Sunday 26 October 2008

Reasons to be cheerful


We travelled north out of Stourport yesterday and moored just short of Wolverley in peaceful countryside. As soon as we had secured the boat we repaired to The Lock Inn and did justice to a couple of pints of Bank's Original bitter before returning to the boat and cooking a meal - point of clarification, WE returned to the boat, I, cooked the meal.

Whilst Joe was on the tiller yesterday I walked most of the way with the dogs and made a point of cheerfully greeting all the fishermen I passed, only one managed to ignore me by staring into his maggot box - perhaps it is a bit like reading tea leaves, Oh, maggot, maggot will I be lucky?


Graham Booth of Nb Rome, The Narrowboat Builders Guide and Waterways World fame has just stopped for a chat and invited us to call in at his mooring tomorrow when we get underway. Today we are staying put as the weather is naff and we have no urgent need to travel.

Today will be a catch-up and clean-up day.


Lessons learnt from first day's cruising:

1) do not attempt to moor on top of a Tesco's trolley

2) do not start engine and cast off without FIRST fitting tiller!!!

9 comments:

Dogsontour by Greygal said...

Oh not the old cast off without the tiller trick? That's one of my favourites! And 'scuse me, but I was under the impression that this was F&F's blog, with you just making occasional visits? More doggy action pleeeeeasssse. Or are they doing a Lou and Blue and only coming out for a king's ransom?

Halfie said...

Not sure I've done (1), not knowingly, anyway; but I have done (2). Embarrassing, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

A great start to your cruising posts - I'm looking forward to many more!
Sue, Indigo Dream

Anonymous said...

Why, oh why, do I have to keep relearning lesson 2???

Les Biggs said...

Oh Wow
I bet you 2 are so chuffed as i was when on my maiden voyage.
Yep i done the tiller trick and have grounded more times than i can remember when mooring but maybe not on a tesco trolley.
All you have to do now is fall in and then you can call yourselves boaters.
So pleased for you both and hope to meet up some time.

James said...

"Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet, Good Golly Miss Molly and Boats"

...especially your own! I just realised that I hadn't posted a "Congratulations" although I've been meaning to; I hope you have a wonderful time on Caxton and that you have far less go wrong than we did!

I've also manages to cast off without fitting the tiller arm- oops...

Nb Yarwood said...

Greygal
F&F promise that they will do more posing shortly but sitting still to be photographed is not on the agenda yet they are simple too excited!!!

Nb Yarwood said...

Dear All
I am just Sooooo pleased that we are not the only ones to cast off without the steering pole you have made me feel so much better, I am a pratt but not the only one..

nb.bobcat said...

Ah point 3. Having untied boat before starting engine don't forget to make sure the engine stop has been pushed back in fully - cos the engine will not start in those circumstances!! And then of course general panic sets in.