From dominicfam@proweb.co.uk Mon May 3 18:24:52 1999 Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 19:08:18 GMT From: Brian L Dominic Reply-To: canals@blacksheep.org To: canals@blacksheep.org Subject: TRIP REPORT: The Voyage of the Doris Katia (5) Part the Final - in which we go on the Trent! (Weston - Trent Lock) Cast: Brian Tristan - younger son (17 and built like a brick s***house) Paul - Tristan's mate Jonathan - elder son and picking-up car driver I awoke to find buttercups growing on the towpath - a reminder of what we no longer see in our over-weed-controlled meadows. We set off at the relatively late hour of 0830, as there was only a short run to our destination of Long Eaton. The "laddish" suggestion that we breakfast on Pot Noodles and beer went out of the window in favour of a more sensible one of cornflakes and toast, eaten as always on the move. I harboured thoughts of a side-trip up the Soar to look at the GIG site for later on this year, but as it turned out there wasn't time. Tris stayed in his pit for some considerable time after we cast off, and surfaced in time to help at Shardlow Lock. At Aston Lock, we met the Lichfield Cruising Club, who were on their way back from white-water rafting at Holme Pirrepont, near Nottingham - No, not with their narrowboats! Again, it was interesting to potter gently through Shardlow by boat, rather than being on the road or towpath. Locking out of Derwent Mouth Lock into the Trent I was at long last able to push the single lever control wide open - for the first time I suspect, as there was fairly soon a slight smell of burning paint as the silencer got rather hotter than it usually does! Sawley Lock was a delight, being electrically operated - the crew wanted to know why all locks couldn't be like this, but I told them it would take the fun out of it. This was literally the low point of our voyage, as we's been descending locks ever since Braunston and would only have a couple of uphill ones to get us home. After a perfect turn into Trent Lock (just like Mr Deuchar tells you to do it) we had locked up and moored by 1145. Water, waste and lunch (Spaghetti Bolognese) was followed by clearing up, sweeping out and putting stuff away, then waiting for Jonathan and unloading our stuff, following which the boat was moved to its final mooring for Ian-the-Builder to take over. 6 miles 4 locks Brian Illustrations to follow.......... Web Sites: (Golden Valley Light Railway) http://www.proweb.co.uk/~dominicfam/ (Canals) http://www.proweb.co.uk/~dominicfam/boat.htm