Pam Pickett

First Mate

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Boat names

FOR this week I begin with the Naughty Nun, bless, followed by the very cleverly named Nauti Col!

Next I have Nice Item (agreed) and One in a Million spotted at the Riverside Festival this weekend, together with Charlie’s Girl, (and men think we ladies expensive!)

Back on the Soar I have Kinda Magic and Rainbow's End. With Moonshine and Famous Grouse coming up behind, could they I wonder be hoping to celebrate finding that legendary pot of gold?

I finish this week with the possibly topical Revolution, the cleverly named Time Cut, and from the category of nursery rhyme, Sunday’s Child.

Of boat names

I THOUGHT I’d share with you the origin of one of those boat names from last week, as advised to me by its owners, plus a boater's suggestion of the possible origin of another?

Beginning with One Way of Life, a boater suggests that if in the hands of those who travel this boat may well be named after the Levellers song ‘One Way of Life’. Here I have to admit to some surprise that others of you out there, usually so musically knowledgeable, hadn’t also come up with this suggestion for me!

The second boat The Answer had it seems caused much conjecture as to how this name had been arrived at, before the true answer was found.

Following many interesting suggestions for the name having been put forward to the owners of the boat, now in receipt of the real answer, tell me the actual reason could be thought a little mundane?

However, I don’t think it at all mundane that previous owners, who are said to have had a ‘Tupperware’ boat stolen, thought ‘the answer’ was to buy a steel boat!

A snake and the Grantham Canal

WITH an escaped boa constrictor being topical at the moment I thought I’d mention that reportedly the shed skin of a rather large snake has recently been found in the vicinity of the Grantham Canal, at Cotgrave.

It’s enough that we still have wild mink decimating the wildlife on our waterways, without a snake with a penchant for ‘ratty’ (and unfortunately also for bats!) on the loose?

That snake could however be of more use if it's diet included frogs and toads. The skipper is constantly telling me to mind where I put my feet as dozens of frogs and toads, some so tiny they look like bugs, insist upon crossing the towpath, just as I'm about to place my feet on it!

The Riverside Festival

GIVEN the number of boats attending the immensely popular Riverside Festival at Trent Bridge you could perhaps expect Ray Cullis, the Mooring Warden employed by Nottingham City Council for two days to oversee all of those mooring, not to be the most welcome sight on the riverside, but not so.

Ray Cullis helping boaters

Ray who more usually offers courses in boat handling, radio, Boatmaster’s licences and ICCs was, in his role as Mooring Warden now called upon to deal with more boats than there were mooring spaces, and with boaters in a party mood.

With wind and increased flow forecast for the Trent, Ray with safety in mind was left with no alternative than to tell some of those boaters moored up to seven deep they may be required to move. All credit here to Ray's pleasant common sense approach, none of those boaters complained, despite being faced with a virtually impossible task of finding a further mooring.

Early visitors to the festival

As a result of the lack of mooring space, with much of this space taken up by the area required for the Saturday night firework display, Ray was asked by boaters if further much needed mooring space could be created beyond Halfpenny Bridge.

Ray has I believe, agreed to put this forward to Nottingham City Council on the proviso that boaters will be prepared to offer to pay a minimum of £2.50 each for the privilege of mooring at the event.

All in all I’m told a fantastic time was had by all boaters attending the festival who were certainly in safe hands, with not only Ray Cullis looking after their interests, but with British Waterways Patrol (and licence enforcement) Officer Alan Lindley also in attendance.

No doubt adding to boater safety, should the need arise, I also noticed that ex river policeman Mick Black, with his Dutch Barge Anj was amongst those moored.

Photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated

Floating pennywort

LAST year, seeing a farmer feeding the so invasive non-native floating pennywort to his cattle I was a little concerned as to whether this was safe. I therefore 'asked the question'.

Dr Jonathan Newman, Head of the Aquatic Plant Management Group at Wallingford was kind enough to reply. He told me that pennywort has a high nitrogen content and is a suitable source of food for cattle, and that it's regularly grazed by both sheep and cattle at Pevensey Levels.

A postcard received from both the Environment Agency and British Waterways today is asking for assistance in nipping that pennywort in the bud. Given the incredibly invasive nature of this plant it concerns me that if pulled out and left to rot on the banks, someone is bound to come along and kick it straight back in!

Therefore, in addition to those volunteers being sought by Leicester City Council to remove the pennywort from the Soar, bearing in mind the nutritional value of the plant, I wonder if farmers required to feed livestock could also be recruited?

(If anyone wishes to assist the Leicester Riverside Rangers in clearing the pennywort, they should ring Voluntary Action Leicester on 0116 2553333 and ask to speak to Katie.)

Spare a thought for the lockies

LOCKING through Sawley Lock early last Sunday afternoon the lockie, with both locks fully occupied and with several boats waiting told me my boat was the 86th boat he’d already put through that day.

As some of those boats adding to the workload of more than one lockie were no doubt returning from the Riverside Festival, I think it fair to say thank you very much to those hard working lockies for the additional effort they’d made on our behalf, as the boats both came, and went!

Learning the lesson

PROFESSIONAL boater George tells me he found the answer for one of those who without as much as a by your leave, hog a lock whilst others are left to wait.

George says that when faced with a lack of water and a distinct lack of courtesy on the part of a boater, he nipped his boat into the throat of the lock before the gates could be closed, holding up for quite some time those who would have again closed the gates and opened up the paddles!

Economy drive

WITH the price of both LPG and electricity rising I’ve decided on an economy drive.

As an alternative to restricting the skipper to one cuppa a day I’ve purchased an airpot beverage dispenser for my boat (well in my case hot water dispenser.) This will allow me to keep boiling water at the ready, without the need for re-boiling the kettle.

Every little helps!

Vegetation, plus

CRUISING down the Soar, although the grass had been neatly trimmed on the towpaths on the approach to Kegworth Deep Lock, when needing to pass a moored boat several trees overhanging the navigation hadn’t been. Judging from the growth of those trees it won’t be too long before passage is further restricted.

In addition, Kegworth Deep Lock has a problem with a gate paddle on the bottom gate. This is certainly in need of urgent attention. Since baffles were fitted the lock is slow filling enough, without the need for only the strongest of men to either raise, or fully lower that paddle.

Moving on to the Erewash Canal I have to ask if anyone has noticed the dreadful state of the ground paddle at the first lock? With the concrete around it breaking up, this ground paddle is virtually coming out of the ground.

I’d have thought a stitch in time here might just save nine, later?

Tying up loose ends

I DON’T know about you but I hate ‘loose ends’. As this particular ‘loose end’ with regard to dialling 999 to speak to a Wildlife Crime Officer has caused concern for many of you, I’m so pleased to have now been able to source the definitive answer.

If an offence against wildlife is taking place as you phone and you feel that urgent action is required, then it is acceptable to dial 999 to inform the operator of the presence of offenders on the scene, and to request that a police patrol attend.

If however the offence has already taken place and you wish to report it, you should then ring the local police. However, if they have no knowledge of a Wildlife Crime Officer you can telephone 0115 9670555 to ask that Wildlife Crime Officer PC 3043 Andy Hallsworth be made aware. The more detail you are able to give of any offender, or of a vehicle you suspect belongs to an offender, the better. Details, including any photographs you are able to take can also be emailed to:

andrew.hallsworth@nottinghamshire.pnn.police.uk

However, a timely warning? Whilst the wildlife crime we’re more likely to come across will probably relate to ‘yobbery’ there are some aspects of crime against wildlife that relate to ‘big business’. Reporting this type of crime in the full view of the perpetrators could place the one reporting the crime at risk. Out of sight, out of mind is I think best practice here.

Time to cruise

NOW, with camera, notebook and ear plugs it’s time to cruise. Wish me luck everyone, my record to date hasn’t been good. With virtually half of my annual cruises so far blighted by a broken (and fractured) foot, cellulitis and last year’s pneumonia, I‘m certainly not looking for an encore!

I’ll be back in three weeks (I hope!) at which time I hope to have been given permission to look at some of the training given to hire boaters, a subject close to my heart, and to speak of why I think rather more freight on water than we have at present can pay, and where I think it could be of major benefit to boaters.