Off we go! - Gloucester Docks to Tewkesbury (River Severn)

Thursday 6th April

We are setting off on our travels today and the sun was shining.  Another boat was going in the lock as well and we had to have an escort through the basin to the lock as they are dredging there and there is lots of cables going across.  We followed our escort and then into the lock we went, we latched onto the poles and the gates shut and down we went.

Our Escort

Out onto the partings

Before not too long, the gates opened and off we went onto the River Severn saying bye bye Gloucester as we went off up the partings, this is the narrow bit that takes you from the lock up onto the main River Severn.  It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get up this bit and then we turned onto the main river.

The other boat went out first and said he hoped this boat was faster than their other one, and as they haven’t had this boat long, I think he wanted to see how fast it would go! 

The river is very low at the moment and really calm so a great day to go out on it.

Cormorant in Tree

Up the River we go

In Upper Lode Lock

We chugged along and it was a lovely sunny morning and on up the river we went and after a few hours we were at Upper Lode lock.  The other boat went in first and then we went in and up we went.   It was Mike on the lock, the lock keeper from Gloucester.  The gates opened and they were going out first.  For some reason they had turned their engine off in the lock, maybe to save diesel!

Towing Vark out of the lock

He turned the key and nothing, kept trying but it wouldn’t start, something to do with fuses apparently, so we had to tow them out and put them on the pontoon outside the lock.  Mike helped as well.  Our good deed for the day!

We left them on the pontoon and chugged on to Tewkesbury.  They must have got it going because as we were turning onto the Avon they chugged by.

We moored on the pontoon outside Avon lock and had our lunch.  The lock keeper came down and we said we wanted to stay the night and he said that was fine.  We went up to the lock and paid for the night, it is £3.  We had a walk around the town and did some geocaching as it was such a lovely sunny afternoon.

In the evening, our friends Sue and Callum came up from Nailsworth and we went for a meal in an Italian restaurant in the town and very good it was too.  We had a lovely evening and it was great to see them.

We are off up to Upton Upon Seven tomorrow and so the journey begins!

Moored at Tewkesbury