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Canal Etiquette


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Just a few questions, maybe there isn't a done way of doing things but thought I'd ask.

 

Do you always close the lock gates once you're done or leave them open so another boat can just cruise in? Or do you only close the bottom locks when going down so the leaky gates fill it up to save water. Seems pointless to close the top gates afterwards when going up? No? Also when breasting up to other boats. Do people take offence to it, ever get told to sod off? Do you try to ask them first? Be going down London way soon so good to know how 'it's done'.

 

Did have more questions but have forgotten them. Will post them when they pop back into my head.

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Always close the gates on leaving a lock unless there are notices saying otherwise, or if there is a boat approaching which can then motor straight into the lock.

10 minutes ago, CanalRetentive said:

Seems pointless to close the top gates afterwards when going up?

No. You don't know which end of the lock leaks more, so shut top gates. On the GU most bottom gates leak more due to the mitre posts being worn at gunwale level by narrow boats using only one gate. On top gates this wear occurs above water level. Leaving a top gate open can easily result in the pound above running dry overnight.

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13 minutes ago, CanalRetentive said:

Also when breasting up to other boats. Do people take offence to it, ever get told to sod off? Do you try to ask them first? Be going down London way soon so good to know how 'it's done'.

It's polite to knock and ask first. But in London it's expected that boats will breast up, so if you get no reply you can go ahead anyway. Outside London breasting up is not normal practice, and you shouldn't normally do it, and certainly not without permission.

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I was politely told 'no way' when I asked a boater on the Thames if I could moor alongside, next boat said 'no, we have a dog'!! Next boat had a sign in the window which said something like 'you are welcome to moor alongside us', so it was third time lucky for me.

 

The following morning at the first lock, a boater asked if I had asked to moor alongside him the evening before, when I answered 'yes' he was very apologetic and said he regretted saying no as soon as I pulled away.

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55 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I got all the way to I think it was Reach Load with just one mooring at the end, I could see the occupants of the boat moored there peeping through the blinds rather than offering me a mooring beside them.

 

Was it your captain's hat putting them off perhaps?!

 

 

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Most boating etiquette it common sense and politeness. 

Closing lock gates means the next boater doesn't have to do it for you if going the other way, especially irritating if it's a singlehander. 

While I personally keep as big a gap as possible between me and other boats on a visitor mooring (as I'm sick of the noise and stink of the engine runners), I keep an eye out for anyone trying to moor in too small a gap and move as necessary.

And remember the 8 to 8 rule.

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59 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I got all the way to I think it was Reach Load with just one mooring at the end, I could see the occupants of the boat moored there peeping through the blinds rather than offering me a mooring beside them.

Isn't Reach Lode the one with a notice at the end saying,'Mooring by Permission of the Council', but no indication of how you contact the Council to ask for such permission? (and by the time you get there it's a bit late to ask).:unsure:

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2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

While I personally keep as big a gap as possible between me and other boats on a visitor mooring (as I'm sick of the noise and stink of the engine runners), I keep an eye out for anyone trying to moor in too small a gap and move as necessary.

 

Going right to the far end of the mooring isn't leaving a "git gap" in my book.

 

Leaving two empty rings/bollards is a heinous crime.  Either share a ring/bollard on popular visitor moorings or go somewhere else!

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6 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Going right to the far end of the mooring isn't leaving a "git gap" in my book.

 

Leaving two empty rings/bollards is a heinous crime.  Either share a ring/bollard on popular visitor moorings or go somewhere else!

I'd rather leave two empty rings than have some idiot fill my boat with diesel fumes for hours as they run their engine to power microwaves, giant TVs or computers, which appears to be the norm these days.

I've seen boats that have obviously been moving all day (because I knew where they were the night before) do exactly that.

Avoiding being poisoned, I'm afraid, doesn't make me antisocial.

There is also, of course,  the fact that I may want to play the trombone and I do bear in mind the next door boater may not appreciate the honking.

All that being said, as far as possible I do try to avoid popular visitor moorings as they are usually full of boats that haven't moved for many days and therefore need to flood the place with fumes in order to charge their batteries. The ones that have anyone on board,  anyway. I'm happy to moor right next to the ones just dumped there for a fortnight to avoid having to pay for a mooring. They're easy enough to spot.

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9 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Most boating etiquette it common sense and politeness. 

Closing lock gates means the next boater doesn't have to do it for you if going the other way, especially irritating if it's a singlehander. 

Tbf there's a 50% chance closing lock gates just means the next person coming from the oppostie direction has to stop and open them instead of going straight in, which is even more annoying as a singlehander. Still makes sense when the gates leak especially somewhere like the Rochdale where saving water is essential if you want the canal to be usable, but does feel like I'm going out of my way to inconvenience others somewhere like the Llangollen where the bywashes are a raging torrent and the point of the canal is to supply water to other parts of the network. I like the Great Ouse rules better.

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15 minutes ago, enigmatic said:

 I like the Great Ouse rules better.

 

Yes, we don't need to save water as it's constantly pooring over the weirs (which bypass the locks).  We just leave the lock open... as someone said 50% chance the next boat can just go straight in...

Edited by Quattrodave
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23 minutes ago, enigmatic said:

Tbf there's a 50% chance closing lock gates just means the next person coming from the oppostie direction has to stop and open them instead of going straight in, which is even more annoying as a singlehander. Still makes sense when the gates leak especially somewhere like the Rochdale where saving water is essential if you want the canal to be usable, but does feel like I'm going out of my way to inconvenience others somewhere like the Llangollen where the bywashes are a raging torrent and the point of the canal is to supply water to other parts of the network. I like the Great Ouse rules better.

It's a thing been debated for ages. The current rule/advice is that gates should always be closed unless either different instructions are on that particular lock or you are certain another boat is approaching the lock. So etiquette is to follow that rule.

If everyone was an expert and experienced with a good knowledge of the bit of canal they're on it might be different, but most boaters now haven't a clue so "safety first" has to be the rule. That way, when someone makes a pig's ear of it and drains a pound,  breaks a paddle or sinks in a lock because of carelessness it tends to be a localised, short term problem rather than a major disaster.

As far as singlehanding goes, on Bosley  for example, it's even more annoying to find some prat has left all the exit gates open as you then have to walk all the way round the lock to shut the gates before doing it all again to open them.  Overall, shutting them all as advised balances out, as well as it meaning you probably remember to drop the paddle, too.

Edited by Arthur Marshall
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Single handed up the Tardebigge a good few year's ago and the crew of a placky cruiser had left every top gate open ahead of me. 

Plain laziness with no consideration at all.

 

Generally though I find most people are considerate so the above was an exception.

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

It's a thing been debated for ages. The current rule/advice is that gates should always be closed unless either different instructions are on that particular lock or you are certain another boat is approaching the lock. So etiquette is to follow that rule.

If everyone was an expert and experienced with a good knowledge of the bit of canal they're on it might be different, but most boaters now haven't a clue so "safety first" has to be the rule. That way, when someone makes a pig's ear of it and drains a pound,  breaks a paddle or sinks in a lock because of carelessness it tends to be a localised, short term problem rather than a major disaster.

As far as singlehanding goes, on Bosley  for example, it's even more annoying to find some prat has left all the exit gates open as you then have to walk all the way round the lock to shut the gates before doing it all again to open them.  Overall, shutting them all as advised balances out, as well as it meaning you probably remember to drop the paddle, too.

Yep, I understand why they've gone for the general "always close unless a sign tells you you must not" rule rather than having signs about what to do at every lock or some rule about bywashes or local rules for the Llangollen and river navigations. Simple rules get followed more. A good point about an extra reminder to drop paddles too, and on a slightly related note I tend to use going back to close gates to fetch my windlass rather than carrying it down the ladder with me.

 

But I don't really see it as evening out: I'm stopping at both lock landings/tails every lock rather than only stopping once at the locks which aren't in my favour and need me to stop to fill the lock anyway, and if I don't have to walk round locks to open gates I still have to do so to shut them. Wouldn't fancy doing Bosley without water though....

 

 

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1 minute ago, David Mack said:

"Lower" please. Just dropping them tends to break things.

 

 

Quite.

 

Dropping paddles causes these nasty growths to multiply and spread across the system:

 

 

image.jpeg.be5fb903e763e152bec458d785c7e945.jpeg

 

 

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3 hours ago, enigmatic said:

 I tend to use going back to close gates to fetch my windlass rather than carrying it down the ladder with me.

 

 

 

You can buy a windlass holster to fit to your belt.

I had one,but it only lasted a year.

Being a Yorkshire tightarse, rather than buying another, I used a length of rope with a suitable loop tied in for the windlass, and the ends tied together and hung over my shoulder and down to my hip for the windlass to hang there.

You can then climb lock ladders and cross lock gates hands free.

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5 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

 

.I'm happy to moor right next to the ones just dumped there for a fortnight to avoid having to pay for a mooring. They're easy enough to spot.

That’s a bit unfair Arthur, some of us work so need to move during weekends or days off in order to get to far reaches., or even anywhere on the network given how busy some locks can be.
We have limited holidays nor can work remotely, nor move the boat every weekend.  Still have a base mooring , which we pay for to retain our nice spot. I’m sure some do as you describe but please don’t assume all dumpers are doing it just to avoid mooring fees 

Glad you moor next to us to keep an eye on our boat though 🤣

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5 hours ago, David Mack said:

"Lower" please. Just dropping them tends to break things.

 

Unfortunately that very often results in a paddle which is just slightly open. If it was a bottom gate, the next person travelling uphill may not realise why the lock is taking so long to fill, and lots of water gets wasted. If this boater travelling uphill similarly leaves the top paddles imperfectly closed the top pound will slowly empty, but both users would deny responsibility for it.

 

I do understand why CRT makes rules to accommodate the lowest common factor among its users, but that does not guarantee that everything will be hunky-dory if everyone follows them.

 

Tam

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8 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

That’s a bit unfair Arthur, some of us work so need to move during weekends or days off in order to get to far reaches., or even anywhere on the network given how busy some locks can be.
We have limited holidays nor can work remotely, nor move the boat every weekend.  Still have a base mooring , which we pay for to retain our nice spot. I’m sure some do as you describe but please don’t assume all dumpers are doing it just to avoid mooring fees 

Glad you moor next to us to keep an eye on our boat though 🤣

I know - I was exaggerating somewhat for effect. I know some people legitimately do as you describe  and I'm also sure you don't leave yours for a couple of weeks on a 48 hour mooring or a prime spot.

But don't you worry about leaving it on its tod for so long? I worry about mine when I leave it a couple of hours to go shopping, and nobody in their right mind would think there was anything worth nicking on my old tub.

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9 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

That’s a bit unfair Arthur, some of us work so need to move during weekends or days off in order to get to far reaches., or even anywhere on the network given how busy some locks can be.
We have limited holidays nor can work remotely, nor move the boat every weekend.  Still have a base mooring , which we pay for to retain our nice spot. I’m sure some do as you describe but please don’t assume all dumpers are doing it just to avoid mooring fees 

Glad you moor next to us to keep an eye on our boat though 🤣

 

 

Same here. I dump my boats in various places on the system on cruises which might take several months at a time, whilst still paying for a home mooring. 

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