Whoops we’re aground!

Well yesterday was intended to be a trip to the boat for a check of the engine and a quick run down harbour and back to check everything was ready fot coming ashore next weekend. Things didn’t go according to plan though!

The club has just purchased its own lifting gear and tractor to manage launch and lift out each year, and this year is going to be the first time it has been used. When we got down to the club we found that the tractor drivers were having a bit of practice with the new equipment and bringing a couple of boats ashore early (since the weather was reasonably good). On the way down the slip we were asked whether we would like to come ashore too. Well why not be a guinea pig?!

So Dad dropped me off on Happy Mouse (the computing reference is purely coincidence, she was named and registered before I got her) and headed across to his boat. I checked the engine and after Dad had done the same for Pimpernel he headed back and we dropped the mooring to head down and see what was happening (things were a little fluid in terms of whether we were actually coming ashore or not, and communication was vague). There appeared to be the odd person around on the slip and the lifting gear was sitting there so we decided to try the radio. Well we didn’t have one on board since Happy Mouse was clear of gear, so I pulled alongside Pimpernel on her mooring and Dad jumped ship.

OK, so we were going ashore. This meant I had to pick up Pimpernel’s mooring and secure to the second strop, jump ship and then we could drop the mooring on Pimpernel. All went smoothly (thankfully) and I was at the helm of a 26ft Kingfisher instead of a Kingfisher 20 Plus (we’re not biased towards Kingfishers at all!). We were at the top of a spring tide so wind was all I had to worry about and we were soon in the docking arms, although the strop did catch on the keels a few times, so we had to adjust a few times before we were secure.

Once in the compound there was a bit of adjustment to another boat before Pimpernel could be put in place, so Dad had time to rush home and get the chocks for under the keels, while I thumbed a lift out to Happy Mouse to lock up and rescue the tender. So that just leaves one to do next weekend – fingers crossed for nice weather again!

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