Schadenfreude and unschadenfreude

Schadenfreude - "the malicious enjoyment of another's misfortunes" was what Rick and I experienced yesterday while talking to the lock keeper at Foxton.  I am reminded of this by Adam's comment on yesterday's post.  He says a boat got sideways on to the locks in the short pound betwen the two Foxton staircases.  How a boat can get sideways on in such a short space is hard to imagine.

Anyway Rick and I were talking to the lock keeper about where all the water went to from the little overspill gullies in this pound - I suppose about 70ft square.  "It might look calm on the surface" said the lockie, "but it's a maelstrom underneath.  Look at this boat coming now, all in control.  When it gets here (coming downhill into the top of the second staircase) it'll whack into the  stone shoulder of the lock entrance."

We couldn't se why it should.  It was a very good boat - a Hudson I think- with a competent looking crew heading straight toward the open lock.  Then quick as a flash it veered off course and whacked hard straight into the stone shoulder, then rebounded with a bang onto the other lock wall.  Crash bang wallop! The crew's embarrassment wasn't helped by our laughing, but we weren't laughing at them, only at the fact that the lockie's prediction had been so accurate.

Why are people always there when you mess it up? 

Today when we arrived back at home in Crick, I steered into the marina entrance on a perfect line, swung over to the first pontoon on the left where Kath leapt off.  She then ran round to our pontoon ready to catch a rope.  I did a perfect turn and reverse and backed into our narrow space without even needing Kath's help.

I imagine I will never execute such a perfect manoeuvre again in my boating career.

Who was watching this?  Nobody!!

In yesterday's post I mentioned I had had a go at the scariest boat maintenance job.  Details tomorrow, but before then can anyone guess what it was?