Clifton Cruisers emergency……

[Chris John]

I’d just gone past Clifton Cruisers heading towards Hillmorton locks this morning. As I go past I notice a Clifton Cruisers boat getting ready to depart. Come to a bridge and there’s a Clifton Cruisers boats coming towards me. We both slow and exchange greetings and I tell them there’s a boat behind and I expect they’ll meet at the corner.
I continue through the bridge and turn around just in time to see the boat that was leaving the CC wharf coming around the corner on the wrong side going very fast. Bang and they both hit very hard (not the fault of the boat I’d earlier met at the bridge) 
 

I carry on towards the locks being more aware of the boat behind approaching fast. I ignore and when I get to the locks I can see a guy draining a lock. He opens one gate then walks off. The volunteer walks over and opens the second gate so I can enter. As I’m coming up the lock the driver of the boat that hit the other boat and was approaching at speed comes up to me and asks if he can go in front because he’s in a hurry as the boat needs some “emergency welding doing on it”. I’m not surprised the speed you hit that other boat was my reply. He mutters something and walks off.

The volunteer comes over and informs me that the guy that only opened one gate for me before wandering off was from Clifton Cruisers and had prepared the lock as they were in a hurry and that I was right to enter the prepared lock as I was first to arrive. 
 

Anyway I leave the locks and there is a boat about to leave the facilities point. Turns out I know him so I let him pull out in front. 
 

Oh dear Donald Campbell and his emergency welding work are now in a 3 boat queue. 
 

No such thing as a hurry on the cut especially through Hillmorton locks. Pair of anchors…..

[robtheplod]

ouch that must have been a clash!   often wandered exactly how much grief a narrowboat can take before it 'splits'....

[Hudds Lad]

I often wonder if it’s worth warning other boats about approaching hazards as usually they just ignore you.

 

As an example, coming through Brownsover the other day heading back to the marina, the moorings are full as usual and the offside willows make it hard to see, so we’re proceeding cautiously. Theres a chap in a boat behind who has been getting closer for a while, as he gains every time we pass moored boats, but not close enough yet to warrant letting him by.

As we pass the last moored boat on the corner there’s another boat coming the opposite way, so i warn him theres a boat not far behind that he won’t see for the willows. Cheers he says and proceeds into the trees and the bend. Seconds later, much honking and swearing as they meet just out of sight.

About five mins later we’re mooring up and the following boat comes by. Not wanting him to think i said nowt and let the fracas occur i shout that i did warn the other boat about him, he replies its ok but that the other chap steamed round the corner blaming them for being in the way and he had no option but to bump the last moored boat which was also ok as it was a boat who had rushed past them previously whilst they were moored and pulled their pins out, so karma.

[Dav and Pen]

Contact sport!

[Heartland]

Contact sport- that is what some Go Boats do in Brum !

 

 

[frangar]

Clifton cruisers seem to think they own all the cut at their wharf…at least if one sinks it would be one less they need to moor there….I’ve had words before when trying to get through.