The Dreamer

Passage through the Severn locks needs to be booked through Gloucester Lock, 01452 310832, at this time of the year. https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/16532-river-severn-opening-times-for-the-winter

Also worth noting that they are building a second bridge for the dualing of the bypass, there are dredgers, cranes and all sorts moored up there at times...

Boat was collected from Wrenbury Mill, for us by a professional skipper, because we didn’t have time to move her before the winter stoppages, on Monday 17 December, by Wednesday the river was shut. He got to Stourport on the Saturday, Couldn’t move it any further so had to abandon the plans to get her to Evesham and there we sat for the next week. Really annoyingly the river reopened on Thursday, but as we couldn’t predict that, and in the winter you have to book passage through the locks 24 hours in advance, we had to sit tight for an extra day. At this point the river was only navigable to Worcester, so a further week was spent in ABCs yard, before we could move on. You are right, we were coming downstream, which was fast and fun. Also navigating through Stourport Basin and it’s five locks, on a midwinters morning, just before sunrise, was interesting...

I’m guessing it was at Frimley Lodge Park?

When and where was this. I am fairly sure that in 40 years of living in that area, that I never saw that many boats in one place, at one time, on that canal!

Before we got a mooring here we had to spend a few months at Evesham Marina, so this time last year, we got stuck at Stourport, waiting for the waters to reduce so we could motor down the Severn. I know how frustrating your situation is!

Yep I caught that too...

Look forward to welcoming you when you finally get here!

Where are you mooring in Worcester?

Not really sure that there is a need for a skipper, certainly not when the river is running green. The Severn might be wide, deep and frustratingly short of mooring places, but Upton to Diglis is not at all tricky...

The Basingstoke has always had water issues, hence why it was never commercially viable. Clearly early in the season is likely to be better, but I would never count on it. Also worth noting, that the always close the lower section, so the last thing you would want is to get stuck on it. All that said, we are looking to attempt it next year too. Thanks to my father in law, and use of his boat, it was where we cut our cruising teeth!

Am fairly sure there is no practical way to do that, and in any case would also need to know which police force. Please accept, that I am not attempting to be awkward, but my work puts me in a position where I frequently have contact with victims of domestic abuse. This can be a way that perpetrators use to track down their fleeing victims. Yes, if it’s been stolen. But that is not always the case...

With respect, how do we know that it has been stolen, rather than this being a way of you trying to track down someone who does not want to be found?

I find myself being uncharacteristically philosophical, and it’s only Tuesday! Agreed “arseholes” is more succinct...

I wonder if they count themselves as “boaters”, or just consider themselves unfortunate because they feel they have no options but to live on a boat? There again, I also wonder if a proper, cultural, bargees, would consider the rest of us to be “boaters”?

Moored up a few locks up Wolverhampton flight, next to the racecourse, last time we were in the area, all ok, no issues.

Before we were live aboard, when we used to holiday on our old shared ownership, we set off one time and realised that we had not brought the dogs steroids with us (bit of a life or death need). Phoned a vets in Stone, who phoned our vets in Worcester, and by the time we moored up two hours later, they had a prescription waiting and ready. A bit of planning ahead with things like this, and you can get sorted...

Yes they do migrate, and yes they do get to Northern Europe, but no, in the main they were introduced for the purpose of hunting, in the 18th century. Or maybe they were introduced for the purpose of populating thee emerging canal network!

There is less to this boating lark than meets the eye. Let’s be honest, hire from any of the big threes yards on the Worcester and Birmingham, and you are at either the top, middle or bottom of the longest flight on the network. Yet, you get no more, or less, tuition than at any other yard, and they still let you trundle off with a 100k of asset. Now, if you are nervous I wouldn’t suggest the W&B, but you ain’t going to be much harmed (nor is your boat) most other places... Cracking point, well made, sir!

Not sure that it’s something worth have strong opinions on, I mean we are not in the same ball park as pump out vs. cassette, at least I don’t think we are. I would just buy a good solid set from Screwfix or the like...

Got the same one for my birthday, think it came from Amazon, and was a bit more than 15 squid. Works well enough, but has developed one hell of a rattle. So considering I got it in March, close to the end of the season, and it’s only just November, thus the beginning of the next season, not sure it’s worth, even that money...

Surprised the gas cylinders weren’t taken too. A few years ago, when involved with Scouting, we were forced (rightly) to store all of our LPG bottles outside of the wooden Scout hut. So we fabricated a cage as out of sight of passers by as we could. Over the next year, we lost all of them, about 20 bottles of various sizes, three times. At which point the insurers, yep the same ones that forced us to take them outside, refused to cover the loss anymore.

Indeed, and seen the statue of her in Melbourne. Melba was a stage name taken from her home town... But don’t forget to look up your What3Words, so that Deliveroo can get it to within 3SqMt of your gangplank!

You could probably get newer at that price, indeed we paid that for our 2005, 69 footer, although she was advertised for 5k more and we haggled down. But ours was ex hire, and much blander inside, that does look a pretty boat inside. Guess it’s the old adage. You pays your money, you takes your choice!

Bit of an occupational hazard with this boating lark! Although unlike you I’ve never particularly had issues with swans, even though Worcester itself has loads of them, they all seem to stay on the river and not venture much to the canal. Ducks however, are a pain in the arse at Diglis, they all gather (and crap) on the pontoons so as to avoid foxes. Then in the middle of the night, see a fox, and even though they’re safe, panic! Don’t even get me started on geese. The Avon is amuck with geese, which made our time at Evesham Marina interesting...