Weathering the Severn

Yesterday we began our journey down the Severn to Gloucester.

The sun was shining, the water was flowing fairly fast, the levels just touching orange, but well clear of red. So we made good time and with locks being opened ready for us it didn't take long to get down to Worcester.

Coming out of one of the locks we spied an old boat coming towards us, looks like 'Colllingwood', we both thought, 

and it was. Collingwood is the boat we did the BCN challenge on back in June.

Graham was on the phone so didn't see us.

Going down

The new boat house at the King's school at Worcester is finished, on the outside at least, looking good jutting out over the pathway almost to the river.

We moored on the pontoons above Diglis locks ready for an early start this morning.

The locks open at 8am and we were almost ready!

It was quite chilly and there was a bit of a breeze, we were leaving the lock at 8.30 and we were off, again the flow kept us moving at a good pace, just one lock at Tewkesbury and then on down to Gloucester.

We took turns in steering as it was quite cold standing on the back, we had a few showers of rain too. In places the water was quite choppy.

We passed a gravel barge so well loaded that water was lapping the gunwhales.

With a sigh of relief we reached Gloucester lock and slowly began to rise,

'til we could peep over the lock wall and get a glimpse of the safety of the docks. We have stopped just under the crane on the left of the photo where we can feel the wind rocking us and hear the rain on the roof. We were all tied up and settled by 2.15, less than 6 hours, and we had a half hour stop at Lower Lode (as directed by the lock keeper), I think to let the tide ebb a bit.

Tuesday
Stourport - Worcester
12.5 miles, 8 locks

Wednesday
Worcester - Gloucester
27.5 miles, 3 locks