An ill wind

Today was the final day of getting ready to go to Droitwich, so we thought we would wind Chertsey so as to be all set for the morning. We untied, and with Jim steering and me waiting on the bank, Chertsey whizzed backwards the few yards past the winding hole, winded, and started to reverse back alongside Bakewell. Not a chance. I should have known, really. The reason Bakewell isn't tight into the bank at the back is because Chertsey, on the outside, won't go any nearer. There is just enough depth for the back of a motor boat at the end of the mooring near the winding hole, but nothing like enough a boat length further along. It's only silt, and one of these days we might get around to shifting it, albeit temporarily, but things work fine as they are, if only we would remember. So I made a cup of tea while Jim took Chertsey back (forwards) to the winding hole and spun round again. We still needed to get Chertsey's back end nearer the end of the hosepipe to replenish one of the fresh water tanks and thereby correct a rather pronounced list that had developed, so this involved mooring on the outside of two other boats where it was deep enough, and then reversing back to where we started. Job done though. Everything, hopefully, loaded. Water, coal, potatoes, cat food...

We met another blogger today as Captain Ahab and Belle passed on, en route to the Llangollen. As they hovered alongside Chertsey whilst we had a chat, Willow showed his mettle as a boat cat by hopping onto the roof of Wand'ring Bark. Andy had to reverse back so that I could grab him. Let's hope he takes to travelling as well as he has taken to static boat life. I have made him a collection of collars - a circle of 10mm elastic with the boat name and my phone number written on in marker pen, and we have even bought him a harness in case he fancies coming into town with us. He's not bothered by the collar but seemed rather cowed by the harness. This is going to be interesting.