magpie patrick

Yes, end of dip stick barely gets wet. There is a little deisel in the bilge, but not 120 litres, I know this because the bilge pump packed in, on on sunday I manually pumped it out and tipped bucketful after bucketful into the river... there was no diesel slick to speak of although a few blobs of oil. Wouldn't a leak around the weedhatch leave a a slick around the boat? edited to add, I'm not leaving the last one out of the running...

Quick explanation Boat was serviced in February, about the same time I filled it to the brim with fuel, she holds somewhere over 200 litres. I know because I once put over 200 litres in. Engine hours litre suggests we get through 1.5 to 2 litres an hour, depending on revs etc. Since fueling, we've done no more than 40 hours... So why have mum and dad run out 6 miles after leaving the marina... that's at least 120 litres unaccounted for btw, last time we were out I checked and the fuel was only an inch or two down... Ashleworth, and Lower Lode are not places I'd associate with theft, nor is our marina, but if it it happened in the barge arm at gloucester, we we're on board... Someone's coming to them in the morning...

I'd only add a few things to that: You can do it in one day but you'll be sick of engine noise by the end of it: break at Worcester by the racecourse, plentiful moorings (about the only place on the river) Going down the Severn locks is a doddle and going up they fairly tame as well, but Gloucester is not if the keeper is in a hurry, as he was yesterday. I have sore tummy muscles today from the force I applied to the rope as the boat shot backwards yesterday lunchtime. Even going down Gloucester the draw can be enough to catch you out if the keeper whips the paddles up, as he did with us last Thursday

No real problems for you, the "trouble" spots are relative and the only thing I would say about either Coven to Compton (above the lock) and Kidderminster is there are better places to stop. Bratch a bit of a PITA single handed but the keeper will probably help you. If no one helps, two things to remember You MUST start the lower lock filling before starting the upper lock emptying You MUST NOT open the top gate of the lower lock before the upper lock is empty, as this would cut the lock off from it's sidepond. At Stourport, it isn't practical to stop between the staircase locks, so if single handing, you have to have the lower staircase ready for you to enter before leaving the upper one, and if someone is following you down, make sure they understand that it will take you a while to close the lower gates of the upper staircase (which are hidden from the upper chamber by a bridge) as you have to move the boat to the next lock first. I returned to the upper staircase to close the bottom gates to find the crew behind had already opened the middle paddles. On the Severn, the boat is held in the lock by taking a rope round a cable in the wall, going down the locks a token gesture at the back is sufficient, but going UP (which you will be at Gloucester, the deepest and fiercest lock of all the river locks) you really need a cable off at each end, so having a crew of two is helpful here. Bear in mind that the last point you can pick someone up is Ashleworth, and the last point with good public transport access is Tewkesbury, although there is a bus service to Ashleworth village, some one mile from Ashleworth Quay. Ring Gloucester Lock from the Upper Parting, the number is on a big motorway type sign. The Lock Keeper will let you know the score That's the experience of some one who has done it. Don't worry, it is a fantastic trip

I wouldn't worry Sue, that pound is about 44 miles long and the evaporation on a summers day will way way outstrip the lock use!

Your bottom, not ours, we "only" draw 2 feet 3 inches! And I love Camp Hill, Garrison, Aston, Ashted and Farmers Bridge we did the Avon Ring last year, up the Worcs and Brum, down Farmers, down Ashted, and up Camp Hill (and 77 year old Dad and Val had to work all those locks because I'd been bitten on the hands by a dog) edited to add, and three weeks later we went down Farmers Bridge Again, but this time down Aston and up Perry Barr. I've done Farmers Bridge seven times in total I think