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Friday 1 September 2017

Droitwich Friday 1 September 2017

Last nights moorings my look idyllic but just through that small gap in the trees is the A449 which is a major dual carriageway and it was probably the noisiest mooring we have used.

DSCF8909CRT have installed some very hi-tech signs to indicate the river levels on the Severn, they have also installed them at the locks. I hope they don't do away with the old painted indicator boards as I and only seen one light illuminated on the new boards so far. I wonder what they cost to install and maintain and how long before they get vandalised?DSCF8910

The other two boats left at 9 am this morning and we set off just before half ten, we met a boat before the first lock, but all the lock were to be against us today, just after leaving the top lock we met 3 boats heading down. CRT are resurfacing the towpath with a fine white dusty chipping mix and have their work boat moored on the lock moorings above Mildenham Lock.
I rather liked the bottom line of this sign erected by the local fishing club.

DSCF8915
Beauty dies where litter lies

The last time we came this way there was nowhere to moor between Hawford and Droitwich town basin, now the reeds have been cut back in several places so you can find the bank.New Moorings

As I said all the locks where against us, although they are double locks everything is in good order and works well, but the gates can be a bit heave to get moving when closing them. It wasn't long after we cleared the top lock that we met 3 boats coming towards us.

As you approach Droitwich town it the end of the line for wide beam boats, what the canal was build for. The tunnel under the railway line is probably wide enough to take a barge but then someone decided to put a towpath through it.DSCF8917

After filling with water we moved into one of the slots in the basin on the pontoons, half the basin is long term mooring and half 48 hr visitor moorings and the whole thing is accessed from the town via a locked gate which requires a CRT services key. Last time we were here every slot was full and we had to shuffle some of the longer boats to give access to the shorter spaces. Today there are only 4 of us here. There may be some arrive latter, we will see.

Today's Journey map 17 5.4 miles, 6 locks in 3½ hours.

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