Selby to ferrybridge.

We have come back away from the river Ouse, Ubique is overpowered for a narrowboat having quite a large engine, but there is no way she could make 10 to 12 knots just to match the flow on the river, this is before you begin to make any headway. Everything is ok riding the flow but to have to go against it which you have to do to re enter the Selby canal requires thinking about.

We watched yesterday as a narrowboat tried to make this turn in a 5 knot tide. The flow had slackened off as it was very near low water, he just went sailing broadside past the entrance, and after a lot of frantic, black smoking, high revving and what looked like (was) very panicky maneuvering he managed to slam his boat into the lock wall and scrape in along the side.

The lock keeper said that wasn't too bad.

These are spring tides at the moment and in a week they will be a lot less fierce.

Back we go then.



The Selby Canal at the bottom end requires you to keep to the centre line as best you can, shallows on each bank will soon catch out the unwary. The line to follow is the clear water in this picture.
This canal is very near weeded over thanks to the lack of boat movement at the moment. The lock keeper at Selby has never seen it this quiet at this time of year. Where is everyone?



On a previous post I was glad we didn't meet one of those ships on this bend.
Going this way we were discussing what you would do if you met one right now when this one came around the corner.

You really couldn't make this stuff up.

Just before this picture I was seriously considering cutting inside of him to allow his stern the freedom to swing to the bank and not crush us.
This was the moment just after he spotted us and was a revelation as to just how manoeuvrable these things are. (A good skipper probably helps a great deal).



We passed easily.




This is the actual place I took the other picture. Note the lookout standing on the stern, the perfect place to warn the skipper of approaching craft.




I have said before that rivers bother me somewhat, here is another example of just how much the levels can change. That fendering with the trees stuck in it is a good five feet above the present level.

We are now back at Ferrybridge and will make a decision as to where we are off to next.



Until tomorrow..................................