canalboat.co.uk Canal Boat November 2017 39LIVEABOARD
permanent moorings spot and a large
selection of 48-hour visitor pontoons,
with water but alas no elsan disposal (fear
not – I’ll add it to my lottery benefaction
‘to-do’ list).
You’ll need a CRT key to get on and off
the pontoons which provides a nice sense
of security and you exit into Vines Park,
which is not only very pleasant but
directly opposite Waitrose; a winner! The
more budget conscious can nip to
Morrisons just around the corner.
Were you to continue East on the canal,
a selection of swing-bridges, locks and a
notoriously low culvert under the M5
motorway would await, however my
journey involved visiting family locally
then turning around and heading back to
the Severn and onwards – swiftly again in
that downstream current – to Tewkesbury.Disappointingly, it was on the way out of
Droitwich that I had my first experience of
kids chucking stones at the boat. I saw
them idly throwing gravel into the canal
and with a keen, Spiderman-like, tingling
sense of future woe that others might
label paranoia, was instantly on my guard.
I caught them with a firm stare and
bellowed a manly ‘hello’, confident of
leaving them no doubt that they were
dealing with someone Not To Be Trifled
With. Inexplicably then, as soon as I’d
gone past, the boat rang out with the
clanging ricochet of a solid object
glancing off it at speed.
Though I turned to unleash verbal
hellfire, the youths had disappeared and
perhaps I should be grateful that the boat
suffered only one tiny paint chip.
Never mind; soon enough the boat was
back on the Severn and heading to
Tewkesbury. Incidentally, as you come
that way, the entrance to the Avon is not
terribly obvious but thankfully there’s a
bridge that acts as a landmark shortly
before the turn.
My Lister’s hours meter clocked over to
3,600 almost exactly as I got there, which
meant another oil and filter change was
due. With a handy 25 minutes to wait for
the lockie to return from lunch, this was
the ideal opportunity to lavish a littlelubrication on the engine. Experts in the
field do advise to warm the engine before
draining the oil but – top tip – don’t do it
after five hours full throttle down a river.
I discovered very rapidly why castles in
medieval times used to chuck boiling oil
on their enemies. It really scalds.
On the upside, it really flows, so
pumping out the yucky stuff was easy and
despite some choice language probably
floating into Tewkesbury from the
depths of the bilge, the new oil and filter
was done without any problems and
just in time to shift the boat into
Tewkesbury lock.
Take note – there’s a licence fee to use
the Avon; £50 for the week in my case.
This is paid to the lock-keeper who also
takes the opportunity to lighten your
wallet by a further £4 for a river
guidebook. It’s not compulsory but it is
worth it, the pamphlet being more
detailed in parts than my Nicholson’s
especially in regard to mooring locations
which, of course, on a river are more
scarce than the ‘anywhere you like’
philosophy of the canals.
I’ll describe the trip in the next issue of
Canal Boat, all being well but in the
meantime you can watch my progress on
the video blogs at CruisingTheCut.co.uk or
follow me on Twitter (@CruisingTheCut). CBSafely moored above Tewkesbury lock, on the AvonThe bridge is a clue that
you’re approaching the Avon