Horace42

I am unable to apply any particular traits, good or bad, to private or hire boats that makes them recognisable or stand out from each other. But are we talking about boats themselves, or the people on them? I treat all boats and people with courtesy and respect, at least I hope I do. Although I must admit I have been shouted at on occasions for not being able to mind read at a distance, and doing something inadvertently to annoy them (hirers and private alike), but being of the older generation with loss of hearing in the speech range, and largely having to guess what is being said when passing, and only catching snatches of words - they seem to telling me about Bow Locks. I have never been there myself. What is special about them.

Ditto

...or they might be checking to see if it raining, or reaching to pick flowers, or hoping a kingfisher might perch on it - the mind boggles at the possible meanings of a hand signal....in my case......in the circumstances prevailing at the time...my left hand straight out with flat palm means I am going left.....the other boat can please themselves what they make of it. With a bit of luck they might guess what my signal meant when they see my boat move to my left.

Re Alan de Enfield .....Whilst I have no figures to justify the comment, it is my belief, that CCers do not have any problem 'keeping moving' and complying with the 'wooly' legislation, they do not need a mooring, and should not be forced to pay for one (which your proposal suggests - ie a discounted licence fee if you declare a home mooring).I would like to clarify what I mean by 'mooring'. Everybody when cruising needs a mooring. You are not allowed to cruise at night. And the places you moor at are provided by CRT. And it's free. And a lot of boats stay put, usually at popular spots, for protracted periods. And even if moving on - moor up somewhere for 365 nights of the year for. All for Free! I am not suggesting CC's pay for a home mooring when they do not need one, I am saying the cruising license should be increased to recognise the cost of providing 'free 'moorings so that CC's pay something towards the 12 months of moorings they currently get for free. This will pay for additional space created for us all to moor when we are out cruising. Whereas those that pay extra for a permanent home base should be able to claim a discount because they are not using the free moorings or making demands on the system anything like as much.

I'm interested in getting my laptop connected by wi-fi as well. My experience with signals when cruising ranges from poor mediocre, lousy, or nothing. Do the devices mentioned here mean I will be able to pick up signals from afar and connect to the internet and emails much better. Do I need additional network licenses to use these devices, or pay extra as I go - or what?

From a slightly different angle in terms of a license, boat or not, do you need an EA if you are in a private marina, or is this an EA marina. And if in a marina, regardless of who owns it, would not a 'license' of sorts (lease/rent/whatever) be required anyway. Or is this EA just trying to find ways to make extra money?

Good navigation advice has already been given. My comment is purely scenery. Occasional interesting sections but mainly BORING! With 'normal' water level you are in a deep wide cutting with mile on mile of trees and bushes for company. And for those going upstream it will be slow against the flow. Took us 2 days to go from Tewkesbury to Stourport - and difficult to find a mooring for the night. We pulled in what looked like an industrial basin - and tied up against a floating pontoon anchored in the middle with no walking access to the bank.. We had to stay on board all night. Going down on a previous occasion it only took 1 day with the flow.

I quite agree. But the novice wont learn that for the week they're on the hire boat, and it seems we need hand signals to indicate direction from a distance. A good old fashioned outstretched left or right hand signal usually is not taken wrongly - from ahead or behind. Particularly when passing head-on and you get 'caught' on the wrong side of the canal (like reversing when giving way at bridge holes) and can't manoeuvre in the space to pass port to port,

It's to do with raising money. Making you pay twice for the same service. Whether you have a home base or not, you are forced to moor up overnight wherever you are. There is no such things a Continuous Cruisers (CC's) - you have to stop. It would be more correct to call us all Continuous Moorers (CM's), It's just that some of us pay for a CM home base (a bay of water for our exclusive use) where we are most of the time - and occasionally cruise - where we moor up somewhere - if we can get in. Unfortunately this is where the trouble starts. There are not enough places for all of us to moor all the time in popular spots - made worse for 'passing' boats if spaces are permanently occupied by others - who classified as CC's, without a home base, pay nothing extra for the moorings. But just paying extra by itself does not create mooring places. The whole license charging system needs an overhaul. Instead of a cruising license and a mandatory mooring license - with all the complications of CC's - being policed and moved on - a single combined license is needed - with a discount for those who have a home base. The extra money would then pay for more and better long-term residential mooring facilities. Which becomes a local authority planning matter rather than a CRT cruising/mooring matter. The unfortunate family might then somehow be accommodated - eventually. Today they have a problem that is not easy to solve.

Well thanks for that.I did ask. But no thanks. It is all too complicated, Especially if having to 'unlearn' 'left' 'right' and 'backwards'. Unless these horn signals are made mandatory to learn by heart, and a condition of license, or hiring, they will serve no useful purpose if I am the only one who knows them. A boat dawdling in front, and seeing my approach, but not waving me through, suggests a lack of basic boating knowledge or etiquette, and almost certainly will not have the faintest idea of what the horn signals mean - although I can guess they would be interpreted as "Get out of the way". The best suggestion worth promoting (if they don't see you) is a discreet 'toot' on the horn and hand signals. Then to move over. But which way I am not sure if there is a 'rule' for this. Myself, I move over to the towpath to let a faster boat pass. But this has to be learned and accepted as routine by all - particularly newcomers when boat hiring.

I asked in a previous post, the question of what was the best way to pass a slow boat. The thread here slid off-topic to cars, and whilst the are some similarities, there are rules for cars in the Highway Code that deals with overtaking - but not for boats other than over-simplified as 'take care'.... With the car in analogy in mind, put another way, what would be the rules for overtaking for 'fast' boats and 'slow' boats. What would be the appropriate signals? - for both boats - and the appropriate manoeuvre? - for both boats.

I also use an electric fridge dehumidifier. But for this you need an electrical supply. But I also make sure my bilge is 100% dry. By that I mean absolutely no open water at all anywhere inside the boat - except where the dehumidified water drains into a bowl in the sink (so you can instantly see that it is working). I also run it on a time switch set for cold nights - 4.00am for a couple of hours. Works a treat! The timer also runs the trickle-charger to keep the batteries topped up

As a PS to my post just now. We had a closely following boat once - and for some reason sounding their horn at us. We thought it odd because there was nowhere to pass (narrow, moored boats and bridges). I actually stopped in the hole at the next bridge and walked back to ask what the problem was. "I have to keep going into reverse because you keep slowing down without giving any hand signals".....

Same here! but a couple of years ago on the Llangollen in the narrow stretches, we couldn't do this. It was a busy time, and one-way traffic, thus taking turns for 3 or 4 boats to go through together, we had a following boat so annoyingly close, he was actually bumping our stern. "Slow down please" was met with "You go faster". We stopped and let him pass at the next wide bit. There was a satisfying follow-on to this. That little delay worked out well for us. As it was busy there were no moorings available near the town (we didn't know this at the time - only later when walking to town - we could see there weren't any) - but it just happened by luck that a boat cast off as we approached (too late for the one in front) but perfect for us, giving us a mooring spot and we pulled straight in and tied up. The 'fast' boat we let through did not find a gap and had gone to the far end to turn round - and came back half hour later having to go well out of town to find somewhere to moor - as we found out when we passed them the next day when we left early. It doesn't always py to be in a hurry!

Thanks for the replies, now that I have found them. I did not get emails to tell me. Being new to the site it seems I had to tick a box to Follow the topic. Thanks anyway. In my case if going slow, and we often do, I pull over to the towpath almost to a stop to let them pass, sometimes getting off and holding the centre rope to stop our boat being dragged into them as they rocket past. We do this because it is fairly obvious (to us that is) a 'hirer' is unlikely to know the finer hydrodynamic points of overtaking and boat handling (and perhaps experienced boaters on occasions) . Although we tend not to wave 'racing' boats through when nearing locks. If they are in a hurry they can say so at the lock, and we let them through then. Just a follow up. Is there a 'correct' side to pass. ie, always on their right, or always on their left, between them and the towpath, or between them and the off-side. You would think I would know afters years of cruising on my own boat - but I am not really sure.

Within reason it looks like two boat lengths to me. If 70 ft and in 30 secs, it's 's 280 ft/min. That's about 3 mph at most. Not all that fast as such, but maybe for a bridge hole it is.

I've been there a few times but I have not noticed a winding hole in Tixall Wide. Unless you mean the wide bit in the middle - but watch out for mud - it is very shallow and needs dredging - you will get stuck. but seriously more proper winding holes are needed and a ban on winding at 'unofficial' ones because someone (the marina owner?) does not like it, is a bit anti-social. If there is room, and it is safe and without causing damage, you can turn anywhere you like. I will put it stronger than that. It should be a condition of CRT license that a winding hole be provided - and the 'cost' should be factored in to the benefit of the marina for providing one. The basic question posed at the outset is '..where are they?...'

Going too fast is a regular thing, accompanied by 'Slow down! being the cry when passing moored boats - but what do you do when out cruising at normal' speed when catching up with a dawdler - ie, a boat going so slow that even at 'tick-over' you catch them up. Anyone who has tried to overtake a moving boat will know that it is nearly impossible without their co-operation. If we are going 'slow' we keep an eye out for following boats and move to one side and almost to a stop - even pulling in and holding out boat on a rope - until they pass. But what of the dawdler holding you up - oblivious to you wanting to pass. What is the best way to get past? Any tips please.

how do you know your speed that accurately? Just curious.

Well actually, eBay will get their commission if somebody actually buys it and pays for it - thro' eBay - by PayPal for instance. The tricky bit will arise if somebody puts in a winning bid - and the seller reneges on the deal. Unless the boat is for actual sale - in which case the buyer has to find it. I've put it on my 'Watch' list. .

I have never seen anything like this on ebay before. Or anywhere else come to that. As you say 'very inventive'. I suppose if you are buying a boat you might look on ebay. Technically in a legal sense, is the boat actually for sale? and if so would it be yours - if you can find it. Intriguing.

Obviously a 'loose' moored boat will 'rock' about even when passed at snails pace especially if held by a roof mounted centre rope. We only use our centre line for short stops. To my mind a lot of it is psychological. How fast a boat is passing is linked to engine noise rather than to actual speed. I tend to go at a sort of medium speed - the trick is to cut the revs when passing moored boats. You hardly slow down but it 'sounds' like it. Here's a trick you can try. See for yourself. I have tried it out a couple of times myself. Go dead slow, until you reach some moored boats (with people on board) then rev up as you pass. .You don't go fast in those few seconds - but you get shouted at! Then go fast so to speak, until you reach some moored boats, then cut the revs right back. You don't go slow but all smiles. It's a courtesy thing I guess. Unfortunately 'speed' is something I feel will go by the wayside as time progresses. Nobody will bother to slow downs, and moored boats will have to get used to it. Sad but there it is! The 'speed' aspect has given me an idea that I will raise as another topic.

Peter and FirstRateFirstMate. There are no unofficial winding holes. All winding holes, those designated as such (and obviously no mooring), and anywhere you can wind your boat are official. I say this on the basis that your license permits you to use all CRT water. So providing there is room, and it is safe, then you can turn anywhere. This includes 'private' waters such as marinas, boat yards and boat clubs, that you can use, but out of courtesy, with permission, Without permission it could be trespass but not much the owner can do about it. Except if they do not want you to trespass they must mark the boundary, where sometimes a rope or chain is put across. But if there is still room then you can turn there. Sometimes a sign will say No Turning or No Winding. You can ignore these for the purpose of turning because they have no authority. There are times though when such a sign should be obeyed of course, and that would be where it is an official sign put there by CRT, and embodying a CRT logo. eg, Danger Weir - No Winding - C&RT. However, the point of my comment here is to say a sign that says 'No Turning' has no authority. You can ignore it. What the sign should say is something like; Private Property, or No Entry, or No Landing, or Keep Out. That's fine by me, then if you ignore the boundary markers, the owners can sue for trespass if they want to. They would be perfectly within their rights to do so. But they have no authority to say No Winding.

Tragic to get burgled, and frightening especially if you were on board. We were burgled once years ago at our end-of-garden mooring. The burglar got in by unscrewing a whole window frame. We didn't know for some time because our boat is screened by hedge - worse - the burglar had spent time living on board it seems - and stealing things a bit at a time - luckily nothing of value as such - no inventory - just things missing at a later date when you next want them. Not satisfied with stealing, we found our boat spoiled by sauce and salad cream poured on the bedding and carpets. We took it all off and burnt it - and cleaned and scrubbed all the inside....and had hate sessions. The police said they think they might know who it was and gave us a crime scene number - but we never heard anything. But at Oxley Moor last year we stopped to fill up with diesel and for a pump-out. They had just sat down for lunch. I said we'll wait until they had eaten their sandwiches. It was not without incident - they didn't accept credit cards, and we had no cash. They drove us down to the local supermarket to a cash machine. Amazing. Let's hope your burglar is caught.

Especially when it's to run a loud TV