Well Crick is over. Its Wednesday and we get our home back today.

7:30 am a call from Jay of Elton Moss support team.  Do you have a set of keys, he asks.  They were on the seat of the van last night, not there today.

I have a set, We are on our way, Err where to. Crick he said. Off we go…

Meet up with them at our boat. Open her up and lend a hand to get their stuff off. Jay and James set about getting her ready for the lift. Roof off, Rear deck rails lowered. Un-screw the wheelhouse raped everything ready for trip. Along came the marina chap to take her to the lift out point.

Under go the strops and with one movement up she came, with a twist and down on to the trailer.

Took a bit of time to strap her down and to cover the whole left by the now missing wheelhouse. Once done off she went. Having to take the long way round to the A14. Jay, James, Sarah and I set off to meet her at West View Marina.

We got there only about 20 minutes before the boat. No sooner had the boat got there the lift team were on the case. No fuss lift and in.

Jay and James started the rebuild of the wheelhouse. They did a few other jobs around her. Some they didn’t need to but did just the same. Thanks guys.

That took us to the end of the day. We stayed for the night. Diner, Beer and bed.

Next day, up and ready to take on the world.

Wheelhouse down, diesel tank topped and water overflowing. We are ready. Ring the lock. As the water is running high due to the rain you may have a problem. Come down and have a look. We did. As with the roof down our height is 1.9mts and you can guess what we had at the lock. Yes, 1.8mts. So turn and back to the marina. No chance today maybe Sunday, if there’s no more rain.

Friday:

Check in phone call with the lock this morning. NO. It’s a high tide and the river has only dropped a couple of inches. So we are still at Westview Marina. Try again tomorrow.

Saturday:

Try again tomorrow.

Sunday:

Try again tomorrow.

Monday:

Sarah sets off to work about 7 and I make a start of prepping for the dive for the lock.

9 am arrives, phone the lock. Morning Gary how’s the height today. The reply comes back. Hold on till around 11 and we will see if you will get in. WOW. Texted Sarah, we have a go.

Sarah arrives home about 10, and we set about taking the wheelhouse roof and sides down. After the number of times we have done this now, it doesn’t take that long.

Phone lock to let him know we are on our way. Fine he said. He is going to set the lock for us to go in. VERY slow we start to enter. No we are to tall. So close. The antenna mast is inside the boat, pole, boathook and plank are ok on their stand. So that makes the tunnel light in the problem. We back out the lock, make our way backwards to the lock landing. To my surprise I made it without incident. A proud moment. I take them where I can.

So spanners out and off comes the light. Lets try again. Once more we enter the lock, with a small scrape of the light bracket we were in. Holding her over to the right, (the tallest side of the lock clearance, as the road that goes over the top has a twist to it). The slow descent began.  A few moments and we were through. Its only taken 5 days to do it, but we are on our way.

My parents were bringing John and cats back to the boat. Meeting them in Ely. So full steam ahead captain. The last time we were up at this end of the river was when we took delivery back in October 2017. Now it’s very different. The trees have grown and the river plant life had sprung up too. Making some of the river very narrow.

Many twist and turns of more than 2 hours, then that bend and bridge at the otters pocket pub. To take this bridge at a good angel I need to be on the wrong side of the river. I set myself up for a perfect turn and angel on the bridge, meeting a narrow boat on full throttle right a the point of the of my turn where it could go badly wrong. But to my surprise I made small turns and we had passed under the bridge without any problems, and not hitting the tree I did last time.

Now we are only about 2 hours away from Ely, our target for the night. Nice wide river now at this part of the Ouse.  I push the speed back up. Really flying now. We must have reached 7 MPH. With this much water passing other boats wasn’t a problem. Them Ely Cathedral came into view. The home run. 45 minuets later with my parents watching, we moored in Ely, right by the bar I was hopping to.

Made it. This is the first time Mum and Dad have seen our home. (Mums health isn’t the best). Let them have a walk out our home. This was the right time to as she was dressed and clean after the show, so she was at her best.

We settled in for the night and bid Mum and Dad farewell. A couple of beers in the bar then back for curry and bed.

Staying in Ely for a couple of days. I put things back into order and started to make her a home again. I got a call from the Hermitage Lock team. A bit of information for you he said. Glad you got through yesterday. The water has gone up again by 3 inches. We were lucky.

As an aside. I had noticed the wood burner didn’t look right. I investigated to find that 2 of the heat blocks had been broken. I emailed our boat builder’s to let them know. The very next day I had one of their support team here to replace the panels. Now that is service or what. It must of happened during the lift. But I am very impressed with that response. Form call to fix, less than 24 hours. Well done Elton Moss.

Wednesday:

Today we are going to have a potter up to the ‘Swan on the river’. Back to where The Lethbridge Stewart was collected from for the show. Sarah would like to get back to the marina Saturday, so we will have a few days up river. This is only if we can moor at the pub and connect to their shore power. If not it’s a overnight then John and I will take her back to base.

The adventure continues.

Tuesday:

Our main set of keys are still on the missing list and we don’t have a Environment Agency key. Popped over the river to the marina and asked if they had a key I could purchase. Sadly not, but they could loan their key for a holding fee of £20. Deal done.

We set off from the moorings by the bar, making our way to the EA pump out point to do what we need to do.

John didn’t make a too bad a job of getting us tide to the bank by the EA service point. I did as we needed to be emptying our loo’s. Now to take the key back and collect the £20 deposit. All sorted and off again, this time for the ‘Swan on the River’. On arrival there was a 14ft wide beam, (who is normally moor at the Prickwillow mooring on the Lark), already moored on the EA moorings section but no one on the pub landing. Result…..

Reversing into the space, with a few correction to our direction, we were moored, like a pro. Tied up and electrics sorted. All done and the pub not open yet. What a good morning. Sun shining, warming up and waiting for a pub to open.

Having chance to talk to the 14ft boat owner. He is on his way to Ipswich to get her lifted out and painted.

Spent a very nice evening on the pubs mooring, food, drink and a lovely place. An overnight that turned into two. Still that’s living on a river for you. Never rush anywhere.

After a relaxing time, it was time to head to our home mooring. A very uneventful trip back along the Lark. And our mooring was as if we had been at it for years. Smooth and no fuss. We are between 2 boats and missed them both. Impressed.

That’s the end of the Crick adventure, at home and even back to work.

We need to order the replacement EA key and wait for the replacement Canaline Key from the builders, plus a couple of thing they are replacing.

Just one more thing………

HAPPY BOATING.

Sarah and Steve Smith on The Lethbridge Stewart.