Tale of Two Fatties
Pictured are 2 wide beams, the one on the right has been swinging the lead since before Christmas...mooring near to the A5 bridge, at one point exactly 14 foot and 3" across from another moored boat.
The story is that is was ordered 2 packed, was launched last year, and it has all fallen off. It was taken to Whilton to get redone. Then it has come off again, so now, they are waiting for another 2 packing slot at Whilton and are happy to inconvenience local boater services since just before Christmas.
The one on the left is getting lifted out and going Cambridge way.
Unfortunately, they have opened a can of worms with the traffic police after trying to book a passage out of Whilton, turned down due to roadworks. The national exceptional load police gang have decided that not only can they make pots of money off the HS2 traffic, they have widened the net and now decided that boat traffic is a good revenue generator.
So they have decided that the country roads from marinas are an ideal high risk journey, and quoted a fee of £2k for the Whilton to motorway journey.
The boat was rebooked for a lift from Stowe Hill. Boats have been lifted in and out of here from lorries for over 40 years. Collingwood and New&Usel... have lifted hundreds in ...
The new guidelines are that an escort is needed to and from the A5....a distance of 150m , the Heyford Lane section only
So 2 police vehicles arrived at 8.15am and were on site until the lorry left at 10.30am.
Cost to customer moving widebeam £2I, on top of carnage and lorry transport to cambridge way. ....and there may also be the same cost at the other end if the police movements gang have their eyes open and assessment forms ready!!.