First volockie irritation of the year.

[roland elsdon]

1 hour ago, Midnight said:

Locally it' known as the 'Calder Navigation' hence the CNS 'Calder Navigation Society' (http://www.calderns.org.uk/) 

The electric locks on Aire & Calder have recently had the gate walkways renewed by some 'real' lockies (not contractors so it's possible they were there and did the key stuff for you as they did for me a few weeks ago. Never seen any vollies there but who knows I may need to get a tin of anti-vollie spray next time I go that way.

I suppose you demand their car keys ( take over control of their possessions) and ram it into the nearest wall,  give them the keys back and look offended when they dont thank you.

its pretty similar.

[ditchcrawler]

23 minutes ago, mayalld said:

Because volunteers don't want to do things that might be useful. They want to play with locks.

And probably a lot couldnt be relied on to do the maintenance correctly

[sirweste]

On 26/08/2019 at 11:07, Mike the Boilerman said:

The occasional and low usage boaters see them as helping and love having them around.

 

Think this is partially correct, bit of a generalisation like.

I don't do a lot of boating compared to other like Nick. Then when I do it's usually late on when there's definitely no keepers around. My few experiences of them has been mixed. I suspect more boating in peak times would mean more experiences of them and statistically they are likely to be good experiences.

Usually when boating I have a optimistic destination in mind and would be grateful of offered assistance. Though as Mike said, this would be best if it were opening and closing rather than paddles. 

 

One at the three locks in Soulbury I'm pretty sure asked if I wanted help (I'm always single handing), which I accepted. Unfortunately I was new to boating and wasn't comfortable with fully wound up paddles, so I whistled to him to drop it to half and he obliged, but his was pretty miffed about it and made me feel like a tool!!

 

Another at Fradley (now I'm a confident boater) asked if I wanted help (coming down), I agreed. As I was off the boat closing the top gate he'd already opened the paddle while facing away. So the gate slammed shut and I gave up on the planned tying up of the boat, quickly jumped over the deck railing (I'm in me mid 30s) to initiate a hard reverse. I mentioned the haste of it all to him and said while I wasn't bothered really an older person wouldn't have been able to get back on the boat. Can't remember what he said to be honest, but he was a pleasant fella.

To be honest I would have rathered have someone on the swing bridge!!

 

And other couple of experiences at Soulbury have been fine. Though to be honest they tend not to assist me much and seem to be there just to teach the Wyvern hirers how to do it. 

[nicknorman]

23 hours ago, nicknorman said:

But with heart rate slightly elevated at the sight of blue uniforms, I was relieved to find 3 male volockies (ie none could be the rogue female one), one of whom was very pleasant and chatty, one was Ok and one was a bit taciturn - but none of them caused us any grief and whilst they didn’t actually ask if we wanted help and yet did help with gates and other side paddles, after I’d raised the paddles on the non-boat side, (which is weirdly correct for these few T&M wide locks). So no complaints on that one...

I’ve thought about this a bit and am going to modify it. There were a couple of other interactions with the non-chatty volockies, who had positioned themselves on the top gates. Firstly, Jeff always knows to stay right at the back of all T&M locks. This means we can open both top paddles fully, one after the other, and not have the boat ram the top gates.

 

But of course these wide locks are a bit different, and Stenson is deep. Anyway I duly would the opposite-side ground paddle up about 1/2 way to see what happened. Not an awful lot, the boat was just pressed gently against the far side as expected. So I fully wound the paddle. These are hydraulic paddles and different in size from the previous wide T&M locks, ie quite powerful. Jeff wasn’t really paying attention (lot of gongoozlers asking questions etc) and after a while allowed the boat to drift forward to the point that it was unrecoverable. So it contacted the top cill, doing about 0.1mph (ie , barely) and a bit of water splashed over the bow (but not into the well deck). None of which was a big deal. But Volocky “volunteered” that “It happened because you fully opened the paddle”. Well I was amazed, I would never have guessed! <sarcasm emoji>

 

Anyway i wound it down a bit and jeff was able to reverse back. Yes with hindsight it might have been better to wind it only 3/4 but so what, not a big deal.

 

Then as the lock level equalised I put my back onto the balance beam to open the lock. Immediately the chap on my side started to say “It’s not ready yet, not until the water level is up to that brick mark” but he only got as far as “It’s not” when the gate started opening. He had to explain the rest afterwards. I really couldn’t be bothered to explain that the absolute level in the lock is not relevant, it’s the level relative to the pound above.

 

So neither of these things were a big deal at all, but they are just little naggy micro-managing niggles, virtual tut-tuts if you like, like having a vocal back-seat driver. Not intolerable but it would be better if one didn’t have to work a lock with 3 blokes watching your every move and quick to comment if things don’t happen exactly as they think they should. It just spoils the relaxation and fun.

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

I’ve thought about this a bit and am going to modify it. There were a couple of other interactions with the non-chatty volockies, who had positioned themselves on the top gates. Firstly, Jeff always knows to stay right at the back of all T&M locks. This means we can open both top paddles fully, one after the other, and not have the boat ram the top gates.

 

But of course these wide locks are a bit different, and Stenson is deep. Anyway I duly would the opposite-side ground paddle up about 1/2 way to see what happened. Not an awful lot, the boat was just pressed gently against the far side as expected. So I fully wound the paddle. These are hydraulic paddles and different in size from the previous wide T&M locks, ie quite powerful. Jeff wasn’t really paying attention (lot of gongoozlers asking questions etc) and after a while allowed the boat to drift forward to the point that it was unrecoverable. So it contacted the top cill, doing about 0.1mph (ie , barely) and a bit of water splashed over the bow (but not into the well deck). None of which was a big deal. But Volocky “volunteered” that “It happened because you fully opened the paddle”. Well I was amazed, I would never have guessed! <sarcasm emoji>

 

Anyway i wound it down a bit and jeff was able to reverse back. Yes with hindsight it might have been better to wind it only 3/4 but so what, not a big deal.

 

Then as the lock level equalised I put my back onto the balance beam to open the lock. Immediately the chap on my side started to say “It’s not ready yet, not until the water level is up to that brick mark” but he only got as far as “It’s not” when the gate started opening. He had to explain the rest afterwards. I really couldn’t be bothered to explain that the absolute level in the lock is not relevant, it’s the level relative to the pound above.

 

So neither of these things were a big deal at all, but they are just little naggy micro-managing niggles, virtual tut-tuts if you like, like having a vocal back-seat driver. Not intolerable but it would be better if one didn’t have to work a lock with 3 blokes watching your every move and quick to comment if things don’t happen exactly as they think they should. It just spoils the relaxation and fun.

 

 

This is all far too subtle for some here, who think that having a vollie there to wind the handle for them is just the BEST THING EVER, no matter how well or badly it is done. 

 

A bit like when you throw a ball for an excited spaniel.

 

 

[aracer]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

This is all far too subtle for some here, who think that having a vollie there to wind the handle for them is just the BEST THING EVER, no matter how well or badly it is done. 

 

A bit like when you throw a ball for an excited spaniel.

 

 

You guys are being very absolutist. I've maybe not done a huge amount of boating compared to some of you, but way more than the average leisure boater. I have encountered plenty of vlockies, but they've universally been helpful and I don't recognise at all the behaviour others have mentioned (apart from the one I mentioned ages ago, but I'm fairly sure he was actually a CRT chugger getting above his station rather than a vlockie - certainly haven't seen him around here again anyway).

 

However I suspect it also depends a lot on where you go - I've had a fairly limited range so far (and did a lot of that out of season). I do wonder whether there are specific locations which attract those who are a problem - interesting comment above about it being something suggested to people by their counsellors, maybe these are people who find social interaction difficult.

 

I do wonder a little about some of the attitudes on here though - for a start the first sentence there is a complete strawman, nobody on here is saying vlockies are good even if they're bad. But maybe some of you are also the opposite of an excited spaniel and ironically very similar to those you're complaining about - personally I welcome the presence of vlockies for the social interaction - it seems some here really don't want that. It's also really easy to deal with the minor stuff - yes I've been told to stay on my boat, on occasions when the vlockies were clearly going to work me as quick as I would myself I've complied, on others I've just politely said "no, I'm used to single handing, I'll get off and help if that's OK". Lack of eye contact may just signify poor social skills, but that certainly doesn't make somebody incapable of being a good vlockie, not so long as they are prepared to listen. I also note the attitude of wanting to work the locks - well maybe such people haven't done as much concentrated boating as me - after 30 locks in a day single handing I'm bored of working locks and happy for any assistance ?

[Midnight]

3 hours ago, nicknorman said:

No they were definitely volunteers. Every Wednesday only, apparently. King’s road lock.

Oh bugger! I'm off down there on the 11th Sept, a Wednesday. 

I think one of the main reasons we don't see them on the C&H is because many of the paddles are very heavy, especially below Battyeford. Hirers and the ladies of the area use the long handled 'Yorkshire' windlass I just visit the rupture clinic every so often.

Like your good self and MTB I get that 'oh bollocks' feeling when I see blue shirted vollies on the lock I'm approaching. I think they are very useful on long flights when they walk ahead lifting paddles and opening gates or even behind, shutting gates. The only one I ever saw around here was at Brearley Lock on the Rochdale a few years ago and she said she was only there to paint the stones(?) and keep the lock tidy - now that's what I call a useful volocky.

[Guest]

On 26/08/2019 at 11:07, Mike the Boilerman said:

There does seem to be a theme emerging.

 

The occasional and low usage boaters see them as helping and love having them around.

Those who boat more seriously/continually seem to find a few of them interfering and difficult and are growing to resent all of them

 

 

Oh give over! Occasional/low usage boaters my arse!

 

If I hadn't had the help from a few volockies on my journey from London to Yorkshire (450 km, 160 locks in 14 days) then my journey, as a single handed boater, would have taken longer than it did.

 

Those of us who take our boating seriously but aren't miserable, cantankerous gits get on quite well with the volunteers. I usually find that it takes two to tango and if a volockie gets the hump, it's usually caused by another party.

[Guest]

54 minutes ago, aracer said:

You guys are being very absolutist. I've maybe not done a huge amount of boating compared to some of you, but way more than the average leisure boater. I have encountered plenty of vlockies, but they've universally been helpful and I don't recognise at all the behaviour others have mentioned (apart from the one I mentioned ages ago, but I'm fairly sure he was actually a CRT chugger getting above his station rather than a vlockie - certainly haven't seen him around here again anyway).

 

However I suspect it also depends a lot on where you go - I've had a fairly limited range so far (and did a lot of that out of season). I do wonder whether there are specific locations which attract those who are a problem - interesting comment above about it being something suggested to people by their counsellors, maybe these are people who find social interaction difficult.

 

I do wonder a little about some of the attitudes on here though - for a start the first sentence there is a complete strawman, nobody on here is saying vlockies are good even if they're bad. But maybe some of you are also the opposite of an excited spaniel and ironically very similar to those you're complaining about - personally I welcome the presence of vlockies for the social interaction - it seems some here really don't want that. It's also really easy to deal with the minor stuff - yes I've been told to stay on my boat, on occasions when the vlockies were clearly going to work me as quick as I would myself I've complied, on others I've just politely said "no, I'm used to single handing, I'll get off and help if that's OK". Lack of eye contact may just signify poor social skills, but that certainly doesn't make somebody incapable of being a good vlockie, not so long as they are prepared to listen. I also note the attitude of wanting to work the locks - well maybe such people haven't done as much concentrated boating as me - after 30 locks in a day single handing I'm bored of working locks and happy for any assistance ?

I think "more serious/continual" boaters that are whinging about volockies are more likely than not retirees who get to play with boats on a weekend, and probably have done for many years.

 

Of course that makes them far, far more serious boaters than those of us who live aboard.

[Chris Williams]

So glad that I did my boating before these 'Blue Shirts' arrived.  No-one ever touched MY paddles, except Sue, who knew how to work them properly.  Oh yes, and a few REAL lock-keepers.

[MtB]

24 minutes ago, NB Caelmiri said:

If I hadn't had the help from a few volockies on my journey from London to Yorkshire (450 km, 160 locks in 14 days) then my journey, as a single handed boater, would have taken longer than it did.

 

And here we have another theme emerging. For some e.g. you, boating seems to be all about getting to a destination. For others, e.g. me, it is all about the journey.

 

When I get to a lock I see it as my domain. Most vollies see it that way too but on the odd occasion, I arrive at a lock and the vollie there regards it as HIS domain and I am to do as I'm told, in which case a turf war unfolds.

 

 

[mayalld]

1 hour ago, aracer said:

You guys are being very absolutist. I've maybe not done a huge amount of boating compared to some of you, but way more than the average leisure boater. I have encountered plenty of vlockies, but they've universally been helpful and I don't recognise at all the behaviour others have mentioned (apart from the one I mentioned ages ago, but I'm fairly sure he was actually a CRT chugger getting above his station rather than a vlockie - certainly haven't seen him around here again anyway).

 

However I suspect it also depends a lot on where you go - I've had a fairly limited range so far (and did a lot of that out of season). I do wonder whether there are specific locations which attract those who are a problem - interesting comment above about it being something suggested to people by their counsellors, maybe these are people who find social interaction difficult.

 

I do wonder a little about some of the attitudes on here though - for a start the first sentence there is a complete strawman, nobody on here is saying vlockies are good even if they're bad. But maybe some of you are also the opposite of an excited spaniel and ironically very similar to those you're complaining about - personally I welcome the presence of vlockies for the social interaction - it seems some here really don't want that. It's also really easy to deal with the minor stuff - yes I've been told to stay on my boat, on occasions when the vlockies were clearly going to work me as quick as I would myself I've complied, on others I've just politely said "no, I'm used to single handing, I'll get off and help if that's OK". Lack of eye contact may just signify poor social skills, but that certainly doesn't make somebody incapable of being a good vlockie, not so long as they are prepared to listen. I also note the attitude of wanting to work the locks - well maybe such people haven't done as much concentrated boating as me - after 30 locks in a day single handing I'm bored of working locks and happy for any assistance ?

Look, if you want a volunteer to help you, then it is entirely up to you. Your boat, your lock, your choice. If you are prepared to accept sub-optimal working of the lock as a price worth paying (including downright dangerous practices) for a less energetic life, or quicker passage, then nobody is trying to stop you.

 

When I'm going through a lock (My boat, my lock, my choice), I don't consider what I get from the volunteer to be worth the cost in terms of creating danger, preventing me from taking much needed exercise, irritating me by issuing instructions when I go away to get away from such things, etc. etc.

 

Quite apart from not wanting them interfering at all, I particular am not asking for them to be sociable. Passage through a lock is filled with potential hazards, which we avoid by NOT socialising in the process. Volunteers shouldn't be having a natter, but they must communicate. Boating is enjoyable, working locks is enjoyable, but you need your wits about you.

 

You mention being told to stay on the boat, and you politely responding that you won't "if that's OK". My polite response is "No thank you, I will be working the lock". Whether it is OK with the volunteer or not doesn't enter into it. I do not need the volunteer's permission to work the lock myself, and I do not need him to agree to step aside.

 

My main beef is volunteers imposing their help without a word. They must ask. The onus is not on the boater to countermand a preconception of consent (he is 70 feet away, I don't want to shout to him to stop, and I cannot safely walk to him to tell him "no" if he might just wind a paddle whilst I am making my way to him.

 

[Tony Brooks]

After too many years boating to remember I thought I knew how to operate the pedals and pawls in the safest practical manner until I met one particular volly at Foxton. I find I usually get on OK with them and appreciate their help but in this case I was instructed as someone over 6ft tall to not flick the pawl over and then hold the paddle on the windlass while I flicked the pawl on and released the windlass.  I was instructed to hold the pawl away from the ratchet while I wound the windlass. this meant I had to bend over the pedestal with my hand/arms in a very cackhanded manner with my face directly above the windlass handle. Not only do I consider this unacceptably dangerous but the unnatural position made my back ache. It also prevented me keeping a good lookout for potential problems being hunched over the windlass and pedestal but I humoured him for a quiet life and because he was over half way down the flight but I found his instructions nonsensical from a H&S point of view.

 

I did email CaRT and pointed out that when I returned that way if I was given the same instruction I would be holding both CaRT and the Volly libel in the case of an accident or injury. Naturally I did not hear anything from Cart and that volly was not on duty when we returned. To my mind this and the whole topic shows there are problems, a lack of supervision, and CaRT doing their typical head in the sand thing.

[Midnight]

35 minutes ago, NB Caelmiri said:

I think "more serious/continual" boaters that are whinging about volockies are more likely than not retirees who get to play with boats on a weekend, and probably have done for many years.

 

Of course that makes them far, far more serious boaters than those of us who live aboard.

No I think not rather those who have had issues with vollies who take command. If my understanding is correct they are instructed to help if asked by the boater. If you like their help that's fine, but not all of us do. You may have been lucky as I believe the majority of vollies are helpful and follow CRT policy. It's the ones who don't that spoil it for the rest.

 

I do a far amount single handed but still prefer the work my own locks, after all it's my boat so don't you think that's fair?

[nicknorman]

16 minutes ago, Midnight said:

No I think not rather those who have had issues with vollies who take command. If my understanding is correct they are instructed to help if asked by the boater. If you like their help that's fine, but not all of us do. You may have been lucky as I believe the majority of vollies are helpful and follow CRT policy. It's the ones who don't that spoil it for the rest.

 

I do a far amount single handed but still prefer the work my own locks, after all it's my boat so don't you think that's fair?

Just met a really good volockie when we were sitting by a lock. Ok there was a bit of a gay mafia thing going on when he spotted Jeff’s rainbow socks, but he was very chatty and entertaining, a great ambassador for CRT. He was the kind of guy who could be all things to all people.

 

When a boat arrived we heard him say “would you like any help?”. After much conversation It transpired that he had been a ship’s captain operating in the Gulf etc, so he had some idea about boats. Not that he came across as arrogant in any way.

 

If all volockies were like him, I would have absolutely no problem with the concept,  but unfortunately they aren’t.

[doratheexplorer]

3 hours ago, nicknorman said:

I’ve thought about this a bit and am going to modify it. There were a couple of other interactions with the non-chatty volockies, who had positioned themselves on the top gates. Firstly, Jeff always knows to stay right at the back of all T&M locks. This means we can open both top paddles fully, one after the other, and not have the boat ram the top gates.

 

But of course these wide locks are a bit different, and Stenson is deep. Anyway I duly would the opposite-side ground paddle up about 1/2 way to see what happened. Not an awful lot, the boat was just pressed gently against the far side as expected. So I fully wound the paddle. These are hydraulic paddles and different in size from the previous wide T&M locks, ie quite powerful. Jeff wasn’t really paying attention (lot of gongoozlers asking questions etc) and after a while allowed the boat to drift forward to the point that it was unrecoverable. So it contacted the top cill, doing about 0.1mph (ie , barely) and a bit of water splashed over the bow (but not into the well deck). None of which was a big deal. But Volocky “volunteered” that “It happened because you fully opened the paddle”. Well I was amazed, I would never have guessed! <sarcasm emoji>

 

Anyway i wound it down a bit and jeff was able to reverse back. Yes with hindsight it might have been better to wind it only 3/4 but so what, not a big deal.

 

Then as the lock level equalised I put my back onto the balance beam to open the lock. Immediately the chap on my side started to say “It’s not ready yet, not until the water level is up to that brick mark” but he only got as far as “It’s not” when the gate started opening. He had to explain the rest afterwards. I really couldn’t be bothered to explain that the absolute level in the lock is not relevant, it’s the level relative to the pound above.

 

So neither of these things were a big deal at all, but they are just little naggy micro-managing niggles, virtual tut-tuts if you like, like having a vocal back-seat driver. Not intolerable but it would be better if one didn’t have to work a lock with 3 blokes watching your every move and quick to comment if things don’t happen exactly as they think they should. It just spoils the relaxation and fun.

I've never been able to put my finger on why I feel a certain dread when I arrive at a lock and see a couple of volockies waiting, but this is it exactly.  I just never fully realised it before.  It's the judgement, the low level know-it-all judgement.  They see me and think they must know better and it's their job to pick holes in everything I do.  Not all volockies, but enough.

 

If I'm feeling confident and bolshy, I'll bite back and tell them it's my boat and "I'll do it my way thank you", but then it makes me the bad guy.  So all too often I meekly oblige them (I suppose I feel I ought to be grateful for their help) and I carry on with a fairly gloomy feeling that my day has been somewhat spoiled, by these brow-beating know alls.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, Midnight said:

No I think not rather those who have had issues with vollies who take command. If my understanding is correct they are instructed to help if asked by the boater. If you like their help that's fine, but not all of us do. You may have been lucky as I believe the majority of vollies are helpful and follow CRT policy. It's the ones who don't that spoil it for the rest.

 

I do a far amount single handed but still prefer the work my own locks, after all it's my boat so don't you think that's fair?

Absolutely. I was just simply posting in the same manner as Mike the Boilerman, who has a strong tendancy to paint with a broad brush.

[Guest]

56 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

And here we have another theme emerging. For some e.g. you, boating seems to be all about getting to a destination. For others, e.g. me, it is all about the journey.

 

When I get to a lock I see it as my domain. Most vollies see it that way too but on the odd occasion, I arrive at a lock and the vollie there regards it as HIS domain and I am to do as I'm told, in which case a turf war unfolds.

 

 

Alas, I'm not retired and as such it is about getting to a destination, for the most part. I don't have the luxury of aimlessly swanning around on my boat for weeks or weekends at a time. And there's nothing wrong with that - for hundreds of years, it was all about getting to a destination.

 

That is the thing - we all have our own reasons for being on the water and not one reason is better than others, despite what you may think. When I no longer have a requirement or need to be somewhere, when I can spend a week going somewhere or nowhere then I shall enjoy the journey but while I'm living aboard and working, I often have a need to be at a particular destination but I still enjoy the journey.

[cuthound]

3 hours ago, sirweste said:

Another at Fradley (now I'm a confident boater) asked if I wanted help (coming down), I agreed. As I was off the boat closing the top gate he'd already opened the paddle while facing away. So the gate slammed shut and I gave up on the planned tying up of the boat, quickly jumped over the deck railing (I'm in me mid 30s) to initiate a hard reverse. I mentioned the haste of it all to him and said while I wasn't bothered really an older person wouldn't have been able to get back on the boat. Can't remember what he said to be honest, but he was a pleasant fella.

To be honest I would have rathered have someone on the swing bridge!!

 

My one bad experience with volockies, soon after i bought my boat in 2014, was going up the first lock at Fradley after turning left at the swing bridge.

 

Before the bottom gates had been fully closed, and before I'd brought the boat to a stop, the two volockies rattled up the paddles completely, and, despite full reverse, I was drawn forward, very quickly until I hit the cill/top gates hard. I remonstrated with them, that they should be watching the incoming boat, and to make sure that it was stationary and steerer ready before even opening the paddles. Their response was to ignore me and tell my wife that I had entered the lock far too quickly and not engaged reverse soon enough! She then said, you had better tell him that he's been doing it wrong for the last 40 years!

 

I should have sent a written complaint to CRT, but as it was the first day of a fortnight trip, couldn't be bothered by the time we got back home.

 

Unlike the two 58 foot shareboats I had, which preferred to be kept close to the bottom gates when going up in all locks, my current boat needs to rest on the cill/top gate if the lock has a strong forward pull. If you don't do this, she is drawn forward quickly, and if the lock has a strong enough pull (like most of those going up from Middlewich to the Harecastle Tunnel) no amount of reverse will stop this.

 

Hopefully when I get her back after blacking and painting, the new (larger & with more pitch) propeller will alleviate this.

[captain birdseye]

I notice non of the historic brigade who went to Hebden Bridge have been on saying as how they love the enjoyment of working all the locks themselves and don't like vollies butting in. They were only too thankful to have help up out of Manchester as are the vast majority of boaters we assist, lots contact CRT and ask if there is a volunteer available: either on the Rochdale through and out of the city and also up the Ashton and canal. Perhaps it just depends on where you are boating. 

[cuthound]

2 hours ago, Midnight said:

I think they are very useful on long flights when they walk ahead lifting paddles and opening gates or even behind, shutting gates. 

 

In my experience they tend to congregate either at the top two, or bottom two, of any lock flight, almost as though they have an invisible tether that won't let them stray any further. ?

Edited August 27, 2019 by cuthound
Spillung

[nicknorman]

4 minutes ago, captain birdseye said:

I notice non of the historic brigade who went to Hebden Bridge have been on saying as how they love the enjoyment of working all the locks themselves and don't like vollies butting in. They were only too thankful to have help up out of Manchester as are the vast majority of boaters we assist, lots contact CRT and ask if there is a volunteer available: either on the Rochdale through and out of the city and also up the Ashton and canal. Perhaps it just depends on where you are boating. 

No I think it just depends on what sort of boater you are. For me, locks are a challenge and a big part of the fun. For others, they are a chore. There is no right answer except to say that whilst I can accept that some people enjoy the services of volockies, they should not be forced on those who don’t want their services (or advice, or tut-tuts). Especially when the actual encounter varies so much from very pleasant (see my post 615) do the downright rude and obnoxious (see Adam’s post). Good volockies - the category in which I presume you reside - should be vocal in their objection to rude “little Hitler” volockies just as much as I am, for it risks to giving you all a bad name.

[Keeping Up]

1 hour ago, NB Caelmiri said:

I think "more serious/continual" boaters that are whinging about volockies are more likely than not retirees who get to play with boats on a weekend, and probably have done for many years.

 

Of course that makes them far, far more serious boaters than those of us who live aboard.

Not all retirees are the same. Having travelled more than 30,000 miles on my boats over 35 years (plus 15 years hiring before that) and now spending 6 months of every year travelling typically 1500 miles per year, yes indeed I do consider myself to be a more serious boater than many of those who live aboard and never travel anywhere. And I've yet to meet many vollies who have worked more than the 20,000 that I have.

[Midnight]

13 minutes ago, captain birdseye said:

I notice non of the historic brigade who went to Hebden Bridge have been on saying as how they love the enjoyment of working all the locks themselves and don't like vollies butting in. They were only too thankful to have help up out of Manchester as are the vast majority of boaters we assist, lots contact CRT and ask if there is a volunteer available: either on the Rochdale through and out of the city and also up the Ashton and canal. Perhaps it just depends on where you are boating. 

Yes there's at least one good vollocky there but he usually either assists single-handers or goes ahead and sets the locks. Which is very helpful. He's also a very nice chap and doesn't take control - just helps.

[mayalld]

3 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

No I think it just depends on what sort of boater you are. For me, locks are a challenge and a big part of the fun. For others, they are a chore. There is no right answer except to say that whilst I can accept that some people enjoy the services of volockies, they should not be forced on those who don’t want their services (or advice, or tut-tuts). Especially when the actual encounter varies so much from very pleasant (see my post 615) do the downright rude and obnoxious (see Adam’s post). Good volockies - the category in which I presume you reside - should be vocal in their objection to rude “little Hitler” volockies just as much as I am, for it risks to giving you all a bad name.

Well,

 

if I were to see Birdseye at a lock dressed in blue, I would be unworried, because I actually know him, and know that he knows what he is doing, and isn't about to do anything without saying hi.

 

Sadly, the overwhelming majority of volunteers that I encounter are not of his calibre.