The rivers in flood again.

The flood gates in Cranfleet Cut (Trent above Nottingham) are still 'on' today despite the Trent having dropped, by yesterday afternoon, to levels perfectly acceptable for pleasure craft navigation along every part of it's length from Wilden Ferry to Torksey, where the 'back-up' effect of each tide on the 'fresh' coming downriver is at it's greatest. C&RT say their 'team' have been out to 'assess' the situation this morning and decided that the 'navigation must remain closed'.

It seems to me that the irrational fear of rivers running anything much above normal Summer water levels that exists in the minds of a great many pleasure boaters is being fed and nurtured by the office chair polishers at navigation authorities whose primary objectives appear to be creating a drama out of sod all, and especially in relation to C&RT on the Trent and their Yorkshire river/canal navigations with their silly and frequently incorrectly installed red, yellow and green boards, providing insurance companies with a means of reducing the risk they've contracted to be exposed to via the threat of needlessly suspending the cover that boaters have paid for, if they should dare to venture out onto a river that some arse covering pillock in an office has to decreed to be 'in flood' and too dangerous to tackle.

If left to develop further, unopposed and unchecked, this particular manifestation of the nanny state mentality will eventually lead to river navigations being closed to navigation every time we have enough rain to cause even the slightest rise in river levels.

Probably more likely to be down to what I'd said to them on the phone earlier this morning. The reason they gave for the flood gates still being on this morning was that their 'water resources team' had 'assessed the river this morning' and that their water level instrumentation was 'saying' that the river was still above 'safe navigation levels', . . . I didn't know whether to laugh or cry !

Many years ago, and having just push-towed an ex-FMC horseboat/butty upriver from Beeston with an ex-hireboat (half of a old Clayton 'gassy') powered by a 9 hp Lister SL2 against just as much 'fresh' as there was on this morning, I had penned up Cranfleet and was having a cup of tea and a natter with the then resident lock keeper, Cyril Blood, a sensible 'old school' riverman/boatman who wouldn't even think about putting the flood gates on until the Cut level was getting close to the front door of his house. The phone rang with an enquiry from a pleasure boater worried about the river levels and asking "what's the river like today ?". Never one to waste words or effort on pointless niceties, Cyril assured him that it was pretty much still just as wet and cold as it had been throughout most of the Winter. Given the circumstances it sounded like a perfectly reasonable and factual answer to me, but the nervous pleasure boater didn't seem to share our amusement !

You are a worrier, Ross, . . . I almost get the feeling that you'd be a lot more comfortable boating about on a frozen river with an icebreaker to keep you company !

Joking apart, though, if you do ever find yourself struggling to make headway against a strong/fast current or tide, then, except in bights (bends) where the current/tide is generally swifter 'in the bight' (or toward the outside of the bend), moving across to either bank on a 'rack' (or straight section of river), or over to the 'ness' (inside of a bend) round a bight, is just exactly what you should do. You'll find that the current or tide will be noticeably 'slacker' (slower) closer to the banks, or closer to the 'nesses'. But, . . don't even think about trying to hold on to, or tie on to, overhanging tree branches, . . . you could either finish up being there for a few days, or drifting about with a bit of extra firewood on board ! 

Even with the relatively small engine you've got, your boat will probably cope with strong currents or tides better than you're expecting it to, but if you're really not happy about the prevailing conditions when the time comes then give me a call (07553 294325), or send a message, and I'll come with you along whichever sections are causing you concern. If things go according to plan the new sea dredged sand traffic ex-Hull to Fleet (A & C near Leeds) should at last be starting up this Summer, so I might not be far away at the time anyway. How would you fancy a tow behind something like 'Fusedale' ?

Ps.   This offer stands for other TB members too, and, subject to time/work limitations there are occasions when I'm able to help out by way of over the phone, real time pilotage instructions whilst underway and/or specific advice for anyone who's not completely happy about tackling the likes of the Trent, Ouse, and Humber unaided and/or perhaps for the first time.

That really is a very kind and helpful offer Tony, and at least a hundred times better than the use of (useless) anti-stress pills, and/or huge quantities of heavy liquer, that don't slow the current down anyway, and only slow your reactions-, and views of reality down.

It would be ever so nice if the sand traffic starts this summer, and that the inland navigations are finally getting a bit of use again, I'll keep my fingers crossed for this to happen.

Peter.