Gloucester Lock

[Lewisdb1978]

We'll hopefully be coming in to Gloucester dock from the river Severn shortly and have a couple of questions. 

 

1. Withe the lock being under restrictions is it likely we will have to wait outside for it to open?

 

And

 

2. What's the best way to secure the boat outside on the chains (59 ft narrowboat)? Will the center line do it? How difficult is it to do this safely?

 

Any advice would be greatfully recieved.

[ditchcrawler]

Is it in restricted hours or closed.

Dont attempt to moor of hold the boat with the centre line, Use the stern line and take the first chain you come to, come very slowly and you will probably need lots of revers to actually stop and get the chain. DONT take the bow line first you will spin across the river 

[frangar]

Id also phone glos lock once you are through lower lode to ask advice....they are usually really helpful....they can tell you what time to plan to arrive and once they know you are on your way will usually help out. Definitely phone them when you get to the partings....where the river divides...you will see a large dutch barge on your LHS against the wall....to let them know you are entering the partings as it's quite narrow and you dont want to meet a big flybridge cruiser etc without warning!

 

Edited to add glos lock phone number

01452 310832

 

Edited August 31 by frangar

[Lewisdb1978]

3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Is it in restricted hours or closed.

Dont attempt to moor of hold the boat with the centre line, Use the stern line and take the first chain you come to, come very slowly and you will probably need lots of revers to actually stop and get the chain. DONT take the bow line first you will spin across the river 

Thank you.

 

Just restricted. Coming in to the dock we have to be there on the hour. I know usually they try and have the gate open 4 you but that seems unlikely unless we get there on the dot.

 

I'm a little bit nervous...

6 minutes ago, frangar said:

Id also phone glos lock once you are through lower lode to ask advice....they are usually really helpful....they can tell you what time to plan to arrive and once they know you are on your way will usually help out. Definitely phone them when you get to the partings....where the river divides...you will see a large dutch barge on your LHS against the wall....to let them know you are entering the partings as it's quite narrow and you dont want to meet a big flybridge cruiser etc without warning!

 

Edited to add glos lock phone number

01452 310832

 

Or that bloody great boat that takes trips up the river 😅

[Jen-in-Wellies]

10 minutes ago, frangar said:

Id also phone glos lock once you are through lower lode to ask advice....they are usually really helpful....they can tell you what time to plan to arrive and once they know you are on your way will usually help out. Definitely phone them when you get to the partings....where the river divides...you will see a large dutch barge on your LHS against the wall....to let them know you are entering the partings as it's quite narrow and you dont want to meet a big flybridge cruiser etc without warning!

 

Edited to add glos lock phone number

01452 310832

 

Or the Edward Elgar hotel boat, which is even bigger! 

https://river.englishholidaycruises.co.uk/the-edward-elgar-hotel-boat/

I'll second the helpfulness of the Gloucester lock keepers. 

[ditchcrawler]

I couldn't find any restriction listed on the CRT web site for the lock,I know there was a lot of talk about it 

[frangar]

11 minutes ago, Lewisdb1978 said:

 

 

I'm a little bit nervous...

Or that bloody great boat that takes trips up the river 😅

I didnt want to mention that in case it scared you more!!......

[alias]

3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I couldn't find any restriction listed on the CRT web site for the lock,I know there was a lot of talk about it 

 

From 31 July:

 

Gloucester Lock: The lock will be restricted to all craft. Locking out (Gloucester dock northwards onto River Severn) will be at 8am, 10am, 12 noon, 2pm and 4pm. Incoming traffic from the river will be on alternate hours from 9am until 5pm.   The Lock Keeper will look to limit the impact on customers wherever practical and where safety considerations require, such as tides, additional lockage's may be allowed or postponed.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/019fb796-3a04-7236-99df-9543d707924c

[ditchcrawler]

6 minutes ago, alias said:

 

From 31 July:

 

Gloucester Lock: The lock will be restricted to all craft. Locking out (Gloucester dock northwards onto River Severn) will be at 8am, 10am, 12 noon, 2pm and 4pm. Incoming traffic from the river will be on alternate hours from 9am until 5pm.   The Lock Keeper will look to limit the impact on customers wherever practical and where safety considerations require, such as tides, additional lockage's may be allowed or postponed.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/019fb796-3a04-7236-99df-9543d707924c

Thanks I couldn't find it, we need an app with it all on

[phantom_iv]

If they're only locking up at certain hours I'd think it more likely they'd just leave the lock open so you can go straight in - the only real reason you'd normally have to wait is if if lock is in use by someone coming up / going down which is unlikely if they're only doing it once per hour. Realistically though it's unlikely there will be any boats arriving at Gloucester that haven't gone through lower lode lock immediately beforehand so they'll have a good idea of how many boats to expect and when to expect them.

 

One thing to be aware of is the state of the tide when you arrive at Gloucester - there will be a stronger outgoing flow between high tide and the point at which Llanthony weir becomes uncovered, once this happens (or close to high water i.e. slack tide) it'll be just like the rest of the Severn i.e. not much flow at the moment. It might be worth asking the lock keeper when the best time to arrive is tide-wise.

 

IIRC when we did it a few years ago it was low tide, we called Gloucester lock keeper as we went under the railway bridge and he had the lock open for us and we went straight in - it was a total doddle. More than likely this will be your experience too.

 

Most of the dodgy moments people have had here are in winter at times of higher river flow. You'll be fine!

[Lewisdb1978]

29 minutes ago, phantom_iv said:

One thing to be aware of is the state of the tide when you arrive at Gloucester - there will be a stronger outgoing flow between high tide and the point at which Llanthony weir becomes uncovered, once this happens (or close to high water i.e. slack tide) it'll be just like the rest of the Severn i.e. not much flow at the moment. It might be worth asking the lock keeper when the best time to arrive is tide-wise.

 

Thanks

 

We will 100% be calling them and aiming to arrive whenever they suggest is best. We have all day 😁

56 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Or the Edward Elgar hotel boat, which is even bigger! 

https://river.englishholidaycruises.co.uk/the-edward-elgar-hotel-boat/

I'll second the helpfulness of the Gloucester lock keepers. 

I'll die... 😂

[Rob-M]

Don't bank on the lock being open even if the lock keeper tells you it will be, prepare for stopping on the first chain with your stern line and if you come round the final corner and it is actually gates open that is a bonus.

[Lewisdb1978]

7 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Don't bank on the lock being open even if the lock keeper tells you it will be, prepare for stopping on the first chain with your stern line and if you come round the final corner and it is actually gates open that is a bonus.

Thanks Rob 

[Rob-M]

We moored at Saul Junction for a few years so have done Gloucester lock many times.  I always call the lock as I approach the partings to let the lock keeper know you are close and to check nothing big is  coming through the partings.  Then a second call just before the final bridge to see if the lock will be ready.  Then I slow as I come round the final bend ready to get the stern line round a chain as I have had a tune when the lock keeper said the gates will be open but then something held him up and they were still closed.  Also be prepared to find a boat on the first chain and be ready to swing round them on to the next, the wall is quite long so you can miss a few without panicking.

[Lewisdb1978]

17 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

We moored at Saul Junction for a few years so have done Gloucester lock many times.  I always call the lock as I approach the partings to let the lock keeper know you are close and to check nothing big is  coming through the partings.  Then a second call just before the final bridge to see if the lock will be ready.  Then I slow as I come round the final bend ready to get the stern line round a chain as I have had a tune when the lock keeper said the gates will be open but then something held him up and they were still closed.  Also be prepared to find a boat on the first chain and be ready to swing round them on to the next, the wall is quite long so you can miss a few without panicking.

Good enough signal at the partings or should I grab a VHF?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

15 minutes ago, Lewisdb1978 said:

Good enough signal at the partings or should I grab a VHF?

Mobile phone seems to work fine at the Parting. Listening in on VHF lets you know the wherabouts of some of the other boats on the water, but not essential. 

[frangar]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Don't bank on the lock being open even if the lock keeper tells you it will be, prepare for stopping on the first chain with your stern line and if you come round the final corner and it is actually gates open that is a bonus.

I once had a rather large wooden vintage twin screw cruiser that had lost steering on a short line that I was towing back up the partings after we’d already towed it out the parting when it’s steering failed just as we went under the bridges on the way out…had been on the vhf to let the lockie know we were coming back in and we couldn’t really stop so please have the lock ready etc….came round the corner only to find the gates firmly shut….some slightly panicked vhf along the lines of “would you mind awfully opening the gates?” Saw the gates open just as I was wondering what to do for the best!!! The lockie said “Did I have you worried??”

with big grin!! Had to have a little lie down once we dropped the cruiser at Nielsens!!!!

12 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Mobile phone seems to work fine at the Parting. Listening in on VHF lets you know the wherabouts of some of the other boats on the water, but not essential. 

I use a vhf but mobile works well. 

[Rob-M]

I only use mobile, not had a signal problem.

[NB Thistle]

I believe at the moment on the G&S (not Gloucester Lock) leisure boaters can only pass through if they accompany a commercial passage?

[Lewisdb1978]

11 minutes ago, NB Thistle said:

I believe at the moment on the G&S (not Gloucester Lock) leisure boaters can only pass through if they accompany a commercial passage?

Really??

[frangar]

13 minutes ago, NB Thistle said:

I believe at the moment on the G&S (not Gloucester Lock) leisure boaters can only pass through if they accompany a commercial passage?

That only applies to sharpness lock. NOT Gloucester 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

11 minutes ago, frangar said:

That only applies to sharpness lock. NOT Gloucester 

Sharpness lock is huge, in comparison with Gloucester lock, so will take a lot more water out of the canal, depending on river level and state of tide. 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/go-boating/planning-your-boat-route/waterway-dimensions#gloucester-sharpness-canal

Gloucester lock is still big enough to give you that rubber duck in a bathtub impression with a narrowboat!

[Stroudwater1]

4 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Sharpness lock is huge, in comparison with Gloucester lock, so will take a lot more water out of the canal, depending on river level and state of tide. 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/go-boating/planning-your-boat-route/waterway-dimensions#gloucester-sharpness-canal

Gloucester lock is still big enough to give you that rubber duck in a bathtub impression with a narrowboat!

I’m surprised that they recommend only transitting with a commercial vessel. Not sure I would like to be sharing with this. 
 

The whole expanse of water visible is Sharpness lock. It is certainly huge!
 

though there is a smaller section too seen in this image. I think that’s possibly mot used to avoid silting up the larger section? 
 

[frangar]

1 minute ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I’m surprised that they recommend only transitting with a commercial vessel. Not sure I would like to be sharing with this. 
 

The whole expanse of water visible is Sharpness lock. It is certainly huge!
 

though there is a smaller section too seen in this image. I think that’s possibly mot used to avoid silting up the larger section? 
 

Due to the shape of Sharpness lock you can share with a commercial ship and be tucked out the way. However I don’t think you’d keep up in a narrowboat with a ship and use the same tide window…might be ok in a fast sea going cruiser….

[Stroudwater1]

Yes they do rip up or down the river using the tide. A brilliant thing to watch, especially getting into the lock from the river. makes Keadby and West Stockwith look a doddle!