Usher Gallery, cinema, shops.  Late afternoon back to boat, moored on the R Witham with some shade, across from the old oil mill of Doughty's  we opened all doors, hatches, hopper glass removed. Chairs out on the verge under the trees. Wet washer tastefully draped around 1st mate's neck. Cold showers, lots of water. And coped. Lovely little city, Lincoln. The cathedral atop the hill visible from all quarters. Even on the canal approaches it appears floating above the trees. Now returning to the Trent, to exit the big tidal lock on a falling tide, head downstream at speed (!) to another lock for tonight's mooring.

  We moored last night at Cromwell Lock, the last lock on the R Trent before you launch on to the tidal Trent. The snap above taken late evening, the large orange bollards strung like  giant's necklace above the weir. This morning JJ  chambers up the ladder to the top of the lock approach wall where we moored overnight, a good 2 metres above the boat.  The other snaps show the size of the lock, as we leave. All these tidal locks are manned, with craft marshalled by the lock keeper in to his lock when the incoming tide allows sufficient time for the boats to reach the next lock. There are few moorings on the river, just one, so we must reach the safety of the first lock some 16 miles north. We are running against the tide for much of the way, Santiago's engine a satisfying rumble as the river curls and winds, swans, grey legged geese, gulls along the banks, an occasional windmill, old wharves, a Roman fort. Now traffic on the river is sparse, mostly pleasure craft, but for mille

 A beautiful late afternoon, mooring on a pontoon at Gunthorpe on the Trent, above a weir. A cruise from Nottingham  some deep locks.

 At the SW end of Nottingham you leave the river for the Nottingham Canal. We moored immediately above the lock to lunch, home made celery soup and cheese on toast....we're running short on supplies.  The next stop therefore,  a big supermarket hit...a handy one half way to the city. Well stocked we motored along to a very civilised mooring,in the city centre. After a superb dinner prepared by friend Rod, we walked into town,  to have a pint at 'the oldest pub in England', built partly in caves under the castle  Today we visited the castle, high on a sandstone bluff above the city, with a 19th C palace atop the Norman castle, housing an interesting gallery. Includes lace work, a speciality of Nottingham.  Now we're forging NE, heading for Newark. Photos of the Trent Bridge.

 On 12 July we reach the end of the Trent and Mersey Canal. 92 miles from its beginning in the west, to meet the R Trent at its navigable end in the east.  Hence Shardlow has many large 18th-19th C warehouses, including one spanning the canal so transhipment could be done efficiently.  A pleasant pub meal at the New (!) Inn with a neighbouring couple and their dog. A red kelpie! Called Aussie. From Shardlow we ventured on to the Trent, no flooding as we'd experienced in 2019. Next stop, Nottingham .

  Chugging along late afternoon the Cap'n on the tiller throws the boat into reverse, 1st mate wonders why. Trots to the rear, boat heading back into a willow tree.  A plaintive 'baaaaa' from a sheep stuck in the mud. Cap'n launches his rescue mission. Grabs our plank so he can reach the bank. 1st mate left in charge of willow festooned boat. Decides to tie boat to tree.  Cap'n sheds shoes, slips from plank into canal. Lifts sheep  on to bank.  Relieved 1st mate sees wet muddy Cap'n clamber back on boat. Plank retrieved from its escape effort. Phew. Sheep safe, Cap'n safe, boat safe. Washing machine full of canal dipped clothing. Cap'n in the shower.  Just another day!

  Frustration at the junction of the Trent and Mersey canal with the Coventry. A fence to prevent inebriated pub patrons from falling into the canal also prevents mooring boaters stepping off to moor boats. Vaulting the fence? I passed our rope to a man drinking at the fence, clambered round, retrieved rope, thanked man.  Annoying.  The day improved, fewer boats heading east, peaceful rural countryside, tree lined waterway. Late afternoon after mooring at Branston Water Park (old gravel extraction area), we decided to walk round the lake. As we stepped off the boat, doors locked, we realised with dread that neither of us had a key. No hacksaw to cut the padlock,  no phones to call a locksmith, our metal boat impregnable.  Capn considering what window to break. Sudden thought...the hatch in the roof! Using a mooring pin, ingenuity, a discarded paddlepop stick ( I kid you not), JJ managed to release the catches. Phew. Seeking a bed somewhere else etc, avoided. Today a spare key is now sa

 A mild sunny day , the southern Trent and Mersey running north of Birmingham,  and linked to that city by 2 other canals. At one such junction we shopped at the Farm Shop, a dazzling range of fresh produce, as well as delights such as herb coated cod, tiny frozen croissants. A lunch in the farm cafe to celebrate an anniversary.

 From our mooring east of Stoke, Santiago moves to the 4 locks a mile and a half away. We slip easily into the rhythm of locking. One person steps onto the towpath wielding a windlass,  ratchets open the 'door ' in the gate, waiting till the water level in the lock matches that in the canal.  When the levels are equal, the lock gates can be pushed open. In glides the boat, gates close, the windlass lowers the doors.  Walk to the end of the lock, repeat the opening/closing routine,  and the boat slowly moves, up or down. Usually the helmsman and locker swop jobs, to provide some variety. In our case, I'm happy to steer forward. Reversing the boat is the Cap'n's job. A photo of the boat exitting a lock, with a little split walk way above. The split allowed the horse drawn boat to move along the towpath without the rope being detached. The other photo is of the mile marker on this canal. We are now half way to its end at Shardlow,  near Nottingham. A pleasant day in St

 I forget the origin,  may have been the name of a pub. Anyhow, it is now the junction of the Macclesfield canal running north along the western side of the Pennines, and the Trent and Mersey, our route to the R Trent Today we've moved through rural Cheshire east, lots of locks as the canal.approaches the Pennines. Tomorrow we pass under the Pennines in a 3km tunnel, leading to the old Potteries area  including Stoke on Trent.  Lovely catch up yesterday with our cousins, lunch on the boat then help through 2 locks.  67 miles or so to reach the R Trent, at Nottingham .