Today we lost our nearly new chimney and coolie hat over the side.
Not a direct result of the high winds we have been experiencing, but to do with a collision with an over-hanging willow tree near The Plough (incidentally, a rubbish rude establishment, so file it under "avoid") public house on the way to Cambridge.
So why did we hit the willow and lose our chimney? Well, I could have manouvered out into the mid-stream and missed it completely. This, however, would have placed the crews of two overtaking rowing eights in such jeopardy that no insurance company would look at them.
Hobson's Choice: lose your chimney or risk drowning, maiming or otherwise injuring the crews of two eights?
The Mighty Pippin held her course, to the rending of metal and scratching of paint and the slow-motion inevitability of £80 worth of chimney going splosh into the 'oggin.
[Choice words of an unbloggable sort deleted here]
The misery of this trip did not end there.
On arriving at the pump-out, we duly hooked up and were nearly done when Jackie noticed the washing machine had run out of water. One of Cambridge's Camboater boats had plugged itself into the fresh water point by means of a 1/4 of a mile long hose. I don't know how much they pay for the right to do this but it is clearly a lot.
I unplugged their hose to take on ten minutes worth of water,at the suggestion of another Camboater boat, "Pyxis". A minute or two later, a young man arrived and delivered a lecture to me on my lack of consideration, decency and respect.
He lives yet, but only by the grace of a God he doubtless refuses to acknowledge.
Pippin left the pump out mooring with Pyxis' skipper and our new-found moral guardian discussing the finer points of water-point etiquette.
I hate Cambridge.
I hate Camboaters.
They all rhyme with 'bankers', and from now on we will dump our sewage straight in the river just like all the dutch barges that moor up in town and NEVER EVER EVER go to the pump out!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Covid Lockdown
4 years ago
There are, in fact, two taps in the water point cupboard... but the second one is behind the first one and isn't obvious if someone else is already hooked up to the one in front of it.
ReplyDeleteBear that in mind for next time...
Then it would make sense for Mr 'quarter mile away' to hook up to the one at the back
ReplyDeleteSurely its a bit like the launderette where you can use the dryers to dry clothes you have wased at home but people who have washed their clothes in the laundrette have priority.
If I reverse half a mile up the cut to the water point I really dont see why I should wait in line for someone that cant even be bothered to turn on his engine.
Its called a water point for a reason. It's the point where you take your boat to get water.