A couple of popped through Rhosydd last night to check the boat ready for a potential trip next week. Just as well too, as it was barely afloat. It clearly hadn't been used since the NWCRO call out of a couple of weeks, as it was still on the Croesor side.
Someone with the best of intentions, no doubt, had replaced all the lines with miles of blue polyprop of the type that tangles when you so much as look at it. But we really couldn't get our heads around their reasoning for the way it was rigged. From the Rhosydd side, it was rigged with two lines of blue rope running parallel with one passing through a series of loops tied to the other with short lengths of climbing rope. The whole caboodle was horrendously tangled. It's a wonder the boat had reached the Croesor end at all. When we hauled it back, it was untied from the Croesor end, with another tangle of blue rope floating inside it. Apart from that, the boat was empty, no paddle, no bailer, just lots of water.
We've left it rigged simply, with one line from the front to the Croesor side, and one from the rear to the Rhosydd side. That really is all that's needed. Anything more complicated is asking for trouble. We had to use the same horrible blue rope but this way there's a chance that it'll work for a while.
Incidentally, the short rope up from the boat chamber to Rhosydd is looking very worn and furry. We'll take a replacement next trip but if you're in there before us, be careful.
So as ever, if you're doing the trip, be prepared to swim or retrace your steps if necessary.