A cruising club for Mercia
A NEW IDEA from Mercia Marina is the Mercia Cruising Club that could come into being in January.
There will be a foundation meeting at 7pm on Saturday 11th January 2025 in Willow Tree Tea Rooms, at the marina.
Challenging chunk of water
During this year, we are told a number of Mercia boaters have come along to hear about that challenging chunk of water that lay between Mercia Marina and Yorkshire—The Trent!
Not only Yorkshire lays in that direction, but the historic Fossdyke Canal to Lincoln and on to Boston..the Chesterfield and the back door to the enormous Trans-Pennine Rings—all involve the Trent, starting just a days cruising from Mercia. But there are also other waterways, so other challenges.
So Mercia invites its moorers—why not come along and see if a 'club' could add to your enjoyment of our unique waterways! Nothing is set in stone, but how about club organised discussions and talks through the winter months?
Share advice
Share advice? Share 'cruises' and 'buddy' with other Mercia boats—just to Stenson and back—or to Yorkshire and beyond? A half day cruise, a weekend, a bank holiday., a full summer away or anything in between!
Mercia Marina contains the complete range of experience in its skippers! From those with navigation and boat handling certificates and/or years of experience, to those that well—don't! (If you want help even getting through Stenson Lock, come and join us!) Why not mirror a lot of other great marinas and form a 'Cruising Club'?
Come to this first meeting—add your ideas?
Taking to the tidal Trent
From the Editor—it was over 20 years since we first took to the Trent in our first narrowboat, and wished there was such as a cruising club at Sawley (on the Trent where we moored.) But nothing, so we took to the river and then its tidal section to Keady Lock with no experience, turning into Keadby Lock (pronounced 'Kidby') and smashed against a loaded barge, caused by a ship unloading timber above the lock leaving a strong stream between it and the lock, so just did not allow for it.
The next time we did allow for it, but there was not a strong stream so clouted the bottom side of the lock entrance instead!
The third time we had it sorted, coming into the lock having turned into the tide below the lock.
Coming out of Keadby Lock can be somewhat exciting, so do as we do and wait until the tide is on its turn and all is nice and calm, as pictured, and be taken up river on the incoming tide.
When turning into the Chesterfield Canal it is absolutely necessary to go past the lock then turn up river as its entrance faces downstream.
Oh yes, and we have been stuck on a sandbank having to be pulled off!
Such as a cruising club would have been most helpful, but alas none. For at least it would have pointed out the guide to the tidal river, that we finally obtained—it pointing out that particular sandbank that stretches half way across the river!
So if you want to venture forth, such a club would be most helpful indeed. Join it—and enjoy the real scenery of those Pennine waterways.—Tom Crossley.