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Monday 22 May 2017

Got back to Goole.

After a very busy time for a six day stop,over at home we have got back to the peace and quiet of the boat. We loaded up the car and headed up the A63 and M62 to Goole and were unloading once more in under an hour. Macy the cat always knows when we are either leaving the boat, or the house, and manages to go and hide somewhere. We have to prise her claws out to get her in the car. However as soon as she is on the back shelf she seems content. Then when ever we get to the boat she seems to settle almost straight away, where as at home she has to be out and about exploring and looking round and takes a day to get back into her routine. We think she likes being on the boat.

Once we were unloaded I set of back home. I did all the chores, like wash the floors, put the bins out etc and still had time to do a little weeding of the drive before having to go for my bus. The bus station is next to the train station so it was a very swift purchase of ticket and on to the train and away. Only one stop, Brough, before Goole and if you sit on the right side you get a great view of the Humber Bridge and the estuary. It was about 1hr 30 mins to HW Hull as there was a ship just passing Hull heading up river. It would have been a good day for our trip down as the wind was from the south and just a ripple on the surface.

Image result for humber from the train
http://waterways-of-the-humber.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/waterways-by-train.html
You get a good view from the train of the Humber Bridge and the channel light ships, some of which were still manned until the 1970's. The channels weaves from the north to the south bank so you could get a great view of moving ships.

Image result for goole railway swing bridge
http://www.planethugill.com/2016/04/a-sonic-journey-from-goole-to-hull.html
Skelton swing bridge, or Goole Railway Bridge, has to be swung for sea going vessels to reach Howdendyke and Selby. While very little goes to Selby but there are plenty of ships going to Howdendyke about a mile or so further up river. The bridge is at and angle on the river and the tide sets you onto the structure. This means that you shouldn't try to pass through on any size vessels until about 20mins before HW Goole. This gives you enough time to swing and moor alongside by HW at Howdendyke.

Our snug mooring. The land round here is very flat, and in line with most marinas there is the devil's own job to move round them in a breeze.

The wind is coming from my st'bd quarter so a rope to the end of the pontoon with the boat nearest to us was slacked away until I knew my stern would clear the concrete and then we came round to st'bd. This meant there was no fear of me being set down on the boats to the right of the picture.

I was back aboard 'Holderness' within three hours of leaving. We filled up with water and all the other jobs before going and paying. Everybody here seems so friendly and it is a very local yard for us so we may come for winter moorings at some time in the future. Whilst we were paying I saw the 'Walter Hammann' a sea going ship, further down South Dock working cargo. She was a very regular runner to Hull, Goole and the Trent when I was a pilot and had a very grumpy Captain as I remember. It was good to see she was still working. All paid up a then rang a forward spring to the nearby pontoon so I would be able to get my bow round into the wind without clouting any of the cruisers. A very nice man from one of the cruisers volunteered to let go our spring once we were round and this saved Helen having to hop on once she had let go the line. We didn't go far as we just went over to the south side of the cut, to the visitor moorings and tied up there for the night. The plan is to go to the Yorkshire Waterways Museum in the morning and to post some letters etc before heading off up the cut. More to report in the morning.

WALTER HAMMANN
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/photos/of/ships/shipid:152955/#forward
'Walter Hammann has a hydraulic wheelhouse that can be raised at sea and lowered when it is using the rivers and canals on the continent. We used to call this type of ship sea snakes as they were long and thin with nothing above the deck really. She is 58 mts long and 11.5 mts wide and was built in 1988.

2 comments:

Marilyn, nb Waka Huia said...

You two are so adventurous!
M&D xxoo

NB Holderness said...

Hi Both, When I first read your comment I thought you were referring to coming to Goole! We haven't done it yet! However Helen is now telling folk that we are going to go down the Humber so I think she is reconciled to it. I hope you are enjoying the nice weather as much as we are. Tony and Helen