Monthly Archive: May 2017

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Worcester and the Upper Severn

Worcester to Stourport: 12 miles, 8 locks Unladen and fully laden boats had passed the Upton moorings repeatedly on Tuesday and Wednesday morning;     this then   was where the loading was taking place, just a couple of miles upstream… There were soon signs of ‘the Birmingham Navy’, lines of white moored craft   (“This must be the southern task force,” the Captain remarked wryly. “The main fleet is usually up at Stourport.” And so it transpired…) Amongst the...

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The trouble with water

Saul Junction – Gloucester Docks – Upton-upon-Severn – Worcester: 36½ miles, 3 locks Why does water, the elixir of life, give so much trouble… Boaters need a decent depth of the stuff below their hulls and not a lot at all of the vertical stuff that presents as rain. Since starting out on the 2017 cruise Cleddau has been beset by water troubles, most minor, some more problematic… It was last Autumn when it was noticed that the bathroom washbasin...

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A long way to go just for a walk…

Tewkesbury – Gloucester- Saul Junction – Sharpness – Saul Junction: 36¼ miles, 3 locks It was an offhand remark in the winter – one of those “I wouldn’t mind going to…” thoughts that get spoken aloud – that sparked a plan and became a project.  It was to be Destination Sharpness to view the Purton hulks for the 2017 Cleddau cruise. So, on Tuesday there was just the matter of getting down the River Severn from Tewkesbury to Gloucester before the rain...

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Never make assumptions

To Tewkesbury – a two-umbrella day Pershore to Tewkesbury14½ miles, 3 locks. You’d think that a 14½ mile, 3 lock trip would be a straightforward sort of journey.  Sometimes though unexpected factors cause delays – and even consternation… After two nights at Pershore Cleddau needed to move on down to Tewkesbury. Just as the Captain prepared to pull away from Pershore Recreation Ground on Monday morning voices from behind were heard. There was activity outside the Canoe Club – and...

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The Avon continued…

Evesham to Pershore: 12 miles and 4 locks Back to Evesham Marina to resume the floating life… A week ashore had been packed with volunteer duties, meetings and social gatherings but by Saturday morning marina bills had been paid (for a Webasto servicing and a fruitless attempt to solve a bathroom problem, more on that another time). To resume the cruise required re-joining the river, no easy matter when the Captain discovered a dire situation. It was never going to be easy...

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Downstream on the Warwickshire Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon (river moorings) to Evesham Marina: 18 miles, 9 locks June 2011 – that was the last time Cleddau was on this river. Then she cruised upstream, all 47 miles from the Severn at Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire) to Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire).   (Goodness, that 47 number again …!) Now it’s a 47 mile downstream trip, being undertaken in two stages. There’s a past history to Cleddau’s boating on this river – so while there may be structures and installations not seen before, there’s likely to be...

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Boats, cars and a starry moment…

Bancroft Basin to Avon River bank: 1½ miles, 1 lock BOATS It’s with relief that narrowboat crews eventually arrive at Bancroft Basin in Stratford-upon-Avon. You can tie up against a floating pontoon    (spaces for about 16 boats) and just watch other boats… There’s the wide beam restaurant boat The Countess of Evesham and another wide beam which runs river trips for tourists.    Permanently moored are the ice-cream boat and a baguette-selling boat. Occasionally narrowboats arriving in the Basin...