#Well hello peeps and what an interesting week we have had this week. The most exciting news is that we reached our 3000th assisted boat this season (that's since beginning of April) which is just over two months old. The happy couple were Pam and Barry Nix who come from Oregon in the good ole U.S.of A. (see photo below). The couple were on their own narrow boat and were being given a familiarization course by Dave @willowwrentrain @nelsonswharf, not a bad idea for anyone taking up boating.
Funnily enough it seemed to be the week for our American cousins to visit us as while we were talking to our 3000th boat another party of Americans, this time from California, turned up. They were on a hire boat and had just walked up to study the locks. When they then turned up with their boat volley Vince and myself saw them safely through.
Another interesting incident with a hire boat that approached lock 2 to go up, stopped to pout their crew ashore to work the lock and on engaging forward gear to enter the lock an awful banging was heard. The steerer immediately put the boat into neutral then tried reverse. This resulted in an even louder and more awfuller banging. The boater ws advised to switch off the engine and we would pull the boat into the lock and out through the top gate then moor the boat to investigate. The boater fearing something terminal called the hire base who asked if they had looked down the weed hatch and if not to do so and phone back if nothing found. The weed hatch was duly removed and lo and behold a piece of rope around the prop. But what was that awful noise. On eventually unwinding the rope it was pulled out and a Nappy Pin mooring hook found attached to the other end. This is what had caused the banging every time the boat was put into gear, the rope spun round and the mooring hook was banging on the bottom of the boat. Big sighs of relief and off they sailed into the sunset.
Well other news this week we have finally got our ERB garden soiled and planted up thanks to vollies Jane, Taryn and Kevin . The idea is for passing boaters , cyclists or walkers who know what an ERB is and what it does can help themselves to fresh produce but please don't ask me what ERB is what, I would have to pass.
And in conjunction with the ERB garden vollies Vince and Kevin have tapped into a free supply of rain water by installing a super duper water butt, although I don't know how much rain water we will collect as that roof has more holes in it than one of them Dutch chees that's full of holes but a beautiful butt none the less.
Well that's about it for this time peeps but please if you've read these blogs give us a shout on Twitter @vollylockie or e-mail Maurice.farndon@outlook.com.
See you next time.
