I'm new to boating.. Where is the best to start my journey from?

[doratheexplorer]

5 minutes ago, jake_crew said:

I see Bia hasn't been back for a while.    Perhaps she is having a rethink. 

About buying a boat, or about the wisdom of posting on this forum?

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Surely, to answer her question :

 

 

Where is the best (place ?) to start my journey from?

 

The answer must be "wherever your boat is" (or if she has no boat, then - wherever she is at the time)

[MtB]

 

 

14 minutes ago, jake_crew said:

I see Bia hasn't been back for a while.   

 

 

Well that's a surprise isn't it!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by MtB
Forum duplicate post bug strikes again

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

 

 

Well that's a surprise isn't it!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not really. Its what tends to happen when a new member posts and recieves unwelcoming responses.

 

She has visited the forum since her original questions so has obviously seen the posts.

[Tam & Di]

1 hour ago, jake_crew said:

I see Bia hasn't been back for a while.    Perhaps she is having a rethink. 

 I see she did look in about half an hour after our more or less contemporaneous posts this morning.

 

Tam

[doratheexplorer]

10 minutes ago, Tam & Di said:

 I see she did look in about half an hour after our more or less contemporaneous posts this morning.

 

Tam

Looked in, noticed various members were still sharpening their blades.  Left.  It's pretty standard.

[enigmatic]

Or just got perplexed at the references to Todmorden, which is a very long commute to Holborn

[IanD]

12 minutes ago, enigmatic said:

Or just got perplexed at the references to Todmorden, which is a very long commute to Holborn

Much nicer place to moor though 😉

[PD1964]

8 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Not really. Its what tends to happen when a new member posts and recieves unwelcoming responses.

 

She has visited the forum since her original questions so has obviously seen the posts.

 Or hopefully just went on London Boaters Facebook and got her answer from people that cruise that area first hand. Who know more about it then those on here who have never CC’d around the capital.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

 Or hopefully just went on London Boaters Facebook and got her answer from people that cruise that area first hand. Who know more about it then those on here who have never CC’d around the capital.

 

Regardless, this forum has a poor record for treatment of newcomers with what some long standing members consider naive questions.

 

So yes hopefully she has got the required info. elswhere.

Edited February 10, 2022 by The Happy Nomad

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Or maybe the survey was not as hoped and / or the surveyor opened her eyes to the reality of boat living in London

[Guest]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Or maybe the survey was not as hoped and / or the surveyor opened her eyes to the reality of boat living in London

 

Certainly possible and if so some feedback would be good, but I doubt the OP will now bother if that is indeed the case.

[Tony1]

40 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Certainly possible and if so some feedback would be good, but I doubt the OP will now bother if that is indeed the case.

 

I can't be the only person who agrees with you that it is sad when for the umpteenth time, a potential new contributor and voice in the forum has asked an innocent question, seen a majority of the replies being sarcastic, borderline rude, or just basically unhelpful, and just decided it's not the forum for them? 

 

And that's not to downplay the patient and detailed advice that is so often given to people who are clearly in need of help. This forum can be incredibly helpful at times, and I say that as one of the newbies who has gained advice and insight from the members.

 

But it is a bit sad that certain topics, or types of question, seem to stir up an attitude that is at best unpleasant, and at worst hostile.

Perhaps a few of the OPs who have asked clumsily-worded questions on controversial topics -and been basically roasted alive-  might otherwise have continued to become interesting, insightful or helpful members, adding to the diversity of the contributions. 

 

Oh well. Another one bites the dust, as they say.  

 

[PD1964]

And I think there’s a large number of “I’m thinking of buying a boat and living on the Canals” people that come on here who are “just thinking” and in reality deep down have no intention to do it. If you have to ask peoples opinions and advice to do something in life then it’s not for you. If you want to do it that much, you do it.

Edited February 10, 2022 by PD1964

[system 4-50]

If you really want to climb Everest then just go on and do it.  Don't ask for information and advice just do it.  

 

Are you serious?

[PD1964]

20 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

If you really want to climb Everest then just go on and do it.  Don't ask for information and advice just do it.  

 

Are you serious?

Are you serious. Totally chalk & cheese, please don’t act the fool. We’re talking about living on a Narrowboat.

Edited February 10, 2022 by PD1964

[system 4-50]

1 hour ago, PD1964 said:

. If you have to ask peoples opinions and advice to do something in life then it’s not for you.

Sorry. Misunderstood.  I thought you were talking about doing things in life.

[PD1964]

5 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

Sorry. Misunderstood.  I thought you were talking about doing things in life.

If you really want to do something in life you do it or try your hardest to achieve it. If your thinking about it, do you really want to do it with full commitment?

  

[booke23]

4 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Regardless, this forum has a poor record for treatment of newcomers with what some long standing members consider naive questions.

 

So yes hopefully she has got the required info. elswhere.

 

3 hours ago, Tony1 said:

 

I can't be the only person who agrees with you that it is sad when for the umpteenth time, a potential new contributor and voice in the forum has asked an innocent question, seen a majority of the replies being sarcastic, borderline rude, or just basically unhelpful, and just decided it's not the forum for them? 

 

And that's not to downplay the patient and detailed advice that is so often given to people who are clearly in need of help. This forum can be incredibly helpful at times, and I say that as one of the newbies who has gained advice and insight from the members.

 

But it is a bit sad that certain topics, or types of question, seem to stir up an attitude that is at best unpleasant, and at worst hostile.

Perhaps a few of the OPs who have asked clumsily-worded questions on controversial topics -and been basically roasted alive-  might otherwise have continued to become interesting, insightful or helpful members, adding to the diversity of the contributions. 

 

Oh well. Another one bites the dust, as they say.  

 

 

I couldn't agree more with these sentiments. 

It's a peculiar phenomenon on this forum, especially as the polar opposite is the case when you actually talk to random boaters on the canals in real life....a less quarrelsome bunch of people you'd be hard pressed to find (In general). 

Edited February 10, 2022 by booke23

[MtB]

17 minutes ago, booke23 said:

 

 

I couldn't agree more with these sentiments. 

It's a peculiar phenomenon on this forum, especially as the polar opposite is the case when you actually talk to random boaters on the canals in real life....a less quarrelsome bunch of people you'd be hard pressed to find (In general). 

 

I'm not entirely sure I'd agree with that. A lot of boaters in real life turn out to be highly opinionated about a range of subjects once once you scratch the surface. It's not that rare on mentioning CRT for example and in particular, to hear some really aggressive, unreasonable and unpleasant attitudes come tumbling out. 

 

 

[booke23]

4 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I'm not entirely sure I'd agree with that. A lot of boaters in real life turn out to be highly opinionated about a range of subjects once once you scratch the surface. It's not that rare on mentioning CRT for example and in particular, to hear some really aggressive, unreasonable and unpleasant attitudes come tumbling out. 

 

 

 

That is true. 

 

I was more getting at the type of question the OP asked, or if you asked for help for real on the cut. Most boaters would give you the shirt off their back.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, booke23 said:

 

That is true. 

 

I was more getting at the type of question the OP asked, or if you asked for help for real on the cut. Most boaters would give you the shirt off their back.

 

 

Also true.

 

Boaters will often (but not always!) go to extraordinary lengths to help you out, far more than would generally happen out there in the 'normal' world. 

 

Mind you similar tends to happen in small village life too, if perhaps to a somewhat lesser degree. 

[frahkn]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

 

Also true.

 

Boaters will often (but not always!) go to extraordinary lengths to help you out, far more than would generally happen out there in the 'normal' world. 

 

Mind you similar tends to happen in small village life too, if perhaps to a somewhat lesser degree. 

I think that this is true of many folk involved in 'minority' activities, particularly activities which they perceive as attracting some opprobrium in wider circles.

 

For many years I ran a Series IIA Landrover and found this to be the case; even more so with motorcycles.

Edited February 11, 2022 by frahkn

[john.k]

Hard reality popped the dream bubble?

[Mike Hurley]

22 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

About buying a boat, or about the wisdom of posting on this forum?

That has to be the best post so far. I often wonder how long it takes a newbie asking seemingly innocent questions to get shot down in flames by the traditionalists, 30 mins is about average. After a few posts they must think that to own a narrowboat you go around playing dress up with a red neck scarf , overalls and a peaky blinders cap, waxing lyrical about loaded pairs. The new boaters seem to be teetotal non smoking vegans, hard to find common ground there. My advice to any wannabe is use the search function before posting and getting roasted.