Page 87 - It's a Rum Life Book 3 "Ivy House Tales 1970 to 1984"

….............VESTA GOES TO SEA.

This “voyage” took place at Easter in about the year 1975. We had visitors to stay,

Ruth’s long time pen friend Armelle from France and her brother Marcel. These were the
children of the family who had kindly entertained us in Rennes a year or so earlier.

LOCKING OUT
The tides were good for a day trip into the Wash and several members of the Boston
Motor Yacht club had decided to travel together. We made an early start, were first in the
queue at the lock gates and managed to get out on first level.

To explain briefly, the Motor
Yacht Club permanent moorings
at Boston are on the fresh water
River Witham.
Only 300 yards or so eastwards
towards the sea is the “Grand
Sluice”, a huge bridge and water
control system that allows the
Witham to empty into the tidal
River “Haven” at all times when
the tide is lower than the fresh
water.
There are very large “sea doors”
that close inwards as the salt
water tide climbs higher outside
than the freshwater. Obviously
huge amounts of salt water
allowed to enter the freshwater river twice daily would totally ruin the ecology.

There is a lock system to one side to
allow passage of boats to and from the
sea.
Using the locks at “first level” to go out
into the sea is possible only under the
control of the permanent lock keeper.
He judges the moment carefully as the
tide rises and the salt water almost
reaches the same level as the fresh water
behind the outer sluice doors. It is
possible to fill the lock with as many boats
as it will take and then just at the right
time open the outward lock doors.
The boats have just a couple of minutes
to clear the sea doors before the tide closes them to prevent salt water entering the fresh
water system.
The tide then rises higher than the fresh water inside and any boats wishing to get to sea
have to wait until the tide falls again below the level of the fresh water. This can take two to
four hours, so there is a big advantage getting out on first level.

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