One thing we have noticed on this short shakedown cruise is the number of sparkling new boats and many of them are electric, super silent and eco friendly and very expensive! Sometimes with new boats comes new, inexperienced boaters. Today, on the Oxford Canal, a narrow canal with narrow locks, a precious new boater was negotiating the Napton flight, his first outing. We suspect he had come off the Grand Union, a wide canal, in his shiny new boat. He had got through the first two locks with no problem but then disaster struck! As most seasoned boaters know it is usually best to removed fenders before entering this flight of narrow locks, in fact most narrow locks. Fenders are rubber hull protectors which are hung on the side of the boat when mooring. The most common ones are about 2 inches diameter. Precious, shiny boat was protected by 6 inch fenders! Consequence!!!??? STUCK! Owner panics and proceeds to cut off offending fenders and in the process falls in the water! Fortunately, he emerged from the water unscathed with the help of fellow boaters so no damage done except to his ego. A dangerous situation and a hard lesson learnt.
Jenny to the rescue.
As many of you know Jenny is not a particularly animal liking person and tends to avoid dogs on the towpaths. However, she rescued Freda, a medium sized grey dog, from the cut at a lock today. Freda was walking with her owner along the towpath. At the lock Freda decided she wanted to say hello to Jenny who was on the far side of the lock. She proceeded to cross the footplate on the top gate, missed her footing and fell in. Sid was most impressed with the speed at which Jenny knelt down and retrieved the frightened dog from the water, who proceeded to shake herself dry all over her rescuer. Didn't she do well?
