Reading the tale of Chester staircase my reaction was - What pigs there are out
there - they might not fly but they sure do boat!
Maybe there are more of this sort in that area north of Barbridge for on that
canal a few years back we suffered the other side of a very similar incident.
We had actually moored while setting the lock and just as it was ready two
boats did come straight past as the wife opened the gate and dived straight
into the lock.
Luckily I was unmooring by then and as the wife had only one gate open (for
me) the two boats both entered via the one gate and lined up one in and the
other behind it mostly out. Before the one in front could push across the the
wife opened the other gate (brilliant old girl) and I drove in taking the
second space in the lock and forcing number two boat to back out!
Far from being sheepish about stealing locks the clown on the boat now going
up in the lock with us lectured me on how I was in the wrong as 'everyone on
this canal knows to position your boat across the lock while it is being
prepared to stop people stealing it off them. It is part of the rules on this
canal!'
I must admit to being so astounded at this logic and level of pig ignorance
this fool was showing that I (for once) stood silent in the presence of this
superior being who, as by then the lock was near ready, rammed the top gate
open with his boat and drove off - his large crew leaping aboard - leaving us
to wind down paddles and shut gates.
Will Chapman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Michael Askin wrote:
> On 11/3/07, chris potter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> On the same canal I was told off for NOT shutting a lift bridge,by a crew
>> member, in the face of an oncoming boat. At the next bridge not far away
>> you've guessed it as they approached I closed it. I have always worked on
>> the principle that first to the bridge has priority, if I loose out then I
>> wait patiently for the other boat to come through and any boats following
>> close behind however many.CKP
>
> Thats unusual, at the very least you could jump on your boat as it
> went through and they could then they close it if thats what they
> wanted to do, still that's their loss.
>
This summer, we got an early start and were below the staircase
at Chester, I had disembarked to set the locks and Jane had
Quidditch in hovering mode waiting for me to open the bottom
lock.
Another boat arrived and the steerer sent his wife to instruct
Jane to moor up. Jane said why and she said 'don't you realise
how dangerous it is when that lock spills out water?'. Jane told
her she knew what she was doing (she had steered into at least
300 locks that summer) and remained in hover mode.
Wife went back to her husband who sent her straight back to
tick Jane off once more.
By this time I'd checked the top of the staircase and had started
opening the bottom lock (which, by the way, I had emptied whilst
checking upstairs). I have no ida of what had been going on below.
Jane enters lock first and 'Bluebell' (ex-Black Prince with most
of old livery still on) settled in beside Quidditch. I notice
Bluebell is bending Jane's ear and that his bow is tucked under
a span about half-way up the forward lock gate - too late, his
bow fender is ripped off. I mention this to his wife but she
shows no particular concern. A few minutes later, he is still
ear-wigging Jane and now his bow is under the next span
so I shout at him to reverse and close my paddle a bit; he
reverses JUST in time but his face suggests umbrage was taken.
We proceed upto the top lock and I open the gate on my side just
fractionally before his wife opens his side. Jane, having had him
up to her ears asks me to take over the steering and in that few
seconds Bluebell starts to rev up and try and get out of the lock
first. I ask him politely, 'Excuse me, do you mind if we go out
first.' 'Why?' he says. 'Because we were first in and that is
canal etiquette', I reply. 'But where are you going?', he
responds. 'I'm going to moor in Chester', I replied. 'So am I',
he says and revs up his engine again (we're about 30 feet ahead
but going at a normal pace) so I rev up a bit too so as
to keep ahead. At this he says to me 'is that all you've got'?
so I showed him I had more and rev'd up and pulled away from him
as soon as I cleared him moved into the middle of the canal and
slowed down to a sensible speed.
What a pillock! Afterwards Jane told me how he (via his wife) had
tried to persuade her to moor up and we wondered whether that was
a lame attempt to get into the lock first to establish right of
way but I'm not sure that neanderthals have that much reasoning
power.
Cheers
--
Will Chapman
Save Our Waterways
www.SaveOurWaterways.org.uk
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
