Saturday 14 July 2012

Here we go AGAIN (or in fact not go!)

So after a mad Friday morning scrabble and a dirty dash out with the dogs, the hoover, duster and polish we pulled pins before 9.00 and I dashed back in to grab armfuls of paperwork, dirty washing, wet boots etc., etc., etc. Why oh why is our boat always full of toot? That's actually rhetorical because I know the answer really - we've a ton of 'stuff' that doesn't have a home. Sometimes it doesn't matter but sometimes - especially when the weather is foul and you've people coming that don't know you and/or boats it matters a lot. Anyway, I did my best in the limited time available - popping up to lock MR and Yarwood through  Bottisham Lock, popping down again to wash up and popping up again to help moor and then being told our visitors were already parking up. As usual of course, this self induced stress is  so unnecessary as it was lovely as always to see Linda (G's sister over on a visit from Australia), her son Nathan (who I haven't seen for at least 15 years) his wife Carly and new baby Sophie. By definition most 'visitors' have cars so, after a cuppa, we drove into the village of Waterbeach for lunch at The Sun Inn. Very nice home cooked grub for around £6 a head and a CAMRA approved establishment. Dog friendly in the bar next door although we left ours on the boat this time. L-R Carly, Nathan and G
 Sister Linda trying to show me the video of the tame kangaroos back home down under - a boat 'roo; now that would be different
 and the newest addition to the extremely large and ever expanding 'Budd dynasty'
 After they'd left I took the dogs off for a walk and found this incredible 'plot' - vegetables, fruit trees, fruit cages, bird boxes - all behind the flood bank at the adjacent private moorings. Very nice; sadly no signs of surplus produce for sale


 Yarwood and MR from the opposite bank
 G's fishing being hampered by swans and cygnets
and this was the picture of the weir stream adjacent to Bottisham Lock at around 7.00pm last night
this was it around 11.30 am today!
Strong stream warnings. Navigation closed
Lock Landing!!!! Well it was here when I jumped off yesterday
And here comes a hire boat approaching Bottisham Lock - how are they meant to know that everything's shut down - they'll not be on the EA's phone list
The bottom gates are locked open to stop use and ready to 'reverse' the lock if necessary but there are no signs, no warnings, no nothing. We explained what was going on and they headed back to Ely; later on we found a narrowboat in the lock looking equally perplexed. No-one is born with knowledge and experience - imagine if it was you just having picked up your first ever boat in Ely and this was your first ever lock
Bottisham Sluice!!!!
Our boats on the GOBA moorings above the Lock in the distance
Cambridge is off then!


6 comments:

  1. Poor hirers. I would have thought, especially when conditions are so bad and changeable, that the hire company would keep a telephone number for each hirer and let them know immediately when this happens. I'm amazed they actually let them out! Hire companies clearly at fault!
    Kath (nb Herbie)

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    1. Absolutely - it makes me so angry. As if it's not already bad enough to have your precious, limited, holiday in the rain and then be almost made a fool of on top and/or frightened - that is no way to win boaters of the future and keep our waterways alive and open

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    2. They do have numbers for each set of hirers, they just don't seem to use them. We've had to rescue one Bridge boat twice, as they'd left their mooring ropes so tight. Only just managed to dissuade them from navigating!

      Have also sent long message about visiting Cambridge to the Yarwoods, but once I'd posted it it disappeared to be moderated so I couldn't copy and paste it to you too.

      See you one the floods have died down!

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    3. Amy, have picked up the mooring info from Yarwood so thanks for that - might see you September/October then!!!

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  2. The water is up into the boathouses in Cambridge now

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