A bit on the boring side.

2 Locks, 16 miles. Now moored at Earith Junction, Great River Ouse

As much as we would have loved to stay on at Wicken Fen we had to start making tracks towards Bedford. After a long chat to Linda on Nb Kanbedun Again and putting some grease into the top bearing on her tiller, it was looking a bit dry and rusty, we said farewell to this lovely little secluded hideaway.

The run down the Wicken to the Reach Lode was again on the slow side due to the river being so narrow. Before we went through the Reach Lode lock we took advantage of the water point to top up the tanks. After this the trip to Earith was a pretty dull and boring sort of affair. Other than a few sunken boats, one of which was on the GOBA moorings at the Lazy Otter, and 2 had EA Infringement notices attached, the only excitement was at the narrow section just past the Lazy Otter where we met a very large cruiser, not quite a Gin Palace, coming towards us at speed in the centre of the navigation. Well we held our ground and at the very last moment he moved over narrowly missing Nb Kalimera in the process. We thought that by his behaviour that he must be the owner of the river.

As today's heading suggest's the Old West River is not a beauty or scenic spot and there are not a great deal of moorings either so we pushed on until we reached Hermitage lock at Earith where our timing couldn't have been better as 3 narrowboats had just come through from the Great Ouse and the lock keeper signalled us to carry on into the lock, so we were through, one at a time, fairly rapidly. The lock keeper told us where to find the new EA moorings and facilities where we are now moored.

Where do we moor then?

Earith lock and traffic light.

1138 locks, 1562 miles, 41 Tunnels, 41 swing bridges and 19 lift bridges since Nov 2006