Looking at the video I remember we had one of those motor cruisers called "Aquila"which we moored up along the banks to listen to the music festival. One year we had some neighbours who joined us and we set off around 5pm from the Marina at Wargrave, a stones throw down stream. I had lots of soft drinks planned for the early hours but the neighbours had come with bottles and bottles of champagne. We had set off early to get a good position to moor on the banks, although we had sailed all our lives this was our first big motor cruiser. We had a lovely boat ride down stream and quite a long chat to the lock keeper who we all knew, and then we found a super spot to moor. It happened to be along the tow path and as the evening progressed more and more friends and neighbours came past and then came on board to join us. It was a great evening with Jools Holland and his band playing till around midnight. I was stone cold sober as I had hoped Malc would be, being in charge of the boat ( no luck there) It suddenly dawned on me that I was the only person who was in a position to navigate and drive the boat back. Our neighbour who had been something high up in the navy and had also owned a cruiser, told me " no problem, he would help me" We set off back and arrived at the first lock to discover of course the lock keeper had finished his duty and gone. Our jolly tar neighbour jumped out with the mooring line and lit up a cigarette. The cruiser in front was full of young drunken men who turned the lock wheel so quickly that the water rushed in at a great speed, the two boats were rocked violently from side to side and our neighbour was jerked viciously towards the water narrowly missing falling in. His wife meanwhile was being hauled in by Malc as she had tumbled on to a ledge at the rear of the boat, having fallen over the back seat.
We continued to the next lock, me driving of course, first time ever, with our neighbour stood on the upper deck shouting left hand down a bit and other nautical phrases which meant nothing to me. Remember it was pitch black out on the river and I was so frightened and furious with everybody. The second lock was not too bad and we were nearly back to the boatyard with everyone safe. The landing and mooring was a bit scary but in different circumstances I would have been quite proud of my driving prowess. I then drove everyone the couple of miles home in the car. The next morning we met our neighbour who said "what a brilliant evening, we must do it again next year" Malc could not reply about the evening as he did not remember the last part at all. !! This post should be called "irresponsible drunks on the river" and I think it took me at least a week before I could talk to any of them again.
Just asked Malc about the evening and he says " no,no, it was a goodnight, with a good time had by all!"
Val says in the words of the " Sloop John B" this is the worst ship I have ever been on.
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