Along the Trent!

I thought that there was only one six o’clock in a day, but today I learned differently.

Up at five and off to West Stockwith at 6:00 am to ready Python and make a 7:00 appointment with the River Trent. A lovely, mild, bright and clear morning, thank goodness. We eventually dropped down on to the river a little later than planned and were quickly swept Gainsborough-wards by the rising tide.

Passing Torksey a little over two hours later we lost the benefit of the rising tide and Python’s trusty Lister engine took over the work, moving from ‘tickover’ to gently pushing the boat effortlessly (though far from silently) along against the river flow and the moderate headwind. If only all boating days were like this!

We closely followed our reliable companion Phoenix (crewed by Mick and Branson) past the Trent power stations threading our way past two enormous heavily loaded ‘gravellers’ near Dunham Bridge and Sutton on Trent respectively, both on bends in the river (of course).

Around 1:00pm our two boats entered the waiting Cromwell Lock almost side by side. From Cromwell we proceeded along the non tidal, but far more visually interesting river section past North Muskham and Winthorpe to Newark, where after rising through Nether Lock we moored the two boats side by side on the pontoons opposite a floating restaurant at about 3:15pm.

In addition to the gravel barges we saw only a handful of narrowboats and two ‘gin palaces’ on the whole 36 mile journey. The trip passed largely uneventfully, the crew (Arthur and Maurice) catching a train back to Retford after a brisk, invigorating walk (ask Maurice!) from the river to Newark Northgate Station.

Written by: Arthur Naylor.