Confessions time (probably a repeat thread)

[Sixpence]

OK , so it's back to the first time . And this story is not for publication anywhere else . The first boat , do you remember it.
I had wanted a boat since I was a teenager , and it was only when my ex became an ex that this became a possibility . The new found love of my life decided that she also liked boats . So we finally found Trevera . (this is the short version)
We knew she was in a state , but the mechanics worked , and she had the potential so we bought her .
We arranged for the transport and moved her from Middlesex to the Fens .
We met up on the A1 near a petrol station and decided to fill her up /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif waddamistakeatomake , started to fuel up and after about £30 , she blew back at me , spraying petrol all over me .
I gave up at £50 , time to move on
We finally arrived at the marina we had reserved and went for a launch , oh how cocky did I feel .
Right , the range rover that had pulled her all that way was going to reverse the trailor down the slipway , and she would float free , WRONG , she was stuck to the trailer , and did not want to get off . Choices were few . Somebody had to be on board to take control , but somebody had to wade in and push her off the trailer . So I got the on board job , and SWMBO got the wade job . Not my choice , honest .
So there's me at the helm , and Louise getting deeper into the water trying to push 25 ft of boat off a trailer she's hanging on to , and me at the helm , for the first time in my life . Louise pushes and Trevera breaks free , end of problem , YEAH RIGHT , I have to phone the previous owner to tell me how to start the engines , and then Louise takes the bow with a long pole and I start reversing . Have you noticed how easy it is when you're IN GEAR .
So I'm revving the engine thinking I'm pulling the boat out , when the only thing doing it , is Louise with the long pole on the bow , pushing against the bank . Whoops , no more bank .
So now I'm drifting in a marina with loads of other boats , revving the engine and going , well , nowhere .
Then finally , CLUNK , I got her in gear . The marina owner had watched all this and having allocated a mooring for me , which I missed , by a bit , said that she had moved my mooring to wherever I touched .
The first trip was a nightmare , but full details only on request /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Major Catastrophe]

My first launch at Bradwell Marina in August 2004 was not much different. I had no idea how the boat was going to act on water and the berth, not very conveniently, was down another leg of the marina.

Anyway, we put the trailer into the water too far and the wind caught the boat, pushing the two starboard wheels off the edge of the ramp. Like a bizarre circus act, we manouvered the boat around the marina and approached the berth and trid to berth against the wind. After 236 attempts and a lot of shouting, we successfully berthed where the boat eventually came to rest.

We then had to call out the marina staff to help lift the trailer back onto the ramp and only later discovered that a metal fitting had been knocked off the brake, so I had one locked wheel. A bodge job got me and boat home later that week.

The recovery, at the end of the weekend was just as spectacular, as it took place in a gale on the Bank Holiday Monday.

A couple of weeks later, I offered my Nephew a crisp fiver if he could find the missing piece of metal in the mud next to the slip.

Marina manager gave him permission to look but warned him there was no chance of finding it.

Nephew places exploratory hand into gooey mud and pulls out missing item first attempt, which was then posted to me and fitted back on the next day. £5 note was despatched and immediately used to buy into sweet stocks and a comic.