There are a few ways to moor your boat when traveling on the canal. The Water Authority will often have put metal rings along the towpath side at set intervals and you can tie up to them. The rings aren't moving so as long as your ropes don't break, you aren't moving either.
Alternatively, the side of the canal might have a corrogated metal facing installed ad you can use a special pin to secure the ropes to this facing. Again, unless you pull the entire strip of facing off, you aren't going anywhere.
The third, and least secure option, is to drive long metal stakes into the ground and secure the ropes from the boat to these. Usually one at the bow and one at the stern works. But, if you are a belt and suspenders type of guy, a third stake amid ship gives you some extra insurance. Any of you who know Mike know he is literally a belt and suspenders guy.
So, imagine our surprise when we discovered this morning that our boat was crosswise in the canal and effectively blocking traffic going both ways. (Embarrassed red face can be inserted here.)
Too many boats passing ours at too fast a speed had created too much wake and, with the wind helping, pulled all but the stern pin out of the ground. So, the stern was attached to one side of the canal and the bow was over near the shore on the other side of the canal (where the wind had taken it).
This, my friends, is why my sleeping attire on the boat is something like sweatpants and a sweatshirt. You can respond quickly to a need without giving the neighbors a shock. :-)
Suffice to say we are back where we belong and we now have five pins pounded into the ground holding the boat: 2 at the bow, 2 at the stern, and 1 in the middle. So, is it two belts and one pair of suspenders or one belt and two pairs of suspenders?
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