Marina life and saving lives!

Well we've been back almost two weeks and I have neglected the blog! Sorry if anyone has been bored enough to want to read it and I will keep this entry as short as I can.
Richard rebuilt the engine on our return as the bits arrived in 2 days! Good service and really helpful (Marine Services). The leak has been sorted and the engine is shining like a new pin. I don't know how many times the brasso has been out but I even helped him this time. (That was because there was oil everywhere, Richard is not the tidyest/cleanest of mechanics!
We fetched our eldest (Martin - pictured hiding behind the plants) from University last week (Bournemouth) as the train fair had gone up by about £20 and we fancied a day out. Bless him, he didn't have any milk in, so a coffee was not on the list, lots of washing for me though!
We have been showing him around and giving him a chance on the tiller. He has lapped it up, having a blast up the river to Hazelford lock last night and on our way back now.

Major event!! 3 days ago, Richard was sitting in the cratch at the front of the boat, surfing/smoking mainly! Suddenly a splash could be heard and Richard dived out of the boat to the aid of what he thought was a generator falling off the back of the guy opposite's boat. As he looked over the edge of the pontoon, he could see the bright yellow genny falling below, but then sore the sole of this guy's foot!! It took ages for us to haul him out of the water, not easy when it's someone as big as you fully dressed wet through and having a fit!
We managed to get him on the pontoon walkway, and his fitting seemed to subside so that he relaxed into the recovery position. I told bystanders to call for an ambulance and get a blanket, and to my surprise suddenly people sprang into action. Within 10 minutes the paramedic arrived. After they changed him into dry shorts, he had another fit. He didn't look very well at all. The ambulance took over an hour to arrive, but at least the medic was there early on. Hypothermia was the biggest worry and he wasn't responding that well.
If Richard hadn't been there at that time, no one would have known he had gone in and without doubt would have died!! He just says he would have done it for anyone, which I suppose is true. Thought for today, would you help or walk by?
I will keep you posted on his recovery....

Quick let's get home before it rains again!

Tuesday morning, the third day on the 'cut', the clouds broke and the sun came out, for a second day. Would it have been enough dry weather to bring the water level down? Low and behold it had, to just above the beginning of the yellow, which is not right, but safer and would make for a speedy down river journey (not white water rafting!). We would still probably wear our lifejackets.
Through the lock we went with some trepidation, but the marker had revealed more of itself overnight which was reassuring. The photo doesn't illustrate it well, but you can tell the level is lower. We needed to get back to the Trent lock to go on the Cranfleet cut section of the Trent, which would return us to Newark.
The river sped us along, except, on checking things were Ok with the engine, Richard discvered that on the hard revs, a cloud of steam would arise from the engine! We had a leak. Obviously putting pressure on the old girl was not necessary, but we ordered some parts from a company we had dealt with before including gaskets, the lot, as Richard had intended during the winter to strip the engine anyway. Give him an old engine and he is as happy as anything!
Amongst the many private moorings along the banks on the approach to Nottingham, we spotted this cause for concern! The water levels must have been really high to lift boats out like this!
Beeston lock was the last lock before Nottingham, where the wind took us again like a yacht and if Richard didn't have such a tight hold on the reverse lever, we would have gone merrily over the weir next to the lock. We crashed unashamably into the pontoon but at least I could get off and get a rope to secure it. Another couple we had followed down opened the lock gates as I ran up the bank to help, so Richard could steer the boat in alongside .
From a canal perspective I enjoy going through Nottingham. The views from a half marathon view (I did manage 3 when I was fit) weren't bad either! Here is a candid picture of the Castle. I nearly missed it! The main company transporting goods on the Trent at it's peak was Fellows, Morton and Clayton - this was their depot, now a museum. Through Castle lock we went, and then the extreme bend at the Premier Inn. This requires precision to get a 61foot boat round in one go, it took us 2!
This family of Canadian geese were
quite happy to let us go by noisily!

We were soon out on the river Trent proper again with Trent bridge behind us and the open vastness of the river stretched out in front. It seemed so wide and fast that both of us checked our lifejackets just to be sure.
At Holme lock, the deepest on this part of the river at 12feet deep, Holme Pierrepont White Water rafting course diverts water off the river onto it's new facility. On the way out to Nottingham, we had watched the canooists battle with the challenging course and rolling over many times. There was a rowing competition involving schools across the region.
In the picture, the scale of the lock is apparent as Richard holds the centre rope to keep us to the side of the lock.
Before we arrived at the next lock, I took a picture of a fantasic feat of engineering in the form of an aquaduct carrying the Nottingham - Grantham railway, at Radcliffe on Trent, itself concealed in woods on a bend in the river.
A welcome sight to anyone on this stretch of river is Gunthorpe bridge, being the only road bridge between Nottingham and Newark. It is a sign the journey is almost at an end. Gunthorpe lock is a popular mooring spot where refreshments can be bought etc. But we still had a few miles to go and needed to get the poor old engine back home for a rest.
So Hazelford lock did not get the pleasure of Scooby chasing it's rabbits, as we steamed past and arrived back at newark safe and sound in good time for the heavens to open!
14 (there were 15 when we left) signets met our arrival, happy with their parents in the safety and seclusion from preditors in our marina. What a marvellous sight!