Wide beam confrontation

  Sunday afternoon and suddenly a boat came alongside. At first, we wondered what this boater was up too...I mean how close does one boat need to get to another if a boat was coming from the opposite direction and the canal was plenty wide enough for two boats to pass! It was Ian that jumped up and said "It's Indigo Dream with Sue and Richard on board". Wow, how lovely to see them and their three greyhounds again. The catchup was long, Richard did a great job of keeping Indigo Dream beside FS, which gave us all a good opportunity for a long natter. We would have loved for them to come and share a drink but they had only just left the marina and had a destination to reach.Not all lost though as our direction is the same so we may yet leapfrog them somewhere.

So finally on Monday we picked up the parcel. Lovely Morphy Richards bread maker but blast...too big to fit in the cupboard. Nothing for it but Ian to move the top shelf up an inch which does make it a tad difficult to get the casserole dishes and frying pans out but at least the bread maker is not taking up work space. Once that job was done we finally set off toward Fenny Stratford.

So nice to be on the move after being static for a week. We debated whether to stop at Peartree for water but I remembered the last time we were here it took forever to fill the tank. I looked it up and yes, well over an hour. In fact the same post of 2017 had almost an uncanny similarity to what happened to us at Fenny this time. Before I give the link let me explain what happened today as we approached Fenny Stratford.

We wanted to moor before the lock but not knowing if any moorings were free I stopped FS before bridge 94. Ian walked on and phoned to say one mooring was available. So I did no more than push the bow out, stepped onto the back deck and engaged gear. Slight problem, I couldn't get away from the bank. A breeze coupled with not enough depth of water all strived to keep me from getting away. What didn't help was two boats breasted up in front and a plastic cruiser behind, I had not enough angle to get out and that cruiser stopped me from reversing, So I had to phone Ian to return and help get me away.

A boat appeared from behind as the bow swung into open water  It was still far enough away not to cause a problem and I proceeded toward the bridge. Those knowing Fenny will remember the bridge being a sharp left followed by another sharpish right as you exit the bridge. I had just got through when Ian frantically beckoned me to come over to the left. Hmm...was this where we were to moor? Nop because coming toward me, and at some speed I might add, was a wide beam! One of those large 14ft width ones which only just fit through a bridge 'ole. Blimey I saw him put on reverse and thank goodness Ian had waved me toward the bank. 

 

See that pole sticking up above our top box...that was Ian holding it and having a go.

 

His width, as well as FS's, plus moored boats both sides would have meant one of us would have had to reverse if we had met further along. Either him back toward the lock or me back through the bridge! As he came past I said it would help if he slowed down approaching blind bridge's. OMG, suddenly I had a stream of abuse shouted at me from his wife. "What's your problem" she shouted "I suppose you're going to quote tickover, you narrow boaters are all alike, hate the wide beams and always having a go". Well I wasn't going to stand for that. "It's not wide beams I hate only those that steer one and don't know how to slow down" I shouted back. And just as I said it, and as the wide beam entered the bridge hole, that other narrow boat could be seen on the other side. Well, how I would have loved to have seen what happened. I could here reverse again from that wide beam and the other boat was seen to be heading for the opposite bank. Quite what the narrow boat helmsman made of it all I can only guess! 

 

 

So now to the link I promised...CLICK HERE to see what happened back in 2017.

Gosh, it was a squeeze to get into the space Ian had paced out. Eye of a needle came to mind. Anyway I got in with a couple of feet to spare. Ian then told me how bad this wide beam steerer had been, Not slowing down at all when passing those moored boats and he could see them all move one after the other, like a Mexican Wave! He, too, had shouted slow down, maybe that's why she was on her high horse when I happened to mention the self same thing!

The lock is in the distance.

This was a lovely place to stop and Toffee could happily be off the lead as very few dogs were nearby. We may stay, not sure yet as the weather for tomorrow is for rain. We will play it by ear.