Today was supposed to be an easy pootle in to Stratford basin, it just didn’t quite work out that way. We left before 9am, wanting to make an early-ish start so we arrived at Stratford Basin late morning in the hope that those that were leaving had left, and those that were arriving were still to arrive.

Through the first lock, and I was steering.  I wasn’t concentrating and went too close to a hawthorn bush which resulted in two scratch lines all the way along the starboard side (knock to confidence part 1).  We stopped below the next lock and Toby went to Halfords to purchase some polish and oil for the oil change later on the holiday.

We made it in to the basin and Toby was doing a fine job in reversing on to the pontoon.  I was at the bow swapping the centre line to the other side, I don’t know what happened, but I slipped.  I tried to hold on – at this point hanging down the side of the boat with my legs in the water.  Toby came to help, but I just couldn’t get up, so there was only one thing for it, and in I went!  I held on to the fender rope while Toby reversed the boat in to the pontoon, a lovely couple on the boat next door (Taktimu) came out to help, the lady keeping the boat away from the pontoon and me, and the gentleman helping Toby to man haul me out of the water and on to the pontoon – all in front of quite a number of  Chinese tourists, and a few other folk takings pics (knock to confidence part 2). Toby was awesome, coping with mooring the boat, and me falling in – I married a good’un!

We walked in to Stratford and had icecream for lunch, ferrero rocher sundae for me, and a chocoholic waffle for Toby – yum.

We came back and spent some time trying to polish out the scratches with some success.  Fish and Chips for tea – what else do you do on a Friday night?!