On to the National Watersports Centre

 Tuesday 8 September Gunthorpe to Holme Pierrepoint (8 miles, 2 locks)

After a leisurely start to the day, while a number of boats passed by, we set off upriver in the sun. At 1400 revs, a bit more than usual as the current was noticeable, Annie passed a couple of boats on the way to Stoke Bardolph Lock, where we found Valhalla stuck on the sandbar below the lock, surrounded by orange buoys. Not their week! A steep learning curve.

We had been warned to aim at the weir, then turn hard right at the last moment to avoid sandbar, then sharp left into the lock. Three of us secured and waited for Valhalla to join us. We all had a good laugh and chat in the lock as it filled slowly. Valhalla’s bowthruster stopped working, so she drifted across to Annie. 

Holme Pierrepoint is the home of the National  Watersports Centre. We watch the canoeists on the adjacent white water course.

We decided to moor above the lock on the low landing, despite there being a ledge below the waterline. Our tyre helped a bit. We got our bikes out and visited Liana’s mum, Flo. After tea, we got the bikes out again and cycled around the rowing course, which is over 2000 metres long. We watched the white water kayakers and passed lots of walkers, joggers, runners and cyclists doing the same thing as us. We found another lagoon with loads of floating rafts, marking water Polo or Netball “pitches”, we guessed. 

We saw another lovely sunset.