To make sure that we got through Gloucester lock as soon after nine as possible we set off at about 10 past 8. The weather was a bit cold, but the forecast was for a bright sunny day. On approaching Llanthony bridge we could see two other boats hovering around. The bridge cant be opened from 8:30 to 9:00 to give priority to the foot traffic. After a while it opened and all three boats headed for Gloucester Lock. We came in last and slotted in the middle, between the other two boats.
The whole day the three boats travelled in convoy up the river, but we kept enough distance between us that it wasn’t a problem. The current up the parting was fairly strong, we weren’t making much headway and the engine temperature was rising. It stayed high all day, but settled at about 200°F.
A pizza lunch was taken on the move. It’s been warm and sunny all day.
The boat behind us had planned to stop at Upton, but the wasn’t any room, so all three locked through Diglis just after 5 o’clock, 8 hours after leaving Gloucester. The other two boats stopped on the pontoons, we carried on and, after trying somewhere else, we moored up by the racecourse.
Supper was a barbecue of some really juicy steaks from West St Farm.