0505/1010/2009200920092009 by admin.

hello again to all our friends.

Woke up on the 25th of September to find glorious sunshine so we decided to take the boat out on to the river for a few days. We went to Gooring where I found a great little hardware store where I managed to buy some stainless steel hinges to attach to the radar mounting so that I can have the unit horizontal when the mast is lowered. The following day we came back down to Pangbourne spending a very relaxing day there taking in the sun, after dinner that evening and while we were settling down to watch Strictly there was a very loud bang from outside. Thinking that a gas bottle on one of the other boats that were moored had exploded we both rushed outside. There we found a man lying on the bank next to our centre mooring line and on the gun-well of the boat was a mobile phone and a can of cider. On approaching the groaning heap who was by now clutching his groin and asking the question why does it hurt so much? I began to work out what had happened. He was very very drunk and had apparently after talking to our neighbours who were moored up behind us having a quiet BBQ had walked in an arc which brought him unfortunately to our boat and the river with one foot each side of our centre line. Here after stepping off the edge of the bank he plummeted in a downward direction until being stopped abruptly by the rope which was now between his legs which were in the river to about mid calf, the loud noise we had heard was his head and body contacting the side of the boat just before the very taught rope took him in an upward direction depositing back on to the bank. I was now able to answer his question. It hurts because! ** He did not seem to be able to grasp this and we took him into the boat to recover and to explain, this was a mistake for now he wanted me to have a look and tell him why it hurt. At this point not wanting to make this sort of examination and having now ascertained where he lived we suggested he went to Pangbourne to get a Taxi home which was about 5miles down river. he set off in that direction but was then seen by our neighbours to walk in a another large arc and head off down river. We all agreed that he was now a danger to himself because if he fell into the river we all thought he would be unable to get out. So a call was made by our neighbour to the Police. A cautionary note should be made here, do not try the new mobile phone  number for the Police as the person who made the call was told that there were no Police available at the moment and was put on hold with music playing. Finally contact was made and half an hour later two constables arrived. They agreed with our observations and called the helicopter out this searched for some time but was unable to find anything. The Police searched on foot for about an hour but eventualy gave up, having heard nothing on the news we assume that he made it home. 

After joining with some other boaters to buy coal ,on  Tuesday it arrived Three and a half ton on a lorry thats 143- 25 kilo bags (we had been told it would arrive by boat which would have delivered to the boats ) this required unloading by hand this we did with about four others, now bear in mind that we had only ordered 10 bags. We ended  up mooving our 10 and another 40 besides down the jetty all 380 yards each way and loading it on to two other boats as well as our own.

On Thursday 1st October we travelled back to Shenstone to support Sue Calder and her two sons Ian and Stuart and their family for the funeral and Thanksgiving Service for Jim . It was a measure of the way that Jim was regarded as the attendance showed with  no room left at either the Crematorium or the Church. Though tragically taken from his family and friends when they should all have enjoyed his retirement. Jim was a man who enjoyed life was always smiling and lifted the spirits of anyone he met, he did an enormous amount for the village and would help anyone. His family can be proud of what he achieved in his life. We will both miss Jims company and hope that Sue and the boys will be able to join us on the boat. 

Jim pictured with his beloved Steam Bread Van  

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2323/0909/2009200920092009 by admin.

ello everyone it has been a while since I last updated the Blog sorry but we have just been to busy enjoying the boat with our first guests. We went out with Dave and Marg Reynolds (our friends for too many years to mention ) on a Cruise down to Windsor then back up the river to Pangbourne before returning to the Marina. On the first day we met up in Henley with Gerald and Ann who we met last year at the IWA National where we all enjoyed a BBQ and a large portion of Ann’s cake ( you should have seen Gerald’s face) next day we explored a boot sale in aid of the RNLI before moving on the next morning . We spent two days in Windsor ( here the girls enjoyed the retail therapy) myself and Dave meanwhile pumped up Inevitable’s tender. No mean feat as I had trouble finding the right pump, whilst the Vetus engineer, who had arranged to meet us here serviced the engine and gearbox and gave us a box of spares all complimentary, by way of compensation for the troubles we had experienced with the gearbox failure and subsequent delays.  We left Windsor after two days and started back up the river Moored at Marlow before returning to Henley where we spent a day testing the tender and its motor it having been too windy to do that in Windsor. moving on next day we sailed past the Marina and on to Pangbourne but not without incident as there was a problem at one of the locks they could not close the gates. Send for the Divers!! this could take a while. After they had arrived and set up it did not take them long to find the problem a dirty great piece of wood and a coaping brick. On arrival we (that is the girls) decided it was too late to prepare a meal so we should go out for a meal. WE found a very interesting pub in Whitchurch over the bridge from Pangbourne. The locals in this pub were to say the least STRANGE and we had a very entertaining couple of hours listening to a debate on who knew the most dead people and why high vis jackets increased the chance being run over because you were easier to see, and last but by no means least who had nicked the pubs hat stand and how /should they have a whip round  to pay the ransom or even if they should as who would then own it! It was difficult to eat because we were laughing too much. The next day we spent relaxing before returning once again to the Marina Via Tesco’s where we bad farewell to our friends after a brilliant week. 

More pics

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0505/0909/2009200920092009 by admin.

Now we are on the Thames all the problems that we had getting down the Grand Union have faded into the furthest recesses of our minds. The boat is handling superbly and to my amazement is much easier to control than Lost The Plot was. We made good time once we were on the river and made the Rally by Friday afternoon with a day in hand 33 Dutch barges attended and we had a good time meeting new people and showing members who were looking to purchase a barge over the boat. The feedback was very complimentary and we did not stop from 9-30am until after 5pm on the Sunday. At the Dinner we were surprised to win the prize for the longest journey to the rally 141 miles 138 locks two tunnels and the sacrifice of a gearbox, winning by the grand total of one mile. We are now in Thames and Kennett Marina Caversham , waiting for vetus to come out and service the engine and gearbox. On the 11th we are going out again with friends for a weeks cruising.

More pictures below

A sailing Chalk

Moored on the Backus Windsor

Night-time on the wheel Windsor

Bisham Rally

sailing at Henley

Moored in Henley

View from Henley Bridge

The Marina view from Wheelhouse

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