Back on the Trent

From Boston we retraced our route back to Torksey where we went through the lock back onto the River Trent just before dark on Wed 12 Sept.  We stopped on the floating pontoons (jetties fixed to poles so they rise and fall with the tide) overnight.

The tides dictated another early start and at 6.20am we set off to get the best of the incoming tide upstream to Cromwell.  Unfortunately both the tide and the water levels were low.

We chugged along following the red line which indicates the safe channel on our Trent navigation chart.  Brent III suddenly slowed to a halt accompanied by the crunch of gravel under the hull.  We'd run aground!  

After pushing off the bow with the barge pole and rocking the stern she floated off quite quickly.  On checking the charts we hadn't strayed very far from the safe channel but the low water levels meant there was no room for error.  The rest of the journey was uneventful but I was pleased when we pulled into Cromwell Lock.

The moorings at Cromwell are in an isolated spot but they have a useful facility - electric points.   We can function without shore power, the inverter provides power for all our 240 volt appliances except the washing machine which has a delicate constitution.  Our Honda generator provides the pure sine wave electricity required by the washer but shore power is a bonus so the washer was kept going over the next two days and the weather obliged with the drying. 

During the week I started my first attempt at bead embroidery.  Tiny coloured beads are sewn onto the fabric to make up the design.  Sounds simple!   I plotted out a butterfly design on graph paper and retrieved the packs of beads from the many storage tubs on the bookcase. 

Invisible thread is used to sew on the beads, this is like a fine fishing line and the needle has to be very fine to pass through the beads.  Threading the tiny eye on the needle with the invisible thread is quite a challenge.  

I happily started sewing the beads onto the aida fabric but unfortunately this craft is harder than it looks. Unpicking invisible thread is virtually impossible.  I resorted to snipping them off which resulted in beads flying in all directions!  Progress is now being made but in future I'll probably stick to cross-stitch.   

Our route up the Trent from Torksey to Cromwell