Collision Course

I am wondering whether SONFLOWER is seriously magnetic!

I looked up the canal this morning as I untied the mooring straps to see a Napton Boat heading toward me about 200yards away under Tom Rolt Bridge. Having pushed the bow out it was too late to stop on the mooring so I straightened the boat and stopped it. There was a 100 foot space on the other side off the canal at Castle Quay so "no problem" I thought. How wrong I was. The hire boat headed straight for the boat moored opposite. There should have been plenty of room to pass between us but once he had hit this boat the richochez took him into my bow! The crew of the boat I was now alonngside came up and I assured them I had not touched their boat. "Thank you " they said. The helmsman on the hire boat did not say a word! I was stationary so surely they had the responsibility to pass safely!

What is wrong with these people? Would they drive their Volvo down the motorway bouncing from Merc to Beamer in the same fashion? He had just hit about £60,000 worth of boat and didn't even acknowledge the fact!

The rest of the 1/2 mile journey was almost uneventful. A little nudge by nb Shadow, a fellow moorer, who arrived at Sovereign Wharf at exactly the same time as I did! £140 was the total for Gas, diesel and a water cap key. It was a good feeling to pull away with all the main essentials serviced and full. I turned at Grimsbury Arm and moored ready to do battle with the town centre again.

Now for the winter. Summer is officially over after Labor Day according to Google!
3/4 mile, 2hours

Just Turning Round

We had to turn the boat round yesterday.

Tooley's had finished the work except for giving us a bill and returning my key, so we took our daughter and grandaughter for a little ride. Down the lock, turning at Bankside winding hole and back. As always, a life jacket was provided for the precious cargo!

The trip was not uneventful! On the return, having passed through the lift bridge, I heaved to as a boat approached where the canal narrows. Stood stationary on the far right of the canal, I could only watch as the boat came quickly toward me on collision course with Tooley's trip boat nb Dancing Duck, hit the same, bounced from it onto my bow and wedged itself between her and SONFLOWER! I had to apply full revs in reverse to disengage us. Having unlocked, the boat then backed off a couple of boat lengths. The helmsman told The Best Mate, who was ashore having operated the lift bridge, that I could come through first! I went forard slowly and passed the boat, expecting some form of appology. The helmsman just stared forward so I said, "I hope that my boat is not damaged!" He replied, "I hope mine is ok too". No apology then! The owner obviously doesn't care what or who he hits.

We moored up thankful to be afloat.

"The Pratty Flower"

That is the name of a boat! A white rose adorns it's side so I assume that the crew are from Yorkshire.

We left the mooring this morning at 0700h for the first time in twelve days. We needed to do what boaters do again! Off to the turning point at Tramway and mooring on the mooring of nb Prancing Pony (who is away in Lower Heyford) we filled with water, had a shower and then breakfast. Replenishing our fresh water tank after twelve days takes quite a time! Then back to town and on to Sovereign Narrowboats for Pumpout, blue, and diesel before returning to the mooring.                            2 Locks, 2 LB, 2 Miles 3.5 hours

I had to return on foot to drop something off at a friend's place near the station and passed the lock/services on the way back. Here was nb It's Enough taking on water and waiting for the lock. I commented to a boater washing his boat that there seemed more boats here today than there were at Little Venice and the queue built up.  The skipper of nb It's Enough cruises alone. The boat name is his philosophy.He has lost his voice box to cancer. He talks through a mike held to his throat but is unable to make himself heard across the canal. I went over to speak to the skipper of the first boat in the queue, a very nice shiny boat, to establish nb It's Enough's place in the queue explaining his predicament with his voice and that he had finished watering up and was waiting for the lock. The skipper was ok about this but not his crew when I told her I was helping him up! "We will be here all day!" was her response and she went back to confer with her skipper.

The next boat to come down the lock came almost up to the gate on the wrong side of the canal. I pointed out that the boat in the lock would not be able to get out with the boat in the way and they backed up, putting their paintwork in jeopardy on the high conrete banking above the lock. How unobservant some can be! I worked the lift bridge and handed back the windlass receiving profuse thanks for my help.

NB It's Enough minding his own business

I then walked over the footbridge and along beside the car park toward Tom Rolt Bridge. Here I could not believe my eyes. Here came nb The Pratty Flower with its crew remonstrating from the front well deck that there was a boat ahead, maintaining centre channel directly at nb It's Enough! No quarter was given. I imagine that the helmsman had detected that the unfortunate skipper of nb It's Enough was from Liverpool,  Lancashire and the war of the roses was still running.  It struck on the port bow and ricocheted into a moored boat. No attempt to slow down or avoid collision was made!  I wished that I had failed in my negotiations at the lock. The very posh boat behind would have been the target!

NB Pratty Flower heading away after impact

You had better watch out for NB The Pratty Flower!