Collect your shopping trolley here
“So, the curtailed River Nene cruise complete, what was next? The climb back up the Northampton Arm, of course.” (Previous blog post)
…..
The Captain contacted Canal and River Trust; C&RT contacted the local volunteer work force team of the Northampton Arm – and up popped a message from one “Graham” offering help up the locks. “I’ll meet you at 9am at Lock 17,” his message said.
An early start was required, to return the gate fob to the Northampton Marina manager and cruise the half mile to Lock 17, passing the half sunken cruiser, passing the Carlsberg brewery to take the left hand cut to the bottom of the Arm.
At 0855 Cleddau crept into Lock 17. Boatwif was on bottom gate closing duty when a cyclist arrived on a bike, the rider making himself known as “Graham”.
“Have you a spare windlass?” he said, and he crossed the top gate to attend to the offside bottom gate.
What a star.
As Cleddau rose in the lock Graham was assessing the scene. “Got a rake?” he asked. “There’s a floating island of weed blocking the top gate…”
No, not a rake, but the light-weight boat hook would help. And so, in hoiking the weed out of the way, Graham performed the first of several practical tasks…
The boat set off, 1 lock down, 16 to go, while Graham organised his bike and gear.
A man let his dog off a boat that was moored ahead. He reiterated a tale told him by boaters from the previous day, a shopping trolley under a bridge. (Shopping trolleys and boat propellors are not a good mix). Boatwif passed on this hearsay to Graham.
The first 4 locks (17-14) are separated by some distance. Graham rode ahead, his cream-coloured sunhat a visible signal to where he was.
Somewhere after the cartoon cat there was weed clearance again.
Then there was a request for a heavier tool… There was the shopping trolley and the seriously long and heavy boathook was brought into use.
Onward, through the weedy waters of Northampton’s lower levels.
Another signal from Graham: another shopping trolley spotted, this one much mauled by boats rolling over it…
Out it came, a twisted, rusted, bent chunk of metal…
Onward, under a road bridge, passing newly mown parkland.
Two more Northampton hire scooters were spotted, abandoned on the towpath.
Doggedly Graham cycled ahead, prepping locks, signalling potential obstructions (a traffic cone a couple of feet below the surface…)
Progress was slow but steady – until Lock 9.
Water level in the pound above lock 9 was low; walkers coming downhill warned of the lack of water between locks 5 and 6…
Lock 9 refused to equalise – despite water coming in at the top end it was exiting at the bottom end… Cleddau refused to rise to the level of water the other side of the top gate.
Paddle closures were checked.
Gates were pushed as hard as possible.
The water was drained down, the bottom gates opened and slammed shut again, several times.
From the stern the Captain wielded the big boat hook – could he force the back gates to a tighter close? Could he dislodge any debris at the back of the lock?
Graham climbed down the lock ladder. Could he be more effective? Could he poke and prod with the longer barge pole and get a better seal on the back gates?
Much prodding, paddle winding, gate opening and (nearly) closing.
No success.
Send for the cavalry, was the only answer. The Captain contacted C&RT, (“We are stuck inside Lock 9.”) C&RT promised a callback.
Penguin biscuits (bought for emergency use the previous day) were distributed as survival rations…
Within 30 minutes the Rescue Cavalry had arrived, Zoe in a C&RT vehicle, all lights flashing.
The situation was assessed: the same gate checks were done, without success.
“Tell you what,” said Zoe, “you pull the boat back out of the lock onto the lock landing and I’ll pop back up to the yard at Gayton and get some more tools…”
Out of the lock, backwards, the boat came, to be tied up on a single bollard. Graham and the Cleddau crew sat on the boat, eating a scratch lunch.
In due course Zoe returned, equipped with her favourite tool.
Scoop she did, scoop, scoop, scoop…. No brickwork or obstacle was preventing the proper closure of the gates but silt was the culprit.
The gates and paddles were tested, the lower gates washed – and then, and then, 90 minutes after first realising the problem, Cleddau was able to rise in the lock and progress to Lock 8.
Getting to Lock 8 wasn’t easy, the water level in the pound was still low, Cleddau was stuck, more water needed to be flushed down…
Zoe reversed her truck up the towpath to a clearing where she could park, then disappeared further up the flight, managing water levels in the pounds ahead. Graham (on his bike) prepared each lock one by one, Boatwif closed up after Cleddau had passed through…
Persistence, perseverance, all hands on windlasses – the combined efforts of Graham (many, many thanks), of Zoe and of Boatwif finally got Cleddau up the hill -
One of the many mosaics on the towpath trail
and back onto the Grand Union, six full hours after leaving Northampton…
Exiting Lock 1 - finally!
Relief – and thank you and farewell to Graham for a far longer and more energetic volunteering stint than he had anticipated!
Sadly the view of the rubbish area at Gayton Junction was just as depressing as it had been on the outbound trip.
For an age, it seemed, Cleddau was held in a hover at the Junction while the charity trip boat the Mountbatten Crusader waltzed about trying to moor up and off-load its passengers.
Charity boat at Gayton Junction
Finally, within sight again of the BRAUNSTON 16 MILES sign, Cleddau could be tied up and her crew’s thirst quenched by two large mugs of tea!
Northampton Marina – Gayton Junction - Grand Union Canal: 5½ miles; 17 locks
Repairs, losses and gains
Repairs: (1) shower pump fuse replaced; (2) a 1 metre tear along the zip stitching of the cratch cover acquired at Northampton Arm Lock 17 re-sewn (3) bathroom toilet fan replaced
Losses: 1 pipe fender; 1 tyre fender; 1 mooring hook
Gains: 1 windlass (found at Weston Favell Lock); 1 flat fender
2026 Monkton Moments* (Monkton Moment*- a reference to / recognition of Cleddau’s Pembrokeshire connections): 3
3) Passing boater: “ From Pembroke, then?”
