Gloucester

Here I am Rune

Distance  2 miles 

Total 3375 Locks  185 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4880.7 miles

Well we certainly got the chance of seeing a decent bore today, not far from the point at which I viewed it yesterday is a plot of land with a slipway and an open view of the river so the view of the approaching wave (and washing up the slipway) was unobstructed. A natural phenomenon well worth making the effort of viewing. 

After that we then cruised the short distance up to Gloucester where we will now probably remain for 2 or 3 days before heading up towards Tewkesbury.

Quedgley

Here I am  Rune

Distance  4.8 miles 

Total 3375 Locks  185 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4878.7 miles

We remained to Saul Junction long enough for the crew to visit the Cotswold Canals Visitor centre (only open at week-ends) and to carry out a few domestic chores before we moved off to a mooring here near to Rea Bridge. The intention was to stay here to view the Severn Bore coming through but I took a walk down to the river tonight for the possibility of seeing a 2* bore come through at 9.15pm and the best I can say is that nothing happened. It does strike me that seeing the river as it was tonight is seems a lot more benign than the River Trent. The Trent is either ebbing or flooding, it rarely sits there doing nothing, but watching the Severn tonight it would be difficult to say whether it was ebbing or flooding since nothing much seemed to be happening, it was just sitting there with very little flow in either direction.

I’ll try again tomorrow and Monday in the hope of seeing a better example of the bore.

Saul Junction

Here I am Rune

Distance  7.8 miles 

Total 3375 Locks  185 Tunnels

Running total mileage 4873.9 miles

Following the first significant rainfall for quite a while this morning, we set off back up the Gloucester and Sharpness canal once the rain had eased off. The first stop was at Purton to refill the water tank (at one of the slowest taps around) which gave an opportunity to wander around the ship’s graveyard where numerous barges, schooners,ketches and concrete lighters have been beached to shore up the defences of the canal against the scouring of the river. It is certainly an interesting sight.

The day brightened and we headed on back to Saul Junction where we are spending the night. Tomorrow we hope to have a look around the visitor centre, which is only open at weekends, and then head up to moor somewhere near Stonebench to be in a position to see the Severn Bore on Sunday and Monday.

Boats in the ship's graveyard