Woodstock25

I have one of these http://www.trackerfit.co.uk/smartrack-protector-pro-global.html, As well as a control centre monitoring the tracker, it also gives me a near/real-time map. - and a very hidden on/off switch to the fuel supply cut off valve.

I haven't got memory map to hand at work (with the canal and rivers overlay) - It may be useful to plot the list of sightings on a mapping software?

Nothing from Napton to Warwick yesterday. Although it was good to see 2 boats with flyers in the window

Nothing from Braunston to Napton this evening

It is an offence for any person to have an air weapon in a public place without a reasonable excuse. While there is no statutory definition of a reasonable excuse, it might include carrying a weapon to and from a shooting club, or taking a new weapon home from a dealer. However,it is ultimately for the courts to decide what a reasonable excuse is. Having one on a boat would be tricky to justify, within the definition of the law. Edited for poor spelling!

I have actually stuck around to learn from the comments attributed to my post. I have also PM’d Mike and offered my apologies to him. I have also learnt to be significantly more cautious in the nature and tone of my posts. I do however, find some of the insinuations in the comments provided by some posters to be overly harsh and judgemental, and lack any form or real credibility or objectiveness; perhaps I should grow some thicker skin, but at the same time I find some of unadulterated comments provided appeared to be posted just to provoke a reaction, totally unnecessary. Most importantly, I have refreshed myself in some of the unwritten etiquette that is clearly in abundance on here, that if very difficult to gain from osmosis while being just a leisure boater, particularly with respect to my actions around working boats and boats that wish to go faster than me. For what it’s worth, I’m not an inexperienced boater – well I don’t think that over 25 years of boat ownership (this is my third boat) puts me personally in the novice category – although others may of course differ. What was perhaps new on this trip, and I offer no excuse, was the fact that I had just picked up a new (to me) boat; at 63’, longer than both my previous boats, and had a mostly family based inexperienced crew with me to move it. Having said that, one of the crew is an experienced former BWB/CRT volunteer lock keeper. The boat was also fully laden with fuel, water and crew and the handling characteristics of the boat both new and different to me – and occasionally challenging through tight bends, on a route that I had only cruised very infrequently. We also had to complete the 120+ mile/80 lock move in under 7 days, which with a relatively inexperienced crew was a challenge, so there was certainly no dawdling going on, having lost time the day before for a broken generator bracket. I was perhaps being a little cautious around bends, being not fully up to speed with the handling of the boat, and I’m sure it will not be the first or last time I (or anyone else for that matter) has got a bend wrong. There are of course always 2 sides to every story, I gave mine and Mike gave his. Perception is one thing of course, but hindsight is another. Most importantly I will learn from this experience and from the original post.

You're own confirmation bais has already judged me as going too slow as well... I should have known better. I've resisted contributing to CWF for so many years, because of the frankely pathetic judgemental attitude of so many people on here on here, and now bitterly regret posting... I thought it would be a useful post - clearly I misjudged that! I won't even go on to to the next days post when my son's fiance (26) was violently threatened by a boater while opening a lock paddle for him, which required the intervention of 3 people to calm the situation, and included me calling the police - oh because that will be my fault as well. Last post.....I'm off

yawnnn..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Just to add, you weren't there - so being quite so judgemental without being in possession of all the facts has no value at all. Thanks for your contribution! Oh, and it wasn't just us, as the boat in front of me had the same issue! Just thought I say hello by the way. My third post on here..... , and not quite the response I was expecting!!!

I'm sure 4MPH is the maximum speed - not a target! I defy anyone to make 4MPH (on average) on a windey, narrow section of canal. I've a tracker on my boat so know exactly what speed I do - and I certainly ain't a dawdler! Anyway, even if I was (and I've met plenty), I cannot see anything wrong in having a little common decency.... and recognise that the boat in front is going slower, and make due al.owance in the manner in which you drive your boat. You wouldn't tail-gate on a motorway with defective brakes (or would you) - why do it on a canal??

Last week we (a crew of 6) moved our 62' semi-trad from Cheshire down to Braunston (around the top via Middlewich), via the Trent and Mersey, Coventry Canal and finally the Oxford Canal. A great trip that was largely uneventful, apart from the odd grumpy so and so at couple of locks who didn't want the help we offered! Anyway, we were happily cruising between Great Haywood and Fradley Junction, and hadn’t long gone through Colwich Lock when I noticed a large Trad behind me – one of those that sell gas and fuel etc. The reason it caught my interest was that a few hours previously, it had been moored up, with a queue of boats waiting for gas/fuel, and it looked like the same boat. I thought to myself at the time, it must have made good progress. By the time it got to just east of Rugely it was less than a boat length away from me, and to be quite honest, felt quite intimidating. I started to slow down a little as I approached a tight right hand bend, which was met with a tirade of abuse by the chap driving the boat behind.. “ Don’t f’ing slow down!, stop slowing down you f’ing idiot! Don’t you know I can’t stop this….. plus lots more expletives, as the bow of his boat came level and perhaps just past the stern of mine on the sharp bend. I responded in the heat of the moment with something along the lines of “ well don’t drive so close you idiot” , while at the same time trying to dig myself out of an over-cooked bend! More ranting from the boat behind, “if you can’t drive your boat properly, f’ing pull over and let me past” At this point the hackles were up, but I did the right thing and pulled over and let him past…. (He did say ‘thank you’, followed by some other mutterings as he disappeared into the distance). We settled back into our journey, all calmed down, and he clearly disappeared into the distance at great speed, and for a while all was well….. We then spotted the boat ahead drifting around, centre rope only, as he had stopped to refill another boat. Slowing to pass, we passed him again, hoping to make reasonable progress so as not to have him up so close behind us again. By the time we got to the narrow section which was the former Armitage Tunnel, the boat was a couple of boat lengths behind us again, and he came steaming through without any regard for the fact that there were boats waiting to come through. We are not sure if he stopped shortly after that, as he disappeared for a bit. When we got to Woodend Lock, there was a bit of a queue and we had been sitting waiting when ‘Jaws’ (which we had nicknamed him by then) came into view. There was a bit of a delay at the lock as there was a CRT volunteer doing a water survey for boats on the way up and down. We eventually got into the lock and had literally just cleared the bottom gates when the top paddles were cranked fully open in quick succession by Jaws (bottom gates still open at this point!) who then proceeded to close each of the bottom gates with an almighty crash against the flow of water, followed by shouts from us, the CRT volunteer and other boaters who were waiting to go up/come down, about the right way to fill a lock. (I am really surprised that the gates were not damaged). We proceeded on, hoping not to have him on our back again. He caught up with us as we turned onto the Coventry Canal (having stopped for an ice cream), and we made the deliberate decision to moor up and let him past. Personally, I found his very aggressive and intimidating and arrogant attitude very out of character with most other people I have met on the cut over the past 25 years…. In fact, this almost stands out as the worst case of canal; rage I had met (up to that point – It has since been exceeded, but that’s for another time). Surely, if somebody operates a boat that cannot be controlled as easily as another (ie the one in front), then it is their responsibility to ensure that they keep a safe separation - isn't it?

Fair point on the negative return - busbar, not hull.

Long time lurker, week long owner (second time around) and my first foray into canalworld.net forum! On this point, I shall have to come down on the side of Keeping Up. I too an a Chartered Electrical Engineer of some 40 years, and I spend the first 1/4 of my working career on vehicle and marine electrical systems. I'm now a safety engineer specialising in electrical and aeronautical saefty. My left hand ring finger bears the significant scars of bringing a 1/2" spanner into contact with a vehicle chassis while undoing a battery positive connection. Given that the internal restistance of a lead acid battery is typically in the order of 5-10 milliohms, a direct short between positive and negative (even to the hull), may result in currents greater than 1200A. That will certainly heat up a spanner (it did for me!) - it may cause a flash arc of the spanner to the hull (in which case it will be difficult to remove), and worse case scenario, could cause a battery to explode. Fortunately this last scenario is rare, as invariably the connection beween the spanner and the earth will be subject to some contact resistance, which will limit current flowing at this sort of level. I used to run a battery shop, and have seen countless batteries that have been shorted - the top blown off of a 12V 100AH battery is not something you want to see! This should be about risk and safety. While many boats may be wired up differently, and 'heath and robinson' have had their part to play, for so many reasons there should be just one, and only one, lead to the negative of the battery. Anything else and safety margins will be reduced. The highest risk, is not of latent damage to equipment - the highest risk is a direct short between positive and negative. As the hulls on almost all boats act as an earth return, they are directly connected to the battery earth. Any attempt at removing the battery positive connection first (anywhere at all near the hull or boat metalwork) with the negative connection still made represents a significant shorting hazard. It is far far easier and safer to remove the negative first. If you touch the hull with the spanner while removing the negative terminal - nothing happens as they are at the same potential.