Afloat again

 Wednesday 17^th April; Droitwich Spa marina to Astwood bottom lock

We hadn’t even started packing before we went to bed last night, so it was nearly 11 before we left home.  Lucky for us the traffic was mostly light and we escaped most of the showers, so we were unpacked and leaving the marina at 3.  The resident swans were unperturbed as we passed.  The wind was brisk, so it was chilly in spite of the sun, but caused us no problems cruising.  Unlike Alchemy, a fellow Droitwich moorer who came up yesterday, we didn't have the benefit of a full complement of volunteers on duty at the Hanbury flight!  None at all in fact.  But at least the locks were all set in our favour.

Very neat, do they nibble the grass themselves?

We rounded Hanbury Junction and set off north towards Birmingham, planning to reach Swanley Bridge marina in a couple of weeks.  We would have preferred to go via Stourport, but that would have meant risking the Severn on rising water levels.  That would have been stupid – expensive on fuel not to mention being highly dangerous – so it will be Tardebigge again in a couple of days.

As we approached Astwood bottom lock, there was a decision to be made.  Should we follow the boat that was about to go up the lock as we arrived, or stay put?   As I am still recovering from a rotten cold we stayed below the lock.  It was a lovely afternoon, warm as toast inside but with a chilly wind outside.

A cruiser was coming down the lock as Dave got back after walking Jess.  Would they moor right in front of us?  No, they were bow-hauling.  They had replaced the propeller the other day, and managed to get down Tardebigge under power yesterday, but a cable snapped as they set off this morning and apparently the boat needs to come out of the water to be fixed.  So they had walked from the Stoke Pound, pulling the boat through the 18 locks.   We showed them the likely places to ask for help, and warned them they would need a tow through Dunhampstead tunnel, which they were not aware of.  At least they were young and full of energy!

1 mile, 3 locks

My old Mum would have been 100 today.