Nottingham to Derwent Mouth (12 miles, 5 locks)

This winter's major event for us, which is our new butty cabin and new stern alterations, is just around the corner!

Enjoying the lovely sunshine on the stern of Comfortably Numb as we left Beeston (Nottingham Cut)

Last post on our blog got us up to and onto the Nottingham Cut, where we moored outside Sainsbury's for the evening.  Thankfully, much to Richard's relief we had no interlopers in the night, (apparently others have moored there) and set off first thing to get through Nottingham and out the other side back onto the river at Beeston.

Leaving Beeston Cut behind us, now back on the Trent heading towards Cranfleet Cut

We had the most beautiful weather to travel by.  The engine after the rebuild has behaved impeccably and the new greyhound Reilly has slipped into live aboard life like he has known nothing else!

View upstream towards Cranfleet Cut and Sawley beyond

Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in the distance

We were getting quite excited at the prospect of finishing these major bits of river and getting back on the canal system and also getting the butty work done, the weather helped.  Optimism has taken over for a change!

Exiting Cranfleet Cut, we cruise past the entrance to the Erewash Canal

We soon arrived at the lock at Cranfleet and raised the boats onto the cut by nearly 8 feet.  A short distance on the cut of 1.13km and we were back on the Trent cruising past the entrance of the Erewash Canal.  Up there is where we will be taking the boats to get the work done in a week or so.

Pulling out of the twin double locks on the Sawley Cut

Roughly a mile upriver, Richard steered the boats into one of the double locks at Sawley Cut entrance.  These locks are operated by a key, as the large sea locks lower downstream.  Makes life easier!

Taking advantage of the water point whilst the going was good!

We decided that we would carry on through the flood lock at the end of the cut and do the mile or so of river up to the Trent and Mersey canal entrance.

Last lock to take us onto the canal system!

Mooring up above Derwent Mouth lock, we signed with relief that we had made it at last!  The journey from Bardney Lock in Lincolnshire; 79 miles and 16 locks behind us!

Reilly and Lister relax after their long journey

The big job of ripping out the back cabin of the butty commences now in readiness for Sheetstores to recreate a steel version and a completely new stern end.......