Lazy Otter to Earith

Day 1. Monday, 17 September 2012. Lazy Otter to Earith.

After a leisurely start, we arrived at Lazy Otter at about 10.30 and decided to drain the water tank and fill up with a new tank full. I’m afraid it doesn’t get much more exciting than this! Anyway, we thought this was probably a tad over cautious but it only took 30 minutes or so and we now knew we would not die of legionnaire’s disease as we cruised up the Ouse.

We left the marina just after one o’clock and headed up stream through the attractive middle Ouse towards Earith and Hermitage Lock.

 

It was an uneventful few miles with a good amount of sunshine and a light breeze but, as we passed the Twenty Pence Marina and got to the various meanders about half a mile up-steam, the boat started to drag in the water. I thought this was because the SW wind had increased or maybe I’d picked up some weed. As it turned out, not only was the wind blowing us towards the right hand bank but the depth of the water was getting very shallow. After a couple of ‘tacks’ the stern ran aground on the inside curve of the river. Fortunately a cruiser was right behind us and we spent the next 20 minutes of so chuntering back and forth trying to get off the bottom, fighting both the grip of the mud and the driving wind. Anyway, we did move away, partly by pulling the stern off the mud and partly by letting the current take the bow around. Many thanks go to the crew of ‘Beau Jangles’. I hope you enjoyed the bottle of plonk with your cheese sandwich.

We reached Hermitage Lock at about four o’clock and went through without any problems. Make sure you check the opening hours especially as they reduce during the low seasons. If the lock is closed, you are allowed to moor on the jetty next to the lock gates. We decided we didn’t want to go further today so took one of the EA 24 hr moorings at Westview Marina (next to the free pump out and water) at Earith. It’s worth noting that there are only two berths here and one of them completely blocks access to the pump out and the drinking water standpipe so I guess this location might cause a problem at times. No litter bin either.
 
As the short stretch of river between Hermitage and Brownshill Staunch is tidal you have to be careful during spring tides as the level can change by a few feet but we were not expecting anything like that. In any event, the EA moorings are on piles to cope with such changes.

We kept an eye out for the resident seal and caught sight of him (or her) on the other side of the river. He (or she) went down and we expected him (or her) to come up again nearby but he (or she) didn’t so, with camera in hand, I took a picture of where we had seen him (or her). Not exactly the sort of photo that John Craven would choose for the 2013 Countryfile calendar but if, you can imagine something that looks like a black Labrador in the water, you will get the idea…

 

The planned evening meal of sausage, potatoes, onions and tinned sweet corn had to be modified as the Galley Slave had forgotten to pack the tin opener. After 25 lashes with a wet tea cloth and a lengthy description of what keel hauling involves, she joined me for the sausages, potatoes and onions in the captain’s cabin. I have always been known for my forgiving nature.

Later, when I suggested she could probably find a tin opener in St Ives, Kay decided I could cook tomorrow’s meal.