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Ship lock (Gloucester)


Pets aboard.

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Hello 

our first post.

we take ownership of our first Narrowboat on Tuesday both very excited. But very nervous.

we have a marina sorted at Saul junction , the thing is, after spending a few hours following the canal up to Gloucester via Google Earth we are faced with that huge lock. We are complete novices and the thought of going through feels us with dread.

we have chatted to someone at the marina and to our amazement we are so surprised how many people don't sail their boats and have not gone further than the marina entrance or a little further! 

Is a ships lock treated any different that a normal smaller lock.

we know it has a lock keeper along this stretch and we have a few bridges to navigate before we get there.but!

we won't be going out just yet as we have got to get our cat and dog their boat legs first.

Any advise please. 

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If you mean gloucester lock, it locks down onto the river severn and is indeed manned or was last time I went through it which I confess is some years ago. We moored at Saul. the lock is nowt owt of the ordinary. At the bottom you enter a long cutting and travel along to where the river joins from you left. You need to ensure it aint in flood or you will have kittens. You then go straight ahead and nip up to wherever you want to end up. Actualy when I say joins from your left I mean it bears off to your left and you carry on straight ahead against the flow northwards.

Edited by mrsmelly
numpty
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The main difference is you enter close to one side and loop your fore and aft ropes through the vertical cables set in the wall of the lock.  You don’t get off the boat.   Spring tides overtop the weir at Gloucester and you do not want to be on the river for a few hours when that happens.  Gloucester lock seems small compared to the later locks.  Takes about 6 hours to Worcester.

added - depending on the river flow you could use as much as 20l of diesel in a 55ft narrowboat between Gloucester and Worcester, so make sure you have enough fuel, don’t want to run out on the river.

Edited by Chewbacka
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4 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

 Gloucester lock seems small compared to the later locks.  Takes about 6 hours to Worcester.

Agreed. I can't exactly remember where this one was on the Severn, but it had corners.

gg.jpg

Edited by rusty69
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39 minutes ago, NB Lola said:

I remember we reversed into the lock so when we came out into the Severn, it was an easy job to travel up.  Our  first ever lock as I recall.

I think you must be mistaken. If you did that, you would have to exit the lock in reverse and you would be facing the weir. You definitely do not want to do that! (I don't think the lock keeper would allow it anyway)

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Thank you everyone, I'm sure we will be ok, I expect everyone feels nervous on their maiden voyage! 

We have read many books and watch countless U Tube videos plus the canal and waterways safety tutorials but it's putting it into practice.

Trying to master the knots. 

Thanks again.

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I think it may be sensible to post a bit of a caution here.

As people have said going down the lock from the docks to the Severn is nothing out of the ordinary and if the  tides are such that it would make it unsafe or impossible you will not be allowed into the lock.

If you are going down onto the river on a falling tide the I would advise really revving as you exit the lock and heading to the right because the tide will try to push you into the weir stream on your left. That apart and its on;y under certain tidal conditions, its fine.

However coming back into the lock on a falling tide needs far more caution. Ideally you want the lock gates open and waiting for you when you get there so radio or telephone the lock keeper when you reach the Parting where the main Severn forks right (coming down stream) and you take the smaller left fork. There was a big sign about this when we last went that way. You will probably be told to radio/phone again as you go under the railway bridge. If when you come round the last bend you see the lock gates are still closed get tied onto the big wall on your left as soon as possible so you are well baack from the draw of the weir. When the gates open and you are called in again don't spare the engine revs because revs gives control.#

You can always phone Gloucester lock to ask for the est time to arrive.

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22 minutes ago, Pets aboard. said:

Thank you everyone, I'm sure we will be ok, I expect everyone feels nervous on their maiden voyage! 

We have read many books and watch countless U Tube videos plus the canal and waterways safety tutorials but it's putting it into practice.

Trying to master the knots. 

Thanks again.

A friendly word of warning. Having looked quite recently at the proliferation of boat blogs etc etc on you tube be careful of which advice you heed as most of the vloggy bloggy people have no more idea than the man in the moon and many are recent liveaboards who wish to impart their " knowledge " to all and sundry. Its fine but owning a boat for a couple of years an experienced boater doesn't make!!

  • Greenie 4
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I am assuming his that you will be coming down the Severn to Gloucester not the other way round.

Irrespective of where you get on the Severn you will have come through Upper Lode lock first, that is actually bigger than Gloucester.  The lock keeper at Upper Lode will give you a leaflet explaining on how to approach Gloucester lock, as it certainly deserves upmost respect as the river runs off to the right in front of the lock and if you get dragged down there you will not get back under your own steam.  The leaflet is available on line so you can look at what it says before hand.  The key is under no circumstances faff about in front of Gloucester lock, you should be in communication with the lock keeper, and will do everything possible to make certain that the lock is open and waiting for you.  As you approach there is a big wall on your left, hug that all the way to the lock, and do not slow down until the boat enters the lock, it is long and there is plenty of space to stop in the lock.

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3 hours ago, john6767 said:

I am assuming his that you will be coming down the Severn to Gloucester not the other way round.

 

I read the OP the other way round, that they are buying a boat which is currently moored at Saul & quite rightly they are looking forward to getting out & about. No doubt I might get criticised for being over cautious again but for complete newbies I would suggest a couple of months up & down the 16miles of the G&S getting used to the boat & its handling before venturing out on the Severn later in the year wouldn't be a bad idea. There's plenty to see & do, lots of room &the potential for getting caught in flood conditions on the Severn is reduced in the summer.

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Upper Lode lock is massive, much bigger than Gloucester.

I also read it that their boat was already on the G & S. I would use the spacious canal as a practice ground to get used to handling the boat. Once you venture out through Gloucester lock you can go up river toward Tewkesbury, the lock keeper at Gloucester will inform you of tide times and whether the tide will overtop Maisemore Weir.  When you come back towards Gloucester ring the lock keeper so he gets the lock ready for you and he will tell you if anything is coming through the partings where it is narrower but be prepared to stop alongside the wall before the lock as you round the final bend. The first time I went out through Gloucester we went up the day before and moored in the docks and took a walk over to the lock to watch a couple of boats go in and out of the lock.

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If it is the case you are already on the G&S take a trip to Gloucester and moor on the pontoons overnight, while you are there take the opportunity to watch boats locking both in and out of Gloucester from the river so you have a good idea what lays in wait.

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1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

If it is the case you are already on the G&S take a trip to Gloucester and moor on the pontoons overnight, while you are there take the opportunity to watch boats locking both in and out of Gloucester from the river so you have a good idea what lays in wait.

There's very little traffic at this time of year but it might get a bit busier from this weekend when the opening hours change to 7 days & 4pm to 6pm & Easter next weekend.

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2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

If it is the case you are already on the G&S take a trip to Gloucester and moor on the pontoons overnight, while you are there take the opportunity to watch boats locking both in and out of Gloucester from the river so you have a good idea what lays in wait.

Well worth doing though if looking from the road bridge side avoid blocking the lockies view from 'the control tower'.

Also, it's your boat and your responsibility but it's their lock and these guys are good so for a smooth passage follow their instructions even if you may think  it counter intuitive.

The guys are patient and polite but 'I'm the skipper and I'll do it my way' isn't the way to win friends and influence people. The latter are invariably Gin Palace Jockeys.

 

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30 minutes ago, Taslim said:

Also, it's your boat and your responsibility but it's their lock and these guys are good so for a smooth passage follow their instructions even if you may think  it counter intuitive.

The guys are patient and polite but 'I'm the skipper and I'll do it my way' isn't the way to win friends and influence people. The latter are invariably Gin Palace Jockeys.

Coming out of Liverpool last year, I told the team to just open the paddles and get on with it.

"Do you like white water narrowboating?" Sid asked.

"Yes," I said so they did, as requested.

It was great fun, but it was indeed white water narrowboating in up to 14' rise locks.

Sid did comment later that most people take a little longer to go up the Liverpool Link :D

 

 

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Thank you for all the advise.

we are cruising from sharpness way up to Gloucester . 

We will be defiantly doing a lot of short trips up the canal to Gloucester and turn round and go back. With some shopping in between! 

We will indeed go for a reckie and watch from above the lock and speak to the lock keeper.

my husband did say we decided on Saul marina as it was half a hour from home but maybe we should have looked at the route from marina on the canal. Goggle earth doesn't quite do it . Nice marina though.

My rose tinted glasses are off now, and reality kicks in. I didn't think of weirs and high rivers etc, a lot more to it than the dream of owning a narrow boat! 

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We moored at Saul Junction for a couple of years, it is a nice location and one of my favourite mooring spots is near Sharpness. Cruising up to Gloucester for Sunday lunch is a pleasant trip. Also from Saul you can look to get a temporary mooring at Great Haywood or Tattenhall so handy if you want to split a cruise over a couple of holidays.

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Well worth buying a copy of Arrowsmiths Bristol Channel Tide Tables to plan when to go through Glos or Sharpness locks. Available from Arrowsmiths and Ebay but not Amazon.

Take your first trip when there's no tide on the upper river and no recent rain. It's always slow going up the eastern channel but much easier above the parting.

 

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3 hours ago, Onewheeler said:

Well worth buying a copy of Arrowsmiths Bristol Channel Tide Tables to plan when to go through Glos or Sharpness locks. Available from Arrowsmiths and Ebay but not Amazon.

Take your first trip when there's no tide on the upper river and no recent rain. It's always slow going up the eastern channel but much easier above the parting.

 

You can get free tide times apps for your phone which predict the height of the tide as well, as not all spring tides go over the weir.

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18 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

You can get free tide times apps for your phone which predict the height of the tide as well, as not all spring tides go over the weir.

Last time I looked, most (but not all) only went a few days ahead for UK waters, thanks to the restrictive practices of whichever government department controls the data. Most didn't cover Sharpness either. There may be better ones available since we moved off the G&S in 2013.

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5 hours ago, Pets aboard. said:

Thank you for all the advise.

we are cruising from sharpness way up to Gloucester . 

We will be defiantly doing a lot of short trips up the canal to Gloucester and turn round and go back. With some shopping in between! 

We will indeed go for a reckie and watch from above the lock and speak to the lock keeper.

my husband did say we decided on Saul marina as it was half a hour from home but maybe we should have looked at the route from marina on the canal. Goggle earth doesn't quite do it . Nice marina though.

My rose tinted glasses are off now, and reality kicks in. I didn't think of weirs and high rivers etc, a lot more to it than the dream of owning a narrow boat! 

Perhaps I'm a lttle confused (not unusual!)

If the boat is currently at Sharpness, and you are moving to a mooring at Gloucester, presumably in the Docks, then you will not need to pass through any locks, only several swing bridges.
And there are no locks between Saul Marina and the "main" canal. What looks like the old "trow" lock between the two is now a dry dock.

Perhaps you could confirm exactly where you intend to finally moor? Is it after Gloucester, on the river?

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