More morning mayhem

Coming, going, stopping, starting. It's all action at the lock

More of the weekend bedlam at Bradford on Avon lock today as hire boats, day boats, private boats and the trip boat all milled around going in and out of the lock, turning round, trying to get water and just trying not to hit each other. Often without success!
It's been called the busiest lock in the system and I'm not surprised – over the past couple of days I've counted boats from no less than thirteen – yes that's thirteen – different hire companies in the vicinity of Bradford.
That's narrowboats, two or three widebeams, a massive hotel boat and day boats. And they're the worst.

Just trying to avoid each other is hard enough

Today two boatloads of boisterous lads loaded up their beer and wine onto the local Wiltshire Narrowboats day boats and set off. Sort of. Later, while we were out on a short cruise with friends we saw them helling down the cut towards us like a pair of speedboats, massive wakes ploughing into the banks either side. Fortunately no-one was moored on that stretch; if they had been, their mooring pins would have been yanked from the ground.

Dayboats get ready for their booze cruise – and a dip

But this grumpy old boater got his revenge. It was showtime for everyone back at the lock when they returned at the end of the day and one tried to moor on the lock landing. Bash, the nose hit it; bash, then the stern. Next, a drunken throw of the stern rope to the bank sent it into the water where it was gobbled up by the fast revving prop. And finally – and inevitably – someone fell in. Did he have his phone in his pocket? Of course he did.