Sympathy !

[byron]

Even though it's a Narrowboat I have to feel sympathy for the people aboard. They are moored up downstream of my property on the opposite side of the river. There's no way their boat can tackle the stream that is running and from where they are there's no shops available or anything else for that matter.
Being an old softy if they are still stuck there in February I might go and give them a tow up to Wallingford /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Chris_d]

Rivers going to rise rapidly in the next few days as well, its just burst the banks up here at Clifton Hampden today.

You might be rescuing them soon!

 

[theguvnor]

So you`re just an old softie after all

Have you stopped shooting at them yet ?

 

[JKay]

Leave 'em there till the clocks change ............








next year /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

cheers Joe

 

[byron]

Clifton always goes first including the road below the bridge. Then Wallingford quickly follows. We are still a long way to coming over the top, probably 6-8" or so. My paddocks are pretty soggy though because the water comes around the back of them.
I am reluctant to offer assistance because once before I tried to help someone and was told in no uncertain terms they would not accept help from a plastic bathtub. They ended up partly over the bank and the Farmer pushed them back in with his Tractor when it all dropped.

 

[TrueBlue]

Byron,

Perhaps you do have some redeeming qualities after all!

If you approach them in your gleaming powerful Launch - especially with that grossly oversized (Is it a 2yd??) bit of Blue on the back, they'll be frightened lest you be a bit of Officialdom ( /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif), but it would be a nice gesture, and if they're sensible they'll accept.

I judge matters on the attitude of the people rather than their style of boat. I don't know why but I get the impression that many boaters on the Thames are unsure of what to do, what they can do, and who to ask. Perhaps I'm a bit OTT, but am always prepared to ask if I'm unsure. It's amazing what extra one can learn from an idle question.

If folk are moored at this time of year, then they're probably unsure of whether or not they should be there and tend to be aggressive to compensate.

I enjoy rescuing other boaters gives me a feeling of being a proper Waterman...

 

[byron]

Yup! I believe in oversized Ensigns just like the olden days; I detest soppy little Ensigns; tiny little handerkerchiefs flapping disconsolately off the blunt end of boats.
I will in fact keep an eye on them. Although after 30 years as an Aux.Coastguard Afloat and now off the sea I had hoped my 'rescue' role had ceased. Where they are moored though I think their main problem will prove to be food and water.

 

[Captain Coochie]

I would be very happy to take advice and help from a local . You would be daft not to . I think your a very nice man /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Chris_d]

Just been down to check the boat and we're up nearly a foot on last night, with all the rain we had today I expect a lot more water by tomorrow night, theres usualy a 24hr delay. Takes a lot of water to flood your reach I know but all the conditions are nearly there for a big one.

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
Just been down to check the boat and we're up nearly a foot on last night, with all the rain we had today I expect a lot more water by tomorrow night, theres usually a 24hr delay. Takes a lot of water to flood your reach I know but all the conditions are nearly there for a big one.

[/ QUOTE ]
Interesting that you get a 24 hour delay. Our is about 48 hours, maybe slightly less. As you rightly say this stretch takes a lot of filling up and of course there's tons of flood plain.

 

[Chris_d]

Yup 24 to 48hrs, depends where the rain is I suppose, if they've had a lot of rain in the Cotswolds it takes a day or two at a couple of knots to reach us. The Culham reach above me has been about 3/4ft higher than normal for a couple of weeks but Clifton only a ft, they hold it back as long as possible because there's a bit more to damage on our stretches, but now looking dodgy.
I put a rope on tonight to pull the boat out into the stream, boat was over the landing stage, the going up is normaly not a problem its not being there when it goes down /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

What is it like in Sunbury at the mo Jason? It looked about a meter or so up last Sunday, over the bank on the lock island and running very fast. I pitied the narrowbat caning the whatsit out of his engine heading up past the Weir pub.

Any water in that fancy new relief channel up Windsor way yet?

 

[TrueBlue]

[ QUOTE ]
Yup! I believe in oversized Ensigns just like the olden days; I detest soppy little Ensigns; tiny little handerkerchiefs flapping disconsolately off the blunt end of boats.
I will in fact keep an eye on them. Although after 30 years as an Aux.Coastguard Afloat and now off the sea I had hoped my 'rescue' role had ceased. Where they are moored though I think their main problem will prove to be food and water.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very heartening Byron, I like big flags 'cos it's well time folks started showing and feeling some form of identity. Those that do are wearing Reds so I feel obliged to wear (with the appropriate entitlement, of course) something else. at the minimum it gets people taking. I thought mebe as I had commented on your Ensign that perhaps I'd get another to-and-fro on the subject. Ah, well later perhaps.

I'm really posting to wonder whether your luckless Narrowboat occupier can't hop across the field to the road on which there is a filling station not too far upstream of you - past the School, which looks large enough to have some foodstiuffs? Fresh water is a problem, but true "travellers" are pretty resourceful, and if again are of the true variety don't leave a lot of unpleasantness behind them.

As an aside, many, many years ago we had a Romany van on "our" common who tucked himself away in a corner, never asked for anything, went away quietly and didn't leave any mess. later we had a chap in van, came and asked for water, politely - which I gave willingly and cheerily. He went away in due course, no damage, no mess.

Latterly we had some New Age Variety. Quite a different story...

Gone off beam a bit (yet again). Nurse is coming with some home made Beef Burgers, so must go.

 

[Brayman]

Byron, what's happened to the Narrowboat, is he still there or now straddling the weir?