zimzim Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 Ah - I hope the Weighbridge is back on form - it's one of my favourites, but can be a bit temperamental. Last time I was in Alvechurch (during Covid) it happened to be closed and a guy in boatyard said they had given up trying to work out which nights it might be open, as there didn't seem to be any particular pattern! We moved on a couple of minutes to the Crown Inn, which I hadn't tried before, and which turned out to be excellent (beer and food). Also quite handy moorings. Hope you are enjoying your trip. Big old tunnel tomorrow! Blue Bell Cider House? Brum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robtheplod Posted May 10, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2022 21 hours ago, zimzim said: Ah - I hope the Weighbridge is back on form - it's one of my favourites, but can be a bit temperamental. Last time I was in Alvechurch (during Covid) it happened to be closed and a guy in boatyard said they had given up trying to work out which nights it might be open, as there didn't seem to be any particular pattern! We moved on a couple of minutes to the Crown Inn, which I hadn't tried before, and which turned out to be excellent (beer and food). Also quite handy moorings. Hope you are enjoying your trip. Big old tunnel tomorrow! Blue Bell Cider House? Brum? Thanks, trip is going very well, we're now just above Lapworth. The North Stratford canal is absolutely beautiful - the sun was out most of today and made it lovely. Can't believe we're getting closer to home now and will officially complete the ring tomorrow when get to the turn off to the GU half way down Lapworth. Then got to go down Hatton and up Stockton before we get back to Ventnor. More boats today, especially ABC hire ones - everyone seemed cheery as we went past except one group who were returning to base as one of their crew mates had ripped their thumb off on the ropes!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanD Posted May 10, 2022 Report Share Posted May 10, 2022 9 minutes ago, robtheplod said: Thanks, trip is going very well, we're now just above Lapworth. The North Stratford canal is absolutely beautiful - the sun was out most of today and made it lovely. Can't believe we're getting closer to home now and will officially complete the ring tomorrow when get to the turn off to the GU half way down Lapworth. Then got to go down Hatton and up Stockton before we get back to Ventnor. More boats today, especially ABC hire ones - everyone seemed cheery as we went past except one group who were returning to base as one of their crew mates had ripped their thumb off on the ropes!!!!! Thumbnail (ouch!) or thumb (OUCH!!!) ? 😞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimzim Posted May 10, 2022 Report Share Posted May 10, 2022 3 hours ago, robtheplod said: Thanks, trip is going very well, we're now just above Lapworth. The North Stratford canal is absolutely beautiful - the sun was out most of today and made it lovely. Can't believe we're getting closer to home now and will officially complete the ring tomorrow when get to the turn off to the GU half way down Lapworth. Then got to go down Hatton and up Stockton before we get back to Ventnor. More boats today, especially ABC hire ones - everyone seemed cheery as we went past except one group who were returning to base as one of their crew mates had ripped their thumb off on the ropes!!!!! Excellent (apart from that thumb (thumbnail?) - I do hope that wasn't one of those incidents where someone wraps the rope around their hand to give themselves purchase - it worries me whenever I see this!) I think ABC are working out of Nuneaton for the first time this year, so I expect they have more boats on the Warwickshire Ring. (By same token, Kate Boats are not working out of Warwick for the moment.) The Cape of Good Hope beckons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doratheexplorer Posted May 11, 2022 Report Share Posted May 11, 2022 15 hours ago, robtheplod said: Thanks, trip is going very well, we're now just above Lapworth. The North Stratford canal is absolutely beautiful - the sun was out most of today and made it lovely. Can't believe we're getting closer to home now and will officially complete the ring tomorrow when get to the turn off to the GU half way down Lapworth. Then got to go down Hatton and up Stockton before we get back to Ventnor. More boats today, especially ABC hire ones - everyone seemed cheery as we went past except one group who were returning to base as one of their crew mates had ripped their thumb off on the ropes!!!!! Ripped their thumb off????????????????????????????? Returning to base? Surely going to A&E would be the thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robtheplod Posted May 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2022 1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said: Ripped their thumb off????????????????????????????? Returning to base? Surely going to A&E would be the thing? Yes the thumb was ripped off. Luckily a passing doctor helped and they went to A&E in Worcester. The rest of the crew were taking the boat back..... as it was ripped off they wont be able to put it back on apparently.... actually quite life changing thinking about it, no wonder the insurance claims on thumbs are higher than fingers... woke up today with it raining, so later start to laptop, maybe later today... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanD Posted May 11, 2022 Report Share Posted May 11, 2022 19 minutes ago, robtheplod said: Yes the thumb was ripped off. Luckily a passing doctor helped and they went to A&E in Worcester. The rest of the crew were taking the boat back..... as it was ripped off they wont be able to put it back on apparently.... actually quite life changing thinking about it, no wonder the insurance claims on thumbs are higher than fingers... woke up today with it raining, so later start to laptop, maybe later today... Oh my, that's really unfortunate -- it seemed a thumbnail was more likely, but losing a thumb is obviously far worse. A friend of mine had a similar life-changing incident on a sailing boat last year where he almost lost his hand in a rope incident, they (mostly) sewed it back on but I don't know if he'll ever make a complete recovery... 😞 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doratheexplorer Posted May 11, 2022 Report Share Posted May 11, 2022 56 minutes ago, robtheplod said: Yes the thumb was ripped off. Luckily a passing doctor helped and they went to A&E in Worcester. The rest of the crew were taking the boat back..... as it was ripped off they wont be able to put it back on apparently.... actually quite life changing thinking about it, no wonder the insurance claims on thumbs are higher than fingers... woke up today with it raining, so later start to laptop, maybe later today... Ugh. I wish I hadn't asked now. That just made me feel sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted May 11, 2022 Report Share Posted May 11, 2022 I've seen someone close to losing a finger as a rope they wrapped around their hand was getting pulled tighter and tighter. Fortunately the boat pulling on the rope stopped before the finger popped off. There was plenty of screaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post robtheplod Posted May 14, 2022 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted May 14, 2022 Now back home..... the Avon ring is a lovely way to spend 2 weeks (or more if you can manage it!). The Avon is absolutely beautiful and was a great experience. Got some stats which some might find interesting - keep in mind we moor at Ventnor Marina so it takes us a bit to actually get to/from Lapworth to start the ring (lots more locks - Stockton/Hatton etc...!): 50 miles of narrow canals 41 miles of broad canals 42 miles of small rivers 16 miles of large rivers 110 narrow locks 105 broad locks 1 large lock. (this was quite an experience!!!) CanalPlan had it down as 88 hours, 9 minutes which is 14 days, 4 hours and 9 minutes at 6 hours per day. We actually took 87.2 hours so that is very accurate! I used 113.56 litres of diesel in that 87.2 hrs.... anyone thinking about the Avon Ring, definately do it!!!! 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko264 Posted May 15, 2022 Report Share Posted May 15, 2022 Robert absolute. Fantastic we are doing the Avon ring in June it’s the second time we have done it but this time we are going clockwise as you say it isa very nice ring this time we are setting off from Alverchurch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morat Posted July 12, 2022 Report Share Posted July 12, 2022 (edited) This is a very useful thread, thank you! We're considering the same route in August, starting from Stockton Top Marina, so pretty much next door to where you started. We've been to Stratford before, with a short trip on the Avon too cool off. Then again, we do love the route to Lechlade! Hmm decisions decisions Did you find time to stop for a day anywhere or were you going for it every day? Edited July 12, 2022 by Morat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robtheplod Posted July 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2022 On 12/07/2022 at 15:07, Morat said: This is a very useful thread, thank you! We're considering the same route in August, starting from Stockton Top Marina, so pretty much next door to where you started. We've been to Stratford before, with a short trip on the Avon too cool off. Then again, we do love the route to Lechlade! Hmm decisions decisions Did you find time to stop for a day anywhere or were you going for it every day? We travelled each day.... but thats the bit we enjoy We stopped for a few hours each day for lunch but that was about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko264 Posted July 13, 2022 Report Share Posted July 13, 2022 Hi We got back from the Stratford ring two weeks ago after two weeks holiday it definitely was not a rush we started from Alverchurch and went clock wise stopping at numerous pubs as we went i my self thinks it’s the most beautiful ring I have been on and that’s most of them the loc is are a little hard for the girls to wind the paddle on but that’s the fun of boating ps we did the Tardebigge. locks in 3.5 hours it says 7 in the book and the ring was very quiet from traffic Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanD Posted July 13, 2022 Report Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) 34 minutes ago, jacko264 said: Hi We got back from the Stratford ring two weeks ago after two weeks holiday it definitely was not a rush we started from Alverchurch and went clock wise stopping at numerous pubs as we went i my self thinks it’s the most beautiful ring I have been on and that’s most of them the loc is are a little hard for the girls to wind the paddle on but that’s the fun of boating ps we did the Tardebigge. locks in 3.5 hours it says 7 in the book and the ring was very quiet from traffic Graham With a big enough crew who know what they're doing (e.g. sending ahead to prepare next lock and staying behind boat to close up) and no slowcoach in front, you can do Tardebigge in 3 hours or less if everything goes well -- we certainly would have if not for the single boater we caught up with (who I went ahead to help)... Edited July 13, 2022 by IanD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now