“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” In this case perhaps the title should have been ‘with’ instead of ‘in’.

This quote by Ratty to Mole in the novel ‘The Wind in the Willows’ echos my own thoughts about boats. Many of my most joyful times have been spent either in them or under them.

These two boats, in the backwaters of Loch Leane, might be docked for now, but come the opening of the season, their owners, fishers for sure, will be be feeling just the same; messing about in boats.