Classic Moments.

[JennyMorgan]

I keep in touch with a lifelong friend who moved to Australia nearly fifty years ago. We shared a somewhat irresponsible coming of age and now, in our mutual dotage, we occasionally remind each other of what have become classic moments in our formative years. One such event involved a now departed member of the gang, namely our friend, Charlie, RIP.

One classic moment was when we turned the cruiser that we were staying aboard around during the night so that the water hose would reach the empty tank. We were moored outside Coldham Hall where we had enjoyed a memorable 'lock-in' after a hard day's racing in the annual, spring regatta.The dearly missed Charlie woke up in the morning, after a serious skin-full, not knowing that the boat was by then facing the other way, that the shore was now on the other side. Charlie stepped ashore, only the shore wasn't where it had been when he'd  passed out, by heck he quickly sobered up! Thankfully we were moored near to a slipway where the by now very cold Charlie, it was early May, was unceremoniously beached. 

[Ray]

Memories like that are priceless 👍

[chrisdobson45]

We were on holiday in 1979, aboard two of Brister Craft's finest. Nottingham Forest was playing Malmo in the European Cup final in Munich so we had moored at Coltishall mid afternoon and gone to the Rising Sun for an early supper (Chicken in a basket) before the menfolk (two dads and two young sons) returned to one of the boats to watch the game whilst the ladies remained in the pub (two mums and two daughters).

One of the dads, (Bill and not my dad, I hasten to add) had consumed a fairly significant volume of alcohol and was fairly docile once aboard the boat. The 14" black & white TV was turned on and tuned in, in readiness for the match. There were thunderstorms all over Europe that night and we were treated to a pretty significant display of lightning to the south of our mooring on the green.

Bill slumbered for most of the game, until Trevor Francis appeared through the snowy picture & scored with a diving header at the far post from a John Robertson cross. We were delirious with joy, and woke Bill up with a start, who then ran up the steps to the centre cockpit, cracked his head on the door frame and rapidly exited via the port door to celebrate.

Problem was were moored starboard  side to the green so there resulted a big splash.

What remains clearly in my mind all these years later is how dark it was and how far down the water was. We eventually managed to get Bill to shore and with the help of other boaters we got him out of the water, by now very cold and with a sizable gash on his forehead. We did however, manage to loose a life ring and a fender.

He spent the rest of the holiday with the gash being held together with Elastoplast, and it left a wicked scar.

Who said they were gentler times??

 

[JennyMorgan]

Thank you, Chris. Strange how such events stay with us as they do!

[OldBerkshireBoy]

So little sis lives with 2 small daft dogs on a canal boat and they are used to rushing up the stairs and turning right to exit on to the towpath.

One Sunday she takes three friends down the canal for a pub lunch and as the boat is coming in to moorings one friend thinks that she will help by grabbing a rope and jumping off. 

Well the dogs bolted up the stairs, turned right and splosh straight in the water with the pub being on the left!

[grendel]

we had this twice on the lads week last year, both dogs after a change of mooring took a flying leap off the boat to where the land had last been seen, one straight off the stern at full speed.

[JennyMorgan]

I'm not known for winning races, I tend to be distracted and lose interest , but on one occasion, on a race from Oulton Broad to Beccles, I found myself in an unexpected second place from the front rather than the more usual back of the fleet. Not sure if I had a misplaced, uncharacteristic urge to win or whether mischief got the better of me. The boat ahead of me had a very friendly golden retriever on-board, we'd been in a good humoured tacking dual for several miles, there had to be a way past but it just wasn't happening, I was continually out-sailed. Eureka, the solution was obvious, my crew and I slapped the side of out boat and called 'here boy, walkies, Lassie, come to uncle Peter etc etc' until Fido jumps overboard and swims towards our boat! How cruel could I be, deserting Fido in his moment of desperate need, his owner having to relinquish his well deserved first place and rescue his dog. I gleefully sailed past and into a glorious, undeserved first place!  

[Polly]

Bad, very bad!