Jolly Fine Boating Weather

Shrimp on the Lancaster Canal, originally uploaded by Bay Photographic.

A glorious Bank Holiday Saturday in late August gave me the opportunity to moor Shrimp at the front of the marina while the dayboats were out on hire. I fished for a while, took some photographs, fished a bit more, listened to the footy on Radio 5 (without the usual Radio Luxembourg backing track thanks to portable DAB) , watched the world go by and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I was struck by how many of the boats passing me were steel narrowboats. I wouldn't like to put a figure to it, but there seems to be a year on year increase in the number of steel boats finding their way to the Lancaster. There are occasional outbreaks of low level antagonism between owners of GRP and steel boats (more often than not confined to grumbling about each other in a vague, irrational and ill informed way) but as a photographer I am glad of a bit of colour on the water.
The picture above bears this out. While my Orkney Longliner 'Shrimp' is over exposed and blown out, despite my own and Photoshop's best efforts, the narrowboat passing up the canal is all colour and contrast.
I realise that there are several other differences between a 16 foot GRP fishing boat and a belting great floating cottage but until such time as my retirement fund comes of age, I prefer to concentrate on those I can interact with.