I know you can sail with luxury cruise ships and with Hydrofoil ships over
the Yangtze river in China.

I would like to sail the Yangtze river this month from Wanzhou to Yichang
not specially with those ships.
I want to do it in parts in daylight, spread over a couple of days. At some
places I would like to stay in a hotel for one or two days. Is there any
other ferry-service you can local book and board seperately for small parts
of the river?

Anyhow: Is travelling that way allowed for foreign travellers?