We moored up on Saturday night ...
... at the Trevor end of Poncysyllte Aqueduct, just to the left here beyond the fence
8am Sunday morning and the ducks are clamouring for breakfast!
3:30 on our walk ... a colourful monument to local industry ...
... and that aqueduct; the pillars look so slender and even fragile compared to ...
... to the aqueduct at Chirk.
It's the River Dee that bubbles under ...
... Pontcysyllte ...
... through the impressive foundations ...
... and past that eyesore of a building .. probably a water station
I love this one against the clear sky silhouetting those walkers
Although the river does not look deep at all, it certainly rolls and bubbles around any obstacles in its way
What has Geoff discovered down there then?
Has hopes of becoming a tight-rope walker perhaps ...
... no I don't think so!
Ok, balance on the slippery stones instead ...
... a man with a purpose (I think) ...
Done it! Whatever 'it' was!
And now back again ...
tippity-toe!
And whatever Dad can do ...
Megs can do better!
4:30 and it looks like being another cold night ...
... as the sun goes down ...
... on our mooring ...
that's Ann and Chas and Geoff on the other side looking at the monument again.
George (hubby) and I settled down for a quiet evening, dinner then a bit of TV but it was not to be.
At about 8pm the picture on the tele started to break up, this happens occasionally if the boat moves about on it's mooring so I thought it would right itself as as the boat settled again. Then a few minutes later there was a bang on the boat as if another boat had hit us. George went to the front and opened the flap and came immediately back inside -
'that was the bow hitting the canal wall on the other side, someone has cut our front rope!'
It didn't take long to get the bow back over and secure it once again, but it took some time for us to calm down ... what stupid idiot does such a thing? It was a good job 'they' didn't cut both ropes as we may have then floated backwards with the flow onto the aqueduct, George would then have had a bit of shock opening the front flap to find himself in mid-air!
We alerted Moore 2 Life and Seyella of what had happened in case the culprit(s) were coming their way, it was only then it made us realise that there was someone out there in the dark with a knife!
Some really great pictures again Carol! Geoff was chancing it, but he is a boy at heart so I am not surprised
ReplyDeleteYou certainly were lucky not to have had both ropes cut where you are, it must have been a very unnerving night for you both not being in the comfort zone of other boaters.
I have seen boats tied with chains rather than ropes, I do hope it doesn't come to having to do that in the future, but it is certainly something to think about and maybe stow away for some areas.
But you would think that where you were you would have been quite safe!
Well that is one place you won't be stopping on the way back, and one for me to put in the notebook of non mooring spots too!
Glad you are both OK what with a knife mad idiot on the towpath. xx
Thanks Sue, chains are certainly something we may think seriously about and yes you're right, we won't be stopping there on the way back!
DeleteWow, that's alarming - I'd have thought Trevor would be immune from such shennanigans. Is there any CCTV in the basin?
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you and the boat were ok - Pontcysyllte turns my stomach - I don't like heights!
Sue, nb Indigo Dream
Thanks Sue, I travelled the aqueduct from inside RnR, I hate heights too! Trevor Basin does have cctv but apparently it's not too good but the police may be able to put a better time on the incident even if they can't make out the culprit(s).
DeleteI think the building is a sewage works! Pretty scary stuff with the rope and expensive (on top of the pram hood). Envying the fact that you can still move!
ReplyDeleteWith help from Geoff (Seyella) George managed to straighten the spars, we need now to glue some patches on the tears and get it professionally repaired as and when.
DeleteLovely photos again Carol - however the knife wielding rope cutter is a bit worrying - especially as it's only 3 days before we will be joining you (well probably not getting as far as the aqueducts as we will only have a week - I don't think the weather will be that good also, but we will see!)
ReplyDeleteHope the journey back is as good as the photos - with no idiots on the towpath!!
Charlie
Thanks Charlie, now that the police are investigating perhaps the idiots will stay away! We shall be heading back tomorrow probably.
DeleteWe had both ends cast adrift on the river in York a few years ago. The boat was heading towards a bridge with us fast asleep inside, until we were rescued by another boat which had seen what happened and came out to get us.
ReplyDeleteNow we always put a chain on unless it is a VERY quiet mooring that we know VERY well. Better safe than sorry!!
Eric ~ NB Doha.
Hi Eric, thanks for your comments - that incident must have been scary indeed. We shall certainly look into chains, but have some reservations about them rubbing through the paintwork and causing rust - have you been able to do anything to prevent that happening?
DeleteHi Carol and George. We use plastic tubing with lines/chain through to stop rubbing on at risk areas. Only short lengths required. Good luck. Chris and Phil. SV Castletown Princess.
DeleteThanks Chris, good idea.
DeleteHi Carol and George.
DeleteWe use the mooring ropes at both ends as normal, then wrap the chain around the rope spiral-fashion ar whichever end is going to be chained. Padlock one end to the T-stud or Dolly and the other end to the mooring ring, armco or whatever.
It doesn't generally cause any paintwork damage.
It won't stop bolt-cutters, of course, but it does deter the usual idiots.
Eric ~ NB Doha.
Thanks for the info Eric,
DeleteI just can't believe that we're now talking about chains, padlocks, armco and bolt cutters .. whatever is the world coming to I wonder.