Shiralee Cruise 2011 #18

Monday 18th July and the week is off to a pretty awful start, with a strong wind and early rain. However, with Hanbury Wharf only a couple of miles away and with no locks to negotiate, we might just make it today. We really do need to empty our sit-upon and top up with water, but we’ll just have to see.

I’m having second thoughts about doing the full circle down the Droitwich Barge Canal and onto the Severn again. I think I would rather come back out of the Droitwich Junction and continue on to Birmingham. We’ve already seen the Worcester Racecourse and the town on this trip, I don’t really see the need to do so again. We are hoping to do the Avon and Severn next year, so we could easily include the Droitwich then. I’ll have to put this to Wifey of course.

The problem with these two canals is that the only moorings are at Droitwich itself and also at the entrance to it from this end. In order to traverse both stretches of canal, you either stop at Droitwich or continue on to the Severn, in which case you would have to pass through 16 locks and eight miles all told. The length of the Junction canal is only two miles, but it has eight locks. Whereas the Barge is about six miles long and also has eight locks.

Hanbury Wharf is where The New Boat Company, the company we bought Shiralee from, had their head office. Whether they are still there we shall have to see. I know they closed their office at Reading, which was where we collected the boat, and they do have an office at Mercia Marina. As far as we can tell they are still doing good business, both with new and used boats.

Later…..

We left Tibberton at 08.30 and arrived at Hanbury Wharf at 10.00, only to discover that the chandlery doesn’t open on a Monday. It’s just as well we intended staying the night anyway. Tomorrow morning we will have to move across to the wharf from our moorings opposite, empty our Elsan and top up with water and also purchase a gas bottle, before we can set off up the Droitwich.

Tuesday 19th July.

Once again the weather has let us down, with loads of rain first thing this morning. We waited until the chandlery across at the boatyard opened at 9. am then moved across to fill up with water and other such menial tasks. As we did so I spotted another boat edging out from its moorings further back. Of course, he too wanted to moor up at the wharf but, since other boats were permanently moored there, he was unable to do so until we had finished.

A few minutes after we had tied up the owner of the boat called across and asked if we were moving on when we had finished what we were doing. He seemed a wee bit put out by us being there, explaining that he needed to get in there because he would bee moored there, for some repairs or other, for a period of two weeks. Never mind that other boaters will want to pull in for diesel and water. Another case of the ‘Me Society’.

We eventually left Hanbury at 10 am and started to make our way down the Droitwich Canal, which starts just past the first bridge from our moorings. Arriving at the first lock we found a BW man, who seems to be stationed there to help boaters through just that lock. At the second lock down were a couple of maintenance men repairing some brickwork, so our friend had been stationed there to ensure slow progress whilst they were working.

So, as we were obliged to wait a while, I had a chat about the state of the two canals we had just travelled along. It turns out that, until BW put the care and maintenance of the towpath out to contractors, he was the man in charge of that job. He too was disgusted at the state of them and suggested we write to BW, which of course I had already planned on doing. His words were, “The more people who complain in writing, the more likely something will be done”. So, any other boaters reading this and travelling those two canals, get writing and complain!!

There are eight locks from this end in two miles of canal, which brings you into the basin at Droitwich. This stretch is known as The Droitwich Junction Canal and ends with a double width Stop-Lock. This is similar to the one we were trapped in at Kegworth on the River Soar.

After the sixth lock there’s a tunnel that runs under a very wide road. This tunnel is very low, so low in fact that there are warning signs and advice about the air height of boats going through. We had already removed our flower boxes and removed a couple of items from the top box and, having compared our boat to another that had just come through from the basin, decided we would be fine. As it turned out though, our aerial pole in front of the cratch did just touch the roof in a few places.

This canal, just like the Staffs and Worc and the Worc and Birmingham, is choked with weeds but, to be fair, they have been working to open it up again, so we can’t expect miracles.

The trip from the other end to here at the basin, took us 2½ hours all told and that’s pretty slow for us. Of course, it didn’t help when we had to stop to untangle a plastic bag and a whole bunch of the aforementioned weeds, from the prop. I’m surprised we haven’t encountered this problem before now, what with the state of those other two canals.

Now, as befits a couple of wrinklies, we tend to change our minds quite often, especially when it comes to which route to take next. We originally intended completing this canal from end to end, then we decided perhaps we would turn back from the basin and return the way we came. Now we have decided to avoid all the locks associated with heading for Birmingham and, instead, go down the Barge Canal to the Severn. From there we’ll head for Worcester and moor up overnight at the racecourse again. We will then return along the Severn to Stourport and back on to the Staffs and Worc.

I do hope that makes sense, because I’m saying it only once, then you’re on your own.

Cheers.

Wednesday 20th July.

Weather still yeucky but, as we’re staying here another day and only paying a visit to the local quack, this should not present a problem.

Yesterday we walked into town to the nearest supermarket, which turned out to be a Waitrose store. Wifey is not too keen on these, considering them somewhat more expensive than others, but I found this store to be light and airy, with well spaced aisles and the perishables of very high quality. Yes, they are a wee bit more expensive that Sainsbury and Tesco, somewhat similar perhaps to M&S, but well worth a visit. We even found peas and a mixture of peas and carrots, packed in a sardine shaped tin, only somewhat bigger.

Once again, as we have dropped through seven locks, we now find ourselves with poor TV reception. Digital was breaking up badly and it didn’t make any difference which direction we tuned in to. We eventually tuned into analogue and, much to our surprise, Channel 5 was perfect. Sadly the other four channels were barely worth watching, but we suffered through it just to watch Richard Hammond tell us all about the inner working of our home planet. Of course, if there’s anything worth watching this evening, we’ll have to suffer the same rubbish all over again, and it won’t improve until we’re back on the Staffs and Worc.

I have suggested to Sheila, that perhaps we should go back to a satellite system before we go cruising next year. Soon after we bought the boat we invested in such a system, but found that tuning in could be one hell of a problem sometimes. However, if we look for a system that includes a good tracking device, we should have fewer problems.

With all this in mind I paid a visit to eBay this morning and I found a site that gave a list of all the channels available on their system. But why is Channel 5 not included? I then remembered that we had to purchase a card last time, which probably gave that channel and, I think, one other, but I can’t remember which.

Thursday 21st July and still not much in the way of summer and, according to the weather girl last night, not much chance of seeing the sun until the weekend. Although, the weather looks good for this morning and the next stage of our cruise.

We’ll be off to the River Severn this morning and will be completing the Droitwich Canals by cruising the six miles and eight locks of the Barge Canal. We’ll then head on down to Worcester racecourse and moor up for the night. On Friday morning we’ll turn around and go back to Stourport – probably! It would take too long to complete this run in one day. We only do 2 or 3 hours a day normally and this trip to Worcester will be long enough for us.

The two canals, which meet up at Droitwich, took 38 years to restore! Can you believe that? Because much of the canals had been built over after it closed, they had to use part of the river and build new locks. One short tunnel is actually so low, that you have to duck down very low in order to pass under it. This is because it passes under a wide road. Before reaching this tunnel, there is a hanging bar, similar to those at the entrance to multi-story car-parks. This bar tells you that you have only two inches clearance above it.

As I was saying, 38 years to restore. Which begs the question, where was the help from government? Surely to goodness it doesn’t take a genius to realise the benefits of opening these derelict canals asap.

Friday 22nd July.

It took us 4½ hours yesterday, to get from Droitwich to Worcester racecourse, mainly because although the Barge canal is wider than the Junction, the encroachment of weeds and reeds from both banks means a slower than normal cruise. It is impossible to see across the tops of the growth, especially on bends, so it is necessary to proceed slowly, just in case another boat is coming towards you at the bend.

Three and a half hors of that trip were on the canal, which has eight locks over its six mile length and, despite the tall plant life, it is still a very pretty canal. From the end of the canal only an hour, through one manned lock, to our present moorings which, incidentally, cost £3.50 per day.

We took the precaution yesterday afternoon, of checking the 10 day forecast for this area and, as it looks to be fairly bright with just a smattering of showers, we’re going to enter uncharted territory. We’re going up the River Avon to Stratford. Our first stop will be at Upton-upon-Severn, where we’re hoping to top up with diesel. We’ll then move on to Tewkesbury and onto the Avon for the 41 mile trip to Stratford.

From Worcester to Upton is just 10 miles, with one manned lock along the way. From Upton to Tewkesbury is just six miles, with no locks at all. From Tewkesbury to Stratfor there are, if I counted correctly, 18 locks, none of which is manned. Ther are also a couple of low bridges along the way, but these are only a problem if the water rises beyond a certain level, which we do not expect this time around.

The cost to boaters for the privilege of travelling this river is £50, which is levied by the River Avon Trust, or some such organisation. We paid this last time and only managed three miles, when we were stranded in flood waters for three days. Mind you, we had some good company and, with the hilarious sight of a holiday boat being towed off the weir, entertainment was not a problem.

Now, I have no idea what Internet reception will be from here on, so I’ll post and wish you all a very pleasant weekend.

Dave, Sheila and Rusty