FreeSpirit : Finally to Worcester

Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Finally to Worcester

We had several reasons to set of early for Worcester this morning. First one, the weather. Last nights forecast on the 'beeb' told us to prepare for heavy showers late morning, and neither Ian or myself fancied a real soaking. Secondly, in the late afternoon yesterday, 4 boats displaying the Cotswold burgee on their roof, came past and as we had already been told that moorings were limited in Worcester due to boats waiting to go onto the river, we rather hoped we would get there before them. As luck would have it, all 4 boats were still moored before Offerton top lock, so we snuck by and congratulated ourselves at getting in front. We made it to Worcester by 11.50am beating dark sky's following us, but still had a very light shower as we exited Sidbury lock. Then, as Ian was closing the bottom gates, we were greeted by a couple we met back in 2008. It was during our cruise to Lancaster and we shared Tarleton lock with them and their boat Motex before heading up the river Douglas, and then onto the tidal Ribble, finally ending up at Savick Brook. Terry and Maureen have been waiting for ages to go out onto the Severn but with it in flood, has sat here frustrated at the length of stay. They have managed, though, to grab themselves a great mooring by the basin with electric hookup. We on the other hand was not that lucky as after watering up and emptying both cassette, had to reverse back through the bridge to rings on the the 48 hour moorings. Still, we have a mooring and that's the main thing, and what of the 4 Cotswold boats? They arrived an hour later and managed to get the last three spaces behind us with only one having to breast up. All these moorings this side of bridge 2 are now full.

Tonight we are meeting Terry and Maureen in the pub for drinks and no doubt we will reminisce about our journey across the Ribble and into Savick Brook.