Timings for Stratford to Stourport via two routes

[john6767]

5 hours ago, Neil2 said:

Yes, people are often surprised how capable narrowboats are on rivers, it's partly because a lot of narrowboats are "over engined" and partly because of their length.  Something like a deep draughted 60 footer with a big slow revving diesel is actually in its element on a big river.

 

Avon locks are Jekyll and Hyde - easy gong down, a nightmare coming up.  I've met several boaters who will not travel upstream on the Avon for this reason.  The current in the filling lock really does get hold of the boat and you need two people to hold it fore and aft, certainly no good trying to hold it on a centre line.   My only experience is with steel narrowboats though, I haven't tried it in the Otter, and I've never seen a grp cruiser navigate these locks, it might be different with a lighter boat.

Just to point out that ANT require the use of fore and aft lines, and specifically not a centre line.  As you say this is absolutely required going up, less so going down, but that is the rules!

[Rob-M]

52 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Just to point out that ANT require the use of fore and aft lines, and specifically not a centre line.  As you say this is absolutely required going up, less so going down, but that is the rules!

But as not many locks are manned I used my centre line last time I went down the Avon, it is long enough though to go round a bollard and reach me stood on the counter.

[john6767]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

But as not many locks are manned I used my centre line last time I went down the Avon, it is long enough though to go round a bollard and reach me stood on the counter.

Indeed and so have I on some going down, but I was pointing out what the rules are.  Going up I would not used a centre line though, even though it is a faff with just two.