Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony
Moored at Huntingdon

Saturday 14 July 2012

12th July '12

What a day!
We decided to move down as near to Alrewas as possible so we could be ready for when the lock re-opens. Boats coming from there are full of doom and gloom - no space - boats moored all over the place, etc. etc.
So disregarding them all we move off from Rugeley after a quick dash (well hobble as my knee is still giving me some gyp.) to the supermarket to buy a few necessaries while John prepared the boat.
The day warms up decidedly and so we both change jeans for longs and teeshirts and we enjoy a remarkably pleasant trip down.
We stop for water after the narrow bit at Armitage and again hear that Fradley is full. No probs for the interpid crew of Perfect Harmony.
We get down the first couple of locks and then I manage to equip myself very professionally at the top of the Junction Lock in front of all the people with their pints waiting for collisions and pull in waiting for the boat to come up. John dashes off with the rubbish and confirms that the Elsan point is on the right by the cafe. He jumps on and brings the boat in nicely and I tie off the middle rope as per usual. Why all this unnecessary detail I hear you ask. Well, wait for it I reply......
When he had returned from emptying the cassette and he was all ready to go I undo the rope and get to the front for a push off and then walk along the gunnel to join him.
SPLASH......
I'd forgotten that I'd put the new fender on the gunnel and I trod on it and slipped (gracefully I hope) into the water!
IT WAS DISGUSTING!!!!!
I was able to stand up in it but it came to my armpits and I struggled to the side where all the people having tea at the cafe were watching - JOY - not only do I fall in but I have to do it in the most public place possible.
They find a life belt and get it around me and I have to walk carefully along the rocks that line the bottom of the basin until there was a bit that wasn't so high and then they haul me out. I am at that point laughing (slightly hysterically I suspect) and JOhn brings the boat over so I jump on and drip my way merrily along the gunnel (sans fender) and join him.
I would here like to thank profusely all the staff and patrons of the cafe who assisted me - I really done know what I would have done without you all!
The next lock is only a stones throw away and one of the observers of my downfall was there and insisted on doing the lock for us so that I could go down and shower. At this point I am freezing and filthy and just realising what a horrible thing had happened. By the time I'm out of the shower I'm in tears.
We moor and along comes Norwin and Sheila in Shell Bell who moor on the same jetty as us. We end up moving on and both mooring further down before the next lock.
John and I are now going to buy a life belt and a rope ladder of some sort as we have realised how vulnerable you are when you fall off the boat. I would NEVER have been able to hoist myself back on board and John would have been hard pushed to have been able to drag me up without some sort of help. A lesson learnt.

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