Monday 24 August 2020

Heading down to Selby


 Monday 24 August Naburn Lock to Selby 12 miles 2 locks

Today our middle daughter Joanna gets the keys for her new house in Wales. Hoorah! She has been two years homeless, first doctoring in Australia, then back here in Taunton and now Cardiff, where she qualified.

We awoke to a lovely sunny day here on the pontoon at Naburn weir and lock. The river level has dropped 20cm above the weir and over a metre below it, so this augurs well for our trip downriver today.

Leaving about 1220, we followed widebeam NEVAEH (get it? We didn’t) and a cruiser downriver, enjoying the blue sky, sun and Yorkshire countryside. 


We passed tree trunks and five big plastic cruisers zooming upriver on the way to Caywood Bridge, where the bridge keeper shot out to check we would fit under his swing bridge, as from here the flood water was nearly over the banks, to our surprise. John chatted to him on VHF after.I think the narrows at Selby are holding up the water, which also explains why it is rushing under the Selby Rail and Road bridges, before the lock. John contacted the Rail and Road Bridge Keepers by VHF channel 9, to check our air draught would let Annie get under the bridges, as the water was so high. He also contacted the CRT Selby Lock keeper on VHF channel 74 as we reached Selby. 

Once through the two bridges, John turned Annie around and drifted backwards downstream towards the lock. With some useful signals from the lock keeper, he guided Annie safely into the lock without bumping.

After a break, we decided to move along the Selby Canal through the swing bridge, and moored on good visitor moorings after Burn Bridge. John had a pleasant chat with a local boater while refilling the stern gland grease gun on Annie.

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