Bartimaeus

While we were on our cycle ride to Bewdley, Bartimaeus was sitting in partial shade below Lincombe Lock.  Even so the batteries were fully charged in the middle of the day as the sun passed overhead.

The following morning we moved through the lock and made a very leisurely pace upstream.  We were going so slowly that someone on a boat coming downstream said they thought we might have broken down.  We were actually going very slowly as we watched several kingfishers buzzing up and down - we think at least one must have been a youngster being fed, or encouraged to fly by a parent.

The visitor moorings at Stourport were easy to access, but as the day went on the relentless sun made the inside of the boat hotter and hotter.  When we went in to town for some shopping we felt obliged to close all the doors.  By the time we got back, the temperature in the bedroom was 36°C.  It had cooled somewhat by bedtime, but we wanted to avoid that again.

I was keen to set off as soon as we'd had breakfast because I knew there was no shade at the locks.  Clare was nervous about driving on the river, but even more so at the thought of operating the staircase locks.  I assured her that it was well within her capabilities and that she could do the entire manoeuvre at tick-over.

If she'd known that rowers would appear, she'd have been even more reluctant, but they zoomed by without causing any problems.  The lock was set our way, so I was able to signal Clare to come straight in, which she managed without difficulty - though she criticised her own technique later.

It wasn't yet 10am, and I was only strolling between the lock gates, but still sweating profusely.  The lock operation was very smooth, though why the two staircases were not aligned with each other is a mystery.

The locks rise up right next to the fairground.  This morning there were no rides running, though yesterday afternoon there were a few people who clearly thought Stourport would look better upside-down and sideways.

Clare navigated us over to the facilities block so that we could get rid of our recycling and top up the water tank.  We decided to make use of the pump-out facility a few days earlier than strictly necessary.  We really aren't sure how far we'll be travelling in the heat, and we are still trying to stay close to Ortomarine hoping they will come to resolve the few remaining issues soon.

While we were preparing to use the machine, another boater appeared and asked if we knew if it worked as he was needing to use one soon.  When we said we hadn't tried yet, he stayed to watch - I don't think we've had a gongoozler for that operation before.

We moved on looking for a mooring with a little more shade than the day before.  The best spot we found was still in full sun until mid-afternoon.  The pub alongside was also tempting for lunch, but unfortunately it has just changed hands and no food is available this month.  We had to settle for a beer before returning to the boat for food.

During the afternoon we found a shady spot on the towpath to sit.  I noticed a boat silently cruising past and realised that it was another Ortomarine boat, the hire boat Ollie Owl.  We spent some time with a different crew last year - this time it was just a wave.

By about 5pm, we were starting to get shade from the tall trees on the other bank.  The temperature in the cabin has started to reduce, further helped by me lifting out several of the windows to let the air blow through. Another cooling visit to the pub may be required after dinner.