Where are all the boats? Ah, found 'em!

[nicknorman]

Have any of the complainers actually bothered to email or write to Anglo Welsh to point out the problems they are causing, or are they just moaning on an internet forum?

Just moaning, but isn't that what Internet forums are for?

[FadeToScarlet]

Just moaning, but isn't that what Internet forums are for?

No, they're for violently disagreeing with other people over complete minutiae.

 

 

(From xkcd.com)

[BGA]

When I worked for BT this was duc -t to me

 

Glad I didn't work there that lot looks in imminent danger of spreading itself all over the yard.

[Nine of Hearts]

The pub there looks a bit dodgy but does (or certainly did) a good gammon and has a skittle alley.

 

Do you refer to the Nav? We've had a drink in there twice. The second time because we'd forgotten how dreary it was the first.

[IanM]

 

Do you refer to the Nav? We've had a drink in there twice. The second time because we'd forgotten how dreary it was the first.

 

I agree The Navigation is fairly dreary and uninspiring but when we ate there a few years back before picking a AW boat up the food was not bad at all.

 

Did once on another trip convince them into selling us a pint of milk as we'd run out.

[nicknorman]

Taking of dreary pubs, the Fleur de leys is one of them! Ok it was a Monday, but there were 3 other customers when we went in at 8pm, a local, a boater, and someone else. Plus the barman of course. Rather a bare interior and not welcoming. We had their pie dinner, modestly sized pie though with a reasonable amount of meat, some rather tasteless carrots/broccoli/cabbage mix, and rather tasteless chips. And a jug of gloopy gravy. Plus one pint of beer each. Kerching, that will be £29.25 please.

 

The boater and the local left, and the "someone else" then went behind the bar and we realised he was the landlord. The landlord who had totally blanked us when we arrived and was completely disinterested in us. No wonder he doesn't have many customers.

[PaulG]

 

I agree The Navigation is fairly dreary and uninspiring but when we ate there a few years back before picking a AW boat up the food was not bad at all.

 

Did once on another trip convince them into selling us a pint of milk as we'd run out.

The landlord at the Navigation is one of the rudest I have met in a long time.

Having spent a fair amount my hard-earned on food and drink I had the temerity to ask for another pint and a glass of vino at 9.45 pm. He served us grudgingly, then put his newspaper up and studiously ignored us for the next 20 minutes.

The food was decent and the staff were pleasant enough, but his staff went off duty around 9.00 pm, leaving the landlord behind the bar.

He didn't actually tell us to f*ck off, but he might as well have done.

[Joshua]

Taking of dreary pubs, the Fleur de leys is one of them! Ok it was a Monday, but there were 3 other customers when we went in at 8pm, a local, a boater, and someone else. Plus the barman of course. Rather a bare interior and not welcoming. We had their pie dinner, modestly sized pie though with a reasonable amount of meat, some rather tasteless carrots/broccoli/cabbage mix, and rather tasteless chips. And a jug of gloopy gravy. Plus one pint of beer each. Kerching, that will be £29.25 please.

 

The boater and the local left, and the "someone else" then went behind the bar and we realised he was the landlord. The landlord who had totally blanked us when we arrived and was completely disinterested in us. No wonder he doesn't have many customers.

 

Almost exactly our experience, same people, same 'welcome'.

We wanted to but didn't eat, partly because of the price of the beer but also because of the poor choice of food.

As Vegetarians we don't expect the same variety and choice offered to carnivores but surely it isn't unreasonable to expect something a bit more imaginative than the usual vegetarian Lasagne or mushroom Pie.

Having grown up on great west country pub food in the 70’s and spent the last 15 years in France, we find current English pub fare generally bland and uninspiring, we invariably leave, certain in the knowledge that we would have dined better at home, consequently we dine out less and less frequently.

[LoneWolf]

 

Almost exactly our experience, same people, same 'welcome'.

We wanted to but didn't eat, partly because of the price of the beer but also because of the poor choice of food.

As Vegetarians we don't expect the same variety and choice offered to carnivores but surely it isn't unreasonable to expect something a bit more imaginative than the usual vegetarian Lasagne or mushroom Pie.

Having grown up on great west country pub food in the 70’s and spent the last 15 years in France, we find current English pub fare generally bland and uninspiring, we invariably leave, certain in the knowledge that we would have dined better at home, consequently we dine out less and less frequently.

 

The Mary Arden pub in Wilmcote does good vegi food (well, it did 18mths ago) if you;re down that way

 

and the landladies are very welcoming

[PaulG]

 

The Mary Arden pub in Wilmcote does good vegi food (well, it did 18mths ago) if you;re down that way

 

and the landladies are very welcoming

The Mary Arden gets my vote of confidence, too!

[nicknorman]

Blimey, just as well we booked our mooring in Bancroft Basin, we only just squeezed in there!

 

Untitled by nick.norman, on Flickr

[Nine of Hearts]

Blimey, just as well we booked our mooring in Bancroft Basin, we only just squeezed in there!

 

 

Is that a bit like gents' toilet etiquette? Too far away from the only other occupant looks like you're being funny, too close is intimidating?

[Paul C]

Where are all the boats? Ah, found 'em!

 

 

 

Do you mean Ah or Amps?

[Joshua]

Blimey, just as well we booked our mooring in Bancroft Basin, we only just squeezed in there!

 

………..

Untitled by nick.norman, on Flickr

 

Having just cruised down the Avon from there, if you are doing the same and like us, are not familiar with the river, I would offer 2 tips.

First, don’t underestimate the locks, they look enormous but some are quite short, I nearly lost Oak on a cill because I took my eye off the ball!

Second, the downstream entrance to Evesham lock is seriously hampered by the undertow from an unseen hydroelectric plant that unexpectedly and unpredictably, pulls ones boat past the entrance just as one is turning into it.

I leisurely turned in with plenty of space from the left and got pulled so far past that I actually ended up turning in from the right with the hydro pull still snapping at our heels.

I mentioned this to the lockie and he and his wife sympathised, confessing that they too have problems with their own boat.

There is a steel pier (to your right as you enter) that has been erected to try and help boats funnel into the lock but in my view the pier makes it worse because the end is in the perfect place to T bone any boat dragged side ways by the hydro below the lock, we narrowly missed it but only because I resisted the temptation to come off the power as we were sucked towards it.

It is all made worse by the fact that above the lock is an enormous weir and one assumes that the pull will be towards that rather than the unseen danger below the lock.

I know that like us you are relatively deep draughted, in our case it makes us more prone to these undercurrents.

Having said all that, there was a huge amount of debris (trees and things) stuck on the weir rails just before the lock which, to avoid, we were forced into mid stream and from where the down stream tow was probably much worse, if this has now been removed it may not be nearly so bad?

Other than that we really enjoyed the trip down to the Severn, good moorings at Tewkesbury (a lovely town) and a very helpful lock keeper to aid the timing of any passage out onto the Severn.

Edited March 27, 2014 by Joshua

[Phil Ambrose]

Well the Big Yellow ones owned & run trips on the Thames and other waterways,don't seam to like water !.

I heard they are thirsty, they must be as they are always taking in water.

 

Phil

[luctor et emergo]

 

Dont all ducks like water?

 

Whats the opposite of an "aqua duck"?

Crispy Duck?

[pearley]

'I have to admit this is a bit of a moan but it irritates me that Anglo Welsh have to block a direct entrance to the aqueduct. Yes we got through but only by means of bouncing off their moored boats. Not a massive deal but really, they have plenty of room to store them elsewhere in the basin but of course adjacent to the aqueduct is the most convenient for their services ( and never mind anyone who might actually want to navigate the canal). I suppose I am pre-irritated by them because I know it is their policy to refuel passing boats by parking them on the aqueduct thus blocking the navigation whilst the fuel goes in, the boaters choose their icecreams and trinkets from the shop and pay their bill. I know this because we were held up for 20 minutes for this a few years ago. Not the end of the world but selfish behaviour always gets to me.'


Some years ago we came up from Stratford to find that AW were changing an engine in the aqueduct using that gantry that's across the mouth. It was October but still a pain.

Edited March 27, 2014 by pearley

[nicknorman]

Having just cruised down the Avon from there, if you are doing the same and like us, are not familiar with the river, I would offer 2 tips.

First, don’t underestimate the locks, they look enormous but some are quite short, I nearly lost Oak on a cill because I took my eye off the ball!

Second, the downstream entrance to Evesham lock is seriously hampered by the undertow from an unseen hydroelectric plant that unexpectedly and unpredictably, pulls ones boat past the entrance just as one is turning into it.

I leisurely turned in with plenty of space from the left and got pulled so far past that I actually ended up turning in from the right with the hydro pull still snapping at our heels.

I mentioned this to the lockie and he and his wife sympathised, confessing that they too have problems with their own boat.

There is a steel pier (to your right as you enter) that has been erected to try and help boats funnel into the lock but in my view the pier makes it worse because the end is in the perfect place to T bone any boat dragged side ways by the hydro below the lock, we narrowly missed it but only because I resisted the temptation to come off the power as we were sucked towards it.

It is all made worse by the fact that above the lock is an enormous weir and one assumes that the pull will be towards that rather than the unseen danger below the lock.

I know that like us you are relatively deep draughted, in our case it makes us more prone to these undercurrents.

Having said all that, there was a huge amount of debris (trees and things) stuck on the weir rails just before the lock which, to avoid, we were forced into mid stream and from where the down stream tow was probably much worse, if this has now been removed it may not be nearly so bad?

Other than that we really enjoyed the trip down to the Severn, good moorings at Tewkesbury (a lovely town) and a very helpful lock keeper to aid the timing of any passage out onto the Severn.

Thanks for the tips, however we are returning back the way we came tomorrow morning. We did do the Avon a couple of years ago, don't remember any issues with the currents but then there was a drought on! The biggest problem was that the bottom seemed very close to the top in places (around Marlcliffe IIRC).

 

Yes the locks are certainly short and we watched with amusement as someone in a full length boat had to go backwards down Evesham lock in order to fit. He made a right meal of it but steadfastly refused to accept any help, finally departing the lock with a windlass remaining on the ground (we managed to reunite him with it later).

[IanM]

someone in a full length boat had to go backwards down Evesham lock in order to fit.

 

Been there, done that!

 

[john6767]

Nick, would it have been you approaching Lapworth bottom lock (by the M40) at 10 this morning?

Edited March 29, 2014 by john6767

[nicknorman]

Nick, would it have been you approaching Lapworth bottom lock (by the M40) at 10 this morning?

Well we certainly came up that lock this morning, though I think it would have been more like 11. Did we encounter you?

[john6767]

I was on the M40 and I always spot for boats as I cross. I thought it looked like your boat, it was at exactly 10 though so perhaps not. Great day for boating, if a bit windy. I was prostrate over the engine changing oil etc. so not as much fun, but still satisfying.

[nicknorman]

I was on the M40 and I always spot for boats as I cross. I thought it looked like your boat, it was at exactly 10 though so perhaps not. Great day for boating, if a bit windy. I was prostrate over the engine changing oil etc. so not as much fun, but still satisfying.

I think not us then. We were moored in the long pound between locks 33 and 32, right in the bundu. It was really quiet and I recall waking up rather late at 08:50 due to the silence. I think we set out a bit before 10. No boats seen and all the locks were in our favour until that M40 lock which was full, so I guess you saw someone who had been moored in the pound between 27 and 28.

 

Yes it was a lovely day today, especially after yesterday afternoon with its thunder and sharp downpours (we were tied up at Wooton Wawen for lunch and a trip to yew tree farm at that point fortunately) and then prolonged rain in the late afternoon. We lunched in the sunshine at the Lapworth water point (ludicrously low water pressure) and then stopped shortly after at the Boot for a couple of pints. It did get a bit windy but not too bad, and I really like the Lapworth flight - apart from the short pound with the bend (locks 8 to 9?) where the combination of 2 pints of beer and the overflow made me do a wedgie trying to get into the lock. Should have gone to Bowthrusters!

 

Now moored just past Hockey Heath and looking forward to warmer, sunnier and less windy wx tomorrow! It's a hard life!

[john6767]

You made good progress, enjoy the run into Birmingham tomorrow.

 

Where the towpath changes side to the top of the flight is tricky even with a 50ft boat, I guess that one was where you struggled I always do.

[lostnortherner]

We have just been out round there too. Same problem at Anglo Welsh - we moored there on Sunday pm, and dropped down onto the Avon Monday - so maybe it was us you were following nicknorman? We passed one boat going up at the very bottom Wilmcote lock.

 

We had problems at Marcliffe getting stuck on the sand bar coming out of the lock, and again going into Pershore lock - we struggled to open the gates enough to get through with a NB - I suspect well silted up again?

 

Black Prince at Stoke Prior as just as bad as AW at Wootton - they had the canal almost completely blocked when we passed!