what a pigs ear I made of that then ...

So I wanted to go back to the water point at Great Haywood and there were three boats behind me.

a boat (presumably from the Staffs and Worcs) came backwards past me just as I was about to set off to moor ahead of me.  He did it beautifully in a lovely straight line so I thought I would be fine going the other way.

So in the wind and the rain I go backwards.  The wind is pushing my bows towards the towpath so I am in danger of dragging my bows on the boats behind. I have successfully missed boat number one.

I straighten up - yeah right - I get wedged (gently) with my bows resting on the bows of the middle boat and my stern in the reeds.  Man off said boat kindly pushes my bows off his boat for me so I can release the back button.  I straighten up but slightly over do it - now the wind is pushing my bows away from the towpath so my backside is now heading towards the same middle boat.  Man kindly comes to the back of his boat and takes my middle rope in an attempt to assist.  Finally we manage to get my backside next to the bows of boat number three (last one) and nice man gets on to the towpath and together with the umbilical cord we negotiate the obstacles on the roof of boat number three.  Bobcat is now going backwards in a straight line.  Of course it is!  Having past boat number three man gives me back my middle rope so I can simply reverse past the entrance to the Staffs and Worcs and arrive at the completely empty water point.  As it is raining boater off boat number one who has been watching avidly goes into his boat.  Helpful man off boat number two also goes into his boat.

I am once more alone.

Wind immediately takes the bows  and wafts it off away from the towpath.  I am in danger of reversing down the Staffs and Worcs.

I do not want to turn around, so I have to keep putting them there bows all the way across the winding hole on the offside at an angle in amongst the sheep and gradually try and get the boat back far enough so that when I finally do get my backside at the water point the boat won't suddenly change direction.

Man on boat number three can't bear it any longer and crosses the bridge to assist in the mooring up.  I give him my middle rope and together we finish the job.  He returns to his boat having said 'what you need is a man'  I replied 'I have one but I sent him home'.

I set off at 10.30 and arrived at the water point at 11.20 approximately 5 boat lengths away.  Is that a record?