Beverley Beck Cruise
(c)Michael Askin
11/07/2004
For personal use only - please contact me for any other uses, thank you.

Saturday 10th July 2004

Awoke at 8:20am, and got ready quickly as the plan was to leave at 9. Michael, in Double Zero went through the bridge early with ‘Ard Graft to get an early lead. About 9:10am Dad was finally ready for off, so I started up Kismet, and started to turn around, while Dad started Rose of Yorkshire. As I was turning the engine warning beeper started making a noise. I couldn’t tell what was wrong at first as I wanted to complete the manoeuvre before I stopped the engine. Dad mentioned it would be the water, and the engine temp was very high. I stopped the engine after making it drift in the direction of our mooring. I loosened the filler cap and a load of steam filled the room, filled it with the kettle, and it seemed OK from then on.

PICT0697-Hempholme PICT0698-Hempholme PICT0700-Hempholme PICT0703-Hempholme
PICT0697-Hempholme.jpg PICT0698-Hempholme.jpg PICT0700-Hempholme.jpg PICT0703-Hempholme.jpg

Except from the weed it was a easy run down, Gary in Monsoon was struggling, so I was staying well back. After Wilfholme Gary slowed to a tickover while he cleared the weed from the water filter, and then put a wiggle on. I however went back to the same speed as before, and managed to fall behind. I opened the throttle, but could not go faster than 6.5 mph over the ground due to the lack of water in the river. I was causing a big wash (it’s a tidal river, and so not speed limit exists), and I’d like to know how fast it could manage in the open water. It doesn’t seem to cavitate as much now that we have more weight in it.

While I was out of sight, I got a call on the marine radio. I heard a voice that said “Kismet, Rose of Yorkshire”, but I’m sure it was Garys voice. I replied to Rose of Yorkshire, and then Gary got his brain in gear and recalled with the correct name of his boat! He got some grief in the pub that night about it – Muppet! :-)

PICT0704-Baswick PICT0707-Wilfholme PICT0709 PICT0710
PICT0704-Baswick.jpg PICT0707-Wilfholme.jpg PICT0709.jpg PICT0710.jpg

I caught up with Rose of Yorkshire, and Monsoon at the lower outfall of the lake above Tickton. Apparently the boat I had just past had tried to pass all the boats coming the other way on the wrong side. Dad shouted at him to pass on the right, but he still had a go at Monsoon. He’d pulled to the side when I passed him, but I would like to have had a go at chicken with him!

We arrived at the bridge a little earlier than the booking, but Dad managed to get the bridge keeper there early. We waited only a couple of minutes on the barges, and boats at Wheel. Nearly went over a sunk boat that was just under the water level.

PICT0717-Wheel_Waiting PICT0719-Wheel_Barge PICT0720-Wheel_Wreck PICT0723-Wheel_Bridge
PICT0717-Wheel_Waiting.jpg PICT0719-Wheel_Barge.jpg PICT0720-Wheel_Wreck.jpg PICT0723-Wheel_Bridge.jpg
PICT0725-Wheel_TugBarge PICT0726-Wheel_Syntan PICT0727-Wheel_FishingBoats PICT0728-GroveHilll_Lock
PICT0725-Wheel_TugBarge.jpg PICT0726-Wheel_Syntan.jpg PICT0727-Wheel_FishingBoats.jpg PICT0728-GroveHilll_Lock.jpg
PICT0729-GroveHilll_Lock PICT0731-GroveHilll_Lock PICT0733-GroveHilll_Lock PICT0737-GroveHilll_Lock
PICT0729-GroveHilll_Lock.jpg PICT0731-GroveHilll_Lock.jpg PICT0733-GroveHilll_Lock.jpg PICT0737-GroveHilll_Lock.jpg

Chris had to empty the lock, and open the gates when he arrived, but beckoned my Dad, and I into the first lock full. Ard Graft squeezed in behind Rose of Yorkshire, but there is not much room in a 57ft lock. One of the kids fishing in the canal asked what I had taken a picture of, the canal was my answer, but he seemed a little surprised. He asked my Dad if he knew it was a dead end, I'm not sure these kids realise what boating is about!

When I arrived near the top of the beck, I decided it would be a good idea to turn around first. I tried at a slightly wider bit at a drain outfall, but was to short by about 2 foot. I had to reverse back to the main road bridge where it was just wide enough to turn, but since the wind was blowing down the canal, and off the buildings the bow would not go where I wanted it to. I managed to take a big lump out of it on one of the concrete walls.

PICT0740-GroveHilll_Lock PICT0742-BevBeck_Boatyard PICT0743-BevBeck PICT0744-BevBeck
PICT0740-GroveHilll_Lock.jpg PICT0742-BevBeck_Boatyard.jpg PICT0743-BevBeck.jpg PICT0744-BevBeck.jpg
PICT0745-BevBeck PICT0749-BevBeck PICT0751-BevBeck PICT0753-BevBeck_Minster
PICT0745-BevBeck.jpg PICT0749-BevBeck.jpg PICT0751-BevBeck.jpg PICT0753-BevBeck_Minster.jpg
PICT0754-BevBeckEnd PICT0757-BevBeckEnd PICT0759-BevBeck_Kids PICT0762-BevBeckEnd
PICT0754-BevBeckEnd.jpg PICT0757-BevBeckEnd.jpg PICT0759-BevBeck_Kids.jpg PICT0762-BevBeckEnd.jpg

We looked around town in the afternoon, and then went for a nice meal in the Foresters Arms at the end of the beck. The night was then spent listen to a three piece band, the piano was played by someone my Dad knows from his Gough and Davy’s days – Laurie, who now owns A1 Pianos.

I went to bed when the Pub throw us out, but everyone else who was left went to Rose of Yorkshire to continue drinking until 3am.

PICT0763-BevBeck PICT0769-BevBeckBoats PICT0771-BevBeck_Foresters PICT0772-BevBeck
PICT0763-BevBeck.jpg PICT0769-BevBeckBoats.jpg PICT0771-BevBeck_Foresters.jpg PICT0772-BevBeck.jpg
PICT0774-BevBeck_Boats PICT0778-BevBeck_Crane PICT0784-BevBeckBoats PICT0785-BevBeckBoats
PICT0774-BevBeck_Boats.jpg PICT0778-BevBeck_Crane.jpg PICT0784-BevBeckBoats.jpg PICT0785-BevBeckBoats.jpg
PICT0786-BevBeckBoats PICT0792-BevBeckMonsoon PICT0794-BevBeck_DoubleZero PICT0797-Beverley_Lane
PICT0786-BevBeckBoats.jpg PICT0792-BevBeckMonsoon.jpg PICT0794-BevBeck_DoubleZero.jpg PICT0797-Beverley_Lane.jpg
PICT0799-Beverley_Minster PICT0801-BeverleyMinster PICT0803-Beverley_Minster_Garage PICT0806-Beverley_Minster_Garage
PICT0799-Beverley_Minster.jpg PICT0801-BeverleyMinster.jpg PICT0803-Beverley_Minster_Garage.jpg PICT0806-Beverley_Minster_Garage.jpg
PICT0813-Beverley_Market PICT0815-Beverley_BurgessIcecream PICT0818-Beverley_Handcut PICT0821-Beverley_MinsterBuildings
PICT0813-Beverley_Market.jpg PICT0815-Beverley_BurgessIcecream.jpg PICT0818-Beverley_Handcut.jpg PICT0821-Beverley_MinsterBuildings.jpg
Sunday 11th July 2004

John, on Moonsearcher, who arrived late on Saturday after delivering a boat trip load to the pub left early waking me up. Then someone in a car I think reawoke me, at around 9. I listened to a CD lent to me from a friend at work by a band called “Half Man, Half Biscuit”, but it was the title of the CD that amused me more than the songs – “The Trumpton Riots EP”.

Ard Graft, and Double Zero went when Chris left before 10, as Summer Breeze was going into the marina today. The others wanted to get back to Hempholme early for some reason.

At 11, Bob, and Gary left for the lock, and we followed a little too late, as Julie, and Mum were still asleep when we woke them.

We reached the lock, but Bob, and Gary were just closing the bottom gates. It’s a slow lock to operate, and the fact that one of the gate paddles is so stiff it’s not worth moving, and you have to wind the gates open, makes it even slower.

PICT0825-BevBeck_Leaving PICT0829-GroveHillLock PICT0831-GroveHill_Hardwork PICT0832-WheelBridge
PICT0825-BevBeck_Leaving.jpg PICT0829-GroveHillLock.jpg PICT0831-GroveHill_Hardwork.jpg PICT0832-WheelBridge.jpg

The tide was low, and Dad found a shallow bit just out of the lock. When I followed, I had to turn sharply, and quickly to the left to enter the flow of the river, which meant that the stern had to go near the wall. At one point the back lifted up out of the water which caused the prop to lose grip on the water.

We had a steady run back to Hempholme. The showers we did have were light, but it was cold. Mum made some sandwiches after complaining that I was hungry over the radio, and we did a transhipment on the move. Poor old Michael on Double Zero reported he was having problems with the weed, and Gary was worried it could cause a problem. By the time we reached Wilfholme – the start of the bad bit of weed the water was quite high from the weed holding up the water, and we all made good time to the lock.

The lock was ready for us, and I sailed straight in at 2000 rpm – applying the brakes as a passed the lower lock chamber gates. We needed two lockings, but the bridge was already open for us when we reached Hempholme as Gordon from Mary Grace was waiting for us.

PICT0834-HullBridge PICT0835-WeedAboveWilfholme PICT0839-SwingBridgeCottage PICT0842-Hempholem_Gordon
PICT0834-HullBridge.jpg PICT0835-WeedAboveWilfholme.jpg PICT0839-SwingBridgeCottage.jpg PICT0842-Hempholem_Gordon.jpg