I moored near Hampton Court Palace for a few days, on the other side of the Thames in East Molesey. It’s a charming, old-fashioned place with small cafes and antique shops.
When I went to leave I found I couldn’t. The water level must have dropped slightly and Bristol Fashion was stuck on the bottom of the river. I got the barge pole out and tried to shove her off from the bank; I ran the engine in forwards and reverse; I tried rocking the boat: nothing worked.
So I walked up to the nearby lock and asked the crew of a narrowboat called Tree Pipit for help. They drove their boat in front of mine and attached a rope from their bow to my bow. Then they put their boat into reverse and after a few stalled attempts, dragged mine back out into the deeper water. That’s Tree Pipit in the photo, cheers!
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