Hotel boat and butty

[allybsc]

Evening all,

Anyone know anything about a hotel boat with a butty named Tatiana? They caused mayhem at Wardle lock on Thursday, nearly a punch up!!!! however I got the chance to have a great chat with Maurine Shaw the lockie whilst she gave them a spectacular ear bashing, what a wonderful woman, so much knowledge and a formidable spirit, I'm sure many of you know about her.

 

We had a great trip on Willow from Middlewich boats, I'm so pleased we did the helmsmans course it helped us cope with everything that was chucked in front of us especially when we came up to a boat floating free at the lion salt works, badly moored it had blown off it's pins in a strong cross wind, I managed to get aboard and salvage the ropes whilst we pushed it back to the tow path just in time to save it's pins which were just hanging onto the ropes in the water then get it tied up again, Adam's clear instructions had stuck! didn't help when another hire boater kept sounding his horn at us when the other boat (70 footer) was wedged across the canal, bit of excitement for the kids.

 

We pick up our boat on Friday, the inspection went well, the hull looked as new when the bitumen was steam blasted off, can't wait, we did 101 locks on this trip with 4 teenagers, we will have to do 155 ish on it's trip home just the two of us...eeek!!! I'm wearing gloves this time, my hands are sore.

 

We loved Willow, looking a bit tired now but i'm told it is going in for a refurb and paint job, nice to know they are going to keep her, i don't know of anywhere else you can hire a boat with trad controls and a vintage lister.

Ta Ta

Ally p.

[myomo]

Ally,

a quick tip to help your hands - visit a yacht chandler and buy some deck crew gloves - they are 'fingerless gloves' made of soft leather with padded palmes and stretch nylon backs with velcro fastenings. They are absolutely perfect and are very long lasting (155 locks at least!!).

 

All the best

 

TeeELL (I've logged on on Myomos PC Doh!!)

[TeeELL]

I agree with Myomo

[Liam]

Evening all,

Anyone know anything about a hotel boat with a butty named Tatiana? They caused mayhem at Wardle lock on Thursday, nearly a punch up!!!! however I got the chance to have a great chat with Maurine Shaw the lockie whilst she gave them a spectacular ear bashing, what a wonderful woman, so much knowledge and a formidable spirit, I'm sure many of you know about her.

 

We had a great trip on Willow from Middlewich boats, I'm so pleased we did the helmsmans course it helped us cope with everything that was chucked in front of us especially when we came up to a boat floating free at the lion salt works, badly moored it had blown off it's pins in a strong cross wind, I managed to get aboard and salvage the ropes whilst we pushed it back to the tow path just in time to save it's pins which were just hanging onto the ropes in the water then get it tied up again, Adam's clear instructions had stuck! didn't help when another hire boater kept sounding his horn at us when the other boat (70 footer) was wedged across the canal, bit of excitement for the kids.

 

We pick up our boat on Friday, the inspection went well, the hull looked as new when the bitumen was steam blasted off, can't wait, we did 101 locks on this trip with 4 teenagers, we will have to do 155 ish on it's trip home just the two of us...eeek!!! I'm wearing gloves this time, my hands are sore.

 

We loved Willow, looking a bit tired now but i'm told it is going in for a refurb and paint job, nice to know they are going to keep her, i don't know of anywhere else you can hire a boat with trad controls and a vintage lister.

Ta Ta

Ally p.

Hi Ally,

 

Never heard of that pair before... but Maurine is spot on. There was a bit about her in one of the waterways mags a good few years ago now, and Maurine was one of the people in the group when a load of us went over to Preston Dock via the Ribble... ended up carrying the shopping as usual didn't I! She's a mine of information, always enjoy listening to her stories.

 

Is Willow the 70 footer? If it is, my Aunty has the embarrasment of claiming that she sank it years ago now when she hired it with friends.

 

Glad to hear the boat is okay, when will you be travelling along the Bridgewater? Might bump into you

[allybsc]

Hi Ally,

 

Never heard of that pair before... but Maurine is spot on. There was a bit about her in one of the waterways mags a good few years ago now, and Maurine was one of the people in the group when a load of us went over to Preston Dock via the Ribble... ended up carrying the shopping as usual didn't I! She's a mine of information, always enjoy listening to her stories.

 

Is Willow the 70 footer? If it is, my Aunty has the embarrasment of claiming that she sank it years ago now when she hired it with friends.

 

Glad to hear the boat is okay, when will you be travelling along the Bridgewater? Might bump into you

 

Hi Liam,

I'm sure you will hear of them, they are worth watching for all the wrong reasons!!!! The guy "in charge" was having a bad day and came over very arrogant with stress, if they had been more friendly people would have helped but displaying a licence which ran out in 03/03 didn't help his case at all, a couple of BW men told me that they struggled at the junction for over four hours spinning the butty in the middle nearly wedging it across the canal, to make matters worse after the motor came up the lock he fouled the prop badly and jumped off with the boat hook and nearly lost it, he let Maurine cling onto the side without a word of thanks or help, my son and I relieved her from hanging onto the 70 footer by grabbing onto the fender ropes which were down or he would have had to swim for it, no word of thanks to us either, he just moaned that he was ashamed to be British cos' no one helped him, she had to show him how to take a butty through the lock and still it took him over an hour. He might have been a nice guy on a good day, if I was him I would have mobilised and organised the passengers to help..made it part of the holiday, but he only seemed to have one other crew member who was equally stressed, the chef was wandering round at one point telling everyone it wasn't his fault!

 

Oak was the 70 footer that middlewich used to have, they sold it not so long ago, looked OK so your auntie couldn't have done it any permanent damage.

 

We were going to go up the Macc for a bit of variety on the way home but Adam from Middlewich boats has lent me an old NB door so I can copy the castles which are wonderful so I'm dropping it off on the way back next week, what a lovely bloke, he has let me keep the panels just as long as I return the steel. I think we will be up the Bridgewater by Tuesday look out for a big grey tug called "Taurus"

I'm so excited it seems ages since we decided to buy our dreamboat....Friday we pick her up......Yeaaaaaahhhh

REgards,

Ally p.

[Liam]

The guy off that pair you mentioned sounds like a right nutter! lol, totally un-organised, and from the sounds of it, has no idea either. Oh well nevermind!

 

I've only done the Macc once before but I do like it and would recommend it

 

Your passing by on Tuesday... Unfortunately I'll be in work and not on my boat as you will pass it with it being on the main line half way along the Bridgewater.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[dor]

Oak was the 70 footer that middlewich used to have, they sold it not so long ago,

 

Ex-Middlewich Oak is currently moored near me. It appears to be undergoing a refit, but the new owner has his work cut out - looks to me as though the back cabin needs replacing (rotting plywood).

Edited August 15, 2006 by dor

[Liam]

Hi Dor,

 

 

We were out your way a couple of weeks ago. I actually saw your boat moored up and also saw you later on go past whilst we stopped at Nantwich for some shopping. I didn't see Oak, but then again, I wasn't really looking out for it, but I wondered where it'd got to.

 

We then passed you again, on the way to Audlem. I would of said hi as I passed but wasn't sure if it was the right Isis!

[dor]

We then passed you again, on the way to Audlem. I would of said hi as I passed but wasn't sure if it was the right Isis!

 

Hi Liam

 

I think I'm the only Isis round here. I often get comments like "there's no Isis in Cheshire" or "do you come from Oxford?" However the reason the boat is called Isis is nothing to do with the Thames in Oxford.

 

I think I noticed your boat on Nantwich Embankment. Oak only appeared last weekend at Henhull.

[Robin]

The hotel boats you refer to are almost certainly Tsarina and Tsarevna.

Please note that these boats and their current owner are in no way representative of the rest of the hotel boat industry.

Suffice to say that he is known about by the authorities.

 

Robin

[Liam]

The hotel boats you refer to are almost certainly Tsarina and Tsarevna.

Please note that these boats and their current owner are in no way representative of the rest of the hotel boat industry.

Suffice to say that he is known about by the authorities.

 

Robin

Obviously not, otherwise they'd be no industry left!

[allybsc]

The hotel boats you refer to are almost certainly Tsarina and Tsarevna.

Please note that these boats and their current owner are in no way representative of the rest of the hotel boat industry.

Suffice to say that he is known about by the authorities.

 

Robin

 

Hi Robin,

That's them, couldn't remember the names, my partner shouted over to him to say if he'd had a licence then he would have got more help, he said he had one but couldn't be bothered to put it up!!! It's about time BW took him off the water before he kills someone, his insurance would be invalid too. I heard that they'd breasted up for the night at a water point on the S&W and blocked the canal for a while till someone told them to shove off. The guy in charge said he'd been on the canals for 40 years!!!! He only looked in his 40's...mind boggles

Regards,

Ally p.