Jump to content

Moving aboard - your experiences of hindsight


northern

Featured Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
11 minutes ago, DerekB said:

Well.....I bought a boat so it looks like i'll be having those dreams next week 😵

 

Try to think nice things - weirs are the stuff of nightmares

 

If you have seen photographs or have visited Swansea Marina and the associated Tawe Barrage in South Wales, you may have observed the buoys and booms landward of this. You would then have noticed a signing system giving direction to yachtsmen, advising of the change of course required to avoid the dangers ahead.

 

This signing system was developed after two fatal accidents had occured at the same weir on the River Trent, in Nottinghamshire, England. In 1975, a night accident claimed the lives of 10 soldiers when their craft was driven over Cromwell weir. Power failure had extinguished the adjacent lock lights and this was believed to have been the primary cause. Following this accident, standby generators were installed at the lock, in the event of any future power failure. Two further deaths occurred at the same weir, in June, 1981, when a hired pleasure craft with 4 people on board went over. Two children were rescued from the boil of the weir by helicopter, and two adults drowned. It was a fine day and the river was only O.5m above normal, which was considered to be acceptable for this type of craft. The boat was heading downstream to Cromwell Lock, where the lock-keeper had been signalled of an approaching boat by the upstream lock-keeper. The journey should have taken approximately 45 minutes. After 1 hour, there was no sign of the craft. The lock-keeper became concerned and went into his elevated control cabin, only to see the craft already over the weir.

 

When awake, treat all weirs with the respect they deserve.

 

Cromwell Weir now has 'Dolphins' (large orange drums on chains) stretched across the river, but whilst these are fine for normal boats, once side-on, the current can roll narrowboats under the dolphins and over the weir.

 

Cromwell Lock High Resolution Stock Photography and Images - Alamy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

Cromwell Weir now has 'Dolphins' (large orange drums on chains) stretched across the river, but whilst these are fine for normal boats, once side-on, the current can roll narrowboats under the dolphins and over the weir.

 

Cromwell Lock High Resolution Stock Photography and Images - Alamy

Well that doesn't sound like fun.....I shall be doing everything very carefully for some time I imagine as this is my first boat & first experience boating. After that it'll be standard issue carefully 🙂

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, DerekB said:

Well that doesn't sound like fun.....I shall be doing everything very carefully for some time I imagine as this is my first boat & first experience boating. After that it'll be standard issue carefully 🙂

 

 

As a new boat-owner, I would suggest the time you need to be most attentive and most careful is when your boat is in a lock- and particularly when you are going down.

 

I read somewhere that the majority of sinkings (of sounds boats) happen in locks. 

 

My very first proper lock was when I went down through Marmont Priory (on the middle levels).

I was holding the centre line, and an elderly lady volunteer was supervising up ahead near the gates, with helpers working the paddles.

 

It seemed to me at the time that were was a lot going on and a lot of people involved, but I assumed they all knew what they were doing, or at least understood the process better than I did.

 

But I was wrong- there was a deadly flaw- a weak link.

As the paddles were opened (very slowly, at the insistence of the head volunteer), my attention was drawn to a young lady from the boat waiting behind mine who had come forward to help out). I remember when chatting she had assured me a few minutes earlier that she was pretty experienced boater.

This well-meaning helper had wrapped my stern line around a post about 5 or 6 times. 

 

I had only been cruising the boat for I think 3 days at this point, and this was my first normal lock (the first actual lock had been denver sluice, the day before, but that was fully manned). 

 

Even with my limited experience of boats and ropes, it seemed to me that 5 turns of the stern rope taken around a post was enough to make that rope hold fast as the boat went down in the lock, and if the rope held fast, the boat stern would be hung up in the air, at least until the rope snapped from the strain. 

 

It just didnt look right to me, so I dropped the centre line and went back to ask the young lady if she was sure her procedure was safe. 

 

"Yes, look- its fine" she insisted. "The rope will just give out as the boat goes down". 

"Are you sure?" I queried.

She was certain that all would be well, but my doubts would not go away. I had found on  the couple of occasions I had tried mooring that five or six turns around a bollard were enough to hold the boat fast for a while. 

 

The water level was already starting to go down, and the boat with it, and there wasnt much slack left in the line to play with. 

I pulled on the line.

"Look" I said. "Its not giving at all. It's not going to give as the boat goes down, surely?"

By now the boat was below me, the stern line was about to go taut, and there was no time left for discussion.

I quickly unwound the stern line from the bollard, left it loose, and went back to the centre line to hold the boat steady. 

 

If I had followed the advice of this well meaning young lady, my boat would probably have been sunk in that lock, on my third day afloat.

 

The locks are the places you need to be really careful, and don't assume that people helping you are as experienced as they imply. 

 

 

Edited by Tony1
  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

As a new boat-owner, I would suggest the time you need to be most attentive and most careful is when your boat is in a lock- and particularly when you are going down.

 

I read somewhere that the majority of sinkings (of sounds boats) happen in locks. 

 

My very first proper lock was when I went down through Marmont Priory (on the middle levels).

I was holding the centre line, and an elderly lady volunteer was supervising up ahead near the gates, with helpers working the paddles.

 

It seemed to me at the time that were was a lot going on and a lot of people involved, but I assumed they all knew what they were doing, or at least understood the process better than I did.

 

But I was wrong- there was a deadly flaw- a weak link.

As the paddles were opened (very slowly, at the insistence of the head volunteer), my attention was drawn to a young lady from the boat waiting behind mine who had come forward to help out). I remember when chatting she had assured me a few minutes earlier that she was pretty experienced boater.

This well-meaning helper had wrapped my stern line around a post about 5 or 6 times. 

 

I had only been cruising the boat for I think 3 days at this point, and this was my first normal lock (the first actual lock had been denver sluice, the day before, but that was fully manned). 

 

Even with my limited experience of boats and ropes, it seemed to me that 5 turns of the stern rope taken around a post was enough to make that rope hold fast as the boat went down in the lock, and if the rope held fast, the boat stern would be hung up in the air, at least until the rope snapped from the strain. 

 

It just didnt look right to me, so I dropped the centre line and went back to ask the young lady if she was sure her procedure was safe. 

 

"Yes, look- its fine" she insisted. "The rope will just give out as the boat goes down". 

"Are you sure?" I queried.

She was certain that all would be well, but my doubts would not go away. I had found on  the couple of occasions I had tried mooring that five or six turns around a bollard were enough to hold the boat fast for a while. 

 

The water level was already starting to go down, and the boat with it, and there wasnt much slack left in the line to play with. 

I pulled on the line.

"Look" I said. "Its not giving at all. It's not going to give as the boat goes down, surely?"

By now the boat was below me, the stern line was about to go taut, and there was no time left for discussion.

I quickly unwound the stern line from the bollard, left it loose, and went back to the centre line to hold the boat steady. 

 

If I had followed the advice of this well meaning young lady, my boat would probably have been sunk in that lock, on my third day afloat.

 

The locks are the places you need to be really careful, and don't assume that people helping you are as experienced as they imply. 

 

 

Even as a totally green boater I know not to tie off a line tightly when the boats going to lower...that’s simple common sense. Lucky you were keeping an eye on your helper

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

As a new boat-owner, I would suggest the time you need to be most attentive and most careful is when your boat is in a lock- and particularly when you are going down.

 

I read somewhere that the majority of sinkings (of sounds boats) happen in locks. 

 

My very first proper lock was when I went down through Marmont Priory (on the middle levels).

I was holding the centre line, and an elderly lady volunteer was supervising up ahead near the gates, with helpers working the paddles.

 

It seemed to me at the time that were was a lot going on and a lot of people involved, but I assumed they all knew what they were doing, or at least understood the process better than I did.

 

But I was wrong- there was a deadly flaw- a weak link.

As the paddles were opened (very slowly, at the insistence of the head volunteer), my attention was drawn to a young lady from the boat waiting behind mine who had come forward to help out). I remember when chatting she had assured me a few minutes earlier that she was pretty experienced boater.

This well-meaning helper had wrapped my stern line around a post about 5 or 6 times. 

 

I had only been cruising the boat for I think 3 days at this point, and this was my first normal lock (the first actual lock had been denver sluice, the day before, but that was fully manned). 

 

Even with my limited experience of boats and ropes, it seemed to me that 5 turns of the stern rope taken around a post was enough to make that rope hold fast as the boat went down in the lock, and if the rope held fast, the boat stern would be hung up in the air, at least until the rope snapped from the strain. 

 

It just didnt look right to me, so I dropped the centre line and went back to ask the young lady if she was sure her procedure was safe. 

 

"Yes, look- its fine" she insisted. "The rope will just give out as the boat goes down". 

"Are you sure?" I queried.

She was certain that all would be well, but my doubts would not go away. I had found on  the couple of occasions I had tried mooring that five or six turns around a bollard were enough to hold the boat fast for a while. 

 

The water level was already starting to go down, and the boat with it, and there wasnt much slack left in the line to play with. 

I pulled on the line.

"Look" I said. "Its not giving at all. It's not going to give as the boat goes down, surely?"

By now the boat was below me, the stern line was about to go taut, and there was no time left for discussion.

I quickly unwound the stern line from the bollard, left it loose, and went back to the centre line to hold the boat steady. 

 

If I had followed the advice of this well meaning young lady, my boat would probably have been sunk in that lock, on my third day afloat.

 

The locks are the places you need to be really careful, and don't assume that people helping you are as experienced as they imply. 

 

 

I don't think I would call Maurine a volunteer. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I don't think I would call Maurine a volunteer. 

 

I mean no disrespect to the lady in using the term volunteer- in fact she was the only one who knew exactly what she was doing. I was more than grateful for her help and guidance with the lock, and her insistence on taking it slowly probably gave me the time to realise what was going on around me, and save the boat. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Tony1 said:

 

I mean no disrespect to the lady in using the term volunteer- in fact she was the only one who knew exactly what she was doing. I was more than grateful for her help and guidance with the lock, and her insistence on taking it slowly probably gave me the time to realise what was going on around me, and save the boat. 

 

There is some thought that she may actually own the lock. A very helpful lady without doubt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, DerekB said:

Even as a totally green boater I know not to tie off a line tightly when the boats going to lower...that’s simple common sense. Lucky you were keeping an eye on your helper

 

To be fair, she didnt tie it off tightly, it was left with a bit of play around the bollard, so I wasnt 100% sure how the rope would behave, but I felt sure it was going to tighten up 

 

But its the whole thing- sometimes somebody will start chatting to you when you're going down in a lock, and if you're not watching the boat can drift back a bit, close to the cill.

 

Another time I was going up in a lock and the bow seemed to get stuck against the front gate, and started to dip a bit as the water rose. It freed itself, but it had me worried for a moment. A lot of the time boating can be a sort of pleasure cruise, but in locks its more serious. 

 

Edited by Tony1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, DerekB said:

Even as a totally green boater I know not to tie off a line tightly when the boats going to lower...that’s simple common sense. Lucky you were keeping an eye on your helper

 

That is not the principle lesson to take away from Tony's tale.

 

The situation he describes is the most dangerous of all at a lock, i.e. lots of well-meaning people all helping. Firstly you need to keep a hawk eye on everything ALL of them are doing, and secondly this is difficult because people will keep on engaging you in conversation, diverting your attention. 

 

The safest conditions to learn about using a lock is when there is no-one else there at all in my opinion. Then you can think through every little step you take without being distracted by another person talking to you, or by the subtle pressure to hurry up from seeing a waiting boat. 

 

 

  • Greenie 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

That is not the principle lesson to take away from Tony's tale.

 

The situation he describes is the most dangerous of all at a lock, i.e. lots of well-meaning people all helping. Firstly you need to keep a hawk eye on everything ALL of them are doing, and secondly this is difficult because people will keep on engaging you in conversation, diverting your attention. 

 

The safest conditions to learn about using a lock is when there is no-one else there at all in my opinion. Then you can think through every little step you take without being distracted by another person talking to you, or by the subtle pressure to hurry up from seeing a waiting boat. 

 

 

Absolutely, applies in all sorts of situations that have the potential to go wrong. I mentioned the rope as it was somebody claiming to be experienced that did something that should have been common sense not to do, let alone actual experienced hands

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Easy to do. Entered a lock. Lockeeper on RHS, wind blowing boat across to LHS, shoved boat across to talk to lockeeper whilst we waited for another promised boat to arrive, put a couple of turns round bollard to hold it against the wind. Promised boat radioed to say had engine problem. Lockeeper lifted the rod to start automatic sequence of closing gates and lifting bottom paddles, Oops, boat hung up. Entirely our own fault, lack of concentration but ever so easy to do. Basically, if it can be cocked up sooner or later it will be.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, David Mack said:

The cause of many a man's downfall! 😀

 

Alas David, I am now approaching 60 of your earth years.

They say there is no fool like an old fool, but as old a fool as I am, I am not nearly foolish enough to imagine that I would be of the slightest interest to a lady who I would guess was in her 30s.

I only ever allow myself to get distracted by ladies when there is at least a microscopic chance that my interest might be returned.

If the lady in question  had been a ruddy-cheeked specimen of roughly my own age, I daresay I would have gone into full Leslie Phillips charm mode- and of course lost the boat whilst I was complimenting her on her very attractive wellies (or some similar dastardly and seductive ploy).

 

Edited by Tony1
  • Greenie 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Bee said:

Easy to do. Entered a lock. Lockeeper on RHS, wind blowing boat across to LHS, shoved boat across to talk to lockeeper whilst we waited for another promised boat to arrive, put a couple of turns round bollard to hold it against the wind. Promised boat radioed to say had engine problem. Lockeeper lifted the rod to start automatic sequence of closing gates and lifting bottom paddles, Oops, boat hung up. Entirely our own fault, lack of concentration but ever so easy to do. Basically, if it can be cocked up sooner or later it will be.

 

It's always the talking that does the damage. We are social beings and love to talk, during which time our attention is split between boat and the other chatter, sometimes with terrible consequences.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

There is some thought that she may actually own the lock. A very helpful lady without doubt.

Sadly after many years she no longer helps boats through the lock.

 

I believe it was her husband that worked for MLC and Maureen just carried on working the lock and  helping boaters after he passed away.

She has suffered a lot of abuse from boaters over the last couple of years so has stopped after I think 50 years.

I was the only lock I know where you gave the lock keeper some cash for their help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, DerekB said:

Even as a totally green boater I know not to tie off a line tightly when the boats going to lower...that’s simple common sense. Lucky you were keeping an eye on your helper

And don't do it when going up either, because if the line is short and pulls tight as the lock gets close to full it can pull the boat over sideways -- and that was with only two turns round a bollard, at the (stupid) suggestion of a CRT worker doing some maintenance.

 

Not me, daughter's BF who was relatively new to canals, and didn't think to argue with someone in a high-vis vest and lifejacket who he thought knew better than he did (only had a single turn round before the "advice").

 

If we hadn't been able to cut the rope we could easily have sunk. Before anyone asks, top gate and ground paddles were open, no chance of closing all four of them quickly, they were the geared-down type you have to wind down with many turns. Wasn't watching out for this happening, first time in more than a thousand locks...

 

Lost a full bottle of gin when it fell off the kitchen worktop as the boat rocked after the rope was cut. Even worse a bottle of chilli sauce went with it, so no chance or recovering anything useful from a mix of gin, chilli and broken glass... 😞

Edited by IanD
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, IanD said:

And don't do it when going up either, because if the line is short and pulls tight as the lock gets close to full it can pull the boat over sideways -- and that was with only two turns round a bollard, at the (stupid) suggestion of a CRT worker doing some maintenance.

 

Not me, daughter's BF who was relatively new to canals, and didn't think to argue with someone in a high-vis vest and lifejacket who he thought knew better than he did (only had a single turn round before the "advice").

 

If we hadn't been able to cut the rope we could easily have sunk. Before anyone asks, top gate and ground paddles were open, no chance of closing all four of them quickly, they were the geared-down type you have to wind down with many turns. Wasn't watching out for this happening, first time in more than a thousand locks...

 

Lost a full bottle of gin when it fell off the kitchen worktop as the boat rocked after the rope was cut. Even worse a bottle of chilli sauce went with it, so no chance or recovering anything useful from a mix of gin, chilli and broken glass... 😞

 

When locks are due on any given day, I always put an emergency rope cutter in my back pocket, just in case a taut rope ever puts the boat at risk.

But the problem is that I'm the weak link in any safety chain, and I tend to promptly forget all about the cutter. In fact I usually only remember I have it at the end of the cruise, when it bumps into something behind me as I pass through the boat.  

 

I'd like to think I'd have the presence of mind to remember it in an emergency, but last time I came close to being concerned about a taut rope, it never even occurred to me that I had a cutter on my person. Still, at least if I have it, I have a chance to react very quickly. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

When locks are due on any given day, I always put an emergency rope cutter in my back pocket, just in case a taut rope ever puts the boat at risk.

But the problem is that I'm the weak link in any safety chain, and I tend to promptly forget all about the cutter. In fact I usually only remember I have it at the end of the cruise, when it bumps into something behind me as I pass through the boat.  

 

I'd like to think I'd have the presence of mind to remember it in an emergency, but last time I came close to being concerned about a taut rope, it never even occurred to me that I had a cutter on my person. Still, at least if I have it, I have a chance to react very quickly. 

 

I'd also never thought of a locked rope being a problem when going up, only when going down. It just shows that the canals can still throw up surprises even after quite some time spent on them...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, IanD said:

I'd also never thought of a locked rope being a problem when going up, only when going down. It just shows that the canals can still throw up surprises even after quite some time spent on them...

If its a centre line attached to the roof it can go taught before the boat has finished ascending 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.