2019 Quick Summary.

It doesn't look like we will be getting the chance to move the boat over the next few months so I may as well check out the end of year stats.

We started the year at Aston Marina and headed down the Trent and Mersey Canal

Moored up at Weston on Trent on our first day out.

Fradley Junction and for the first time in a long time we headed straight on down the rest of the locks, mooring up for the night between them though.

On our way into Northampton.

After a lovely trip down the River Nene we ended up at Peterborough. The early morning mist soon cleared.

We passed through the Middle Levels Link, and made it to the Denver Sluice to get on the Great Ouse.

All the way up the Ouse to Bedford.

We ventured down the River Wissey to Stoke Ferry and spotted this doorway. Interesting little town that obviously was more important at one time.

We also pottered down the River Cam and just happened to arrive in Cambridge on the hottest day recorded in the UK, and guess where that was noted? Yes, you've got it Cambridge. 38.7 deg if I remember correctly.

Next we ventured down Brandon Creek, or the Little Ouse as far as we could go, which is the lock at Brandon. The river is said to be navigable for much shorter boats above the lock and this is the river taken from the road bridge about a mile upstream. 

We also went for a wander down the River Lark, and this is as far as we could get on 'Holderness'. Fortunately there was a pub where we could celebrate, Jude's Ferry.

We eventually completed our trip down the navigational length of the River Nene with a stop over in Wisbech before heading out to sea for our crossing of the Wash.

We picked a very good day to pick up Daryl, our Wash Guide for the day and headed out into the Wash and round to the Witham. Daryl is very professional, and extremely well prepared so even Helen was able to relax as we moved out of sight of land. We had a really good chinwag all the way across, before arriving at Boston Grand Sluice to take the last pen up on to the non tidal river.

We had a couple of days in Lincoln before heading to the Trent and finally to winter quarters for this year. All in all a very different year, not so many locks and plenty of rivers, and you can compare our years below.

As can be seen out of the total of 26 navigations we seem to have only been on six 'traditional' canals!!

1.   Trent and Mersey
2.   River Trent
3.   River Soar
4.   River Wreake
5.   Grand Union, Leicester Line
6.   Market Harborough Arm
7.   Welford Arm
8.   Northampton Arm
9.   River Nene
10. Kings Dyke
11. Whittlesey Dyke
12. River Nene (Old Course)
13. Well Creek
14. River Great Ouse, tidal
15. River Great Ouse
16. Old West River
17. River Lark
18. River Wissey
19. Brandon Creek, (Little Ouse)
20. River Nene, tidal
21. The Wash
22. River Witham, tidal
23. River Witham
24. Fossdyke
25. River Trent, tidal
26. Stainforth and Keadby Canal.

As it turns out miles are up this year, but I suppose that is due to the distance run on the rivers speeding things up. The plunge in the number of locks worked is also down to the same reason. It may have something to do with old age too, and the fact that this year we were actually on the boat less than previous years.

It has been a fantastic year with seeing many new sights and places. We have now completed visiting the furthest points north, south east and west on the canal and river system, and crossed the Wash too. It all takes a lot of organisation to get licences and pilots etc but has been well worth it.

It is hard to believe we have had the boat seven years, and I am already looking forward to next year's campaign.

                 MILES       LOCKS
2013           627             579
2014         1027             764
2015          752              524
2016          776              5582017          687              454
2018          666              328
2019          696              222
TOTAL   5231            3429
Average   747               490