Tuesday 13th June 2017

Today we start on the tidal Trent. Lots has been written in boating journals and on forums. None of which fill me with confidence. Graham is much more keen to venture into the unknown - although I am alright once I get there! When talking to the lock keepers about timings etc., their comments of "If that is what you want to do" is not what I want to hear. I'd like a definite time before we set off. This was to be our best day weather wise and the sun came out for brief spells during the day and it was a lovely evening.

So after putting the navigation lights on the boat ( not needed unless we are on river at night and I hope not to be) we sorted out the lifejackets, VHF radio and mudweight and left when advised at 11.15am. Another boat exited the lock with us and they seemed very experienced on this stretch of river so we followed them and the charts which indicate the shallow sections and sunken islands.

There were once lots of gravel barges on this stretch of the river but they are all gone and the wharves are left to decay.

Although the Trent is more interesting to navigate than the Severn ( the latter having high banks thick with trees ) it is a very twisty river and we kept doubling back on ourselves many times. There are Km markers all along so it is easy to find out what progress has been made.  Cows having a walk along the  riverbank and spotting converted windmills helped the time to pass.

This photo is an optical illusion because there are actually two bridges at Dunham but only one of them has a central pillar - the one in the background.

You can see the narrow boat which we are following. Another boat had left Cromwell lock after us and had overtaken us both by this point. Not necessary as he had to wait at Torksey lock for the other boat to join him before the lock keeper activated the lock. We were not going through the lock and are moored on the floating pontoons ready to recommence the journey tomorrow. We treated ourselves to tea and cake in the lock cafe. The tide and fresh water coming down the Trent was supposed to have helped us down to here but we were not aware of it.

One of the many power stations in this part of England.

Messing about on the river!