Wednesday 27 July 2016

Good and bad

First off the good news. Nev turned up last night with his big spanners and we were able almost to stop the weeping joints. There's still a trace of ooze from one of them, giving a bit of a niff after the engine's been run and then turned off, but hopefully it's something we can live with until we get to Poynton and get Andy to remake the joint. I don't want to nip it up any further and risk stripping a thread or sheering something, thereby going from trivial irritation to broken down in one easy move!

Anyway, we're very grateful to Nev for taking the time to help out and it was good to have a catch up natter with him into the bargain. Boating is still amazing for the way people help each other out when in difficulties.

After all the excitement, we settled for fish and chips from the Alrewas Fryer for dinner. They're still some of the best we know.

Now for the less good. Incredibly, someone has managed to steal a boat from Mercia Marina by sheer brass neck. The thief got himself through the security gate somehow and then asked the way to Moorhen Pontoon. Once there, he walked confidently up to the boat, opened it, started the engine and boated off. It was all done so smoothly that those who saw him assumed he was taking it at the owners' request to work on it.

The theft wasn't discovered until the owners arrived to stay on it and there it was gone. It's a dreadful thing to happen to anyone, but the entire online canal community is on the case and there's every reason to hope it will be tracked down and recovered. There's a thread about it on CWDF with photos of the boat and phone and crime numbers to use if anyone spots it.

If you are near a canal, please visit http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=86179&page=1, brief yourself and keep an eye out! There are possible sightings on the Staffs and Worcs, at Hillmorton on the North Oxford and at Stoke Bruerne on the GU. The boat's been gone for between one and two weeks so could be anywhere on the connected system by now, just about.

Weirdly, this case is almost identical to a theft from Kings Bromley Marina the other week. Again, the thief, this time dressed in overalls, just walked up to the boat, started it and took it away and the onlookers assumed he was taking it to work on. That boat has been found on the Staffs and Worcs with a lot of the thief's possessions inside, including a repeat prescription form.

The police are anxious to interview the person concerned, as they say.

We've had a quiet day today. A bit of tidying has been done, turning out some cupboards and sorting out stuff for the charity auction at the Owners' Weekend. The plan for tomorrow is to make an early start and work up Fradley, aiming for Kings Bromley before the rain arrives.

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