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We are finished with the Tidal Ouse - hooray!
Actually the trip up from Barmby Barrage today was not as traumatic as my thoughts of 4 am led me to believe! Having been told that the river was up 1 metre above normal, my imagination was doing me no favours.
We left the pontoon at just before 7am and the lock was waiting for us with Martin, the other EA Lock Keeper leaning on the bridge in the morning sunshine. However then we hit a snag.
 The gates would not shut behind us
The gates' primary function is computerised flood control. They automatically close when the Ouse rises above the Derwent, then let out any build up of River Derwent water when the tide drops to a level again. Normally they just control the Derwent, all under the eye of a clever computer.
However, they have a secondary function of letting boats on and off the Derwent - but maybe they didn't like being woken up quite so early? We were beginning to think we were to spend more time back at the pontoon, or even be stranded on the Derwent and Pocklington, when Martin fixed the problem. I sat at the bows and watched the water come in. Come in? Last time we went up in the lock to the Derwent; this time we were going up the lock to the Ouse. What was waiting for us beyond these steel contraptions?
 Lock gates ahead
"There is a fair bit of rubbish coming up", said Martin, "but I will warn you as you go out". We avoided the worst of the floating masses and there we were on the high river in beautiful sunshine.
The tide was flooding, but it was not noticeable from the bows! John had the throttle down at 2400 rpm - so we were creating a fair bit of wake! Drax was belching, but as there was no wind it almost looked beautiful.
 There were some fabulous reflections - a barn
Selby bypass swing bridge (below) did not open for us but when we arrived at Selby Lock, the railway swing bridge was open for a cruiser.
Selby Lock was soon in sight with the Abbey behind. John turned Epiphany to stem the tide and moved into the lock perfectly. The cruiser was bearing down on us very fast, but we were in before he passed the lock.
There was even weed here on the Selby Canal!
River Derwent, Barmby Barrage pontoon to Selby Canal
1 hour 37 minutes, 4.64 miles, 2 locks
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