Thursday 20th – Sunday 23rd March
Thursday was indeed too windy for us to move so we went and told the lock keeper at Gloucester Lock we were going to stay where we were at the lightship. He said it would be ok and as he was doing the moorings he wouldn’t put us down for that day.
Friday proved to be a lot less windy so we got water and set off to Frampton where we intended to go to ACP Fuels and get diesel and a new gas bottle. The one we were using has finally run out after nearly 4 months, it usually lasts 2-3 months depending on whether we are in the marina on electric hook up for the kettle or not. There are various contributory factors as to the extra longevity of this particular gas bottle including the fact that our oven has been temperamental of late. However this temperamentalness (?) has been cured (hopefully) with the intervention of a husband armed with a blow torch!
Yes, I did say blow torch. Ken decided the thermocouple needed a bit of help and blasted it with the blow torch one night when lighting the oven and it stayed on. He did the same thing the next night, then we started lighting the oven normally and it seems ok now, touch wood.
The weather was ok for most of our trip to Frampton but just as we went through Sandfield Bridge the heavens opened. We were going to get diesel and gas then moor up but as it was now pissing down we made for the nearest mooring and stopped.
Saturday morning we were going to go to ACP Fuels and get the diesel etc but we discovered they only open Mon – Fri! We had to revert to plan B which was to go in to Saul Marina instead. It was a little bit breezy and Ken did a really good job of getting in to the marina, turning round and reversing on to the service wharf. While we were there we got 10 bags of coal and emptied the loo. We are now fully dieselled, gassed and coaled up for the start of our cruise which will start proper on Monday March 31st when we will finally leave Gloucester and go up the Severn to Worcester.
Our rough plan for this year is to start at Worcester, go up the Birmingham and Worcester Canal, detour to Droitwich, then up the Tardebigge flight of 31 locks, then in to Birmingham. We will then decide which way we want to go after that in order to reach the River Trent as we intend to go to Lincoln and Boston. That’s the plan any way but anything could happen.
We have been moored at Rea Bridge for two days now and have been to Tesco’s twice and The Friar Tuck, also twice, to watch football. We will be making our way back to Gloucester on Wednesday or Thursday.
