Having
been home for a few days, I returned to the boat club and went to where I had
left my boat, only to find it was not there. Pete Hardy did mention that he might
need to move it. When I did find it on a vacant mooring, I realised that I had just
walked right past it! Another night in the bar chatting to various people, including
the Commodore, whom I wanted to thank for the club’s hospitality.
I
now had to return to Great Haywood to collect the tip-cat that was being
recovered by Chris Shenton. I phoned him to see if it was ready, but it was not
complete, saying that it was in such a bad state that he had had to rebuild it
almost from scratch and supply the chains to my dimensions; however, he would
have it ready by the following day, but it would be a bit more expensive. Sure
enough, it was ready at the appointed time and I have to say that it was a
bargain at £40 and looked a first class job. The usual price new is from £60 to
£95 and even more!
Coming
out of Great Haywood Junction on Saturday, who should be around the corner and
stemmed up on the mud, but Nuneaton and Brighton. I don’t know who was more
delighted at the meeting, probably the scurvy crew, because they asked me to
give them a snatch off the bank. Once back in deep water we bade hasty
goodbyes, with a promise from me to meet up for beers later. Meet up later –
yes, but for beers – no!
With
permission granted at the Anglo-Welsh base, I could moor stern on to the bank,
to fit my new fender arrangement. I then set off back down the Staffs and
Worcester towards Awbridge, knowing that the Trust crew were loading for the
Summer coal run at John Jackson’s yard and I hoped to catch up with them in
that vicinity, which I did, but not in the circumstances I had imagined. The boats
were now well loaded with bags of assorted fuels and sat very low in the water.
Just as I had a problem here last year in the same spot, so they were there
again, on a mud bank in the middle of the cut, just below Wightwick Mill Lock.
Barry was in the process of using the Pull-Lift to try and winch the motor
through the obstruction, with Colin and David in attendance and although the
boat had moved a few feet, the limitations of movement of the Pull-Lift were
evident. Eventually John Jackson turned up for a visit to the pub, but offered
to come and offer advice as a more experienced person in these matters of
getting stemmed up. The butty was pushed well out of the way and I happened to
be on the motor at the time, so I fell for the task of rushing the obstruction
from a distance at full speed and alternating this with wriggling the stern end
sideways to try and scour a channel through the mud. Eventually it worked and
the motor boat slipped through with the butty behind and we made for the lock
and worked both boats through. By this time it was dark and any thoughts of beer
in the minds of all of us were dashed, as the pubs had long since closed. The
pair were moored for the night above the lock, as any further meanderings along
the next pound were fraught with hazards after dark, as well as another chance
to run aground.
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