Note to Readers:
This blog is mainly intended to document the history (service and travel) of our Narrowboat Rivendell. We purchased this on 23rd December 2011. The blog may contain information of interest to others than myself, and if so, thats great. There will be lots of information irrelevant to anyone but myself, and I make no apology for this!!
As far as we know (and thanks to Sarah Edgson for help), Rivendell was made in 1990 by Graham Edgson of Norton Canes Boat Builders. It is likely that this was No. 1017 "Livery Stable", but it may also be No. 1024 "Unnamed". We are endeavouring to find out exactly. In 1995 a major refit included moving one porthole from port to starboard and the addition of two more portholes. Also a Perkins MC42 engine was fitted, as well as a Zeise Benjamin 3.5kva generator, a Mastertvolt inverter and the bedroom and bathroom rearranged and refitted. A New Zealand family travelled in her around Britain for 4 years until she was sold in 1999 to a couple from Cambridgeshire, from whom we bought her in 2011. I work in Nottingham, and thus we have to move her up over the Winter months.. This poses all sorts of potential issues, not least the amount of "Closures" on the systems. We will be cruising on Environment Agency, Middle Level Commission and British Wayerways waters, and thus have 3 sets of closures to contend with.
The Flight of 17 locks at Northampton are closed from 9th Jan-10th Feb. So can't set off before 10th Feb.
The lock at Whittlesey is closed from 29th Jan - 13th Feb.
Stanground Lock doesn't open on a Tuesday (i.e. 14th Feb!)
We have to cross the Great Ouse - a tidal river. The lock can only take a 62ft boat, and we are 70ft. Thus we have to go in and wait for level tide, and then cross into Well Creek at Salters Lode. This is normally not possible from Oct-April due to flood waters being let into the Ouse. Luckily for us, it has been a very dry Autumn and Winter... And due to the very nice people at Denver Complex, and Salter's Lode, we were allowed to go through!
Boat Move - Stage 1: Stretham to March
Public Moorings just before Pope's Corner
3400 Engine hours: Changed Oil/Filter (10W40 SS), Replaced Glow plugs (NGK Y107R). Note: small leak on calorifier line at tap in engine room. Alde boiler non-functional. Light in Engine room non-functional (replaced bulbs, still not working).
Moored up outside the Cutter Inn in Ely
The weekend before the Big Move part 1, we did a test run to Ely for the Ouse Washes Mark Jones Day of Dance. This event starts at the Cutter Inn, and we found a nice spot just outside! The trip back was a bit of a trial - negotiating past Cambridge rowing teams, and then 40mph side winds meaning that entering our mooring (at 90 digs to the wind) took several attempts.. At one point we were travelling completely sideways down the river, which narrows considerably just after the marina. Eventually I turned it round by burying the bow into the bank and powering the stern round. Some of the other boaters on the marina came out to help pull her into the mooring.
We were very lucky with the weather for the move from Streatham up to Denver. It was sunny and warm(ish!).. 8 degrees. Great lighting in the fens. Couple of EA boats were all that we met. Night spent at the Jenyns Arms, and a 10am start across the Great Ouse.
Up the Ely Ouse towards Denver
Moored up at Denver Sluice waiting for high tide
The very kind folk at Denver complex limited the amount of water put into the Ouse so that we could get a low tide to match the level in Well Creek - the only way a 70ft boat can get through the 62 ft lock at Salters Lode. We had to wait about 4 hours in the Lock at Salters Lode, but eventually we were through - a near miracle for January, apparently, and due to the very low amount of rain in the past 6 months.
Waiting in Salter's Lode for level water.
Onto Well Creek.. Blimey, this is tough for a Learner in a 70ft deep drafted boat!! Its fairly narrow, (not such a problem, as long as you keep a keen eye on where you are going), but the real issue is the depth. Its not much more than 3ft deep even in the middle. The prop therefore churns up the floor if its spinning too much, and if the stern gets near the back, it gets sucked in, making steering difficult. They effect is really strong, and in fact I had a look down the weed hatch, as I was convinced that we much have picked up something on the prop, the tiller was shaking so much. Not so - just the turbulence from the water hitting the riverbed some 3 inches below the prop! (should've taken a photo down the weed hatch - amazing we were floating the river was so shallow).. We also created a large wake if we went anywhere near "fast" - the speed limit here is 4mph, but we were doing about 2mph. Any faster and the ducks would be surfing on our bow wave, and the bottom would have been dredged by our prop. Oh, and there was barely 2 inches of headroom at some of the bridges, so the chimney had to come off. Nice public moorings in Outwell near the Five Bells pub. Great meal there too!
Sitting in Marmont Priory Lock, waiting to drop about 6ft
Onto Marmont Priory Lock, and after along the deeper wider Old Nene. Rivendell was MUCH happier in this deep water. Stopped for coffee with a friend who has similarly turned boater in the past few months, and onto Fox Boats Marina in March, where we are taking on fuel, pumping out the sanitary tank, and getting them to fix the gas boiler and leak in the clarifier line, as well as changing the fuel filters and gearbox oil (Should be doing these myself, but have so little time to do it at the moment).. I've asked them to look at the weed hatch seal, as after bragging to the boater friend that our bilges were as dry as a bone, I obviously broke the seal on the hatch when I was staring at the riverbed, and managed to put 2 inches of water in the bilges between Outwell and March!! Hopefully Fox's will service the generator too (if not, I'll get round to that eventually).
Next move in a couple of weeks time... That is if the weather doesn't turn the river into an ice-rink.. The "siberian winter" the tabloid press is currently reporting will hopefully not last, and hopefully the Middle Level Commosion and BW will get on with their Lock repairs promptly and finish on time.
