Towing Companies

[Guest]

Will RCR arrange towing a boat to get repaired at cost to the owner, if not any recommendations for companies. Lee & Stort area if it helps.

[Tonka]

whatever happened to walking along the bank with the ropes

[Guest]

If that is my only option so be it.

[Ray T]

A few year ago now, but when our boat broke down just as we exited Braunston tunnel we called RCR.  The fault, a broken fuel return line, was not repairable at the bank side. The RCR operative asked a passing boater to allow us to brest up with them and they kindly  took us to Wharf House where the RCR gent appeared a couple of days later with the requisite part.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Ray T

[Guest]

Fault is a bit more complicated than fixing bankside - need to choose a marina of some sort. Just trying to work out how to get the boat there.

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, StationMaster said:

Fault is a bit more complicated than fixing bankside - need to choose a marina of some sort. Just trying to work out how to get the boat there.

If you cannot organise a tow (and many folks boat insurance will not cover them for towing so are reluctant) have you considered a cheap outboard motor ?

Bolt on the back and away you go - not much power or braking but easier than walking and will get you there (slowly).

 

A "commercial tow" will probably cost £100-£200 per hour (based on what C&RT charged someone who broke down on the River and they sent one of their tugs out to recover them)

Edited March 5, 2019 by Alan de Enfield

[alan_fincher]

I think you are best trying to beg favours from other London area boaters.  Helping people out with tows seems to be fairly commonplace, and you can give them some reward without it costing an arm and a leg.

 

Expecting it to be done by a commercial organisation seems unlikely, because for it to be viable someone would need to keep a boat used for that purpose somewhere close to where you are - I can't imagine there are many (any?) such boats on the Lee.

 

If there wrre, and you needed to go any distance, I can see it being well expensive.

[Ray T]

http://www.rivercanalrescue.co.uk/breakdown-cover/terms-and-conditions/

 

Recovery Service

If the vessel cannot be repaired at the scene of the Breakdown, we will tow the vessel safely to a marina (within a maximum of 2 hours cruising), or – failing that – tow the vessel to a safe haven (advice and locations will be given). The cost of any further repairs to the vessel will be your responsibility unless covered under our Replacement Parts Cover.
Recovery can take up to 48hrs to organise * Recovery for retainer membership is chargeable at £45 p/h. *excludes towing on tidal estuaries and rivers.

[alan_fincher]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If you cannot organise a tow (and many folks boat insurance will not cover them for towing so are reluctant) have you considered a cheap outboard motor ?

Bolt on the back and away you go - not much power or braking but easier than walking and will get you there (slowly).

It rather depends on the feasibility of "bolting it to the back" of whatever it is that the OP needs to move.  Tacking an outboard onto many steel narrow boats, for example might need some arranging. 

 

I think RCR used to offer a service where they had some kind of temporary outboard, but that presumably used some kind of bespoke devicethat could be strapped on,perhaps to read dollies?  I believe they discontinued this facility, but may be wrong.

[Guest]

I'm in a "safe haven".

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, StationMaster said:

I'm in a "safe haven".

Perhaps an idea of where you are, the 'breakdown' problem,  and where you need to go to might help.

 

Have you identified which marina / workshop can do the work ?

[Guest]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Have you identified which marina / workshop can do the work ?

No primarily because I want to find out how I'm going to get the boat there first, once I have an understanding of that I can start phoning around. If bow hauling this severally limits my options.

[PaulJ]

Are you on Facebook StatioMaster? If so a post on London Boaters with a suitable reward would soon get you sorted I expect.

[howardang]

3 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

Are you on Facebook StatioMaster? If so a post on London Boaters with a suitable reward would soon get you sorted I expect.

As long as CRT are not looking too closely or there might be a licence issue if there is an exchange of cash!

 

Howard

[reg]

4 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

Are you on Facebook StatioMaster? If so a post on London Boaters with a suitable reward would soon get you sorted I expect.

Just about to post the same thing. 

They do seem to be pretty friendly when it comes to helping each other out in this sort of situation. 

[PaulJ]

2 minutes ago, howardang said:

As long as CRT are not looking too closely or there might be a licence issue if there is an exchange of cash!

 

Howard

As well as friendly,  as a group they all seem clued up too. I have seen many requests for tows but recall none that offered cash ?Only plenty of food, drink etc..

 

[matty40s]

39 minutes ago, Tonka said:

whatever happened to walking along the bank with the ropes

You obviously havn't been down there recently and seen the boat numbers towpath side with pram hoods, TV aeriels, sat dishes, bikes, chimblys etc etc etc The ex-oil rig lifeboats are probably 10-12 feet high if they have gennys on the roof.

An easier route would be to pole it along!!!

[frangar]

I’ve towed a few boats that I’ve found to be in trouble over the years....two were where RCR couldn’t be bothered & had left the owners...both of whom were members...to their own devices...both tows were much longer than RCR allow too!!

 

No money changed hands....I work on the principle that it might be me needing a tow one day! I did get a rather nice Thai meal as a thank you tho!! 

 

 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, matty40s said:

 

An easier route would be to pole it along!!!

I'm up on the Stort in the middle of nowhere but I get your drift.

[RLWP]

Just now, StationMaster said:

I get your drift.

There's another option

[PaulJ]

2 minutes ago, frangar said:

I’ve towed a few boats that I’ve found to be in trouble over the years....two were where RCR couldn’t be bothered & had left the owners...both of whom were members...to their own devices...both tows were much longer than RCR allow too!!

 

No money changed hands....I work on the principle that it might be me needing a tow one day! I did get a rather nice Thai meal as a thank you tho!! 

 

 

I only got a good laugh last time I did. Chap slipped as he was messing with the ropes and fell in. ?

[mark99]

Some knowledgeable members on the Stort might be able to help diagnose. Bizzard if engine?

Edited March 5, 2019 by mark99

[frangar]

Just now, PaulJ said:

I only got a good laugh last time I did. Chap slipped as he was messing with the ropes and fell in. ?

My most fun tow was a big wooden twin screw motor launch that I locked out of Gloucester with...his steering failed on the narrow bit of the Partings....that concentrates the mind!! Got him back into Gloucester dock in the end tho! 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, mark99 said:

Some knowledgeable members on the Stort might be able to help diagnose. Bizzard if engine?

Not sure what is wrong but due to me not being very competent it needs someone to visit rather than on line advice. Even with my limited knowledge, it needs someone who knows what they are doing plus several days/weeks testing.

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, StationMaster said:

Not sure what is wrong but due to me not being very competent it needs someone to visit rather than on line advice. Even with my limited knowledge, it needs someone who knows what they are doing plus several days/weeks testing.

The more information you give us, the more likely someone will offer to help.

 

Is it an engine problem?  Is it a gearbox problem?  We need to know what the boat is or isn't doing - and if it only does whatever it does sometimes, what makes it do it.