The Stowaways

I decided to take a short trip from my mooring to the Byfleet Boat Club on Sunday afternoon as the weather was beautiful for a change. Coxes Lock is about 300yds away and is the deepest unmanned lock on the Wey Navigation. I noticed a very large dead fish in the lock and asked some local twenty year old lads, who were fishing, what it was. A bream apparently. There were also some girls with the lads and one of them asked if they (the girls) could have a ride on the boat; to which I replied “Of course, if there are only three of you.” They went off to a car to change out of bikinis and came back looking just the same, but with shorts on and clutching a bottle of Rosé.

Up on the cabin top they went and remained there for the trip, but when we got to New Haw lock, 15 mins away, they requested to go further, as long as they had time to go to the local shop to get more alcohol, while I went through the lock. Not much good as a crew then, but they did supply the booze.

I cruised past the Boat Club and had a few ribald comments from the male members, before arriving at The Anchor in 30mins time, where the girls happily jumped ship, but not before dishing out kisses of thanks before they left.

I always knew that ‘Stronghold’ was an attractive boat, but never realised that she was such a powerful pulling machine!


The only problem was seeing where I was going!