FIRST VOYAGE - FROM STONE TO TEWKESBURY

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This is a photoblog of our first voyage in Horatio Sprague from Stone on the Trent and Mersey Canal in Staffordshire to Tewkesbury on the River Avon in Gloucestershire. The boat was launched on February 21 2018 in Stone by the builder Steve Heywood as an empty steel shell with an engine. Being empty and unballasted, it was far less manoeuvrable than a completed boat, so the trip was quite "hairy". The first few days down the Trent and Mersey Canal and Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal were great, very cold but sunny. We stayed in a variety of B and B's as the boat was not habitable. However on reaching Stourport snow and ice set in, freezing the canal. Then the River Severn was closed due to high water levels from snow melt! We spent several days in a flat waiting for the river to reopen. Thankfully on March 5 there was a "window" of opportunity. We booked passage down the fast flowing river with a lock keeper driving ahead to open the massive electric locks. With our son Alistair's help we reached Tewkesbury just before the river was closed again! The photos are here!

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Photos

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First view of Horatio Sprague at Stone.

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Steve Heywood the boat builder and his engineer

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On the Trent and Mersey Canal

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It's b****y freezing!

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Great Haywood Junction

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On the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal

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Gailey

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Bratch Staircase Locks.

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Near Kidderminster

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Stourport

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Next day....snowed in at Stourport

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Locking down to the River Severn

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Icebreaking through the lock channels!

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Alastair in command!

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Worcester Bridge

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Under the bridge.

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Skippers through the rain and snow!

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Tewkesbury Lock, on to the River Avon

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Safe in Tewkesbury Marina at last!

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The route.