Ely’s attractive waterfront is a draw for many – for those who come to stroll and eat and watch as well as those who want to be on the water.             Cleddau and Tentatrice both arrived thirsty on Monday afternoon. Fuel at the Cathedral Marina was expensive (the only tax split the marina allows is 60% propulsion , 40% domestic heating and lighting) but while waiting to refuel life on the river proved entertaining. You can hire water bicycles. You...

           A few bleak mid-winters ago when afternoons were short and time was slow wistful thoughts turned back to boating exploits. Photo albums were delved into, pictures extracted, scanned and printed – and the on-board archive was born.           Within these books are shots (often shaky) of notable waterways features seen from Cleddau over the last twenty years. To the books after the 2013 cruising were added shots of Chester, Ellesmere Port and Droitwich. After yesterday’s cruise perhaps another new-to-Cleddau waterway...

           By 9am on Saturday morning the tide had come in. Come in from where? From the Wash.  Look downstream and somewhere further down is King’s Lynn and beyond that the sea.          Behind where Cleddau and Tentatrice were moored was another structure, the Old      Bedford Sluice and the tide was racing in through it up the tidal Old Bedford River.          Boat checked and ready.           Crew checked, life-jacketed and ready.           At about 9.30 along came the lock keeper on his...

 Wednesday          Stanground Lock is about a mile from Peterborough’s Embankment along the Stanground Back River. . Boaters need to book passage through this lock which lowers boats down to sea level. The lock keeper (like her father before her) adores her job and lives in a delightful house beside her lock. On locking through boat names and numbers are recorded, and in exchange a Middle Level Navigation Notes booklet and some fenland tourist information is handed to the boater.          It...

          On Sunday morning it was an early departure from the pontoons in Ferry Meadows: across the lake, along the channel and a gentle turn out onto the Nene, heading for Peterborough.  At the Yacht Club a long row of cruisers were tied in front of an equally long row of wooden cabins. After Overton Lock came the canoe slalom and then it was a smooth broad cruise towards the city centre. Visit the city by car and there is...

            Departure on Thursday morning was delayed when the Tentatrice Boat Dog decided he wanted to stay – for him it seemed far better to chase rabbits up and down the castle mound at Fotheringhay than to endure further deck duty!            First lock was Warmington Lock. Across the field at Warmington Mill the affluent in these parts come for their Fired Earth fix or to dream of an Aga installation.           Already the Nene Valley had seemed to change its...

            Oundle to Fotheringhay is a mere 4 road miles but about 7 miles by river.             It was a slow departure from Oundle (on Tuesday) with time for one last wander past the town sign (note the long ago date of its market charter) and up into the pretty stone-built town.  Oundle sports a Waitrose and a Co-op on the outskirts, a Tesco Express by the market place, two charity shops (Age Concern and Oxfam, as in 2010) and just one...

         The boat’s been having a holiday – no clocking up the miles, no banging about in locks, no sharp reverses to avoid bridges, boats or weirs, a whole week when the only cruising has been across the marina to the tap and back!           So what have the Cleddau and Tentatrice crews been up to? They’ve patronised the laundry block (£1 and 20p coins to buy time in the washing machines and tumble driers) and  after weeks afloat there is...

          The Middle Nene Sailing Club moorings just downstream from Thrapston (Sunday night’s mooring) have tall poles to tie up to, providing a safe berth in the case of high or fast running waters.           Local walkers, many with dogs, make the sailing lake a destination of choice. The club advertises itself as a family friendly place and just outside the Sailing Club grounds is Thrapston’s skate park and BMX track. The little town, a short walk away, was quiet...

(The River Nene: Irthlingborough to Thrapston)      On Sunday morning the Captain did a recce around the site behind the moorings at Irthlingborough. “There’s an event going on,” he reported. “They’ll never get in.”       However, guided by the Captain’s advice, the Three Musketeers talked their way past the car boot sale stewards and duly arrived beside Cleddau. Gifts they brought – fresh fruit from a local market, saffron and a decorated vase from Kashmir.       The boat crews and the...