A bad start!

After spending a wet and windy winter trapped in Bray Marina I was looking forward to getting under way once the final locks had reopened downriver.  But fate had other plans.

Chrissie joined me with her two grandsons, Zack and Cameron, for the trip down to Shepperton and we left the marina just before 11.00 hrs after a safety briefing for the boys.  We were asked for a licence at Boveney Lock which I didn't have; mine had expired on 31 December 2013.  £77 later I had a licence for two days which should leave ample time to get past Teddington and into the tidal Thames. But, just five miles out of Bray we ran aground.  Cameron was on the helm and I had just warned him not to cut the right angled bend we were navigating when we hit.  We weren't that close to the bank and  the shallows extended a long way out.  But there was no buoy in evidence as there normally is marking shallows.  Why not Environment Agency?!  I took the helm and tried reversing out but the river was running and we were driven further onto the shallows.  High engine revs got us off for a moment or two but  soon we hit again as we went astern. The rudder got jammed over to starboard and when we eventually got off I couldn't straighten it.  I heaved the wheel over and suddenly it released.  What I didn't know was that the bracket holding the hydraulic steering ram had shattered meaning I had no steering at all.  We were now being swept downstream towards Windsor & Eton bypass bridge and I was fortunate in being able to manouvre the boat with the engine abd bowthruster.  We swept under the bridge without further mishap but Bovey Lock and weir were just ahead.  I needed to stop our progress downstream.  I decided to drop the anchor once close to the bank but the anchor stock was jammed in the hawsepipe so that idea evaporated.  By now we were close to the bank so I ran the bow gently into the bank and Zack scrambled ashore with a line and got a turn around a tree stump.  We stopped and I jumped ashore with the stern line and soon we were tied up to two trees - safe for the moment.  Investigating the problem I soon found the broken sterring ram bracket and so started a frustrating afternoon emailing and telephoning agents trying to find a replacement.  It proved impossible and all I could find was a replacement for the entire assembly - cost £500!  Fitting it would add another £500 so I called my insurers.  As insurers are wont to do they were non comiital and insisted on a completed claim form before even considering my claim.  Fortunately Windsor Leisure Centre was nearby and I was able to print off a claim form, complete it, scan it and email it back.

Chrissie and the boys left for home and after a cold night on board my insurers told me the following morning that the claim had been received and they would get back to me shortly.  Sadly any sense of urgency escaped them and that evening I was still waiting to hear from them.  Insurers are great at processing claims aren't they?  Now it's just a waiting game.  Waiting for the replacement ram etc and waiting for the insurers to accept the claim.  I live in hopes!