Tuesday 28 August 2018

Tewkesbury to Gloucester on a High Spring tide of 9.8 metres at Sharpness.

11.30am - Lock down at Tewkesbury, on route to Upper Load Lock on the River Severn.

11.45am - We arrived at Upper Load Lock, the lock gates were open and we had a green traffic signal, we entered and secured Wye Invader Two on the Starboard side. The Lock Keeper took details of Wye Invader Two and explained about the height of the tide and the flotsam (several large trees and just about anything that will float on or near the top of the tide!), on a small tide this can be found in the Parting (the cut or channel about 3 miles from the Lock in Gloucester to the River Severn) and sometimes up as far the ‘Five mile to Gloucester Sign’ at Ashleworth where the Boat inn fronts the River Severn but, as we found out yesterday on the journey up from Gloucester, on High Spring tides over 9 metres in height, the flotsam is generally spread out over a much greater distance and is a lot easer to deal with as we navigated the return passage on the way downstream towards Gloucester.





12.00pm - We have locked out of Upper Load Lock and are now on the top of the tide, it’s not until we have travelled the 5 miles downstream as far as Haw Bridge Inn in 35 minutes, that the River Severn can be seen to pick up speed as the river water passes through the trees and bushes along the banks, we pass the odd large tree and other objects all on their way back down to Sharpness via Gloucester.

12.50pm - About 3 miles downstream on the left we passed the Red Lion Inn on the left bank, the River Severn changes gear at this point, it is clearly moving quickly, by the time we have covered the next 2 miles downstream to the Boat inn at Ashleworth, Wye Invader two was now travelling at 9 mph.




We now had the next 2 miles to slow down and get past the eddies at the top of the Parting where the River Severn tries to go in cycles rather than split. As Wye Invader Two entered the Parting we were still moving at just over 6 mph, as we got down to the last bridge and the ‘Half Mile’ sign, I spoke to the Lock Keeper, the gates were opened and we slowed the last half mile so as to have control and steerage and enter the Lock, as we secured, the Lock keeper walked over to inform us that we have to wait for another 15 minutes for another Narrowboat - in all, an interesting “High Tide’ run from Tewkesbury to Gloucester! 


Saturday 11 August 2018

Wye Invader Two at Tirley on the River Severn



The Wye Invader web guy caught up with Wye Invader Two at Tirley on the River Severn this weekend, after coffee and biscuits (thanks Frank and Andy) Wye Invader Two continued on to Tewkesbury to sample some of the local hostelries before returning to Sharpness via Gloucester on Sunday.