Surreal afternoon.

BarryH

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I had an itch that needed scratching rather badly. So in a fit of madness I hitched up the boat and dragged it into London. Knowing that all the Fulham Farmers and Putney Plebs would be in the nearest sports bar watching the rugby the place would be empty. We lost anyway so I didn't miss anything.
45 mins later I was reversing down the embankment at putney dropping the boat in to rather brown looking putrid sewerage. In two and a bit hours of boating I had bright warm sunshine, snow, rain and sleet, diverse if nothing else! First stop, well loiter was Hurlingham Yacht Club to see if any old friends were about. The place was deserted. So on down stream under Wandsworth bridge to blow some cobwebs away. On the throttle all the way down past the Houses of Parliment giving them a two fingered salute and on past the mecca of boating prose at Kings reach. The millenium wheel just before there is awesome from the water. Down on under Tower Bridge past that down market Marina at St Kats. Met a boat with a blue flashing light going the other way, they even gave me a wave and a nod!! Most unusual!
Spun the wheel around and headed back up the river as it was getting damn cold. Bad mistake putting a stainlees wheel on a couple of years ago, you live and learn? Met another boat going up, dunno who it was, but they were making a hell of a wash just begging to be overtaken. So I overtook them three times. Whoever you were, thanks for trimming the boat to dig the stern in, great fun.
All in all a good couple of hours wasted this afternoon. Had a "fix" until next time the itch gets unbearable. There was a point tho, all in the name of engine testing. I'll not dismiss the tideway as a boring open sewer anylonger while crossing it numerous times during my hum drum day at work. Still a fair amount of trip boats about, even the fast cat things that ply the river with no regard for rules, or so it seems.
Still itching to get back to the salty stuff tho! Who said Sundays were slow and boring during the winter months?
 

BrendanS

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It's a brilliant bit of water at times. Ever been to Lord Mayors Fireworks by boat? Haven't managed it yet, but everyone that's done it says it's a cracking evening out
 

tcm

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Nice but not surreal?

hm, sounds great. But to be "surreal" i think the driver of the police boat should have been a lobster, frinstance, and/or the sunset could have been green.
 

BarryH

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Re: You are not allowed to say that word on here

Well thats what it says on the tin! Damn hard trying to roll a fag at anything over 15 or so knots.
 

aztec

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Re: You are not allowed to say that word on here

only a complete idiot would venture out in freezing temperature for engine testing!!

and so did I!!

only mine was.... launch the oyster thing at abbots quay, a tip down to fast monarch, connect up the new batteries, and get the pumps running etc...

followed by a nice trip into the brilliant sunshine, up river, past the road bridge over the bypass, round the "chicane" caused by downed trees and dead cows (if only i'd got there sooner... i could have eaten it!) and onto the nicest bit... the straight section directly into the sun, bit of snow but, hey, we're boating!...

soooo... IP 16 oyset launch for sale, fitted with a rather sweet running seagull, pushes her along surprisingly well...

now i'm looking for an outboard for my new project, a shetland suntrip, might even keep this one....

and TCM.... all my sunsets are green.

steve.
 
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