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Shall we all stop slowing for moored boats?


doratheexplorer

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I posted this elsewhere but thought it might need it's own thread:

 

Something which has increased dramatically this year:- not even dropping revs a smidgen when passing moored boats.  I'm moored on pins at the moment and I'd reckon about 1 in 5 boats don't slow at all.  Then most of the others do a tiny rev drop when they're first alongside you before notching the revs back up before they've even fully passed.  My current experience is that less than 1 in 10 actually slow down properly.  Maybe it's time to drop the requirement to pass moored boats slowly?  If hardly anyone is doing it, then what's the point? 

 

My thoughts on why this year is different;

 

1.  Many hire boaters about who would never usually look at a boat holiday or even a holiday in the UK.

 

2.  Many privately owned boats which normally never leave their marinas, but this year have come out because the owner's holiday options have been reduced.

 

3.  Similar to the above - many new boaters who have just bought a boat due to lockdown.

 

As speeding past moored boats has got more common, others who used to slow down are now thinking "blow it, why should I bother, if nobody else is?" So they've upped their speed too.  Certainly I'm considering it for when I'm on a tight schedule.

 

Having said all that, I expect thing to quieten down in another month or so...

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5 minutes ago, Rambling Boater said:

It not a requirement, it's just good manners!

 

If we don't like it when other boats zoom past us, then why do it to others?

I didn't say I didn't like it.  Although it does worry me a little if I'm on pins.

 

I'm wondering; the reason for slowing is that the moves the moored boat around and risks pulling pins out.  So there's 2 ways to address that:

 

1.  Everyone slows down.

2.  Everyone takes their own measures to protect themselves.

 

The standard advice up to now has been choice 1.  But it doesn't seem to be working.  I'm wondering whether we should just scrap that and go for choice 2.

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You might have a point about infrequent boaters. We usually cruise for about 3 months a year then never set foot on the boat till the following year. The first few days out the boat sometimes seems painfully slow and we also suffer from 'first lock syndrome', i.e. the steering is pretty poor and roping bollards is a very hit and miss or miss and miss affair. After that though we are our usual expert(!) selves. For those less experienced it probably takes more than a couple of days to settle into it. As for tying 'defensively' that's a pretty big yes from me,  in shallow water you can't do much about it except try to find somewhere deeper but it should be possible to stop the boat surging backwards and forwards too much by tying the thing properly.

Edited by Bee
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Maybe we cannot solve the 'problem', there are (probably) about 100 active members on the forum out of 30.000+ boats on C&RT waters but we can mitigate the effects that you are worried about.

 

There were lengthy discussions about 'mooring up properly' on a recent thread and I do believe that whilst not the answer to getting boats to slow down, is certainly the answer to being 'dragged & banged about' and potentially pulling pins out.

 

The use of bow and stern lines at the correct angles, held in place with 'crossed pins' will take some moving.

The use of Spring-Lines, at the correct angles, held in place with 'crossed pins' will ensure you boat is 'fixed in place'.

 

The bow and stern lines stop the bow or stern swinging outwards, whilst the Spring lines stop it moving forwards or backwards

 

image.png.7bd105c6d0e1b4c4242621fc201a1c57.png

The Thames: Hermitage Community Moorings | Wanderlust

 

 

Crossed pins :

 

 

Month: April 2019 - Clockwise Words

 

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Just now, MoominPapa said:

A campaign to teach people how to moor up properly would be a useful first step.

 

MP.

I'd certainly like to know how to moor up properly!

I've come back to my boat 3 times over the last few weeks for mooring neighbours to say it bust it's moorings and they had to pull it back in. First time, the ground was too soft for pins, second time mooring pin bent and lifted out, second time a paperclip bent out of shape. I can only assume it's boats going past quickly, it must be some force because I can't bend them back into shape with a mallet.... But maybe I should be mooring differently to prevent this?

I bought some chains and I think they are great so I'll use them whenever I can wrap them around something from now on.

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Maybe we should also look at mooring pins. 18" bits of 1/2" rod  don't cut the mustard. Also bear in mind, every hire boat does not have a name and phone number on it. I suspect quite a few boats that normally spend a lot of time in the marina are 'lent' to friends these days. 

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1 minute ago, PubTrawler said:

I'd certainly like to know how to moor up properly!

I've come back to my boat 3 times over the last few weeks for mooring neighbours to say it bust it's moorings and they had to pull it back in. First time, the ground was too soft for pins, second time mooring pin bent and lifted out, second time a paperclip bent out of shape. I can only assume it's boats going past quickly, it must be some force because I can't bend them back into shape with a mallet.... But maybe I should be mooring differently to prevent this?

I bought some chains and I think they are great so I'll use them whenever I can wrap them around something from now on.

I've been on pins on the same spot for just over a week.  I'd guess about 40 boats a day going past on average.  So around 300 in total.  My pins haven't budged at all.  My issue is that the bank is really shallow here and my fenders aren't wide enough to stop the hull from scraping about when the boats go past too fast.  I could spend my time, hollering at them to slow down (as some do), or I could address it myself by getting some big tyre fenders to solve the problem.

 

I suspect my mental health would be best served by the second option...

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4 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I could spend my time, hollering at them to slow down (as some do), or I could address it myself by getting some big tyre fenders to solve the problem.

 

Or just untie one end and let the boat drift across the canal, blocking it.

 

Most of them slow down then! :D

 

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2 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I hadn't even thought of that, but you may be right.  I wouldn't dream of letting someone inexperienced go off with my boat though.

I see 2 or 3 boats based in a local marina pass through our moorings pretty well every week and always with different people on them. No one has a family that big.

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Thanks Alan, that's incredibly useful. We don't do the cross spring lines but I'll look into it.

 

In terms of going slowly. Two more reasons: so something doesn't fall in the boat and smash as it hits the side (Alan's mooring method might help this), having more time to move when there is a tight space. This second issue was run into when we were filling up with water next to a bridge. Someone went by as fast as their boat would probably go, they glanced off the bow of a boat coming through the bridge. Both could have passed fine, but our boat probably made the space a bit tighter, and they were going far too fast to adjust in time.

 

Last week we also had two boats hit our side as they went past on a bit of the canal where three boats can fit side-by-side. They also had not slowed down. I don't mind if it's beginners or someone being blown by the wind, but if you're new then at least give yourself a chance to learn at a reasonable speed.

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48 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I posted this elsewhere but thought it might need it's own thread:

 

Something which has increased dramatically this year:- not even dropping revs a smidgen when passing moored boats.  I'm moored on pins at the moment and I'd reckon about 1 in 5 boats don't slow at all.  Then most of the others do a tiny rev drop when they're first alongside you before notching the revs back up before they've even fully passed.  My current experience is that less than 1 in 10 actually slow down properly.  Maybe it's time to drop the requirement to pass moored boats slowly?  If hardly anyone is doing it, then what's the point? 

 

My thoughts on why this year is different;

 

1.  Many hire boaters about who would never usually look at a boat holiday or even a holiday in the UK.

 

2.  Many privately owned boats which normally never leave their marinas, but this year have come out because the owner's holiday options have been reduced.

 

3.  Similar to the above - many new boaters who have just bought a boat due to lockdown.

 

As speeding past moored boats has got more common, others who used to slow down are now thinking "blow it, why should I bother, if nobody else is?" So they've upped their speed too.  Certainly I'm considering it for when I'm on a tight schedule.

 

Having said all that, I expect thing to quieten down in another month or so...

We’ve just come back from 2 weeks out. One passing boat disturbed our moored boat more than usual such that I “noticed” it. It was a full width wide beam on the not very wide Trent and Mersey around Weston. I went out to check, our ropes were too slack. My fault for not paying proper attention when I tied up - my excuse was that it was pouring with rain!
 

I would say that the majority of boats we pass are not tied up properly. For example, so many boats are tied with their lines at right angles. Since the main force on a moored boat is fore and aft, this is pretty stupid but almost the norm. The difference between tying up properly, and not tying up properly, in terms of effort and time taken, is zero. It is just a lack of education and common sense. If as much time was expended on social media trying to get people to tie up properly, as is spent moaning about speeding boats, everyone would be much happier.

 

On pins on soft ground it is less easy to tie up properly but this is canal dependant. We very rarely tie up on pins, you simply don’t need to unless you are on one of those few canals without much piling or rings such as the KandA. If I was a KandA regular I’d get more and better pins.

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Most narrow boats are way overpowered these days and if they are propped to match can't go dead slow. Many engines have there idling speed tweaked up higher than needed because of the fear of stalling while charging big battery banks with big alternators, more of a generator engine than a propulsion engine. In these cases to go really slow means keep popping it into neutral ,''extra gearbox wear'' and effort. These boats need to be underpropped. :):giggles:

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as a side question, i'd like to know if those passive aggressive "SLOW DOWN" signs taped onto boats actually make people slow down or just think nuts to it.

 

we have noticed this year though that where we'd normally maintain a steady gap with boats in front or behind passing moored ones, this year they'll either gap us more or catch us up more, pretty sure our tick-over speed has not altered.

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1 minute ago, Thomas C King said:

Thanks Alan, that's incredibly useful. We don't do the cross spring lines but I'll look into it.

 

In terms of going slowly. Two more reasons: so something doesn't fall in the boat and smash as it hits the side (Alan's mooring method might help this), having more time to move when there is a tight space. This second issue was run into when we were filling up with water next to a bridge. Someone went by as fast as their boat would probably go, they glanced off the bow of a boat coming through the bridge. Both could have passed fine, but our boat probably made the space a bit tighter, and they were going far too fast to adjust in time.

 

Last week we also had two boats hit our side as they went past on a bit of the canal where three boats can fit side-by-side. They also had not slowed down. I don't mind if it's beginners or someone being blown by the wind, but if you're new then at least give yourself a chance to learn at a reasonable speed.

Most beginners I see crashing do so because they are going too slowly for proper control. Probably due to all the people who can’t or won’t tie their boats up properly, shouting abuse at them on day 1.

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In our experience 95% of hire boats slow down to tickover or just above, whereas it's the opposite for private boats, who generally, at most, just knock the revs back a touch when alongside. 

 

Having said that, it really doesn't bother us how fast boats pass. We try to moor properly, and have never had pins pull out. The only time it's a slight irritation, is when moored by just the centre line at the water point, but I regard that as our fault as I'm too lazy to tie up properly!

 

I do slow down when passing all boats myself though, and slow even more for badly moored boats, and boats moored on pins. 

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Just now, Hudds Lad said:

as a side question, i'd like to know if those passive aggressive "SLOW DOWN" signs taped onto boats actually make people slow down or just think nuts to it.

 

we have noticed this year though that where we'd normally maintain a steady gap with boats in front or behind passing moored ones, this year they'll either gap us more or catch us up more, pretty sure our tick-over speed has not altered.

They make me want to go faster!

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1 minute ago, nicknorman said:

Most beginners I see crashing do so because they are going too slowly for proper control. Probably due to all the people who can’t or won’t tie their boats up properly, shouting abuse at them on day 1.

I don't have a problem if they do this, and I always speak calmly if they bump into us (more just trying to ask if they're okay and saying that they can use their feet if they want). It's completely understandable that they'd go too slowly because it seems like the intuitive (although incorrect) thing to do.

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2 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

as a side question, i'd like to know if those passive aggressive "SLOW DOWN" signs taped onto boats actually make people slow down or just think nuts to it.

 

It definitely doesn't seem to make the boat displaying them slow down - quite the reverse!

2 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Most beginners I see crashing do so because they are going too slowly for proper control. Probably due to all the people who can’t or won’t tie their boats up properly, shouting abuse at them on day 1.

Definitely this. Have seen several hire boats get into difficulty passing too slowly, particularly when windy. 

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