Woodford

On the Sunday of Bank Holiday (26th May) we left Oundle Cruising Club (OCC) visitor moorings to head upstream. Our intention was to make the short trip to the moorings at Islip. We have moored there on occasions before, including for lunch on our way downstream.

Upper Barnwell Lock

We took on water just above Branwell Lock and the cruiser moored up at OCC came through the lock as we waited by the tap. They pressed on. Although generally dry there was some rain in the air and it was a bit windy.

Wadenhoe Lock

We returned to Wadenhoe Lock and found (as I reported earlier) that the owners of the Kings Head had placed a series of Private Property signs around the site. It was very unclear what there attitude was to mooring but I presume it was negative.

Friends of the River Nene Moorings

The Friends of the River Nene Moorings (FORN) at Wadenhoe were busy with preparations for a barbeque. It was too early for us to stop since we were aiming for Islip. At Islip we were to be disappointed. On the moorings below the lock two boats were moored up with no crew on board either. There was room for us if they had adjusted their positions but with no one on board we couldn't do much about it. We went up through the lock and as we did so a working boat winded just above the lock landing. The next possible mooring was the "end of garden" FORN mooring just above the lock. This was occupied and we began to realise that Bank Holiday Monday was putting pressure on moorings. We next looked at the moorings just above Thrapston Bridge but the working boat (and another) had got there first. We had to press on.

We went on through Denford Lock and then found a small narrow boat (Merlin) following. We waited at Woodford lock and we went through together. The way the man on Merlin span the wheel of the manual operated lock was impressive. It helped that he was tall, young and athletic since he could grasp both sides of wheel.

NB Merlin

Above the lock we let them overtake since their aim was to get to Ringstead. We approached the FORN moorings at Woodford and they were also busy - on the way downstream they were empty. We did manage to persuade the other boats already there to let us sneak in between them and overlap bows. Not an ideal situation but "any port in a storm". The other crews were very friendly.

Cramped mooring at Woodford

Sunset at Woodford

Because of the unusual mooring arrangements we didn't leave the boat to explore Woodford, although we wish we could have. We did however have a good night's mooring.