Risk assessment lacking, a splash and a profound loss to me.

So a couple of photos that I forgot to include the other day.  This first one is when I was feeling Super Smug watching all those vehicles rumble over the motorway.  Funnily enough when we are going over a motorway with a canal underneath it, I slow down and get into the outside lane to get a good view of 1.5 seconds of boats.  Makes me feel all happy.

  

She made me jump as she poked her heard around the corner.

 

These grow alongside the tow path but here was a huge mass on them on a particularly boggy patch. 

Immediately before Wheelock coming down was this, it wins the Prettiest Cottage of the Day Competition.

A little bit more pruning needed here.

 

Then we reached here.  The first time I came through here with Amanda onboard going up Heartbreak Hill these newly built houses had not been started.  I think there may have been a For Sale board for the land.  There are three locks hereabouts, I was turning each lock as was the boat that came into view following us.  It was here that I met on his bike the owner of NB Billy that featured in yesterdays post and because I was chatting and not closing the gates David took from me my favourite windlass and worked the lock, while I got on WaL.

Firstly there was a sill of some kind out of view that Wal became perched on, energetic revving by me didn't do any good, so D put more water back in the lock.  By now the following boat's crew had arrived.  

The second time down and all was clear and out I pootled, the gates closed behind me and WaL's stern drifted over to the offside as the by-wash pushed her nose over to the tow path.  David appeared and came down the "Boaters Steps", we don't know if he was a bit fast or his smooth soled shoes did the damage or wet steps but he slipped down and was in the water in half a second.  First thing I remember doing was pushing WaL out again giving him space in the water between WaL and the brick wall then a second later turned off the engine.

I yelled HELP to the crew up above us but unsighted, they didn't hear so again pushing WaL off him I ran to get help and they quickly came to help.

Well D is only a little squirt but blimey he's heavy when immersed fully clothed.  Two of us somehow got him up so he could use his own arms to heave and the third person kept WaL on the other side of the small space.

He reported no injuries which was a good thing.  We thanked them profusely, David did an open air striptease act, luckily fairly warm and then showered, twice with double soap and I smothered his cuts with Teatree oil.

Sadly the main casualty was my favourite windlass, a now irreplaceable windlass as they are no longer manufactured.  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy David didn't expire or anything but I am pretty sad about that loss.

Anyway, we got to Middlewich without further ado.  Moored up in the sun and after coffee and breakfast, a very late breakfast I looked at his ankle and it wasn't swollen but a spreading purple stain was moving across the foot.  Quietly and without comment I googled the nearest A&E dept as I thought an X-Ray might be required....

Tea time and we were going to walk to the Fish & Chip shop by the main lock in Middlewich called Kings Lock.  This F&C shop is widely known of and highly recommended.

David climbed out of the boat gingerly and put his foot down, there was no way he could walk the length of the boat let alone back to the shop but it was a Saturday night, who wants to sit in A&E on a Saturday?

Fish and chips were great and his  wet slippy shoes went in the bin.

Next morning we drove home, he'd taken anti inflammatory pills and it was no worse.

Calling in to our ex-rugby playing SIL Leon supplied David with a knee elasticated bandage and it proved to be a magic cure.

So he mended quickly, frightened the bejesus out of his wife but my mother appreciated our home visit.

Does anyone have a Dunton Windlass they want to sell?