What an adventure we’ve had this week, as we finally kicked off our ambitious journey from Yorkshire to Cambridgeshire via The Wash. For those of you who’ve been following our escapades, you’ll know this means leaving the tranquil canals behind and venturing onto the fast-flowing, tidal River Trent. It’s a journey we’ve been planning and preparing for, and honestly, the excitement (and a little bit of apprehension) has been building for weeks.
Our first leg was always going to be the most challenging: navigating from Keadby Lock all the way to Gainsborough. Day two will then take us from Gainsborough to Torksey Lock. We had to factor in the specific operating times of Keadby Lock, which only lets boats out one hour before high water. This timing is crucial as it means we’re launching directly into the flood tide, giving us the best chance to be pushed upstream. We spent the night moored closer to the bridge at Keadby, ensuring we were ready for our 7:15 AM departure. The boat was prepped, the anchor secured (an essential piece of kit for river navigation), and the bimini dropped to reduce windage.
We entered Keadby Lock with mix of nerves and exhilaration. With the road bridge closing behind us and the alarms sounding, we were enclosed as the lock keeper, Richard, managed the various gates from his control tower. It was fascinating to see the sequential closing of the inner gates, ensuring our safety before the massive outer gates opened. Richard assured us the water levels weren’t drastically different, just a slight 10-20cm drop, but the sheer size of those main gates opening onto the vast expanse of the Trent was a sight to behold. With ongoing problems with this lock, seeing it open smoothly for us felt like a small victory.
The Trent stretched before us, and I had to be fully focused, doing a “hard right” to get us upstream. We’d heard tales of narrowboats being pushed around by the currents, but our wide beam, Happidaze, held her own beautifully, thankfully not being pushed over as we made our entrance. While our hydraulic steering can feel less intuitive than a tiller on the calm canals, on the big, wide-open tidal river, it proved surprisingly responsive. Micro-movements are key, and that ability to turn quickly around the river’s 90-degree bends, where the water really channels and picks up speed, was incredibly useful.
One of the biggest challenges on the Trent was the sheer amount of debris in the water – twigs, branches, reeds, and even mysterious floating sacks. We did our best to avoid it all, but we did have a heart-stopping moment when the prop hit something small. Nevertheless, we pressed on, making good progress, clocking around 5.7 knots, which meant we were shifting with the tide. A big help was filling our front water tanks to keep the bow heavy, which helped us cut through the currents.
The Trent is actually quite pretty. The enormous, uninterrupted skies were a painter’s dream, and we were constantly surrounded by birdsong. We even spotted a barn owl fly right over the top of us. We passed charming villages, gorgeous houses with rolling lawns down to the water, and even converted windmills. Liz started dreaming of winning the lottery and buying one of those idyllic riverside homes, complete with a woodland for Marley and our own private mooring.
Our strategy of using the tidal lag to our advantage worked perfectly. We passed West Stockwith, where high tide is about an hour after Keadby, confirming we still had plenty of flood tide to push us along. We even managed to chat with Richard, our Keadby lock keeper, via phone as we passed West Stockwith, confirming we were making good time.
Our goal was to arrive at Gainsborough just as the tide was turning, allowing us to moor up against a gentle current rather than battling a strong flow. Our timing was spot on, and we executed a perfect manoeuvre, Liz hopping off with the bowline, and me gently bringing the stern in. We even had an audience on the pontoon, who gave us a round of applause!
Now safely moored at Gainsborough, we’re enjoying a well-deserved coffee and a moment of relaxation. Marley, who was a champion guard dog for our plants (which we moved off the front deck for safety), was treated to a sniff around town. It’s been a fantastic first leg, and while the water is already racing back in, reminding us of tomorrow’s challenges, we’re feeling confident and excited for the next leg of our journey.
If you can’t see the embedded video above, click here.
If you like our content and would like to support us, we will give you ad-free access to our videos before they go live to the public, discounts in our shop, access to Jamie’s iconic full-res photographs, and supporter-only blog posts. Click our ugly mugs for more info!
