Scary Tidal Ouse from Goole to Barmby

This is an account of our tidal passage last Friday from Goole to Barmby Barrage (a few miles downstream from Selby) on the River Ouse.  We found this the most challenging tidal passage we've done on Leo and we've done quite a few now including the Severn from Bristol to Sharpness and crossing the Wash earlier this year.  In truth I should have listened to Helen who advocated waiting a few days so that we would not be doing the passage at the height of the spring tide, as we did.  Though we have 43 hp at our disposal at times this did not feel enough and on a few occasions it took all our experience and the power of the boat to stop Leo being spun right round by a cross current, like a lock bywash but much more powerful.  So, with that introduction here is the story in pictures with some further detail:

We were booked to go out through Victoria Dock but we called Port Control on the VHF radio before leaving our mooring to be told that there were not enough staff to man that lock and swing the Lowther Bridge for us, so we would have to go out through Ocean Lock.  The main disadvantage that you enter the river facing downstream when we wanted to go upstream and it means another half mile of tidal river.  Here we are setting off through the docks at Goole between barges on the left and a ship on the right called Beaumont.

There is always a bit of thrill passing big sea going ships on a narrowboat.

Before turning right into Ocean Lock you can look left into Ship Dock and the huge cranes there.

And here we are entering Ocean Lock on our own.  The lock is 25m wide so Leo would fit sideways on with space to spare.  The lock keeper promised to let us down gently and so he did.  It was only about 2m down to the tidal river.  We did not even need to rope up.

Here the gates to the river are opening.

And now we are setting off, around 45 minutes before high tide at Goole.  The plan was to reach Barmby at or around slack high water, the high tide there being 30 minutes after Goole.  It is about nine and a half miles upstream and the passage took us about an hour and a quarter.  At times we were travelling over the ground at 10 mph.

This picture taken soon after we came out gives a good idea of just how big the river is here.  The first surprise having come away from Ocean Lock and making the turn to go upstream was the effect on the boat.  Yes we were expecting to be pushed sideways by the current, but we were not expecting that the boat would be heeled over by the force of the current.  As we gained speed in the right direction Leo came back upright but you don't expect a narrowboat to heel over.

There was quite a bit of debris in the river, mainly large tree branches and trunks.  You do have to watch out for these.

This is the exit from Victoria Lock which is the way we should have come out.

This is Hook Railway Bridge and our first fright of the passage.  The aim is to go through the span just to the left of the control tower (it is a swing bridge for ships, but we don't need it to swing).  The bridge comes up just past a left bend in the river.  The current is pushing the boat not only towards the bridge at a surprising speed but also strongly to the right.  We should have got lined up for the arch sooner and found ourselves too far right and approaching the bridge at a frightening pace.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and this tells the story very well.  At this point Leo is pointing broadside across the current with the engine at something like 2,300 rpm (I didn't have time to look at the rev counter) clawing our way leftwards as fast as possible against the current to clear that large bridge pier heading straight for us.  We did clear it by a fair margin but it was quite scary.  I shall probably be dreaming about this for some time.

Here we are approaching Howden Dyke and passing another ship.

The M62 Bridge appears as you turn left towards Howden Dyke Island.  The river here bends sharply and becomes much wider.  We had enquired whether it would be safe at this stage of the tide to cut across to the right of the Island and the view was that it would be OK.  But most people go left and we were early at this point so thought it would be better to take the longer route.  This was one of several places where cross currents tried to spin Leo round. Lots more throttle and a firm arm on the tiller was needed to stop this actually happening.  Oddly as we went round to the left of the Island we slowed right down and concluded that in fact the river here was flowing against us rather than the tide pushing us strongly upstream.  I was concerned about being swept onto the Island but we avoided that.

Here you can see Howden Dyke Island with the trees on it and we are trying to go to its left. The M62 bridge is in the background.

Once round the island we had to line up to go under the M62 bearing in mind that a lot of tidal water is about to come at us from the right.  But we had plenty of time and the cross currents stopped before we reached the bridge.

At this point it looks as if we are lined up nicely, but we were still watching out for tricksy currents that might knock us off course.  All went well and we sailed through the middle.

In less than half a mile after the motorway bridge comes Booth Ferry Bridge.  This is a swing road bridge and we had little difficulty with this one passing under the correct span but close to the left side of that span.

An easier stretch of river follows Booth Ferry with fewer bends.  Here we are approaching the mouth of the River Aire.  Wind turbines are numerous here and you can just make out the cooling towers of Drax Power Station which is opposite Barmby, our destination.

The Ouse bends sharp right as the River Aire comes in on the left.  The picture is taken looking up the River Aire.  There were some really odd currents here as the rivers met.  We would be going nicely and then realise that the log in front was passing rapidly across from starboard to port and then you are into that cross-current.  More throttle and lean hard on the tiller and hold Leo steady.  And, what's that, another current back the other way.

Here is Ian with a set smile (or is it a grimace?), holding Leo to the right course as we leave the Aire mouth behind us.

From Aire Mouth onwards the journey became much easier and, yes, even enjoyable.  The tide was beginning to slow down and the bends were gentle.  By this point the river was really high (another feature of the spring tide) and in places it was overflowing onto the fields but within the more distant flood embankments.  Drax now dominates the view.  We were still concerned we were early so we slowed to a tickover where it was safe to do so.  This is fine on the straights but round the bends you need more control and that means more power and speed.

Round the last left bend and we could see the entrance to Barmby Barrage on the right.  The white object in the trees is the Barrage and the lock is at the far (upstream) side.  We came this way, albeit from upstream, five years ago so we recognised it.  The tide however was still running upstream so we had to overshoot the lock and claw our way back to it up the current.

Coming off a tidal river is always an anxious moment and we did bump the posts on the left in this view back to the river from inside the lock.  But it was not too bad an attempt and we were soon safe inside with the radial gates closed behind us.  This lock is fairly short (60 feet or a little more), so you do need to stop quickly if you come in fast.

Because we were on a spring tide we were about 2m above the River Derwent.  Helen took this view from the front of the boat looking over the radial gates and down to the Derwent.

Again because the river was high, clearance on the bridge over the lock was tight.  If we had not fitted under we would have had to stay partly in and partly out of the lock past the high tide until the river level dropped.  But it was just OK.

So down the lock and out onto the calm and peaceful River Derwent.

Where we moored on the pontoon just beyond the lock to calm our nerves and later to go back to the lock keeper, Rob, to pay our dues (£12) for the River Derwent.  Phew, what a day!

So, with the benefit of hindsight, what would we do differently?  First we would think seriously about venturing out on this section of the river where it is wide, fast and potentially dangerous.  Second if we do think of doing it again, we would go on a neap tide when the flows are less fast.  Third we would be especially careful about lining the boat up well in advance to pass under the bridges.

Ah well it's water under the bridge (as they say) and we are now on the calm but not always simple waters of the River Derwent and the Pocklington Canal.  But more about that in our next posting.