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Why oh why oh why, I simply have to ask!!


mrsmelly

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I despise "Git Gaps" Of course it is always possible that boats either side of you will leave making it look like it is you who moored in an arrogant fashion. 

 

When we were at Ripon last year we arrived on a Saturday evening to get the last remaining space on the 48 hr visitor mooring nearest to the town. It is only big enough for 2-3 boats depending on size and we fitted with around 10' left in front of us. We noted there was a gap between the two other boats there who had not shared rings. 

The next evening the middle boat moved off so that 10' space in front of our boat meant we appeared to be hogging the mooring. Then the other boat moved off and we waved goodbye, she said they were only going to the services and would be back shortly. When they came back they tied where the middle boat had been, but rather than share our ring they used the next one back. This meant that now we had 10' in front and a git gap between which could have effectively meant someone arriving would not fit in the space left. 

Before we went out the next day we pulled our boat into the 10' space at the front. It meant the git gap was bigger BUT we had no way of knowing if the other boat would move off and, if they did it meant that boats arriving had the full length to moor in. As we were doing this the local CRT lady approached asking if we were moving off. I explained that no, we were not, just shuffling up so we were right at the end of the mooring. She asked when we had arrived and seemed surprised we would bother to shuffle up 10' when we had to move away that evening anyway. I explained the situation regarding the other boat and the git gap and went on to mention we would need to leave the boat a few days further down the canal as I had a meeting to go to. 

She told us a perfect place for a 50' boat to tie up which was just paradise, away from the noise of the main road and the factory that works through the night during the week on the offside. We could have stayed there two weeks if we had wanted. I feel that was our reward! 

 

In Lymm a few weeks ago we arrived to find a boat sitting in the middle of a prime stretch of town centre mooring with about 40' each side. The chap was on the deck as we came along looking to moor. I was on the tug deck and asked him politely if there was any chance he could shuffle up to make room for us. He looked at me with an expression of bewilderment, I thought perhaps he had not heard or understood my request so I repeated it. He threw his arms up in an exaggerated shrug, pointed to the space and burst out laughing. I still have no idea what caused his laughter but it came across as being very rude indeed. 

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31 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

I despise "Git Gaps" Of course it is always possible that boats either side of you will leave making it look like it is you who moored in an arrogant fashion. 

 

When we were at Ripon last year we arrived on a Saturday evening to get the last remaining space on the 48 hr visitor mooring nearest to the town. It is only big enough for 2-3 boats depending on size and we fitted with around 10' left in front of us. We noted there was a gap between the two other boats there who had not shared rings. 

The next evening the middle boat moved off so that 10' space in front of our boat meant we appeared to be hogging the mooring. Then the other boat moved off and we waved goodbye, she said they were only going to the services and would be back shortly. When they came back they tied where the middle boat had been, but rather than share our ring they used the next one back. This meant that now we had 10' in front and a git gap between which could have effectively meant someone arriving would not fit in the space left. 

Before we went out the next day we pulled our boat into the 10' space at the front. It meant the git gap was bigger BUT we had no way of knowing if the other boat would move off and, if they did it meant that boats arriving had the full length to moor in. As we were doing this the local CRT lady approached asking if we were moving off. I explained that no, we were not, just shuffling up so we were right at the end of the mooring. She asked when we had arrived and seemed surprised we would bother to shuffle up 10' when we had to move away that evening anyway. I explained the situation regarding the other boat and the git gap and went on to mention we would need to leave the boat a few days further down the canal as I had a meeting to go to. 

She told us a perfect place for a 50' boat to tie up which was just paradise, away from the noise of the main road and the factory that works through the night during the week on the offside. We could have stayed there two weeks if we had wanted. I feel that was our reward! 

 

In Lymm a few weeks ago we arrived to find a boat sitting in the middle of a prime stretch of town centre mooring with about 40' each side. The chap was on the deck as we came along looking to moor. I was on the tug deck and asked him politely if there was any chance he could shuffle up to make room for us. He looked at me with an expression of bewilderment, I thought perhaps he had not heard or understood my request so I repeated it. He threw his arms up in an exaggerated shrug, pointed to the space and burst out laughing. I still have no idea what caused his laughter but it came across as being very rude indeed. 

I might be misunderstanding your post but when you originally moored up are you saying that you moored 10' from the end of the visitor mooring, or in the middle with a space in front and behind to other boats? If you were 10' from the end of the VM I think I'd have tended to go to the end and let the others sort themselves out, since if you are at the end of the mooring there isn't really anywhere that anyone can realistically ask you to move to.

 

Regarding Lymm, I tend to put my incompetent hat on when confronted with situations like that and, rather than ask permission whilst still on the canal, I'd start trying to moor up in the space obviously too small for my boat, then ask him to move, always seems to have worked so far:rolleyes:

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2 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

I might be misunderstanding your post but when you originally moored up are you saying that you moored 10' from the end of the visitor mooring, or in the middle with a space in front and behind to other boats? If you were 10' from the end of the VM I think I'd have tended to go to the end and let the others sort themselves out, since if you are at the end of the mooring there isn't really anywhere that anyone can realistically ask you to move to.

 

Regarding Lymm, I tend to put my incompetent hat on when confronted with situations like that and, rather than ask permission whilst still on the canal, I'd start trying to moor up in the space obviously too small for my boat, then ask him to move, always seems to have worked so far:rolleyes:

We tied on the same ring as the boat behind us 

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2 hours ago, Rob-M said:

That's the problem when others move off leaving an innocent boater looking like he has moored in the middle of a big space.

 

IMG_20171029_140313292.jpg.c9ee410d5af144215eabad526dcc5b5d.jpg

Yeah lol, that does happen. Its just that nearly always when there is a big gap here the boat goes smack in the middle, in fact most seem to walk it from where they pulled up to ensure its smack in the middle :banghead:

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1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Yeah lol, that does happen. Its just that nearly always when there is a big gap here the boat goes smack in the middle, in fact most seem to walk it from where they pulled up to ensure its smack in the middle :banghead:

I must be in the minority whenever I stop at The Pig Place. I always try to snuggle up although the ring spacing doesn't help.

 

I hate bit gaps. I'm also less than keen on the boater who insists on mooring slap bang in the middle of the two-boat length of armco opposite the windmill on the way down to The Folly from Napton Junction. I've seen him doing this on at least two separate occasions.

 

 

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Just now, Lily Rose said:

I must be in the minority whenever I stop at The Pig Place. I always try to snuggle up although the ring spacing doesn't help.

 

I hate bit gaps. I'm also less than keen on the boater who insists on mooring slap bang in the middle of the two-boat length of armco opposite the windmill on the way down to The Folly from Napton Junction. I've seen him doing this on at least two separate occasions.

 

 

Ahh Sean, yes you do always moor correctly here, in fact when typing this I remembered that and was going to mention that the occasional forum member who comes here does it well. So can you answer my question as to why 99 percent dont moor as you do?

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8 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Ahh Sean, yes you do always moor correctly here, in fact when typing this I remembered that and was going to mention that the occasional forum member who comes here does it well. So can you answer my question as to why 99 percent dont moor as you do?

Frayed knot, no.

 

I just assume that many people don't think about the consequences for other people when they do anything. Or  they couldn't give a sh1t.

 

I had a row with another boater at Ansty (limited VMs) a couple of years ago when I moored close to his boat (stern to stern) for a quick lunch stop. I explained why I was doing it but he insisted I should move as I was being inconsiderate! I didn't move.

 

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Rob-M said:

That's the problem when others move off leaving an innocent boater looking like he has moored in the middle of a big space.

 

IMG_20171029_140313292.jpg.c9ee410d5af144215eabad526dcc5b5d.jpg

well i reckon the boat has been there almost 2 years then, lord only knows what he is living on now.....pigskin widebeam coracle

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2 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:

In Lymm a few weeks ago we arrived to find a boat sitting in the middle of a prime stretch of town centre mooring with about 40' each side. The chap was on the deck as we came along looking to moor. I was on the tug deck and asked him politely if there was any chance he could shuffle up to make room for us. He looked at me with an expression of bewilderment, I thought perhaps he had not heard or understood my request so I repeated it. He threw his arms up in an exaggerated shrug, pointed to the space and burst out laughing. I still have no idea what caused his laughter but it came across as being very rude indeed. 

I just start breasting up to them in that case.

 

It's amazing how many feel they can move when you start tying up to their boat ...

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5 hours ago, Ray T said:

Obituary: Common Sense

 

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old
he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

 

 

BRILLIANT!!

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12 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Ok heres one that always amazes me. I have seen it many times over the years but at my present mooring I simply am staggered that well in excess of ninety percent of boaters, old or new still do it. We have pull in moorings here that are used several times a day by passing boats for the shop, bar etc etc. There is room for two proper length narrowboats with ease. Over ninety percent of people, in fact nearly every boat pulls right in the middle of the mooring between my boat and the owners at tuther end of moorings. This leaves about sixty feet ish at either side of them so in fact not enough for a narrowboat, just part of one. When I go to such a place I always moor near to one end as common sense and boating experience tells me that is leaving a big gap for at least one more boat even full length. Many of these peeps are experienced boaters so why, oh why does this always happen??? I have monitored this now all summer and the boats that moor sensibly at either end are vanishingly small in number.............confused .com.

 

If you're that bothered about it why not suggest to whoever runs your mooring that a couple of signs are placed at appropriate points to that effect? Something like "Please moor so that other boats can also get in". That might produce better results than moaning about it here. Or if you just needed a rant you could do both!

 

It shouldn't need saying of course, but sometimes people just aren't thinking or being considerate and they need a reminder. You see this particular behaviour all the time so you're attuned to it, but if we're honest we've all done similar things in our daily lives when we're not thinking.

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58 minutes ago, Yellowback said:

Time to place a ban on running diesel engines and gennies when moored, some boaters are fed up with the stink and noise! That might help cure it!

Boaters probably wouldn't notice, just cruising past. Other people who are moored however...

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14 hours ago, Ray T said:
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Just on this point, as frivilous as it sounds...

Quote

The coffee that burned Stella Liebeck was dangerously hot – hot enough to cause third-degree burns, even through clothes, in three seconds. Liebeck endured third-degree burns over 16 percent of her body, including her inner thighs and genitals – the skin was burned away to the layers of muscle and fatty tissue. She had to be hospitalized for eight days, and she required skin grafts and other treatment. Her recovery lasted two years.

Quote

700 other people prior to Liebeck had suffered from McDonald’s scalding coffee, yet the company maintained its policy. “The company knew its coffee was causing serious burns,” notes the museum, “but it decided that, with billions of cups served annually, this number of burns was not significant.” Liebeck was concerned about the others who had burned, and especially that the 700 other victims included children.

 

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1 hour ago, Yellowback said:

Time to place a ban on running diesel engines and gennies when moored, some boaters are fed up with the stink and noise! That might help cure it!

Running of engines IS banned on these moorings thank god ( if there was one )

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

If you're that bothered about it why not suggest to whoever runs your mooring that a couple of signs are placed at appropriate points to that effect? Something like "Please moor so that other boats can also get in". That might produce better results than moaning about it here. Or if you just needed a rant you could do both!

 

It shouldn't need saying of course, but sometimes people just aren't thinking or being considerate and they need a reminder. You see this particular behaviour all the time so you're attuned to it, but if we're honest we've all done similar things in our daily lives when we're not thinking.

I think its propably many people think its being polite not being close and as you say simply not thinking it through? It would be pointless putting signs up people dont read them and if they do they just ignore the bits they dont agree with or like.

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10 hours ago, Lily Rose said:

Frayed knot, no.

 

I just assume that many people don't think about the consequences for other people when they do anything. Or  they couldn't give a sh1t.

 

I had a row with another boater at Ansty (limited VMs) a couple of years ago when I moored close to his boat (stern to stern) for a quick lunch stop. I explained why I was doing it but he insisted I should move as I was being inconsiderate! I didn't move.

 

 

 

 

I never moor near anyone's stern if I can avoid it. I'm sick of the inconsiderate buggers starting their engine without warning and flooding me with fumes. I leave the biggest gap I can, keep an eye out for anyone trying to moor who can't get in and move up happily. 

Currently at Sutton, with a gap big enough for a seventy footer on each side, and as far away from the bloke running his engine as possible while avoiding overhanging trees. 

I presume the fact thst your exhaust while mooring up probably made his boat unbearable for an hour or two didn't worry you? Unless of course it's one of the vertical ones, in which case it wouldn't have affected him. 

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11 hours ago, matty40s said:

leaving a 10' space in front for........

A 10' boat? It made no difference whether we tied forward or back the space wasn't any bigger and by sharing a ring with the boat that was already there we were potentially making a point that there were several feet wasted by the other ring behind that had not been shared. 

 

I don't recall the actual thought processes at the time, I was not steering and it was a year ago but I do recall being thankful there was a space for us, anything bigger than 60' would not have fitted though 

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52 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Running of engines IS banned on these moorings thank god ( if there was one )

I think its propably many people think its being polite not being close and as you say simply not thinking it through? It would be pointless putting signs up people dont read them and if they do they just ignore the bits they dont agree with or like.

But what about when you politely point out the error of their way and get nothing but abuse? 

The rudest tw#t I’ve met so far was in the middle of the short pontoon at Torksey. I’d just had a bugger of a trip from Stockwith as there was so much fresh on I didn’t get any tide at all. Boats doubled up on the long pontoon, but just the one on the other side, about 50’, in the middle. I passed him to turn, then bumped up against his stern and got off my bow to have a chat. I knocked on his door and politely asked him to move either way to make room, but got back “I’m not moving anywhere, you shouldn’t be cruising in the dark, go and moor somewhere else!”

With that he slammed the door and went back to the tv. My patience was running out fast now but I tried politely again, to get the same response. He actually suggested I went over and moored 3 abreast on the other side. 

I’d had enough now so started to untie his bow rope and do the job myself. His response was “to get off my boat you young Barstard or I’m phoning the Police!”  Priceless. 

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14 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I never moor near anyone's stern if I can avoid it. I'm sick of the inconsiderate buggers starting their engine without warning and flooding me with fumes. I leave the biggest gap I can, keep an eye out for anyone trying to moor who can't get in and move up happily. 

Currently at Sutton, with a gap big enough for a seventy footer on each side, and as far away from the bloke running his engine as possible while avoiding overhanging trees. 

I presume the fact thst your exhaust while mooring up probably made his boat unbearable for an hour or two didn't worry you? Unless of course it's one of the vertical ones, in which case it wouldn't have affected him. 

My choice at Ansty was moor close to him, leaving room in front for another boat, move along a bit and moor close to the next boat, leaving room behind me for another boat, or moor halfway between the two and leave a couple of git gaps. They were my only choices. Apart from not stopping at all. If it was a long length of mooring (it isn't) I wouldn't have moored close to anyone if possible.

 

Re my exhaust, I did what I normally do in such situations which is to come in to the bank a little way past the moored boat, step off with the centre line, bring the boat to a halt without using bags of revs in reverse, step back on to switch the engine off and the pull the boat backwards or forwards to eliminate any bit gap.

 

I run my engine whilst moored extremely rarely as my solar panels are normally sufficient. The rare exception is if as have to stay put due to a full day of atrocious weather. If I have to run my engine I normally try to move for an hour or two. I hate running the engine whilst stationary, it's why I had solar installed soon after buying the boat.

 

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9 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

I just start breasting up to them in that case.

 

It's amazing how many feel they can move when you start tying up to their boat ...

Maybe in time, yes but as we had literally, an hour before, set off in the boat which was new to us and is 10' longer than we are used to (and the 10' is made up of tug deck so it can't be seen from the steerers position. Getting used to speedwheel controls and an unfamiliar engine was not the time to start trying to slot in - especially when just about every local person is very familiar with the boat and, possibly more importantly, it's previous owner!

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1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

I think its propably many people think its being polite not being close and as you say simply not thinking it through? It would be pointless putting signs up people dont read them and if they do they just ignore the bits they dont agree with or like.

 

I think it's the same attitude as that typically shown a BMW or SUV driver -- they can't parallel-park so leave 4 metres at each end of "their" space. Those of us who can drive can easily get a sub-5m car into a 7m gap.

(Not using metric to make a point, on this occasion - I simply don't know how long my car is in feet!)

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4 hours ago, Yellowback said:

Time to place a ban on running diesel engines and gennies when moored, some boaters are fed up with the stink and noise! That might help cure it!

Yep. If we see an obvious engine runner and we have to stop we either go bow to stern or stern to bow. If not the inevitably badly maintained engine fills  our the cabin with fumes. If you use the  stern cabin as a living space they fill with smoke. If i am forced to moor stern stern with these boats i leave a git gap.

of course if boats were built properly as they were in the 20s and 30s and had to be registered as safe dwellings,  the exhaust  would go out in a proper fashion upwards.

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16 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

I think it's the same attitude as that typically shown a BMW or SUV driver -- they can't parallel-park so leave 4 metres at each end of "their" space. Those of us who can drive can easily get a sub-5m car into a 7m gap.

(Not using metric to make a point, on this occasion - I simply don't know how long my car is in feet!)

A similar thing happens regardless of the car type in unmarked parking spaces. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve driven to our local shops to see one car parked nose-in bang in the middle of a space that could comfortably take two.  

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