Sunday 10th August and Monday 11th August, 2014 between Gloucester and Sharpness.
"Dr Foster went to Gloucester, all in a shower of rain", so says the old nursery rhyme. The rain, the first in four weeks, arrived overnight; the tail of hurricane "Bertha". It thundered on the roof, but was drowned out by the noise of the hoards of seagulls bickering from first light.
M was amused to see that the wine bar, opposite which we were moored, was called "Dr Foster's"! There had been a degree of revelry last night, but thankfully the noise died down well before midnight.
The rain began to ease off after lunch, although the wind remained very strong all day from the south, so it was in our faces as we started off for Sharpness.
We had imagined that the "Gloucester and Sharpness" canal (the "G&S") would be lacking in interest but it was definitely not so. It was built to bypass the treacherous upper Severn Estuary and to allow safe passage for big ships all the way to Gloucester Docks.
The Estuary was visible to our right much of the way, as was the lovely Forest of Dean on the other side. A knoll of trees atop a high hill in the Forest was planted to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
All the way from Gloucester to Sharpness there are swing bridges; these are huge, to allow the passage of large ships. they are all manned and the operators watch for oncoming traffic, so they swing open as you approach - it made us feel very important! This one was so big that we could sail under it without it needing to open. Yes, it really IS a swing bridge!
Others were smaller and with charming cottages, built in the classical style, for the bridge keeper.
At Purton, we rounded the corner to see a most unexpected sight - a three master schooner, one of four "Tall Ships" on their way to Gloucester Docks to appear in a Disney film. The film is "Through the Looking Glass", a sequel to "Alice in Wonderland"; shooting will take place next week.
Just before Sharpness are the remains of a railway bridge that used to span the Severn Estuary until the night of 25th October 1960, when two oil tankers hit the bridge in fog. The fuel spilled from the tankers and caught fire, a situation that was made worse by the fact that a gas main carried by the bridge was also severed. It is said that the whole Estuary was on fire. The bridge was destroyed and never re-built.
Sharpness itself is fascinating, we moored up just outside the main docks, where the current lock is situated to go down on to the river.
Next to us was the old "arm" that runs down to another old lock, no longer used. We walked to the end of the arm and looked across to Lydney on the other side of the Estuary and the Severn Bridges in the distance.
Over three years ago, before MM was launched, we stood on the quay at Lydney and looked across to Sharpness, saying that one day we might be in Sharpness with MM. And finally, there we were!
The old lock is blocked up now, but the depth of it gives some idea of the tidal range here, which can be well over 10 metres.
At low tide, the Estuary is punctuated by large sandbanks and then the tide races in at over 15mph. Scary!
On Monday morning while we were having breakfast, we found that we had an audience, who thought that they would like to join in.
Starting back towards Gloucester, we stopped to pick up water at Purton, mooring right behind the Tall Ship "Wonder" (her film name). She rather dwarfed MM!
Next to the mooring are the "Purton Hulks". These are old ships that were beached along the banks of the Estuary from 1909 to 1965 to form a natural barrier to erosion. Ironically, they now form the largest collection of historic inland water craft in the country and each wreck is now identified by a small plaque giving its details.
It is amazing how quickly Mother Nature reclaimed the wrecks, some of which have almost completely disappeared.
After wandering the length of the "Hulks", we continued back in to Gloucester. The final bridge into the Docks is a huge lift bridge, which was raised just for us!
We moored up outside "Dr Foster's" in almost the same place as yesterday.
Two Days: 32 miles, 0 locks and 10.0 hours.
Trip: 178 miles, 104 locks and 131.1 hours.
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