Getting to know your boat training?

[Mgt]

Hello!

I'm nearly on the brink, I hope, of buying my first narrowboat.🤞 I've little experience with steering, moorings, locks etc so plan on a helmsman training in due course.  However what I'm far more concerned about and wondered if anyone here knows whether it's possible to hire someone to come on the boat and show one how it works.  I'm thinking from lighting the stove, the in and outs of electrics, bilge matters(?), to where is the water tank and especially how exactly do you pump out the toilet etc etc and maybe even provide a tick list of maintenance chores to protect the newbie from the worst possible calamities.  I'm a reasonably good diyer around the house but only too aware of the steep learning curve ahead on the canal.  If such a coach/trainer exists how would you go about finding them?

Many thanks for any suggestions or tips from how you learned the ropes.

M

[matty40s]

It is fairly common for sellers to give a handover of the boat....you could ask the broker if they can arrange (if using one). If its a private sale, ask the seller!!

[Alan de Enfield]

It may help if you give some idea of your approximate location.

[Mgt]

5 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It is fairly common for sellers to give a handover of the boat....you could ask the broker if they can arrange (if using one). If its a private sale, ask the seller!!

Thanks, I will indeed do this but wondered whether a such a handover would be sufficient.  I have a very long list of questions that keeps getting longer 🤔

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

It may help if you give some idea of your approximate location.

Thanks, I haven't got the boat yet but it's looking like it will be from ABNB N Kenworth.

[matty40s]

1 minute ago, Mgt said:

Thanks, I will indeed do this but wondered whether a such a handover would be sufficient.  I have a very long list of questions that keeps getting longer 🤔

Ask them to do a handover sheet covering the essential services. A lot of boaty stuff is finding out along the way though.....what they do isnt necessarily the best way, or the right way.

[Tracy D'arth]

Every boat is different, its not a Ford with a handbook.

I am afraid that you will just have to sit down with whatever paperwork you are given and work it out for yourself. The engine should be the easy bit, electrics are often the worse part.

Learn very quickly how to keep your batteries charged fully else they will die very quickly.

[Mgt]

6 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Every boat is different, its not a Ford with a handbook.

I am afraid that you will just have to sit down with whatever paperwork you are given and work it out for yourself. The engine should be the easy bit, electrics are often the worse part.

Learn very quickly how to keep your batteries charged fully else they will die very quickly.

Thanks, that was what I was afraid would be the answer yet still useful to hear it said out loud 😅

[Mgt]

34 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Ask them to do a handover sheet covering the essential services. A lot of boaty stuff is finding out along the way though.....what they do isnt necessarily the best way, or the right way.

Thanks.  I appreciate what you say as I watch a lot of how-to youtube videos that cover a wide range of approaches.

[enigmatic]

1 hour ago, Mgt said:

Thanks.  I appreciate what you say as I watch a lot of how-to youtube videos that cover a wide range of approaches.

 

Much as people on here like to criticise YouTubers, there are some pretty good practical videos on the sort of occasional maintenance you're likely to have to do like changing oil filters

 

The previous owner and/or the broker should be able to help with basic stuff like the location of water tank, fuses, cutoff switches for power, switch for the gulper that drains your shower, reminding you to grease the stern gland etc.

 

Agree with @Tracy D'arth that the first big thing to learn (unless you stay in a marina) is going to be managing electricity, though realising you don't have very much of it, and the batteries need daily charging and really don't appreciate being discharged below 50% is a large part of that.

[LadyG]

I would arrange a mooring with shorepower in a marina with a chandlery and stay there for a few weeks, with a few journeys up and down the canal, assuming you can get back easily. 

Go through a lock with another boat, explain you need help and advice, this usually works. 

Have two long centreline ropes, don't drop them over the side or they will end up as two short centreline ropes DAMHIK

With respect to steering, the boat is flat bottomed, it pivots round the centre. When manoeuvring go Dead Slow, do not assume fast forward / max astern will do anything other than create a diversion for gongoozlers. Take in to account weather, gusts of winds will make life difficult. Sometimes you need to gun the throttle, but not as often as you might think. 

I tend to use the centreline to tie up alongside, then the bow and stern ropes. 

PS, I found that in my first maximum forward/hasty astern, on a river lock, I forgot to engage the reverse gear, (morse control needs a shift movement), I found myself hitting the lock entrance, rather embarrassing, I managed to sort it out......., no one died 😉

Edited February 16, 2022 by LadyG

[Mgt]

1 hour ago, enigmatic said:

 

Much as people on here like to criticise YouTubers, there are some pretty good practical videos on the sort of occasional maintenance you're likely to have to do like changing oil filters

 

The previous owner and/or the broker should be able to help with basic stuff like the location of water tank, fuses, cutoff switches for power, switch for the gulper that drains your shower, reminding you to grease the stern gland etc.

 

Agree with @Tracy D'arth that the first big thing to learn (unless you stay in a marina) is going to be managing electricity, though realising you don't have very much of it, and the batteries need daily charging and really don't appreciate being discharged below 50% is a large part of that.

Many thanks! The shower gulper (!) was missing from my awareness so now added to my list and note to self again   re batteries. 

[PaulJ]

4 hours ago, Mgt said:

Thanks, I will indeed do this but wondered whether a such a handover would be sufficient.  I have a very long list of questions that keeps getting longer 🤔

Thanks, I haven't got the boat yet but it's looking like it will be from ABNB N Kenworth.

Have a word with any of the staff-they are all boaty people 😃 Im sure they would be happy to go through it with you.

[Mgt]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I would arrange a mooring with shorepower in a marina with a chandlery and stay there for a few weeks, with a few journeys up and down the canal, assuming you can get back easily. 

Go through a lock with another boat, explain you need help and advice, this usually works. 

Have two long centreline ropes, don't drop them over the side or they will end up as two short centreline ropes DAMHIK

With respect to steering, the boat is flat bottomed, it pivots round the centre. When manoeuvring go Dead Slow, do not assume fast forward / max astern will do anything other than create a diversion for gongoozlers. Take in to account weather, gusts of winds will make life difficult. Sometimes you need to gun the throttle, but not as often as you might think. 

I tend to use the centreline to tie up alongside, then the bow and stern ropes. 

PS, I found that in my first maximum forward/hasty astern, on a river lock, I forgot to engage the reverse gear, (morse control needs a shift movement), I found myself hitting the lock entrance, rather embarrassing, I managed to sort it out......., no one died 😉

Many thanks for your encouragement ! I had thought about mooring at a marina until I gottoknow the boat a bit and your advice on brief excursions appeals to me a sound strategy. The mention of 2 centre lines has taken me by surprise - only ever saw one- and so I'm suddenly aware I haven't done as much homework as I'd imagined. I do plan to take a friend hostage to help with the locks until at least my mooring technique doesn't require use of the buoy. On my short leisure trials I have found other boaters very helpful which has been crucial to my decision to embark on this venture. 

[Mike Hurley]

Lighting and upkeep of a solid fuel stove will come by trial and error, disposing of the ash needs care, use a steel container and take it OFF the boat, not in the well deck. Hot ash will continue to burn and give off serious amounts of CO, the silent killer. Make sure you have smoke and CO alarms installed and working. Other things like waterways key, windlass, hose pipe and mains hook up cable are worth checking. Some people have got to the first lock to find no windlass on board.

[Mgt]

Thank you. I'm very cautious on the CO2 front so will ensure to heed your advice on this. As to arriving my first lock without a windlass might very well see a very early end to my cruising career 😳 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Mike Hurley said:

Some people have got to the first lock to find no windlass on board.

I met a couple of chaps at Common Moor Lock, their first lock after their new sailaway had been craned in at Cassio Bridge. It eventually transpired that they had one windlass on board, but they had no idea how to use it, or indeed how a lock worked at all, and they expected to be in Central London later that afternoon!

[pete.i]

14 hours ago, Mgt said:

Many thanks for your encouragement ! I had thought about mooring at a marina until I gottoknow the boat a bit and your advice on brief excursions appeals to me a sound strategy. The mention of 2 centre lines has taken me by surprise - only ever saw one- and so I'm suddenly aware I haven't done as much homework as I'd imagined. I do plan to take a friend hostage to help with the locks until at least my mooring technique doesn't require use of the buoy. On my short leisure trials I have found other boaters very helpful which has been crucial to my decision to embark on this venture. 

You only need one if the tie off point eyelet is in the middle of the roof as was mine on my boat. If you use the handrails to tie your center line to then you will need two center lines, one each side. Either way keep the lines near to you on the roof where you steer from aka the sternor back bit. That way you can step off the boat with the center line in your hand when you are mooring up. The center line should then be used to pull the boat in to the side and to temporarily moor it whilst you moor up properly with the bow and stern ropes. Nothing worse than stepping off your boat in a brisk wind with no ropes in your hand.

[BEngo]

When you have found your boat and are waiting for the survey, compile a list of questions. Where, when, how often for  Ins, ( water, diesel, grease etc.) Outs (pump out, bilge pump, shower pump, engine oil, gearbox oil) and other things like weed hatch, door locks. Basic equipment whereabouts (water pump, shower pump,windlass, hammer, pins, etc.). 

Systems start up and control - heating, charging, shore power

 

Anything else you think of.

 

Post it here.  You will get extras and advice.

Then take it to your handover day, and fire away.

N

[LadyG]

Do NOT use handrails,,,  A good  boat has a strong point for good reason 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 hours ago, Mike Hurley said:

Lighting and upkeep of a solid fuel stove will come by trial and error, disposing of the ash needs care, use a steel container and take it OFF the boat, not in the well deck. Hot ash will continue to burn and give off serious amounts of CO, the silent killer. Make sure you have smoke and CO alarms installed and working. Other things like waterways key, windlass, hose pipe and mains hook up cable are worth checking. Some people have got to the first lock to find no windlass on board.

I got to my first lock to find I needed a handcuff key 😳

Followed a boat through next day 👍

13 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Do NOT use handrails,,,  A good  boat has a strong point for good reason 

Some handrails are strong enough. Mine are. 

[Ray T]

I cannot remember the title but Chris N. Deuchar wrote a little booklet on single handing a narrow boat.

Lots of good advice and tips.

[LadyG]

I have two centre line ropes because I am single handed and I cannot be always be sure which side I will use in a double lock, and I have a backup if there is any sort of cock up and one ends up in the canal. I am sure that many people manage narrow locks with a competent crew, never venturing on rivers, but I prefer two. 

23 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I got to my first lock to find I needed a handcuff key 😳

Followed a boat through next day 👍

Some handrails are strong enough. Mine are. 

The point of having the centreline attached to the centre point will become clear when you have to hold the mass of the boat in a strong current of water in a big lock. 

[Mgt]

Thanks everyone for very helpful pointers! Sadly the boat Id thought might become mine has sailed. Evenso my visit to the very helpful ABNB was really useful and I'm confident that my boat will soon appear on the horizon. In the meantime I will definitely check out the Deuchar handbook and as a listomaniac the suggestion to have two lists, one for INS and another for OUTS is simple and brilliant 😃

[Idle Days]

21 hours ago, Mgt said:

Thanks, I will indeed do this but wondered whether a such a handover would be sufficient.  I have a very long list of questions that keeps getting longer 🤔

Thanks, I haven't got the boat yet but it's looking like it will be from ABNB N Kenworth.

 

ABNB will do a handover to show you the boat, they are one of the better brokers. As part of the sale you should be able to negotiate a short stay mooring in North Kilworth Marina and there is a lock about a mile away on the Welford Arm that they may take you through, it's a good practice lock. Ask them if you can video or at least voice record the handover for future reference, saves lots of writing.

 

You face a steep learning curve but you will be surrounded by boaters willing to help you, so don't be afraid to ask. I've owned a boat for a year and am still asking. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 hours ago, Mgt said:

Thank you. I'm very cautious on the CO2 front so will ensure to heed your advice on this. As to arriving my first lock without a windlass might very well see a very early end to my cruising career 😳 

 

Seeing as no one else has mentioned it - Just to avoid future confusion :

 

CO2 is Carbon Dioxide (the stuff that makes your beer fizzy)

'CO is carbon Monoxide (the silent killer - go to sleep and you don't wake up - it is also cumulative a little bit 'every day' still builds up in your body until you have brain damage and die)

 

CO alarms warn you of the presence of CO (the alarms are a requirement to get the boat safety certificate.