High and dry: narrowboat left stranded in lock

10:40am Thursday 10th July 2008

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A NARROWBOAT was stranded overnight after it got stuck in a Worcester lock.

The boat, called Abigail, ended up with its bow sticking upwards and the stern on the bottom after its side was caught on a protruding piece of brickwork and water began to pour inside.

Holidaymakers in two other narrowboats behind the stricken vessel at lock 14, near Offerton Lane, were forced to abandon their boating plans for the day as they waited for the boat to be moved.

British Waterways staff also had to drain part of the canal to prevent more water from entering the vessel.

David Miller, who was operating the lock while his friend steered the boat, said they had been travelling from Lichfield to Worcester yesterday when it got stuck. He said: “There was no time to do anything. It’s one of those freak things. A little ridge of brickwork that’s moved over 200 years was enough to catch it. Luckily, nobody was hurt.”

He praised the lockkeeper who he said had given help along with bacon sandwiches and cups of tea.

John and Rachel Greenwood, who were on a Portharb Narrowboat Holiday, moored up at 11am yesterday after they were unable to continue their journey.

Mr Greenwood said: “We’ve been on the boat for a week now. We stopped at 11am. We were trying to get to Worcester for a day out. We can’t go forward or back. We can’t turn round. We’ve just got to wait. We can’t do anything until they clear the boat.”

A crane is due to winch the boat clear of the lock so the water can be pumped out this morning.