Newold

What is a winter mooring?

Is that inside your own pc? Jeez that's a lot dread to think what my laptop is like!

You know what that's a bloody great idea and it would look a lot better than external shutters! If I had my way it would be portholes but the Mrs won't have it due to less light although I'm trying to convince her roof lights of sorts could be put in! I bought the Crick DVD from Canal magazine and it shows some nice internal shutters over portholes on one boat. Yeah you have me thinking now thank you.

Thanks Alan I was being sarcastic I did think it was perhaps just a design trend once. I've also noticed more boats with wood or plastic sheets that drop over the window! So how commen if at all is it that windows get put through? I know with many things they just don't get reported so I wonder how accurate statistics are? Thanks.

Oh I love the tone of that! I get people like you come up to me after a class and they say if only I trained with you a year ago I wouldn't have got glassed,bottled,stabbed ect. Take the Mick all you like my skin is very thick! I'm not planning to lock myself in at all but I do wonder if the boats I see with shutters are based on a bad experience after realising their blasie attitude bite them in the ass!!

I replied to her post I didn't interpret anything. If any woman thinks she can take on a drunk but able aggressive male without training and survive they are seriously deluded. I never said anything about using air guns or bb guns as they are totally ineffective. You are totally ignorant in relation to self protection if your comments are anything to go by. That's not my guess it's based on information you have given. But feel free to live in your candy floss world I'll see you no doubt in the future at one of my seminars!

I wouldnt know about the windows being kicked in Matty but if that was a worry they would help I suppose although the insulation aspect sounds good to me. Ive seen some and often thought jeez if there was a fire.... Phylis wouldnt a knock on the door confirm no one was in anyway but with closed shutters making the easiet way to get into a boat no longer an option? IM only making an uneducated guess as I dont know.

Lol if they had her wearing tight leggings ect this would sell bucket loads lol

What are peoples thoughts on having shutters on windows and do you have them on your boat? Anyone got any photos of where they actually look nice? Are they a hazard perhaps although offering added security even if it is just peace of mind for those who want them? Would love to hear peoples thoughts. Thnks.

I think Dean on the whole based upon the experience of the people on this forum trouble is far and few between on the canals. Its a case of if you look like a soft tartget you will be a victim in any walk of life not just the canals. And awareness is definately the key as you will see any potential problem before it could develop. Karls advise about letting on to people under bridges ect is spot on becasue you are engaging them positively. You get in your car and put on the seat belt as you know there is a risk so you make an educated choice. That dont make someone paranoid it makes them prepared. I must say though to the lady who thinks dealing with drunks a simple case of sending them on their every time way is playing with fire. You have clearly never come across someone who wants to do serious harm they will knock you on your backside I can tell you Ive seen it many a time,then when you are on the floor they stamp on your face. Unless you have seen that level of violence you will never believe what people are capable of. It takes considerable force to take down a drunk who is able to still walk who has the added benefit of not feeling pain and next to zero ability to reason. Fair enough a dog is no match for a gun but how often will that ever be likely. A family dog with natural guarding instincts will put 99% of would be problems at bay so perhaps bring one into the family Dean not just as a deterent but as a pleasure to have around. They are great and encourage the kids to be responsible and to be active. Something like a Boxer would be nice not too big and pretty agile. Seriously download The Fence by Geoff Thompson. All the best.

Lol I know you are IM just taking the bait. Well you are certainly right they do but I think a lot of it is to do with the media and the recent student protests have not helped. I think if you are a victim of crime its dont matter who they are really or how old you still end up feeling terrible. All the best.

I have not said this kind of behaviour was exclusive to any group of people. My word ''youths'' came from the thread as that was what someone else was refering to. But on the flip side of your attitude don't youths commit crimes where you are based? They carry guns up in Manchester at 14 come and give them your attitude and see how smart you feel then with your PC stance! Love to hear the names you call them then Makes my point perfectly thanks. But I dare say being an elephant you never get any bother! Ooops better not call an Elephant an Elephant may get accused of being a Bigot.

You are very right in what you say to an extent. I agree with the avoiding aspect of staying out of harms way and that is my mindset always (if possible) But does not mean you should lay down and get rolled over. If you were trained there is no way on the earth anyone would take anything off you. Its your mindset that will hurt you. Where do you draw the line? After they have smashed all your windows while having a laugh while drunk? I know this based on years of training and pressure testing such notions that they are opinons of people who have no experience of dealing with violent behaviour. And thats not a bad thing IM not having a go which ever way you look at it violence is never nice and talk of it always raises egotistical sweeping statements in the best of people. Along with the notion that protecting yourself and your property will get you in trouble. It simply isnt true. I know a few ladies including landlandies who send many choice drunk blokes packing with and without weapons and they are only 5'2'' little things. Its their experience of dealing with those circumstances and training that gets them through. All the best.

Why would you need me too? Google perhaps? LMAO love it!

Droylesden is not a nice area so I would cross that one off your list even if your boat is a submarine

I have not gone off on anything. If you think leaving youths to smash up your property while you sit inside suits you then happy days. Defending oneself has nothing to do with fighting so again for you to hols such an opinion reflects your lack of experience. To suggest people like myself who deal with violence for a living dream up stories is immature and also relects your lack of experience. IM not here to win an argument or be right or wrong facts are facts. Stay safe. Or a trained dog.

Take a female Police officer if threatened and alone by more than one attacker she will draw her weapon and strike. This may esculate it may not but if she does nothing to protect herself she will become a victim. What happens the next time those youths decide they dont want the flowers on the outside of your boat they want the ones on the inside. If they thought you were a screaming raving mad woman who battered their shins the last time they wont come back for more. But at the end of the day if you feel your judgement has served you well than thats fine for you but its not fair to judge others circumstances by the same level as you dont know how serious the threat is to the individual. Hence reasonable force.

So the you go! It is a sweeping statement not backed by little experience. A one off occasion of people jumping on your roof is not a line in the sand. How did you deal with the situation please describe it more. Personally in all these kinds of circumstances avoidence is best but when a situation passes that other action needs to be taken to protect oneself and property. A lady on her own down a canal with youths on her roof is a bad place to be without armed protection.

To be fair Leonie your comment ''I believe he is a liability if he uses a weapon to fend off drunk or obnoxious youths/trouble makers.'' is not really backed with evidence of you having experience of such a scenario. I have no desire to disrespect you with this observation I just find the comment you made to be a bit sweeping really. I respect the idea of him being armed is not nice and could possibly inflame the situation but what if its past that ''go onon your bike vibe'' ? I suspect he feels the prospect of these people stamping on his head over and over again isnt nice either and it happens a lot. Have you ever been alone down a canal faced with drunk youths or anywhere for that matter abusing you? The level of violence those youths will use against you will be life changing. I certainly dont condone BB Guns but I dont think its unreasonable to be armed in some sort of way incase. Only a clown would go to a gun fight with a water pistol if you get my meaning.

Excellent points but I must say to anyone considering using a baseball bat or tiller for example they are totally ineffective at a range of three foot at closer. Pressure test the attack scenario and you will realise its a waste of time. Soon as you swing it they run in stab you multiple times game over. Cricket bats are lot better with a few proper cricket balls just leave the bat indoors! Just remember that playing cricket at night wont wash with the Police as an excuse for feeding idiots cricket balls lol. To add to this IM sure as PC you know as well as anyone who has worked in security that drunk people have a high pain threshhold and cant be reasoned with unless they are so drunk they cant walk of course! So this presents even more danger in my experience as you have to use real heavy force to defend yourself. Just recently I saw it took 5 Police officers to take down a 5'8'' drunk guy. Its like when you hear about the woman being mugged so she chases the mugger catches up then realises she dont have the skills to deal with the mugger and then gets battered. I hear what some people say about not worrying as it only attracts violence into your life but its better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not have it. Things do happen and thats a fact of life.

I found this thread rather interesting. IM nearly 40 and spent most of my life studying martial arts although they are great, unless trained from a perspective of ''reality'' they are useless. I have been for about a year now studying and training reality self defence. With your mindset I would seriously recommend going over to Geoff Thompsons website and looking at downloading the video called ''The Fence'' You will find self protection has nothing what so ever to do with engaging physically with someone. Even then you wil be suprised at what you should be doing to protect yourself rather than trying to slog it out with them. I know the kind of things you mention are not nice to experience if and when they may happen but whipping out a gun is going to end up with you in jail. Anything you do use must be incidental and not something like a baseball bat, a nice long maglite for example is perfect as its a torch! You will be suprised to know that after watching Geoff's video that you can preemptively attack someone to prevent them from commiting an offence opon your person by law if you feel you your loved ones or your property are in danger. The only thing that worries me is somone actually getting in the boat to carry on an attack which after shooting them with an air rifle is pretty damn certain to happen as all an air rifle will do is cheese them off seriously lol. If you ever do attack someone defending yourself never speak to the Police other than through a formal statement with a legal representative. You have the right to remain silent remember becasue what you do say ''will'' be used against you. Its what you say you did that matters as opposed to what you did unless law can prove it! Learn some reality self defence so you can realistically handle the kind of situations you fear. Cameras are great especially at night when you use the flash the person just stops in their tracks blinded then happy days, slap bang wollop whoops! But then on a dark towpath why go out and put yourself possibly at more risk. The boat is a lovely big lump of steel between you and your attacker so use it as a shield! I know of other boaters who return the favour with a fishing catapult to the brick throwers works a treat apparanetly!