Been worried to death all day wondering how everything went with the boat move. Roy and I both waited until we were home together so we could phone Nigel (The boat mover).

I asked Nigel how he was and he replied ” a bit hacked off”. Roy and I had a panic look on our face until he continued to say he was hacked off with the marina as they did not bother to fill the boat up with diesel ready for today and furthermore made him wait which has made him late getting to Teddington Lock and to cut a long story short he was too late to go through the lock so he has to remain where he is until 4 pm tomorrow before he can move. Nigel was very nice about it. I am not sure hacked off is the word I would have used about the situation at the marina …mine may have been a lot stronger, but still would have ended in ####ed. I am glad Nigel was so good about it all.

After speaking to Nigel we are so glad he is moving the boat for us and he has reassured us we have bought a good boat (thats always good to know). I feel really sorry for him that he has to wait now until 4 pm tomorrow until he can move the boat again because of the tide but he has said that will give him plenty of time to get to know the boat inside out which is good becasue when he arrives back we will probably have so many questions to ask him.

If you are reading this Nigel, I hope the weather stays dry for you and all the locks will be in your favour. Really sorry about the diesel situation. I will be having words with them 😉

It will be the first time Roy and I will have “driven” a traditional boat with the wheely thingy ma jig ( don’t even know what it is called ) throttle?? accelerator?? and also with the pully handle thing (reverse and forward). If my technical words are anything to go by my first go at steering it (driving, crusing?) will be very interesting.