“Canal boating Celebrities”

[Athy]

Mummies with small children are usually a reliable source of gate-closing power. Boater smiles nicely at kiddiwinks and says words to the effect of "Would you like to have a go at closing this great big gate?" The tinies are very excited by this prospect and shove vigorously, achieving very little, so it's generally Mum's bum which does the effective pushing.  If this works for you, be sure to thank the children for the great job they've done.

[agg221]

22 minutes ago, frangar said:

Its the same when sending any spare crew you have to work others through a lock....Ive even been waiting in the queue at say Watford and both me and the OH have worked boats coming the opposite direction while some just sit on their own boats tutting about how long its all taking.....My OH has been known to ask if they might also like to lend a hand...or words to that effect....

More detailed version of Penkridge comment (which is that it took 5hrs due to an ever-building queue following people who thought they knew what they were doing but didn't). Working through Penkridge to Gailey in August with two boats in convoy, I ended up in front with crew of my two daughters (10 and 12) and a friend's daughter (13). Younger daughter tended to stay nearer the boat, mainly because there are some paddles and gates which turn out to be beyond her strength, but there were times when one of the other two was two locks ahead, the other was one lock ahead and younger daughter was a lock behind re-setting it for the next boat to come up, in part because we didn't want the second boat to end up even further behind. The elder two girls each ended up working boats through ahead of us single-handed while the two owners stood on board watching.

 

When you're in it, it's your lock, but unfriendly refusals of help do tend to put the inexperienced off offering to help in future. One of the best bits was at Gailey Top Lock where we met someone coming down single-handed. The owner was quite happy to use the three girls to lock him through, under his direction. Way more efficient all round than him getting off and on. Personally, I take the view that all offers of help are welcome, even if it's just to add some more weight to the end of a gate beam. I particularly welcome non-boaters with families to help. They are clearly interested enough to go for a walk by a canal and who knows, one day they may hire a dayboat and like it, and take a week's hire and like it, and maybe end up regularly hiring or even buying. When we moved Oates, we met a group of ladies following us who had hired for a weekend from Norbury and their only experience of a lock was Wheaton Aston. I have no idea how they had got up it, but heading down we showed them how it worked as we went through. It didn't look like they had really got the idea so elder daughter stayed behind to supervise and caught us up at the next bridge. I would far rather people's introduction came through helping friendly boaters than bad vlogs.

 

Alec

 

p.s. I have long since learned that hired or owned is no clue as to experience, competence or attitude.

Edited December 20, 2021 by agg221

[Athy]

Dix points to Mr. Agg for that post - and encore dix points for organising his family into such an efficient lock-keeping unit. Perhaps they could take over Hillmorton locks, as they would evidently do a far better job than the incompetent plonkers who were "working" the locks last time we went through there.

Edited December 20, 2021 by Athy

[Thomas C King]

One half of the couple is autistic and he has mentioned this as a factor in him being unsociable due to anxiety etc. I assume they're avoiding people in general for that reason with the lock situation.

 

I went up the Devizes flight recently and couldn't have done it "single handed" were I not sharing the locks with strangers. But the small talk for four hours was exhausting, and I still had to climb the ladders etc.

[Mike Todd]

2 hours ago, Athy said:

Mummies with small children are usually a reliable source of gate-closing power. Boater smiles nicely at kiddiwinks and says words to the effect of "Would you like to have a go at closing this great big gate?" The tinies are very excited by this prospect and shove vigorously, achieving very little, so it's generally Mum's bum which does the effective pushing.  If this works for you, be sure to thank the children for the great job they've done.

Telling the little one that they have just moved a ton weight nearly always produces a strong, positive reaction, (and that is expecially from the parents!)

[tree monkey]

On 19/12/2021 at 18:43, blackrose said:

 

So what is "the true way of life on boats" exactly? 

 

Surely we all lead different lives. I think they're gay so their way of life will be different from mine and mine will probably be different from yours. I'm not a fan of their channel but if they live aboard then their way of life is as valid and true as anyone else's.

 

I hate to burst some mythical waterways bubble but there's no such thing as a true way of life on boats.

Agree 100% plus gives me the opportunity to post 

 

 

[Grassman]

18 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Not always.  Sometimes they just hover about staring at you.

 

I've found this happens more and more these days. The amount of people who just stand by their boats watching me and then only come to the lock when I'm about to leave it it. I usually deliberately keep them waiting as long as I can. Not with hireboaters though because often they don't know the etiquette and are quite happy to help when you ask them.

 

The other day going up Colwich Lock a boater coming the other way tied his centre rope on the lock landing then stood on the back of his boat with his arms folded watching. Not only did I make sure I took my time, but I also closed the gate behind me, something I've done on other occasions too.

[waterdog]

Wasn't there C&RT guidance right at the start of the pandemic to not help others at locks etc due to the risk of spreading the virus. Can't find it online now but I'm sure there was.

This could explain some peoples reluctance to get involved especially if they feel they are vulnerable. 

 

To be fair though I think lazy people were around before then

[MtB]

On 20/12/2021 at 12:27, IanD said:

Real boaters don't have any new-fangled batteries, they start the engine with a starting handle/flywheel peg and use paraffin lamps at night...

 

 

Funny you should say that...

 

I have a hand-start vintage diesel and gas lamps, and lithiums. Does that make me a proper boater or a Noddy boater? I can't decide.

 

Mind you I've also been called a scruffy boater and a shiny boater by two different people on the same day, and I was in the same boat on both occasions! 

 

 

[IanD]

13 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Funny you should say that...

 

I have a hand-start vintage diesel and gas lamps, and lithiums. Does that make me a proper boater or a Noddy boater? I can't decide.

 

Mind you I've also been called a scruffy boater and a shiny boater by two different people on the same day, and I was in the same boat on both occasions! 

 

 

You're obviously an example of a Schrodinger's boater -- both proper/scruffy and Noddy/shiny at the same time until you talk to somebody or post on here, then the quantum uncertainty resolves itself... 😉

Edited December 21, 2021 by IanD

[Athy]

2 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Funny you should say that...

 

I have a hand-start vintage diesel and gas lamps, and lithiums. Does that make me a proper boater or a Noddy boater? I can't decide.

 

Mind you I've also been called a scruffy boater and a shiny boater by two different people on the same day, and I was in the same boat on both occasions! 

 

 

Weren't you also accused of going too slowly and passing moored craft too fast, just to complete the set?

[captain birdseye]

On 20/12/2021 at 12:54, agg221 said:

This is the bit which I find irritating. The Foxes are not the worst for this by a long way - their videos seem to be more about what they are doing than telling people the right way of doing it and I quite enjoy some of them, but there is one particular set of vlogs by another pair of 'waterways celebrities' where the message appears to be that anyone actually wanting to get somewhere is 'rushing' and 'doing it wrong', and that what I would regard as efficient progress is actually dangerous and rude. There is one particular video on the Caldon where they are incensed by the boat behind them which keeps catching them up at every lock. Given that they regard 4hrs of cruising and 6 locks as a hard day, I am not surprised they keep being caught up, but they regard the boat behind as at fault. The problem becomes when 300 of their 30,000 followers also get a boat, and assume that they are correct. Each to their own, but when someone whose sole experience comes from a Youtube Influencer starts telling you you're doing it wrong it gets very galling - see comment earlier today about 5hrs to get through Penkridge!

 

Alec

 

On 20/12/2021 at 10:53, doratheexplorer said:

I'd concur that most of their avid watchers don't live on boats but think they might like to.  The problem is that these vlogs present a pretty skewed idea of what liveaboard life is like and typically paint a fairly rose tinted picture.  This makes more and more people jump on the bandwagon which causes a few unwanted consequences.  It also creates an idea of the 'proper' way of doing things or the 'proper' equipment needed.  I'm sure the Foxes' composting loo saga initial led to other following suit which then led to CRT's change of rules.  Do the Foxes' feel and responsibility for this?  Who knows?  They changed their boat soon after to a foreign buyer who probably doesn't really understand the issue with the composting loo.

 

 

 

Exactly the points I was intending to mean when I said "true" boaters 

[tree monkey]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

You're obviously an example of a Schrodinger's boater -- both proper/scruffy and Noddy/shiny at the same time until you talk to somebody or post on here, then the arguments start

Just a minor correction 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

9 hours ago, Grassman said:

 

I've found this happens more and more these days. The amount of people who just stand by their boats watching me and then only come to the lock when I'm about to leave it it. I usually deliberately keep them waiting as long as I can. Not with hireboaters though because often they don't know the etiquette and are quite happy to help when you ask them.

 

The other day going up Colwich Lock a boater coming the other way tied his centre rope on the lock landing then stood on the back of his boat with his arms folded watching. Not only did I make sure I took my time, but I also closed the gate behind me, something I've done on other occasions too.

I don’t tend to tie up if I can see a boat close to leaving a lock, I kind of loiter and float about ready to cross paths as they leave.
Is that bad practice ?

[David Mack]

2 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I don’t tend to tie up if I can see a boat close to leaving a lock, I kind of loiter and float about ready to cross paths as they leave.
Is that bad practice ?

I do the same. Unless there's a strong crosswind, I find it much easier to wait in the middle of the cut until the oncoming boat emerges from the lock, and then we can dance around each other before I try to line up for the lock entrance. 

And if I am going to pass another boat in a short pound between locks I wait in my lock until the oncomer is ready to emerge, and then we can both pass in the middle of the pound, with a little power on and we both have steering. The problem in that situation can be the other boater who won't start to move until I have completely left my lock!

[jeddlad]

On 20/12/2021 at 12:44, Laurie Booth said:

 

I'd say that he is a proper celebrity as opposed to the publicity hungry queens that is Foxes afloat.  As I'm a queen myself, I'm allowed to call them queens before anyone gets upsets. It's you straights who aren't allowed to say queen or queer.......😀😁😂😃

Edited December 21, 2021 by jeddlad

[Rob-M]

16 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I do the same. Unless there's a strong crosswind, I find it much easier to wait in the middle of the cut until the oncoming boat emerges from the lock, and then we can dance around each other before I try to line up for the lock entrance. 

And if I am going to pass another boat in a short pound between locks I wait in my lock until the oncomer is ready to emerge, and then we can both pass in the middle of the pound, with a little power on and we both have steering. The problem in that situation can be the other boater who won't start to move until I have completely left my lock!

I had this scenario at Watford, other boater wouldn't leave the lock. Then the vlockie came and said to me he is waiting for you to come out of the lock and tie up so he can come past. I told him we would have a long wait as I wasn't doing anything other than passing him in the short pound.  After a short stand off he eventually started coming out of the lock and we passed each other.

[Stroudwater1]

5 hours ago, Goliath said:

I don’t tend to tie up if I can see a boat close to leaving a lock, I kind of loiter and float about ready to cross paths as they leave.
Is that bad practice ?

I don’t think so , that’s what I do too, even if the boat has only just entered the lock. I usually drop  SWMBO who goes off to the lock dropping her some way ahead moving near the bank for her to jump off. I then saunter up to the lock.
im sure it saves a lot of time and faff with ropes etc.  
You really often have to hover at  Thames locks and it’s a lovely sight 20 or more hovering at some locks it can be for a long time too

[Ronaldo47]

On 20/12/2021 at 19:12, Mike Todd said:

Telling the little one that they have just moved a ton weight nearly always produces a strong, positive reaction, (and that is expecially from the parents!)

My then 4 year old daughter once managed to close the downhill  gate on her side all on her own when we were locking down the Napton flight.  I think it must have been recently overhauled as it did move very freely, but I didn't tell her that. 

[Athy]

12 hours ago, jeddlad said:

I'd say that he is a proper celebrity 

Possibly, but I don't recognise him.

[Grassman]

13 hours ago, David Mack said:

I do the same. Unless there's a strong crosswind, I find it much easier to wait in the middle of the cut until the oncoming boat emerges from the lock, and then we can dance around each other before I try to line up for the lock entrance. 

And if I am going to pass another boat in a short pound between locks I wait in my lock until the oncomer is ready to emerge, and then we can both pass in the middle of the pound, with a little power on and we both have steering. The problem in that situation can be the other boater who won't start to move until I have completely left my lock!

 

Yes I do this too, and had this chap done that I wouldn't have had a problem with that. It was the fact that having pulled in a tied up he just stood with his arms folded watching. The same has often happened when there's a boat waiting behind. Sometimes there'll be a crew of 3 or 4 and they stand by their boat chatting and just watching and then they don't come forward until I'm leaving the lock .

[LadyG]

On 20/12/2021 at 10:26, Thomas C King said:

 

They're liveaboards, so it's a true life on boats. But I kind of get what you mean.

 

Their videos convey a kind of modern floating flat vibe. Whereas, the overwhelming vibes I get of boaters are: half-homeless folk and/or alcoholics with not long left, a lot of retired folk who seem content, natty dreads, shiny boat types (e.g., Cruising the Cut), and hire boaters either having a horrible or a great time.

 

This year's theme for us has been trying to avoid having our gennie or solar panels nicked, and it seems a sentiment from other liveaboards on this stretch.

 

Conveying any of that on YouTube wouldn't be particularly interesting.

I would not have thought CtC is a shiny boater the Foxes are much more aware of how boats look, inside and out. They obviously do research which gives the content much more meat in the sandwich. 

CtC spends a lot of time in a marina and not much vlogging these days, he has a big following as he was an early adopter and produces professional vlogs. Probably does other things in his life that don't involve boating, includes his Vandemoniun channel.

Boaters on here tend to be parochial, probably averave age well over forty, but there will be millions out there in the big world who want to see documentary style blogs which are far removed from their own life. 

PS there are some boating vloggers who are so outside the norm that they are alnost compulsive, but we always knew that the canals do host some eccentrics. 

Edited December 22, 2021 by LadyG

[Mike Todd]

One blogger has started to use the term 'bimble' to refer to this practice of hovering mid stream. It may be an old word, largely forgotten, but it really does the job and is unlikely to be confused with anything else.

[Idle Days]

Bimble.  OED: to move at a leisurely pace. 

[dmr]

6 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

One blogger has started to use the term 'bimble' to refer to this practice of hovering mid stream. It may be an old word, largely forgotten, but it really does the job and is unlikely to be confused with anything else.

 

I thought bimbling was a sort of aimless and gentle moving about. Hovering has a very defined purpose and can demand quite a bit of skill and concentration, especially in wind or on flowing water so.

 

Its a bit worrying that Internet type people with limited canal experience will be redefining the culture and language of the canals.

 

We spent a year moored at Bill Fishers, have briefly met Phil Speight and even Tony Brookes. Purchased "two pints of 6x please" for Mal at the Anchor (and met Olive). Had tea with Dave Moore in his back garden, spent a very pleasant fternoon with Roger Fuller. Numerous meetings with Richard Parry and met the BW bosses before him. Have met Pamela Smith and Nick Brown (sadly never met Nigel Moore) etc etc etc. Don't think I have met the Foxes though.