rainbowdragonfly

No, I wasn't steering the motor. I prefer steering the bitty Out of interest, which working boat did you crew in the 60's? As I Said I personally can't remember the details of this , but I know we would have slowed down immediately before the bridge - we always do, and especially as our motor has wooden bottoms we always knock her down to tickover or even put her into neutral as we don't want to damage the bottoms. Even more important now giving the state of most bridge holes ! I am more experienced on the bitty and have experienced and learnt that if the motor slows down too much then the bitty loses all steerage, or a lot of it anyway! The line goes slack and considering we haven't been loaded this year only a small proportion of the rudder was in the water. Also affecting the steerage for the butty is the wind conditions re cabin and hull stuck out in the wind and the butty has a mind of its own. I assure you we never intended to put you on the mud and it is never our intention to intimidate or cause hassle to other canal users. Perhaps if the cut was better dredged it wouldn't have occured. Anyway, I have been steering the butty for about 6 or 7 years or so. I have been brought up on the canals since a littlen and love it. Let me know what the motor was you steered I meant butty in first sentence!

A few things. Firstly, it was an invite only event yes and we thought very carefully about who to invite. We didn't want to overcrowd the canal or invite too many people to the event, seeing as we're inviting them around our boatyard and home. When choosing who to invite we only chose those we are close to and have good friendships with - it just so happens our circle of friends consists predominantly of those who own historic boats. We didn't simply invite historic boats and their owners, but wanted to keep it a small and intimate event for pur closer friends. There was no offence intended to anyone not invited, we don't consider you a "lesser boater" or not as capable or anything like that, just that we're not as close to you. Secondly at the event we were careful not to disrupt other canal users passing by. We only horseboated up one pound, passed no moored boats that weren't to do with us. We let a private boater get ahead of us before we followed up the pound with the horse. During the parade we let a private boater pass through before we all winded. As for the instance where your boat (David S) was forced upon the mud earlier this year- well I apologise if it seemed we charged at you as soon as you left the bridge and sorry you went on the mud. I can't remember this specific instant so can't comment on what had happened to cause this.

Indeed this is the stern of former AXE, based in Stone. Axe was left on a tip on Whitebridge Ind. Estate and the owner was goign to chop her up, my Dad bought the stern off him for about £25 pounds and then gave AXE the name REBEKAH, after myself. The council then asked if they could use her to represent Stone, which is how she got to where she is now.