Marooned in Gloucester

[nicknorman]

Oops, we seem to have made a bit of an error and got stuck in Gloucester with Upper Lode lock closed due to river levels. I know the Severn has been closed a lot over the wet winter but it had been open for a while and there doesn't seem to have been excessive rain in mid Wales recently.

 

A factor I hadn't considered (foolishly, since I became more "tide aware" after our Trent trip last year) is that we are at a peak of high Spring tides which seem to be causing a big back-up of fresh. Tonight is the highest spring of the year, apparently. I very much doubt Upper Lode will open tomorrow and am not very confident about Monday, after which rain is forecast.

 

I hadn't realised how far up river the spring tides affect the Severn, easily up to Tewkesbury and in fact the effect is clearly visible as far up as Upton and beyond.

 

So the moral is, when contemplating whether to "risk" putting the Severn between where you are and where you need to be, check the tides! We have until next Sunday to get back to Tamworth, I have an inpatient hospital appointment on the Monday and Jeff has to go to work, so we may have cocked up!

 

This pic is from between Upper Lode and Gloucester

 

 

And this one from Saxons Lode which is a little downstream of Upton.

 

 

Anyway at least we can go Severn bore watching. We saw it this morning at Gloucester lock, very noticeable but not hugely dramatic - just a surge - but tonight we'll have a look somewhere below the parting.

Edited April 9, 2016 by nicknorman

[Rob-M]

One of the reasons we decided to move from Saul Junction to Great Haywood was because I always worried about getting stuck one end or the other of the Severn. If it stays in flood and you need a lift anywhere towards the end of the week PM me.

[The Bearwood Boster]

I can think of worse places to be stuck.If you like Indian food-the Aroma on Southgate street just up from the docks is a cracking place to eat.

Trina

[nicknorman]

One of the reasons we decided to move from Saul Junction to Great Haywood was because I always worried about getting stuck one end or the other of the Severn. If it stays in flood and you need a lift anywhere towards the end of the week PM me.

Thanks Rob, if we really haven't moved by next Sunday we can get the train to B'ham airport, but perhaps if we get some way and then have to abandon ship I might be in touch!

[nicknorman]

I can think of worse places to be stuck.If you like Indian food-the Aroma on Southgate street just up from the docks is a cracking place to eat.

Trina

Yes it certainly could be worse, eg on a lock landing in the middle of no-where! It's just a pity that I have other commitments after our expected return date of next Sunday evening.

[Guest]

Oops, we seem to have made a bit of an error and got stuck in Gloucester with Upper Lode lock closed due to river levels. I know the Severn has been closed a lot over the wet winter but it had been open for a while and there doesn't seem to have been excessive rain in mid Wales recently.

A factor I hadn't considered (foolishly, since I became more "tide aware" after our Trent trip last year) is that we are at a peak of high Spring tides which seem to be causing a big back-up of fresh. Tonight is the highest spring of the year, apparently. I very much doubt Upper Lode will open tomorrow and am not very confident about Monday, after which rain is forecast.

I hadn't realised how far up river the spring tides affect the Severn, easily up to Tewkesbury and in fact the effect is clearly visible as far up as Upton and beyond.

So the moral is, when contemplating whether to "risk" putting the Severn between where you are and where you need to be, check the tides! We have until next Sunday to get back to Tamworth, I have an inpatient hospital appointment on the Monday and Jeff has to go to work, so we may have cocked up!

This pic is from between Upper Lode and Gloucester

image.png

And this one from Saxons Lode which is a little downstream of Upton.

image.png

Anyway at least we can go Severn bore watching. We saw it this morning at Gloucester lock, very noticeable but not hugely dramatic - just a surge - but tonight we'll have a look somewhere below the parting.

You should have said......

 

We could have picked you up en route home. As long as you both didn't mind sharing the back seat with a JRT....

[sharpness]

 

Anyway at least we can go Severn bore watching. We saw it this morning at Gloucester lock, very noticeable but not hugely dramatic - just a surge - but tonight we'll have a look somewhere below the parting.

 

I walked down to the Severn this morning for the bore. Considering it was supposed to be a 4* it was very boring compared with the 4*s last month. There were numerous surfers who had very little to ride.

 

Steve

[nicknorman]

I walked down to the Severn this morning for the bore. Considering it was supposed to be a 4* it was very boring compared with the 4*s last month. There were numerous surfers who had very little to ride.

 

Steve

We went to the Severn bore pub tonight, they conveniently have some floodlighting. It's situated just after a bend in the river so when it came it was on the far shore first, quite an impressive roar, a couple of brave night surfers came next, and then the last thing I remember about the bore on our bank was a wall of spray over my head - even though we were in the pub garden well above the peak river level there was a square brick inlet next to us and the wave didn't like that very much so it drenched us! Oh well, all part of the "experience" I suppose. I don't know how it was compared to other bores but it seems quite impressive to us! Edited April 9, 2016 by nicknorman

[john6767]

If you do end up being stuck and need to leave the boat, I can recommend Saul Junction marina, we left the boat there for a month or so a couple years ago and they were very good.

[by'eck]

Drove over with Val to spend a few days in Malvern, taking in Morgan factory visit. The following day visited Tewkesbury returning via Upton on Severn. I remember pearing over the steps by the bridge where I moored a couple of years ago. Couldn't believe how fast the river was running, maybe 3-4 mph. Did wonder if you got caught out at the time.

[nicknorman]

If you do end up being stuck and need to leave the boat, I can recommend Saul Junction marina, we left the boat there for a month or so a couple years ago and they were very good.

Good tip, thanks. Although I hope it won't come to that, I have a feeling it might!

Drove over with Val to spend a few days in Malvern, taking in Morgan factory visit. The following day visited Tewkesbury returning via Upton on Severn. I remember pearing over the steps by the bridge where I moored a couple of years ago. Couldn't believe how fast the river was running, maybe 3-4 mph. Did wonder if you got caught out at the time.

Yes it was a bit brisk when we came down but more like 2.5 mph. I already had a plan to return via the Avon which seems low and placid at the moment. It's just a pity we can't get to Tewkesbury, I'm still not quite sure where all the new water came from. <no need to say "out of the sky"!>

[ditchcrawler]

http://apps.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood/34681.aspx?area=031WAF103

EA Flood warnings?

Edited April 9, 2016 by ditchcrawler

[by'eck]

Yes it was a bit brisk when we came down but more like 2.5 mph. I already had a plan to return via the Avon which seems low and placid at the moment. It's just a pity we can't get to Tewkesbury, I'm still not quite sure where all the new water came from. <no need to say "out of the sky"!>

 

If you do return via the Avon as I did, watch out for the second (old) bridge at Pershore. Just one arch you can pass through and the current was making whirlpools between the two bridges even in benign conditions.

 

Don't make the mistake as I did of using the otherwise convenient mooring just before first bridge as it gives you no time to get up speed to push through the two when you leave.

[nicknorman]

If you do return via the Avon as I did, watch out for the second (old) bridge at Pershore. Just one arch you can pass through and the current was making whirlpools between the two bridges even in benign conditions.

 

Don't make the mistake as I did of using the otherwise convenient mooring just before first bridge as it gives you no time to get up speed to push through the two when you leave.

We had planned to go back via Stourport/Stourbridge canal but under the circumstances I think the Avon may be advisable. That is if we eve get out! Thanks for the tip about Pershore bridge.

Edited April 10, 2016 by nicknorman

[Rick-n-Jo]

If you do end up being stuck and need to leave the boat, I can recommend Saul Junction marina, we left the boat there for a month or so a couple years ago and they were very good.

Or if you happen to be AWCC member, there is space on the Saul Junction BOC moorings on the Stroudwater

[MtB]

"Marooned in Gloucester"

 

 

And there was me wondering, from the title, if you'd been involved in the sinking of two cargo boats, one filled with red paint and the other filled with blue...

[ditchcrawler]

Just looked at the Fison web cams and it looks fine further up. http://www.farsondigitalwatercams.com/locations/upton-upon-severn

[Richard Fairhurst]

We came up-river on Tuesday and Wednesday, from Gloucester to Diglis, overnighting at Lower Lode. It was very slow going. We actually made good progress up the narrow east channel out of Gloucester - 2 to 2.5mph over land, which is better than we've done in the past - but counterintuitively, slowed right down as soon as we got to the parting by Maisemore. Upper Lode wasn't too far off making a level, with the weir visible more as a modest burbling than a raging waterfall.

 

From Upton to Worcester was the slowest of all: we were down to 1.3mph by the bypass bridge with the engine at near to full power, and similarly by the confluence with the Teme.

 

The Gloucester lockie advised us when to leave to avoid the tide itself, but you're right, it has been holding up a lot of fresh. What amused me most on Wednesday was that, for the first time ever in a day's boating, we saw more commercial craft on the move on Wednesday than pleasure craft: two Thompsons gravel barges (Elver and Perch), the Pride of the Midlands and Earl passenger boats, and a CRT launch, vs just one Anglo-Welsh pleasure boat heading downstream.

 

While you're in Gloucester, the new Tank brewery tap by Llanthony Bridge is very good, and we always enjoy Café René (a pub, not a cafe) on Southgate.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Richard Fairhurst

[Laurie Booth]

"Marooned in Gloucester"

 

 

And there was me wondering, from the title, if you'd been involved in the sinking of two cargo boats, one filled with red paint and the other filled with blue...

Don't worry Mike, your joke is too subtle for these Moor ons.

[by'eck]

We had planned to go back via Stourport/Stourbridge canal but under the circumstances I think the Avon may be advisable. That is if we eve get out! Thanks for the tip about Pershore bridge.

 

Although this Avon is very different (read much prettier) than the Severn, it will probably offer more challenges under present conditions. As well as the current being funneled by old bridge arches you have strong cross flows to contend with where the lock weir bypass rejoins the main river, often close to where you need to be slowing down to moor. With the Severn its a simpler slog against the current.

[nicknorman]

Although this Avon is very different (read much prettier) than the Severn, it will probably offer more challenges under present conditions. As well as the current being funneled by old bridge arches you have strong cross flows to contend with where the lock weir bypass rejoins the main river, often close to where you need to be slowing down to moor. With the Severn its a simpler slog against the current.

The avon's levels look very low though. The Severn has a very different catchment area from the Avon and I presume it just hasn't rained that much in Warwickshire recently.

[Richard Fairhurst]

And on Twitter just now:

 

"10/04 HWFireWorcs, @HWFireDroitwich & @HWFireMalvern attended a boat stranded at weir, Diglis lock, Worcs, 1 elderly man rescued by Crews"

[nicknorman]

We came up-river on Tuesday and Wednesday, from Gloucester to Diglis, overnighting at Lower Lode. It was very slow going. We actually made good progress up the narrow east channel out of Gloucester - 2 to 2.5mph over land, which is better than we've done in the past - but counterintuitively, slowed right down as soon as we got to the parting by Maisemore. Upper Lode wasn't too far off making a level, with the weir visible more as a modest burbling than a raging waterfall.

 

 

The general idea for tomorrow, if we are allowed, is to get beyond the Partings in time for the flood tide, which will hopefully mean that most of the trip is done without too much adverse current.

 

What I find odd is that when we visited Upper Lode lock by car this morning to chat with the lock keeper, it didn't seem that bad. He was talking a lot about the levels so I asked him what actually was the issue closing the lock, something to do with flooding or something to do with the current. If I understood him correctly it was based on level, that being an indicator of flow. EXCEPT of course that is BS when the level is high just because of high tide. In fact quite the opposite, when the flood comes the level rises and the current decreases or stops. He seemed reasonably confident that we would be able to get through tomorrow but said that he might need to close the lock for an hour or two at high tide and we'd have to wait below the lock (no floating pontoon). If so, that is really crazy because it means we can't go through the lock when there is no current or a slight favourable one, but we can go through once a fierce adverse current re-establishes.

 

I need Tony D to tell me whether it is me who is barking, or CRT/Lockie.

[ditchcrawler]

The general idea for tomorrow, if we are allowed, is to get beyond the Partings in time for the flood tide, which will hopefully mean that most of the trip is done without too much adverse current.

 

What I find odd is that when we visited Upper Lode lock by car this morning to chat with the lock keeper, it didn't seem that bad. He was talking a lot about the levels so I asked him what actually was the issue closing the lock, something to do with flooding or something to do with the current. If I understood him correctly it was based on level, that being an indicator of flow. EXCEPT of course that is BS when the level is high just because of high tide. In fact quite the opposite, when the flood comes the level rises and the current decreases or stops. He seemed reasonably confident that we would be able to get through tomorrow but said that he might need to close the lock for an hour or two at high tide and we'd have to wait below the lock (no floating pontoon). If so, that is really crazy because it means we can't go through the lock when there is no current or a slight favourable one, but we can go through once a fierce adverse current re-establishes.

 

I need Tony D to tell me whether it is me who is barking, or CRT/Lockie.

I think you are right

[MtB]

Don't worry Mike, your joke is too subtle for these Moor ons.

 

 

Fanx Lorry, I must say I was a bit concerned no0one would get it when I posted it. Looks like I was right, with the exception of you!!