Up the Tidal Bit to Denver

Salter’s Lode Lock to Denver Lock, Great River Ouse, 0.5 miles 2 locks

NP just fitted into Salter’s Lode lock lengthwise, although I did make sure to keep her on the angle so as not to catch the tiller arm under the walkway at the back of the lock as we rose to meet the river height.  We are going upstream on an outgoing tide once the gates were open.  “Give it some wellie as soon as you turn to the right to get round or you will end up on the far bank” was the advice… OK then

So our new BMC 1.8 was given a good testing as I swung out of the north facing dogleg to turn right and to the south.  I could see what he meant about getting round quick, the tide was running against and not helping the turn… was no problem though and the engine performed well at revs it had not encountered till now, and we swung round easily without the need to brush off the far mud banks.

Passing one boat who had left Denver at the same time as we had left Salter’s, it wasn’t long ‘till we were locked through the big Denver complex and tied up at the visitor moorings above the lock.  Well I say above the lock, because we are now going upstream, but actually we locked down at Denver!!

Still hardly any boats about, it is early in the season, it was just us today wanting to go through Salter’s lock from the Middle Levels, I bet it gets busy in the summer though.

I think I have a contender for the funniest ‘facilities’ to be found anywhere on the inland waterways…. a tap!  Now then, this is a rather a special tap.  As you can see it has probably come from some scrap bath… not only that but it has a very errrrrrr non-wastage contraption on the top of it… a press button, more likely found at motorway rest rooms…

And before you even wonder, I will tell you that no way was I gonna get an elastic band to try keep the hose on there, and I wonder how long I would have had to hold the push button top down to fill a 250 gal tank!!!!… Some people do some funny things sometimes! ….. Wonderful stuff… and it sure did make me giggle.. hey maybe that is why someone put it there, maybe it is their sense of humour.. although I didn’t see a webcam around….

Thought we would take a look at the River Wissey tomorrow, it looks quite a nice diversion…