Friday 26^th April 2019

We didn’t leave the mooring until 10am to time our arrival at Evesham for about 11 as we thought moorings would be difficult to come by. As it is there was plenty of space.

The engine was checked over. While the oil level never moves, the water header tank always need stopping up and the gearbox occasionally.

We set off for a very short cruise of 1½ miles, not even enough to heat the water. At the site of the Broadway Brook joining the river, there were a number of boats permanently moored on the small brook itself.

The river had become very wide. We passed under the Simon de Montford Bridge carrying the A46 and shortly after, under a large railway bridge before reaching Evesham Lock. The notes in the Avon Navigation Guide told of all kinds of horrors of this lock, and not unfounded. It was a nasty one to negotiate. The start of the weir is unprotected and cannot be seen when approaching from upstream.  It would be so easy for any boat to be taken by surprise on this lock, all the more reason to have an anchor ready for deployment. There is a steel piled barrier that forms the walkway of the lock landing. However, the height of the walkway was above the gunwhales and the steel of the walkway kept threatening to damage the paintwork on the cabin side, especially with the flow over the weir taking the boat against it. I quickly moved to the bank on the opposite side.

We had to wait for a particularly nice boat to exit the Lock, “Perseus”, modelled on a Grand Union Canal inspection launch. Just as we were about to move across and enter the lock another boat came screaming down, attempted to enter the lock, but was going so fast he overshot it. We then entered and, when eventually he did enter he rammed straight into our stern, blaming the water flow. Arsehole. This boat moors in a marina for 6 months over the winter and cruises for the other six months over the summer. They had left Slough less three weeks ago and had already cruised over 300 miles. Each to their own, but they must be doing hire speed all the time and seeing nothing.

Beyond the lock the river widened out again. Passing under the impressive Workman Bridge and the Evesham moorings were revealed. With only four boats and loads of moorings. We moored opposite the Abbey Park and Gardens.

Workman Bridge, Evesham

We had a quick walk across the bridge into Evesham town centre which was a great disappointment. It seems an uninteresting place. It started to rain so we returned to the boat.

The rain passed by the afternoon so I washed and polished the starboard side and primed the hull where the scratches were down to bare metal, prior to painting the blackening. The hull had been given a right battering coming through the locks in Birmingham and particularly on the Stratford Canal, and was looking pretty shabby.

I walked to Evesham Marina for an engine air filter ready for the forthcoming service and also bought toilet blue and a pair of “brick” fenders. They didn’t however, have either the rope to splice in to the fenders or rope or lacing eyes for the cabin strings. Back at the boat I was really pissed to find very little black paint left and the marina closed until Monday.

For dinner we had the goat bought in Birmingham in a curry. Brenda had marinated the meat all day and, with Basmati rice, it was delicious.

Once darkness fell, we were treated to a lovely display of lights from the lighting along the river where green light shone up into the trees and blue lighting into the river.

Weather: a nice morning but with a cold wind. Rain in the afternoon.

Day Total: 1 lock; 2 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 1.1

Overall Total: 467 locks; 841 miles; 42 tunnels; 11 Swing Bridges; 3 Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 555.8