Today's Navigations : River Trent, River Soar

We travelled up from home yesterday. Although there was plenty of traffic about, we only had one delay, coming through Stow-on-the-Wold where the narrow town centre can never cope with what is asked of it, not helped by being a pretty, tourist place with lots of visitors.

Once through Stow and Moreton-in-Marsh we made better progress but on the motorway it was amazing just how many trucks and caravans/campervans were in the move, almost nose-to-tail in the slow lane. Apart from an unplanned comfort break in Stow (took longer than it should as a result of misleading road signs!) we arrived at Swanley quite close to the time predicted at the outset. This means that any delays were the usual suspects.

This marina provides good trolleys, allocated to specific jetties so easy to locate. This meant that only three trolley trips were needed to unload plus the new shopping trolley, which travelled full of assorted items.

Mid afternoon we went to Long Eaton - firstly to hook up to an EV charger, the same one used last time, and secondly across the road to Tesco Extra. Easier to stock up on arrival than have to find space in an already loaded car.

As we had been moved from one mooring to another (admin confusion in the office and the engineers who did some work whilst we were away, including a new bathroom towel radiator which sprang a leak towards the end of the last trip) we were without electricity. The staff in the office were quite happy to transfer the balance over  - the previous mooring was still unoccupied - but the system they have seems rather archaic as they cannot correlate electric outlets to moorings and we had to find out a serial number from a small brass plate! In the end we were able to create hot water with the immersion heater!

This morning brought light rain as we awoke but by the time we had completed breakfast it dried up and the day was pleasantly warm, albeit with grey, cloudy skies.

Before casting off Mike moved the car to the main car park so that we did not take up space close to the moorings which gets very busy at the end of each day. It will also be a bit easier when it comes to the next car shuffle.

We negotiated our way around the marina - not a straight route - and on the way spotted another Alchemy, perhaps slightly more senior to ours!

Finally we could pass through the comparatively narrow entrance and out onto the Sawley Cut, a short section that bypasses a weir on the River Trent with a pair of mechanised locks.

Operating the locks today were two very pleasant and helpful volunteers. 

We had expected to find a water point just above the locks which we have used many times in the past. But the spot was obstructed by a half sunken cruiser. By now we were in the lock and the vollies suggested that we turn around just after the bottom of the lock to a service pontoon just below.

Making the turn, now on the river proper, was interesting but we came alongside the pontoon with no problem. We discovered that there are actually three water points here but all are up high on the ground above the mooring, accessed up a steep ramp. The water pressure was excellent and our near empty tank was soon full (we had not done it from the mooring as we were moored the wrong way round for it to be an easy task!)

Whilst waiting we spotted this delightful old Bedford bus.

There was also a sign which explained what has happened to the services - perhaps it allows CaRT to let a couple more long term moorings on the Sawley Cut - they seem quite popular.

Just below the lock and the pontoon is a railway bridge (we had to come under it after leaving the lock) and boaters are strongly advised to leave and go upstream a short distance to a marker buoy so that they have plenty of time to line up with the correct bridge arch in good time.

You can just see the buoy is we zoom in on the previous picture.

Although the recent rain (such as it is) seems to have put a bit of life into the river flow, we did not have any problems today, but making the u-turn is interesting - we mainly made it around with the flow which is stronger in the middle than towards the bank.

On now to the complex junction at Trent Lock. First come the entrance into the Erewash Canal and Trent Lock itself.

Immediately after and straight ahead is Beeston Cut and the route into Nottingham, with one of the sailing clubs in a prominent position to the right.

Finally, with the ominous weir on our left, we turned sharp right onto the Soar, now of course, changing from down to up stream. Concentrating on the turn (with a sailing marker buoy just where we ought to turn!) we failed to get a decent photo of the weir - just imaging it for yourself!

Soon after the junction is Redhill Lock. This is a flood lock, only closed when the water level is really high but today it was no surprise that we cruised straight through.

Ratcliffe Power Station was switched off last year and a two year decommissioning phase began. Once that is complete, demolition can be started. (It had an unplanned short reprieve when there was an especially cold winter) When we last came this way in 2021, the plan seemed to be to use the site for a nuclear fusion power plant but that idea seems to have been scrapped. It seems that instead it may be used for a waste incineration plant (presumably being next to a railway line which once supplied the coal means that the waste can be brought in some distance without causing problems with local roads.

Ratcliffe Lock is the first (or last depending on which we you are travelling!) real lock on the Soar. Although it joins at a rather sharp angle, it is not difficult to make the turn from the lock landing.

This view is shortly after leaving Ratcliffe Lock - as well as the cooling towers, it also shows the spire of Ratcliffe Church, one the five so-called A453 Churches.

We called at Kegworth Marine to pick up a new gas bottle - one ran out last night just as we were making our last hot drink of the day! At least it is not too difficult to turn one off and the other one on whilst in the dark.

We then paused for lunch on the lock landing for Kegworth Shallow Lock - as can be seen this is also  open straight through although a sign suggests that it is normally operated conventionally in the winter months more for water management than flood alleviation.

And so to Kegworth New Lock better once names as Kegworth Deep Lock at just over 10 ft rise. Just as we were ready to start filling the lock two other boats arrived below and some of their crew came to assist. They are on a schedule as they want to get through the flights above Leicester before they are expected to close for lack of water. We had hoped to go that way but did not think that our usual rate of progress would allow us enough time.

This distinctive sign warns about boats getting hung up on the cill - it is a not uncommon incident at this lock. However, boats do not hang up when ascending, only when descending. To be fair, there is a similar sign above the lock.

The lock took a very long time to fill. Initially this was because one of the bottom gate paddles was not fully closed (it felt that it would go no further down but we then opened it right up and something must have cleared as we could then wind the paddle right down. But still the lock would not quite fill, staying just a couple of bricks below full.

At this point the third member if the waiting crew came up and asked whether the ground paddle was not working! The three of us already there had missed it completely - there is not one on the opposite side and the lock below and the next above do not have any at all. Look very closely and you will see the ground paddle on the right, just in front of the two crew members. We could try to build a case of mitigating factors but actually, Mike just missed seeing it! Ooops!

We were now under the flight path into East Midlands Airport  and for a while there was a steady stream of Tui and Ryan Air flights arriving. We think that this one was Tui.

We now had about 35 minutes of  level cruising on quite pleasant waters through typical farming landscapes.

Eventually we reached our planned destination for the day, a bit later than estimated, at Zouch Lock. This marks one end of a short canalised bypass of the river and a sizeable weir. We came up quite efficiently this time but were delayed because the bottom gates leaked enough to prevent the lock staying full with just the paddles on one side (no ground paddles here!) Mike opened up both sides and checked on the off side that the lock was full by opening the gate a small crack. He then, as usual, close the paddles and crossed back to the where the boat was. By then the level had dropped and no way was the gate going to cooperate. Nothing for it but to go back across and open all paddles, come back and let the boat out. Then further crossings to shut down both sets of paddles - ay least Christine was kind enough to bring the stern of the boat across to the opposite side to reduce the trips by one!

We have moored above the lock before and a couple of boats were already there. There is a remarkably long line of bollards, normally denoting a lock landing but here they are intended for visitor mooring. We could see that the space the far side of these boats had some room but it looked as it it was only enough for one, whilst before there was clearly enough for two - we knew that the following boats that we had held up earlier wanted to stop here. So, we went as far forward as we could, leaving the longer space for them. However when they arrived they decided to pop one boat in the rather short space just behind us (kissing buttons) - well they do have bow thrusters to deploy. And then the other boat insisted on mooring alongside them (aka breasting up). Well, wide beam boats could moor here and two narrowboats are no wider. In the end, there were no more boats passing before nightfall anyway.

7.5 Miles - 4 Locks