Stephen duly collected from Gloucester station and the Indian restaurants checked out (they were both closed!!). So we ended up in a Chinese place doing all you can eat from the a la carte menu for 14.95, very nice. The evening was finished off sitting outside the bar by the docks watching the world go by and a large number of seagulls.
Llanthony lift bridge did not open until 0900 due to rush hour restrictions, so at 0901 a number of narrowboats left the docks heading south towards Sharpness. The Gloucester and Sharpness canal (a commercial waterway) was a bit dull at first, but after a few miles the view improves to the Welsh side of the Severn and to what may be the Cotswolds to the east. Unexpectedly pretty. The canal is also littered with swing bridges, all of them keeper operated.
Typical G&S Swingbridge:
We stopped at Slimbridge (of wildfowl trust fame) for lunch, the Tudor Arms was also in the vicinity! Then carried on down to Sharpness. It was quite sunny, but becoming increasingly windy, not a good sign for what was planned! We found a reasonable mooring, in the not quite so pretty Sharpness Docks and awaited the arrival of further crew in the form of Dave and Chris.
View of the Severn (tide out):
Dave & Chris duly arrive, a Tim special butter chicken for dinner and off to the Dockers Club for beer!! A good evening chewing the fat and drinking Bob! Bacck to the boat in the rain and wind, hoping for a phone call from the pilot in the morning.
Sharpness Docks:
Today: 16 miles - 0 locks - 5.5 hours
So Far: 129 miles - 125 locks - 69 hours
No comments:
Post a Comment