No holiday cruising

THE Gloucester & Sharpness Canal is 16 miles long, with 16 bridges. All of which are manned, writes Peter Ponting.

During the winter from October to March the bridges are closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday every week. This means restricted cruising, plus the Severn at Gloucester is in flood, so you cannot move from the canal.

Christmas period

We are marina based at Saul Junction Marina, so these restrictions have little effect, with the exception of the Christmas period. If you wish to take your boat out on Boxing Day, as many people do. Once you join the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal it is 200 yards to the first bridge, which being closed, restricts your movements.

Likewise, On New Year's Eve (which falls on a Monday this year) You may travel to Gloucester or Sharpness to join in the revelries, but then you are stuck on the cut until Friday 4th January, when the bridges are manned again. For people like myself, who have to return to work on Wednesday 2nd January, this is a problem.

Haven

Furthermore, as with previous correspondence, the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal is a haven for continuous moorers. With the winter bridge restrictions, and the canal only being 16 miles long. How can a continuous cruiser comply with the law?