Brandy Pad to the rescue

• On the move
• Problems

Life on the cut never seems to be dull.  Yesterday, we were approaching a lock on our way to Chester when we saw a boat ahead of us, just above the lock.  The skipper was signalling to us frantically and as we got a little closer, we realised he wanted us to stop.  It turned out to be a “Coal Boat” and he was stuck on an underwater obstruction.

There are several Coal Boats that ply their trade along the canals, selling coal, diesel, pump-outs, fenders and all sorts of things that people, especially those that don’t move from their moorings, might want.  They are big – around 70 feet long.  This one needed our help as he had been unable to pole off the obstruction – something you would normally hope to do with a barge-pole when you run aground.

First we tried tying our bow rope to his stern bollard and reversing hard, but it wouldn’t shift.  By now, he was blocking a boat coming up the canal, as well as us trying to go down.

At this point, he was going to give up and was indicating for us to go ahead into the lock.  However, I had another idea, which was to tie our bow line to his bow T-bar and see it we could pull him off the obstruction that way.

With the help of a passing good samaritan monitoring progress – we both had to be on the stern of our boats to reverse hard – we finally managed to shift “Halsall”.

Most boaters are willing to help out in difficult situations as it goes both ways.  You never know when it might be you that needs help. Underwater hazards can catch anyone out as they are often not visible. Known ones tend to have warning signs, but you can always get caught out by the hidden ones and some canals are more problematic than others, especially in the summer if there is a shortage of water.  You never know when you are going to come across the ubiquitous shopping trolley.

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