Rippin' Up The Ouse and Ure to Ripon

Well, not altogether rippin' up the Ouse and Ure as there are speed limits to be observed and perish the thought I'd ever let any of my crew break the rules!!
Before we set off for Ripon, the most northerly point you can navigate to on the inland waterways, we had a brilliant week in York.

We moored for the week at the Museum Gardens.  There was work being done to re-concrete the esplanade but plenty room for the high turnover of boats visiting York for a day, dinner or longer.

Due to the work being done, if you need to top up your water, you have to moor alongside the Ice Cream boat.  No, really, you do.  But it was only polite to repay their kindness in allowing us to use their hose as an extension by buying an ice cream.  Or two.

 Lots of friends popped over for a look, a cuppa, dinner and we had an absolute ball.  We also did the tourist thing and went to the Yorvik Centre which was brilliant.

The Yorvik Centre is fantastic.  Easily digestable information and a wonderful 'ride' through time to see Yorvik as it would have been - and smelled!!!

We socialised (ate and drank!) like it was going out of fashion.  I did dry out on Tuesday and Thursday and whilst Friday was meant to be just a wee glass of wine before the onslaught of the weekend, we stayed out til midnight with the gorgeous Viv and Neil, our friends from Edinburgh who were in York for the weekend.  Such good timing.  Such a good time.  Was great to see them, especially the Bump Viv was sporting beautifully :)  Viv struggled (as did other visitors) with the big step down to the boat, as the water levels were low - until the rain on Saturday......

Our mooring at the Museum Gardens - sitting about a foot below the path height, and about a foot out due to a lip under the water.

By Sunday afternoon, our guests were stepping down from the boat to the path - neatly tucked into the side as we were now over the lip.  Slack ropes allowed the boat to move with the water levels overnight.

It was just as well the boat was more accessible by this point really, as, after a rather civilised (read 'hungover') lunch on Sunday, a cuppa on the boat became beer time by 4pm.  Our beer stock was wiped out, as were our limes as I made Pete and I a margarita - but I'm happy to report the wine cellar is still well dressed ;)
Having had our appetites restored by the hair of the dog, we headed out for curry, and a glass of wine or two with The Curry Club; Ian and Jane, Streety and Nigel and me and Queenie.
Hang on - why was Sunday lunch hungover??  Oh yes, we had a fantastic meal courtesy of Debbie and Stuart, with Tom entertaining on guitar and Queenie boring everyone to death with his music talk.......  In all honesty, York was a blast - apart from Queenie's music talk on Saturday night....  It was just great catching up with our friends.  We even had a bath at Vicki and James' and watched some trashy tv (haven't had a signal on the boat for weeks now - *sigh* - how I miss you Homes Under the Hammer....) - bliss!!  I'd say, 'We'll Be Back', but it's quite a long haul to get here.....
Monday dawned damp and drizzly and we took our grocery delivery from the kind Ocado man in a van just after 11am.  A stroll to the butcher's on Bishy Road and we were all set to head north.  Just one more thing to pick up - MY MUM!!!!  Cath (that's for those of you who don't call her mum) arrived at 2pm on the train and we had a quick sausage sarnie then moved off.  Our target for the evening was Linton on Ouse.

It was a bit dreich as we headed up the Ouse, but the scenery was still lovely.

Just as we moored at 6pm, the heavens opened and remained open for the night.  We slackened our ropes and checked the Environment Agency for flood warnings, but all was clear.  The rain woke us at 4am and we checked levels and all was fine, but we were sitting higher against our mooring when we woke at 9am on Tuesday.  After breakfast we continued towards Ripon, through very heavy-gated locks and pouring rain.  Not long after Linton on Ouse, the Ouse becomes the Ure - there's no big announcements or signs, it just does. The rain eased off after lunch and a stop at Buroughbridge for diesel which appeared the cheapest around.  We stocked up well, so you can imagine how pissed off Mike was when we saw it for 5p cheaper at Ripon Marina............
We came through a couple of locks with NB Mary A who was returning to her home mooring in Ripon after 4 months out and about - a nice couple who joined in our excitement when Dave did a fly past!!  Yes - we have had our own official fly past, as our pal Dave was out and about, having found out where we were before he took off.

Almost managed to get a photo of Newby Hall - a beautiful stretch of the River Ure

Dave flying past - woooohooooooooo!!!  Sorry Fran, but this gets extra points on the MFV chart :)

Locking up with NB Mary A and onto the Ripon Canal - note Mum pretending to be in control in the lock........ :)

The Ripon Canal may only be two miles long, but it is really, really pretty and well worth a visit.

We arrived at Ripon Basin at 5pm having enjoyed an afternoon of glorious sunshine.  Fran the Jam Man appeared with a jar of home-made blackcurrant half an hour later (trying to gain some points for MFV) and we had a cuppa on the back deck in the evening sun.  The basin is lovely and the tidy 48hour moorings were deserted.  Good for us as plenty room to stretch out, but a shame if this canal and moorings are underused.

Reaching the most northerly point on the navigable inland waterways.  Brake Mike....brake......BRAKE!!!!!! ;)

Having winded in the basin ahead of returning south tomorrow, mum and Q enjoy a cuppa in the late afternoon sun.

Having been fed and watered (wined) we spent a quiet evening (still no tv signal) trying to sort out buses to Fountains Abbey tomorrow and me catching up on this - you lucky people.  By the next time, we may have decided what's after York - then again..........