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Slowing down for moored boats, corners, bridges etc.


BD3Bill

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5 minutes ago, Dave123 said:

I must start playing this game too. Also always go at tick over these days as am never in a hurry (if I was I would have bought a motorbike instead)?. Must confess to not always being in tick over before becoming a liveaboard when boating was just a holiday thing and had a strict itinerary to stick too...but efficiency at locks saves far more time!

 

I get the impression that motorbike ownership is higher than average amongst boaters. Don't know how you would that this theory even if you wanted to.

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5 hours ago, Athy said:

Does "reasonable use" include exceeding the speed limit? You mention the bank: surely damage to this is increased by boats going too fast?

why do you think that?    I made no mention of speed, excessive or otherwise, so why did you?

 

 

......................  or are you just enjoying a bit of polemic and wind-up for the sake of it?  I would expect better from an 'official' of this noble and ancient website.

 

if you like I'll buy you a cheapo alarm clock for christmas, so you can wind up whenever you feel the need.

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10 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

why do you think that?    I made no mention of speed, excessive or otherwise, so why did you?

 

 

......................  or are you just enjoying a bit of polemic and wind-up for the sake of it?  I would expect better from an 'official' of this noble and ancient website.

 

if you like I'll buy you a cheapo alarm clock for christmas, so you can wind up whenever you feel the need.

I did not say that I "thought" anything.

I did not say that you had mentioned speed.

I mentioned it because I wanted to.

I already have an alarm clock.

Please do not be rude.

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6 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I too absolutely always go to tickover unless very windy. Its not hard and just good manners.

It's easy to go slow and be smug about it when you aren't pulling a water-skier, but it would also be good manners to cut those of us who do a little slack...

:P

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7 hours ago, Athy said:

I generally slow right down when passing most boats, but make an exception for CART workboats. I have never been sure why.

You are really taking a chance! These are usually some of the worst tied up boats on the cut, with thin string and often come loose.

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During my work life, I spend a lot of time driving along single track country lanes. I adopt the policy when approaching blind bends, that I am going at a speed that enables me to stop before the oncoming vehicle, or stop before I hit the tractor, relying on the dash cam to back up any claim.

On the cut, I adopt the same tactic. There is, IMHO, little point in sounding a horn except at a junction or similar, when it has other meanings. In normal cruising areas, where a horn is not expected, it can have little meaning. It usually means that the other boat is indicating 'sod you, I'm coming through'.

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11 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

You are really taking a chance! These are usually some of the worst tied up boats on the cut, with thin string and often come loose.

The only time I've ever caused a boat to come adrift when passing was a CRT work boat. The thin blue string had been carefully attached to a tent peg.

 

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

It's easy to go slow and be smug about it when you aren't pulling a water-skier, but it would also be good manners to cut those of us who do a little slack...

:P

I followed a hire boat up the Macc this morning. I stopped at the boatyard for supplies and filled up with water (leaving about twenty minutes after they passed me) and caught them up two bridges later.  I gave up as was closing on them on tickover, tied up at a VM, made a cup of tea and hung about for half an hour and caught them up two miles further up just before my mooring.  Flat out, my boat can go at 3mph and less than that on the Macc. Slow I can understand, but sometimes it's farcical, especially if there's no way you can get past someone. However, it was a nice day...

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22 minutes ago, rawsondsr said:

I got shouted at for going too slowly past a moored boat today ?

 

I think some people just like to moan and shout no matter what

A few years ago I watched incredulously as a permanent moorer kept sticking her head out of her side hatch and shout at hire boaters to slow down. Didn't seem to matter if they were on tickover or not. Passing private boaters were left alone although most were going faster than the hirers

 

 

I

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59 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

During my work life, I spend a lot of time driving along single track country lanes. I adopt the policy when approaching blind bends, that I am going at a speed that enables me to stop before the oncoming vehicle, or stop before I hit the tractor, relying on the dash cam to back up any claim.

On the cut, I adopt the same tactic. There is, IMHO, little point in sounding a horn except at a junction or similar, when it has other meanings. In normal cruising areas, where a horn is not expected, it can have little meaning. It usually means that the other boat is indicating 'sod you, I'm coming through'.

Highway Code:

Country roads

Rule 154

Take extra care on country roads and reduce your speed at approaches to bends, which can be sharper than they appear, and at junctions and turnings, which may be partially hidden. Be prepared for pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists, slow-moving farm vehicles or mud on the road surface. Make sure you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. 

 

Same advice applies when boating!

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54 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Make sure you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. 

No problem with a loaded boat on the Coventry.  It's the stuff under the water, that you can't see, that stops you.

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Far too much of this sounding the horn nonsense on the cut today. It is like being in the middle of an Italian city. Slow down a bit.
One time when you must ALWAYS blow your horn is when a geezer in funny trousers is teeing off on the golf course that you are passing. Always follow the blast of horn with an enthusiastic wave and smile. 
When passing moored boats there are those who would complain if you carried your boat past. My best/worst ever was when slowly passing moored boats down a very narrow canal, and a lady got very tetchy because i had passed her boat "too close." "Why don't you come in and join us!" she hollered. Then my wife came out of our cabin...... It really kicked off then but the complaining one soon disappeared. Pity the fool who argues with my wife.

2 hours ago, rawsondsr said:

I got shouted at for going too slowly past a moored boat today ?

 

I think some people just like to moan and shout no matter what

Yup. We call them professional moaners. I think some people believe that they should have the canals to themselves.

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2 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

Go into neutral and wind up the engine, you will still get shouted at.

I was talking to somebody who had a constant speed engine that used some kind of hydraulic system to control boat speed. The guy claimed he was forever getting told to slow down even though he had. Just sounded like he hadn't.

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3 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

Go into neutral and wind up the engine, you will still get shouted at.

I agree - although that bit you quoted wasn't my post - it was in my post as a quote of @mrsmelly

 

I never go to tick over - the boat just about stops!  My boat swims very nicely and I proceed quietly at a gentle pace where I'm clearly not causing anyone any issues.  Other than that batty woman near (iirc) Fazeley(?) junction, who an oncoming boat at crawling speed warned me about and proved to be right, I'm never shouted at (although that could be something to do with the torpedo tubes).

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12 minutes ago, Athy said:

I do see what you mean, but not if they had read my post carefully.

 

No Athy, it's your passive aggressive thing, you often practice it. It's a canal forum not physical review letters, forensically close reading shouldn't be required.

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I pass moored boats on just above tickover but if they are on pins it's down to tickover.

 

While we're on a 'grumpy' thread, something that p*ss me off are those coming from the opposite direction who when waiting on a lock landing just stand and watch instead of coming and 'mucking in'. I know they aren't obliged to, but most boaters help each other when working through a lock. Yesterday a crew of 4 on a waiting boat just stood and watched my wife struggle with some stiff paddles. 

 

So we deliberately took our time so as to keep them waiting longer.

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I think it's bad form too, and it's not something which I would do. But, as e have seen elsewhere in these pages, some boaters actively enjoy the locking process and don't want anyone to help them. So it is possible that the crew in question had previously offered help but had been rebuffed, so they became chary of offering it again.

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It's usually possible to stand at a respectable distance, windlass in hand, ready to help if needed. All it takes is a bit of consideration and (shock horror!) actually talking to folk. There's no need to offer help directly straight away, but the lock "belongs" to whoever is at the helm of the boat using it.

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1 hour ago, Athy said:

I think it's bad form too, and it's not something which I would do. But, as e have seen elsewhere in these pages, some boaters actively enjoy the locking process and don't want anyone to help them. So it is possible that the crew in question had previously offered help but had been rebuffed, so they became chary of offering it again.

 

This is to misunderstand the complaints levelled at vollies. Nothing wrong with one of those four crew ambling down to ask Grassman's wife if she wanted a hand with the stiff paddle. 

 

The problem is the vollies who DON'T ask, and just barge in to operate the lock with no discussion or agreement with the boater(s) concerned. Similarly crews from other boats who just start operating paddles etc without checking with the boat/boater in the lock if this is ok.

 

 

 

I also find myself wondering why Grassman was (presumably) also watching his wife struggle with the heavy paddle!;)

 

 

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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16 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Highway Code:

Country roads

Rule 154

Take extra care on country roads and reduce your speed at approaches to bends, which can be sharper than they appear, and at junctions and turnings, which may be partially hidden. Be prepared for pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists, slow-moving farm vehicles or mud on the road surface. Make sure you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. 

 

Same advice applies when boating!

Poor logic there. Surely you should be able to stop in HALF the distance you can see to be clear.

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