Tidal Water

Convoy of narrowboats going down the tidal river Ouse


Turning into Selby lock - the gongoozlers are othere boaters hoping to get tips on 'how to do it!'


Moored at York the sun came out and our visitors arrived. So we sat in the sun with a bottle of wine and caught up with all the gossip. Later we went for a wander round York to look for something eat. Well, there are so many pubs and restaurants, just where do you start. We ended up in a pub specialising in different sausages, Lincolnshire whirl, cumberland etc. Trouble is they wouldn't have known one sausage from another. I think whatever you ordered you get the same, some cheap nasty mass produced sausage with no taste what so ever. Revolting! (Should have refused to pay really!!) This didn't however spoil the evening and we called into our favourite hostelry 'The Olde Starr Inn' on Stonegate. Then back to the boat for champagne cocktails (we really know how to live).

Sunday another hot and sunny day and after our guests left we cruised down to Naburn lock to wait for the tide on Monday. A total of seven narrowboats and three cruisers moored up waiting to go through. So after a wander up to the local in Naburn and a few drinks we had a pleasant evening chatting to all the other nervous boaters.

Half past twelve on Monday we all made our way into the lock, which is massive. The lock gates open and off we went like formula ones cars leaving the grid. The cruisers zoomed off so we didn't have worry about them again and we were number six in the convoy of seven narrowboats. We went steadily down river against the tide spreading out a little bit ready for turning and then going into Selby lock. By the time we got there the tide had long since turned and was rushing out at a fairish old lick but we all turned successfully and sat in mid stream, stationery in an orderly que waiting for our turn in the lock, which we all did with no major problems at all.

Had a pleasant night at Selby again wandering up and down and chatting to the other boaters and congratulating each other on our successful trip down the tidal bit.

Tuesday, big rivers, few locks, quite uneventful. However, we moored up at Jolly Miller Moorings at Whitley Bridge on the Aire and Calder, did some shopping and
checked out the local pub, we came back to the boat and thought we had been burgled!!! Not so, on closer inspection, there had been really, really big boats come by (pictured) and created a wave sooooo big it threw everything in our boat around. We are now nervously awaiting their return!!

I have a load of photographs to upload, but unfortunately not a good enough signal. I will keep trying and post them separately. Sorry to blog followers for my recent lapses in blogging!!


The bigger boats!!


The bigger boats!!


Kellingley Colliary