Narrowboat Just Heaven

Monday:
Grey and a bit chilly.
By the morning the river level had dropped about 6 inches, and carried on dropping throughout the day. By the time we got to Stourport it had dropped about 2 feet and was back in the green. We had breakfast on the pontoons where we had spent the first night on the way down. Up into the basin for a pump out and then back “home”.
We cleaned up and then waxed and polished one side with the new “Miracle Wax” we bought at Saul. One side is now very shiny!

All in all a good weekend with some “interesting” moments !

Comments(0)

Glorious weather, sun shone all day.
Progress was slowish, we were only doing about 3.4mph most of the time, down to 2.8 where the current was strongest.
It was a good thing that we had gone in at Ashleworth as there wasnt any room at either Haw Bridge or the pub at Apperley.

Breakfast at Upton. At first we thought that there was nowhere to moor, but then I saw I slot on the end of the floating mooring big enough to get most of the boat onto. It was a bit tricky getting in with the strong current and I had to come up alongside a really smart boat (which the owner was polishing!) and slot into the hole, but, though I say it myself, I did it perfectly! Breakfast, a natter with the other boaters and then off again.

Fairly uneventful until Worcester, we picked up water at Diglis lock, then as we approached the lock entrance into the W&B canal a Black Prince hire boat was coming across the river facing the entrance. He went over to the pontoon, we assumed to drop his crew off. We carried on past, then as we drew level he started going full throttle forwards, then full throttle backwards, then full forwards again heading straight for us. I gestured and shouted “slow down”, the young lad steering didnt seem to hear. His family (there were lots of them!) up the font shouted something, but he kept on coming. If he had hit us broadside at that speed on the river we could have capsized. I shouted “What are you doing?”, he replied “Trying to overtake”. Then an older chap went to the back and they slowed down. We carried on steadily, but about a minute later he came up behind again flat out. We gave him plenty of room and let him past. As he went by he called out “Sorry”.

We moored up by the racecourse next to a Dutch barge that was opposite us at Saul, we were later joined by a narrowboat that was also on the way back from Saul (he was a volunteer in the bar)
We went for a long walk all around the historic bits of Worcester and found a wall marking the flood levels going right back to 1788 !

Comments(0)

We had moored JH by Sandfield bridge during the week, so on Saturday afternoon we parked the car where we had left it previously and set off at about 3 o’clock. We got to Gloucester about 5:00. I called the lockie and he said to moor up in the docks as he was waiting for some boats coming down river. We moored up and had a cup of tea in lovely sunshine. I wandered over to the lock in time to see two cruisers coming round the bend. I could see why he was waiting for them, there was no way they would have been able to stop in that current!

We exited the lock and immediately the current hit us. I was going at 1600rpm and hardly making any headway. All up through the narrow winding stretch the engine was working hard but we were doing less than 3mph. I began to think that we (& the engine) cant do this for the next two days. When we reached the parting with the main river it got easier, I reduced to 1400rpm and we were doing 3.0 - 3.2mph. At around 7:00pm the pub moorings at Ashleworth came into view, we decided to stop there as Haw Bridge was nearly another hour away.
Ashleworth is a lovely little place, smashing little country pub (£3.00 for mooring). We wandered round the old Tythe Barn, the church and had a look at Ashleworth Court.
Before we went to bed I noted the river level on the mooring support, so we could see if there was any difference in the morning. At about 4:00am I got up (as you do!) and looked out the window. The level risen about 2 inches, not good! But by the time we set off at 7:30 it was back to the same level as the night before.

Comments(0)

We were at Saul Festival from 3rd - 7th July, part of the ‘cutweb’ contigent.

We were two of the many ‘green tee-shirt’ volunteers, our duties were on the Information desk.

The weather wasnt very clement, but a good time was had by all.

Pictures by Angela Faull & Andrew Dyke

Comments(0)