On what was a, very, bitter cold afternoon, I went up to the boat yard and watched our boat coming out of the water. I arrived at 12.30pm and things were already happening. To get our boat into the paint shed, first they had to get the existing one out. To get the existing one out, they had to move a couple of others around in what turned out to be a big game of the Chuckle Brothers- ‘To you, To me!’
Eventually all boats were where they needed to be and so it was our turn. Like all things to do with boating, it is all done slowly but best explained in three separate stages.
Stage 1 – Out the water.
The crane dips 2 vast slings into the canal side edge, against the cut, and Daisy Duke (or Morgan’s Mist as she officially still is) was driven into them. Once in place, Stuart the crane drive, ‘jiggles’ the slings until the weight is central to the boat. Then she is simply lifted out of the water and clear of the edge. As she dangled over the water I did have a fear of our boat snapping in two and disappearing into the canal. Not the case, up she came!
Stage 2 – Slewing the boat into position
Having steadied the boat on the edge, Stuart slewed the boat around and rested her above the trailer that protruded from the paint shed. This was the longest single motion but she held firm and was soon in place.
Stage 3 – Going into the shed
Once in situ over said trailer, she was lowered into place and slings removed. At this point I felt an element of relief as I now knew that the boat couldn’t actually ‘fall’ anywhere. However, we weren’t finished yet as this mass of steal had to get actually into the paint shed before daylight beat us. The crane gently rolls away but only to be replaced by a big tractor that reversed our boat into the shed. Soft ground and days of snow and rain made the trailer dig in at times but success was ours and in she went.
In total it took about 1 ¼ hours to complete the move and all were cold at the end. A big thanks to Pete and his team in getting her in and as the shed tarpaulin was pulled over I felt we were onto the next stage of our adventure and am looking forward to seeing the reverse operation next year when she is finally ready for the water. I left at 4.15pm a lot happier than when I arrived thinking Jo and I had received an early Christmas present.
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