Left at 09:15
arrived at 13:00.
I had a bad night so
quite glad not much to do today. Derek
was up as usual, it was cooler today and forecast says possibly rain later. We
were going to the water point and then through the lock. A NB that was moored on the steps below the
water point needed to be pulled into the lock so we moved back and let the Lockie
pull him through. NB Jess got into the act, moved into our old mooring as we reversed out of the
other NBs way, it was like a little ballet with boats going back and forth and
it was only 8:30, talk about men and their toys.!!!! I was brushing the strange husks of the
flies from our boat and lost the soft brush head in the water, woops. We filled up with water and were off for 9:15
it was getting very grey and threatening rain.
We went through the Lock very smoothly. Lockie told Derek what to do on
the River Severn and had a chat with Derek about his engine whilst we were in
there. Upper Lode lock, a really massive
lock, was ready and waiting for us.
Approaching the lock the Lockies dog, a patchwork border collie, was
walking across the top of the lock guiding us in (they really are clever you
know) Lockie said he was in charge, when we had fastened of in the lock and the
gates shut, he barked as if to say go ahead, clever or what??? Out on to a
great big River, its very like the River Trent.
Derek was given instructions as to how to negotiate the lock into the
Docks. We will radio ahead so they will
be expecting us. Had a coffee with Derek
at the back of the boat, its really cold out there, Derek had now got 2 coats
on. We had a few spots of rain but it
was mostly windy. I went back into the boat, did some cleaning round, put more
hooks up for my cups, etc, then decided to do a bit of sewing. All the way
along the river we had a NB in front , then we had a cruiser as well plus
another NB, it was 11:30, I made lunch as I thought we would be ages, I got it
wrong, took Derek his lunch and he said he would have it later as we were approaching
the entrance channel leading to Gloucester Dock, he thought. It was raining and we were now in a slow
moving flotilla (11:50 ) NB,cruiser, NB then Esmerelda winding down a narrow
tree lined channel. I popped my head out
of the cratch, D shrugged his shoulder, he’s at a loss as to what’s happening
too??? Little NB in front CLEA, weaving
about as if it’s tacking? Derek need to keep in deepest water so he had a word
with old guy and overtook him. Derek
spoke to Lockie on radio, we had to overtake the cruiser too and then hold back
till he said ok, we appear to be being penned through with NB in front, I got
my gloves and mac ready as we may have to fasten to chains outside lock first.
We entered the Lock, Lockie told me to fasten on to two NBs with bow line, we
were now 3 abreast. The old guy came in behind us, the cruiser was on the other
side. It ended up like a Brian Rix farce
as far as the old guy was concerned. He
fastened on to the hawser with his centre line, he was standing on the top of
the boat, he fell, landed on his bum and sat holding the rope, he was still
flaying about. The cruiser at one point had to push him away from him with a
pole. (Don’t forget there were 3 NBs in front of him so he was swinging about
quite a way to reach to the other side of the lock) Lockie got him settled and
slowly let us up. As we were nearing the
top of the lock he seemed to lose hold of the rope, 2 Lockies put ropes with
hooks down on to his boat and held him the rest of the way up.???? We left the
lock first, it was actually very gentle, we went out on to the visitors
mooring, the other NBs got on there too, but as Captain Disaster left, he
bumped into the cruiser. Don’t think he
was fit to be out along let alone on a NB.
We fastened up safe and so und outside the Warehouse Cafe by 1 00. We then finished our lunch and had a cuppa
before going to explore Gloucester.
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