July 3rd moored in Stourport Basin on Staffs & Worcs canal

         171 miles, 169 locks, 3 swing bridges and 10 tunnels from Dunham Massey

Tuesday 3rd July

Wet and grey start to the day again.  Yesterday never improved and it only ever stopped raining long enough to get coat and shoes on before it started up again.  We stayed put and watched the hire boats chugging past from Stouport including three Black Prince boats between 7:30 and 8:00, obviously making a serious challenge to Viking Afloat (see yesterdays comment).
Note the towpath, nicely cut for walkers and cyclists, but with an eighteen inch barrier of nettles, thistles, assorted weeds and tree saplings left at the waters edge for us boaters to struggle through. Some kind soul from Stourport (I think) had recently hacked this mooring out and I used our shears to tidy up when we moored up.
We set off today after braving the towpath puddles to take the dogs a short walk and actually managed to get down into Stourport through the lock and moored up before the rain started again.  Managed to moor in same spot as last time (see 10-12 June) and got onto an electric point to recharge the batteries and give Bridie a chance to use the washing machine with gay abandon!

The owner of 'Atlas' a 1929 LMS boat, just fresh out of dry dock for blacking, very kindly dropped back a mooring ring to let us in. 

Mended some prestuds on front cratch that had been torn in the locks last week and watched the rain come down most of the afternoon.  Did manage a reasonable walk with the dogs about 5 exploring the park alongside the river and then going back along the canal to see how many boats are moored there now as we plan to move onto 5 day moorings tomorrow and visit the SVR with Lynne.  Came back via High Street but shops are now shut so it was only a quick diversion.