Burwell Lode... bit slow going!!

Today – Junc with Wicken Lode to Burwell, Burwell Lode, River Cam
Yesterday – Moored Junc Wicken Lode

With all the preparation and first undercoat applied to the roof yesterday, we promised to give ourselves a rest today, and gently cruise down to Burwell Village at the end of Burwell Lode…

Things never really work out as planned sometimes…

Yes a restful early morning before pulling the pins to do the short 3 mile trip, normally taking about half an hour at the speed we tend to go..  All was fine, we were enjoying the low lying areas on each side of the Lode, spying that marsh harrier I took a pic of the other day, and a buzzard having a right go at each other in flight, such awesome power they have..

Well everything was fine until we got to within a quarter of a mile of the end of the Lode.  NP started to struggle, the blanket weed was trapped at the bow, and getting itself wrapped round the prop… Nope, no good this, Plan A then, all stop and into the weed hatch to clear the prop.. Gawd this stuff is chronic!  I cleared as much weed from the front bow as I could, it was so heavy to shift.. and with the prop clear again, we had another go… got another 50 yards or so.. same again… and yet another repeat of this fiasco getting no further this time than about 20 yards!

A boat came past us going back to the safety of ‘non weed’ while we took turns clearing the prop.. he didn’t get very far either until he got stuck!

OK then so plan B… Vic can play horsey on the bank and pull us the 300 yards.  We had to do it, the Lode is not wide enough to turn you see.. It looks like there is a clear track in the pic, but all that floating stuff you can see, blanket weed, is just below the surface as well!

Plan B didn’t work either because more of the stuff was trapped round the bow again, being so heavy just stopped NP in her tracks.. OK Plan C then

I remembered back a couple of weeks ago that I fancied doing a punt down the River Cam by the colleges, well with Plan C I would get my chance to have a go!

Inch by inch we made very slow progress.. no good turning on the engine, no sooner than the prop was engaged, it was tangled in weed again.. we punted!!

Just 200 yards to go, we could see the safety of the visitor mooring, there was a plastic boat there… thankfully.. because Chris and Sue the owners of it saw our plight, and walked along the towpath to help.  Chris took a long centre rope, wrapped it round himself and hauled… Sue hauling on the back rope, Vic punting from the stern, and me punting and clearing weed at the bow.. Thanks you two!

It took 2 and half hours to do that 400 yards.. here then my backyard today pic..

Pushing and pulling we turned here.. Lucy missed out on her walk this evening, no strength to even pick up my walking stick!

This will do for a few days.. we need to regain some energy before having to do much the same on our return out of here me thinks!