Rode Heath

What is it with red boats and this winding hole?

Yesterday shortly after we’d moored up, a red boat arrived. In front of us we’d left enough space for an average sized boat to pull in and tie up on the rings before the winding hole, we’d backed right up to a Diamond Resorts boat. Opposite the hole the rings have been removed and a sign on a pole says ‘No mooring,Winding Hole’, for (to us) very obvious reasons. The red boat pulled up tied to the last ring and proceeded to bang in a spike, positioning themselves perfectly with the winding hole, leaving a lovely git gap!

A few hours later someone must have had a word and they moved on behind the boat behind us, well out of the way.

Later on another red boat arrived. They pulled into the same spot. But to give them credit before they tied up I overheard them comment about it being a winding hole. They pulled forward towards us, ‘But isn’t that too close!’ Unless they were going too be touching fenders with us and playing loud music all night we don’t mind being close. They moored up and all was well.

Mick popped off to the village store this morning to see if my parcel had arrived and to get some milk as we were expecting visitors. The Diamond Resorts boat pushed off and started to wind, luckily the red boat had already moved on this morning leaving plenty of room to swing a boat about. There was a lot of engine revving going on and it seemed to be taking a long time for them to wind.

I popped out to see Mick pulling on their stern rope, their fender was up to give them another inch or so, a chap stood on the bow pushing with a pole. They had managed to get the boat 90 degrees round, but that is where it had stopped. Had they got stuck? Was their boat the exact length of the winding hole?

There was possibly a few more inches spare if they could get the bow a bit further over. With me now holding the fender, everyone pushing the back came away. The bow slowly moved over a few more inches then the next big push to get the stern round. There was certainly more space here and the stern came round with about 2 inches spare. Phew! They could now return to Anderton.

Around 11am a familiar face looked in. Our visitors had arrived.

Tom and Jan are in England for a month visiting family. They left life on the water a couple of years ago selling NB Waiouru and moving back to Perth, Australia. Our bows crossed theirs several times through the years, first on the Leeds Liverpool Canal in 2014 at Rodley and the last time at Norton Junction about a week before they packed up and left England.

There was plenty to catch up on despite both being bloggers. Tom came on board to have a look round whilst Jan opted to stay on the towpath at a safe distance away from Oleanna. They loved their life afloat and obviously miss it, getting too close could mean that we’d have a stowaway or two!

As we walked up to the pub for lunch another red boat had arrived and moored up, yep you’ve guessed it right slap bang in the winding hole! The sign in line with their stern and plenty of room on rings either side. Are people blind or just thick?

Over pies, sausage and mash and a steak we covered most subjects. Obviously we compared notes on boat builders and the things that can and did go wrong for us both. Tom waited until the last moment to bring up the subject of toilets, he just couldn’t resist it! Since becoming composters we don’t have the urge (excuse the phrase) to talk toilets as much, most probably because we no longer have the concerns of having to get to the next pump out before our tank is full, or wonder when the seals or pipes will need replacing.

We did ask if they’d like to help us up to Red Bull, a couple of hours of Heartbreak Hill. But this was quickly turned down. It would be too dangerous to work a lock, their addiction would be awoken, so safer to stay on dry land away from the locks..

We had a lovely afternoon with them, I suspect they’ll be turning up and looking through plenty more boat windows before their time here is up.

A second visit to the Village Store to check on post, still nothing. We decided that the locks could wait until tomorrow giving my parcel another day to arrive.

0 locks, o miles, 3 red boats, 1 blue boat stuck in the winding hole, 70ft or 66ft long? 2 antipodean ex-boater blogger visitors, 5 hours conversation, 1 pink boater,  3 biscuits, 4 cuppas, 2 pies, 3 sausages, 1 steak, 2 tales of boats gone wrong, 2 tales of happy boating, 2 hours freedom, 1 Tom Tom, 0 parcel still, 2 sets of treads, 1 swivel chair.