nicknorman
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Posts posted by nicknorman
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16 hours ago, Francis Herne said:
From a practical perspective changing course on a tight bend with a pair isn't really an option, having committed to a particular line around the corner in the first place. Rate of turn is limited by how fast you can pull the bow of the butty round, and winding back will just have the butty shove you broadside across the cut. Trying to 'force' them to give way would just result in a collision.
Link to the byelaws for reference
The only sound signal that could have had any meaningful effect would be this one, if it alerted the boats coming upstream to slow down before reaching the bend. My experience is that few people strictly comply with it, but I do sound my horn if I know there's a pinch point without line of sight and that might have helped. Not all horns are loud enough to hear over a Lister around a bend though!
On a bit of a tangent because I don't think it changes what either party could reasonably have done, I think you're mistaken about right of way under the byelaws:
The Soar isn't one of the navigations listed under 17(c), and a trading pair has priority under both 17(a) and 19(1), so I'm pretty sure Adrastea and Nebulae had the right of way on paper.
Of course in practice a boat heading downstream on any river can't do much to give way, so I wouldn't try to lean on that in practice.
I would question whether the pair are not pleasure craft. Just because you are a licensed waterways trader in a historic boat doesn’t mean it is not a pleasure craft and such craft have no priority over non-trading pleasure craft. I seem to recall that the waterways trading licence specifically says it doesn’t bestow any right of priority.
Agreed about the towing vs not towing though. Although really what this says is that when I am towing, I am not really under control and everyone else has to get out of my way.
What happens when two towing pairs meet each other on a bend?-
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It is marginally better to take the positive and negative feeds from opposite diagonals of the pair due to the very slight resistance of the interconnecting wires, but in reality IMO it doesn't make any practicable difference provided the interconnects are reasonably beefy.
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We’ve been up the locks (“the crow”) and along to the start of the pools with no problems a few times over the years. We didn’t venture very far into the pools though, just enough to turn round. And we draw 2’8”.
If you like exploring the backwaters, there’s no reason not to.
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The BMV712 resets to 100% when the specified conditions are met ie the voltage is above x, whilst the current has fallen below y, and this lasts for z minutes. By default out of the box, y is 4% of capacity which in your case is 20A which in my opinion is too much, so the BMV resets to 100% rather early. The scaling on the graph is a bit hard to read, but I’d check the tail current parameter and if still set to 4% I’d change it to something like 1.5%.
But ultimately I suspect it is more an issue of lead acid losing capacity. Lead acid is intrinsically utterly crap! Lost capacity might be restored by an equalisation charge ie around 15v for an hour or so, if you can make it do that. And presumably the electrolyte level is Ok?
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42 minutes ago, David Mack said:
I'm thinking of doing the same as the OP, but on a cruising boat.
I would connect both alternator and solar controller to the lead acid engine start battery, to keep this topped up all the time. Then have a 50A dc-dc charger to connect to the lithium battery which feeds the domestic circuits and inverter. Lithium batteries should not be left at 100% for long periods, so I would have an isolator in the feed to the dc-dc charger so that can be (manually) turned off when leaving the boat. Use of a combi charger-inverter would allow mains charging of the lithium battery and pass through from the shore power, but would not proved mains charging of the engine battery.
I don't have a bow thruster so can avoid the complications arising from that.
Most dc dc chargers have some sort of remote on-off input so you just need a low current control switch, rather than a fat isolator switch in the main feed. You can also automate it via the relay on something like a BMV712 that is measuring the Li SoC. If I were doing it I’d probably have a switch to select between BMV712 automatic control, and “always on” to allow synchronising the BMV to 100%. Or a 3 way switch with an “always off” position too.
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I think the drawing is unconventional in that the devices are shown across the wires as opposed to in series, but I think the principle is ok. You have shown 15A fuses in the diagram but 150A fuses in the text. The fuse rating should relate to the cable used, so 150A will be fine if the cable is quite thick and rated for that current. I would have thought 250A for the bow thruster was not enough, but it depends on the bow thruster!
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A lifepo4 battery probably can’t run a bow thruster as it (probably) can’t supply enough current due to the limitations of the BMS.
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No. 14.7v is not that high. But there might be a problem with a field diode. It might go higher under no load so best to sort it and even 14.7v for long periods is inadvisable. Voltage decreasing at higher revs might also pint to a field diode. I think.
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The Sterling reg can only increase charging voltage, it can’t decrease the voltage below whatever the alternator’s internal regulator sets.
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Best is when 2 boats are coming out of one lock in parallel and 2 boats coming out of the other lock in parallel. One pair holds centre ground and the other pair splits to pass the together pair, before rejoining each other before entering the lock.
’tis a thing of grace and beauty to behold. And what could possibly go wrong?
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9 minutes ago, Jonny P said:
But the context here is sharing locks …
Also a good single handed boater will have stepped off with a line on entering the lock, have the boat stopped and restrained quickly and easily against the side and not waste time faffing about trying to manoeuvre against the side and then (fail to) throw a line to be placed around a bollard.
When sharing wide locks, the correct way is for both boats to enter simultaneously and then there is no need to worry about staying against the side. Unfortunately lots of people seem unable or at least unwilling to do that.-
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13 minutes ago, David Mack said:
All of that is true - a competent two man crew is going to be faster than almost every single hander. But that doesn't mean all single handers are slow. I am currently single handing Fulbourne up the lower GU. The locks are all empty unless another boat is using them or preparing to come down. I reckon I can get a full length ex-working boat through in 10 minutes, including mooring up below the lock to open one bottom gate, locking through and closing up behind, as long as nothing goes awry.
Iron Bridge Lock has just taken considerably longer as there is huge leakage at the bottom end and one of the top ground paddles is out of action, and the last few inches takes absolutely ages to make a level. I got there as a boat waiting to come down had the lock nearly full. It took two of us to force the top gate open against the last inch or two of head. I was very pleased the descending couple offered to wait and help me through, as I would have probably never opened the top gate on my own. Overall I must have spent the best part of an hour at that lock, but I don't think a mob-handed crew would have been much quicker.
We have certainly encountered single handers who are reasonably expeditious but the only time they don’t hold us up is if every lock is in their favour and of course not in our favour. Single handers having to set ahead has got to be a lot slower than 2 people doing same.I recall having to wait for a single hander to go through a lock on the Avon, it was quite a long boat that had to go diagonal so we couldn’t share. We offered to help but this was strongly rebuffed. I am not kidding (because I timed it) but there was 15 minutes between the top gates being opened and the bottom paddles being raised, the time being spent faffing around with ropes and micro-positioning the boat. We then whizzed through and overtook him in the next reach, taking the time to hand him the windlass “en passant” that he had left lock-side.
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Clearly it isn’t feasible that traversing locks single handed could be as fast or faster than a reasonably competent double crewed boat. It is true that some boat crews are incredibly inefficient, but the fact remains that Jeff and I have NEVER had a single hander come up behind us (unless we are held up by the boat in front) and we have OFTEN been slowed down by single handers in front despite helping by eg closing up behind them. Anything else is wishful thinking.
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3 minutes ago, Rob-M said:
I stopped going in to locks quickly when I once had a prop shaft coupling decide to separate as I went in to reverse. Never got off a boat with centreline to strap the boat to a stop so fast to save hitting anything.
Or engine could fail. But probably if a prop shaft coupling is going to fail surely it’s more likely to happen when hitting reverse at higher rpm, not just dropping into tickover reverse. Telemachus being deep drafted there is already quite a bit of deceleration caused by water displaced in the lock having to find its way past the hull, and the “uphill” water thus created. TBH if reverse did fail it wouldn’t be catastrophic, just embarrassing (bow rides up on gate, as bow slopes relatively gently, it’s a long way from vertical). But as ways to crash go, I think it’s pretty unlikely.
9 minutes ago, haggis said:Nope. Not hurrying across a gate ! How do you know there wouldn't be time to get off boat, walk up, wind down paddle and get back on before the stern clears the lock? Iain who has much shorter legs and is older than you is back on board before the stern reaches the open gate and he can take my windlass from me on the way past .
I used to do it your way till I got caught out once too often by water level dropping a little bit so changed to the more efficient ( for us ) method years ago
There would be time if the boat was in tickover. But our way, the boat is at higher rpm to exit the lock more quickly which more than compensates for the 3 seconds to cross the gate. Not hurrying, just walking. It’s 7 feet and my pace is about 3 feet so that’s 3 steps.
If you found that way didn’t work for you, that’s fine. But it works for us. Possibly being a lot heavier and with correspondingly stronger (and testosterone-enhanced) leg and bum muscles makes the difference.13 minutes ago, 5239 said:
put boat into gear to help push gate open,I then drop the paddle and get a lift on the opening gate or step on and over the bow,
close the off side paddle,
hop on the stern as boat passes,
gentle reverse,
hop off,
shut gate,
hop back,
and away.
Yes. But pushing the gate open with the boat is rather frowned upon by the powers. As the gate opens, the force makes the bow fender rub along the gate and pushes the bow sideways into the lock wall to scrape off more of your blacking. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it, but it is slightly inelegant.
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5 minutes ago, Rob-M said:
I used to leave the boat in reverse until the day my foot slipped and I almost fell in behind the reversing boat so now the boat is never left in gear.
This is a concern. What we do on entering a narrow lock to go down, is that I go in fairly fast and slip into tickover reverse just as I step off to close the top gate. The boat slows down avoiding hitting the bottom gate as I close the top gate and Jeff is opening the bottom paddle just before the gate is closed. I then hop on and click into neutral.
I don’t think the getting off is problematic because if I fell in then, the boat is still moving away quite quickly. But getting on again with the boat barely moving is more so. I am careful, just as I am when stepping across double bottom gates.
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11 minutes ago, 5239 said:
ok, I’ll let you off the firing squad,..but a boat in gear will steer itself out of a lock and while it does that I’ll drop a paddle and hop on boat as the stern goes by
Yes you could do that. We should bear in mind that we might be talking about solo ops vs 2 people ops as you haven’t mentioned how the gate is opened or gate side paddle closed.
But even if Jeff has gone ahead I would still do it the same - wait for the lock to be virtually ready on the offside, close the paddle, cross over and open the gate and close the paddle, then walk to the boat. Virtually no time wasted, just the time to walk across the gate which is perhaps 3 seconds?
One could leave the boat in gear to open the gate by lots of rubbing of hemp against wood, and general scrapery, but that is a rather un-gentlemanly way of doing it.
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2 minutes ago, 5239 said:
I would’t like to see you shot so I’m considering carefully whether you should not ne shot
….why can’t you close the paddle as you steer by?
I have long arms but still can’t close paddles whilst steering. I could close the paddle whilst the boat is steering itself, but why bother? Our technique, which I have been doing since the 1960s (before you were born) works fine for us. You should try it sometime.
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4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:
When I use to moor by the Engine Arm at Napton it use to be fun watching people trying to do that at the top lock. Drop the offside paddle and cross the gate, so much had leaked out of the bottom you had no chance opening the gate with just one paddle up
No doubt there is the odd very leaky lock where it doesn’t work, but that can be identified by observing the leakage from the bottom. It does work for 99% of locks. It’s what we do all the time and virtually never has opening the top gate been problematic.4 minutes ago, haggis said:Ah, I missed the bit where the steerer left the boat in slow ahead as he walked up to close the paddle. The boats not going anywhere is it apart from out of the lock ? Even I, of I am steering can walk forward and close the paddle and get back on board before the boat leaves the lock and I am not one of you younger fitter guys.
Try it sometime. 🌅
We don’t like to rub the fender on the gate and Telemachus is a lively boy with an enormous … propeller. So there wouldn’t be time to do that without fender to gate contact. But as I said to Brian, what we do works flawlessly and expeditiously for us. I can’t remember the last time we had to re-open the offside paddle. You should try it sometime! -
1 minute ago, Jonny P said:
Not a cricket score but I’ve been boating south on the Grand Union (ex-GJC section) the past few days.
Early on Wednesday afternoon I shared 5 of the 6 Braunston locks with two different boats.
But from leaving Braunston top lock I’ve since done 84 more double width locks in a narrowboat (two different ones as it happens) and have not shared a single lock all the way down to where I now am on the Regents Canal level.
I find that almost unbelievable for this time of year.
I’ve also not encountered a single volockie, including Braunston.
Travelling between 10pm and 4 am always makes for a peaceful trip!Anyway, you should see it on the CMer’s “Swap Around Tuesday!”.
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15 minutes ago, haggis said:
I can never understand why the steerer ( usually male) never steps off the back.of his boat. to open and/ or close the paddle on his side while the boat goes in or out of the lock. Instead you see the lady close the off side paddle and cross the gate by which time the level stops dropping and she stands there desperately pushing the gate. That last inch takes forever with one paddle..
They need to train their husband 😃
We don’t have any ladies on our boat! (Other than guests, of course). We find closing the offside paddle, then crossing over and opening the gate, perfectly satisfactory with no desperate pushing, provided it’s timed correctly. Otherwise the steerer has to walk back from the paddle to the helm and then start the boat moving, by which point the gate operator is thinking “why didn’t he get the boat moving when he could see that the gate was being opened?”.I was mildly amused by a couple of fairly beefy chaps on the twin bottom gates yesterday at Stockton Brook, who had foolishly closed both paddles and then struggled to open the bottom gates. Lots of sweating and grunting ensued. I forbore to point out their error (must have been in a good mood!)
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6 minutes ago, Tigerr said:
I can tell you, on personal experience, that listening to the dismal life story and boating history of some I've shared locks with, is eternity itself - with the promise of a sequel at the next lock!
Have you ever thought of getting a job working with the Samaritans? Ideally suited, I’d say.-
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25 minutes ago, booke23 said:
I never understand this attitude on the canals. They are probably only moored about 1/4 mile ahead of you now.
I think it was an opposite direction passing.
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6 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:
I've been pottering up the Llangollen today, against the flow so fairly slowly , being greeted cheerfully by hirers and owners alike until one (private) boat passed me with a scowl from the wife and pursed lip and shake of the head from the driver. Still got no idea why, straight bit of canal, loads of room.
Some people are just like that.
They were probably angry that you didn’t give them anything to be angry about.-
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46 minutes ago, another paul said:
Really would like to start a discussion that would help us babies and not frighten us off, you big boys can be quite intimidating, so here goes.
As a new boater I'm extremely aware of how my presence on the canal might affect others, when meeting oncoming boats I tend to move over and allow the "more experienced" to pass. Yesterday I did this and fouled my prop leaving me bobbing just off the bank, when the narrowboat passed his bow sucked me onto his side (small cruiser). He made a comment about my ability which sort of stung a bit.
So how should I approach these meetings, do I keep centre right thus maintaining forward movement and steering and hope that he will be experienced enough to steer through the situation or is pulling to the side and holding position the better option?
Keep going in gear at normal speed* and move over quite late, to avoid a prolonged period in the shallows. Only move over enough to avoid contact. It is better to be 6” from the other boat and 6’ from the bank, than the other way round.
Some people love to criticise others and look down on people not in their little clique of boat type ownership. They are bad people! My pet hate is selfish and inconsiderate people, which it seems you are not. Everyone has to learn and it takes a bit of time. In fact I’ve been canal boating for over 50 years and I’m still learning! Maybe I’m a slow learner😞
* cruisers don’t displace much water so no need to slow down. In a deeper narrowboat you might want to slow down to avoid sucking away too much water and getting nearer the bottom. You might also want to adjust speed so that your passing of the other boat coincides with a slightly wider (or less narrow) bit,
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Lucas A127
in Boat Equipment
Posted
No. It’s no different from switching off any other load while the generator is running. There might be a bit of mains voltage surge but the genny electronics have to be designed to deal with a heavy load being switched off as this is a totally normal and foreseeable event, unlike for an alternator.