New pontoon is a bit rummy

The Granny-baiting Narrowboatworld has picked up on a press release for a new modular pontoon system, Simbro, which is going into the revamped Whixall Marina. Apparently, Simbro’s manufactured “with strategically placed holes designed to allow mooring fingers and pontoons to be located in any orientation and layout, plus pile brackets, mooring cleat facilities and service ducts.”

In other words, it’s bringing pontoons into the 21st century. And where is the fun in that? Whatever happened to mooring to three planks of wood lashed together with a bootlace and balanced on an oil drum? It really does wonders for your balance and you can easily pass your ropes all the way round ‘the walkway’ for that snugger fit. No more having to ferret under those pukka pontoons for your whipped end. With this Simbro stuff, even the finger ends glow at night – theirs, not yours – so Whixall will look less like a marina and more like a firefly convention.