Alan de Enfield Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 12 inches = 1foot 3 feet = 1 yard 22 yards = 1chain 10 chains = 1 furlong 8 furlongs = 1 mile Surprising how often the rhymes & mnemonics you learnt as a child come in useful 5 furlongs would be 1100 yds. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 Canalplanac gives measurements in miles at furlongs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: 12 inches = 1foot 3 feet = 1 yard 22 yards = 1chain 10 chains = 1 furlong 8 furlongs = 1 mile Surprising how often the rhymes & mnemonics you learnt as a child come in useful 5 furlongs would be 1100 yds. Some other rhymes I remember: Two and a quarter pounds of jam weigh about a kilogram. A litre of water's a pint and three quarters. A metre measures 3 foot 3; its longer than a yard you see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 Just now, David Mack said: A litre of water's a pint and three quarters. A pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 16 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: Canalplanac gives measurements in miles at furlongs It would appear that in modern usage Furlongs are only used for horse racing and canal measurement. I've managed 7 decades plus without knowing that. Edit to add that seems to be used in London underground measurement, http://thewordden.blogspot.com/2019/10/word-to-use-today-furlong.html Edited May 9, 2022 by reg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PD1964 Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: 5 furlongs would be 1100 yds. Or about 10 minutes on a Narrowboat going backwards. (Disclaimer: times may vary with boaters ability and the Zig Zag factor) Edited May 9, 2022 by PD1964 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: A pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter. Got a house point for that around 1965, used it give the weight of a gallon of water which is 10 pounds. Edited May 9, 2022 by reg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 Given the thread about Willow Wren Training you could watch their video for some reversing hints... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 3 minutes ago, reg said: It would appear that I'm modern usage Furlongs are only used for horse racing and canal measurement. I've managed 7 decades plus without knowing that. 1/10th of a furlong is the length of a cricket pitch (central strip between wickets) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyG Posted May 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 24 minutes ago, reg said: It would appear that I'm modern usage Furlongs are only used for horse racing and canal measurement. I've managed 7 decades plus without knowing that. Good heavens, it's pretty standard: 5 and 6 furlongs for speedy sprinters, 7 furlongs and one mi!e races are for the more mature types. PS I love those willow wren training videos, esp the crew, who has a great time, doing perfectly practiced dismounting from that very docile little boat. I suppose the lockdown made their business very difficult. Edited May 9, 2022 by LadyG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chagall Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 24 minutes ago, PD1964 said: Maybe she’s just after a tow to save diesel and prefers spending the Summer 1km back the way she came😂 Given that the last thread the lady asked for a tow went on for 24 pages I'd say we have a treat in store! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puffling Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 4 minutes ago, Rob-M said: Given the thread about Willow Wren Training you could watch their video for some reversing hints It looks refreshingly simple done this way. Keep your eyes on the bows, not twisting behind to see where you are going. A technique that worked well enough for me on the open practice range called Tixall Wide, but which hasn't stood up well when used on smaller waterways, in wind, or passing other boats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyG Posted May 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 There's some branches in the water, so I'll need to keep looking back, I've walked back the five furlongs, I'll cope. I tend to point the blade of the rudder to my destination, maybe that works best when there is a decent keel and plenty of thrust, but it should work on any boat, in theory. , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 I've steered a selection of boats over the years. Some go backwards, some simply do not. Hired a boat last year from Stone, a very ordinary hull and it was really brilliant going backwards. Our last narrowboat (a Colecraft) was pretty good, various cruisers were damned nearly impossible and our present boat will go a few yards before the bow starts to swing and once that happens there is very little that you can do. Narrow boats are usually pretty good, those slab sides keep the boat straight but shallow draught boats with a bottom like a saucer are usually hopeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 4 minutes ago, LadyG said: There's some branches in the water, so I'll need to keep looking back, I've walked back the five furlongs, I'll cope. I tend to point the blade of the rudder to my destination, maybe that works best when there is a decent keel and plenty of thrust, but it should work on any boat, in theory. , Depends on prop direction and the resulting prop-walk. You are now pulling water over the prop and rudder from the stern instead of pushing it over the prop & rudder from the bow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PD1964 Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 16 minutes ago, LadyG said: There's some branches in the water, so I'll need to keep looking back, I've walked back the five furlongs, I'll cope. You should of hand hauled the boat at the same time, nice night for it. 40 years of sailing backwards😂 pity not one of your sailing skills have seamed to of migrated to your Canal life. Once again you seam to be making a massive mountain out of a small mole hill. Edited May 9, 2022 by PD1964 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 12 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: Depends on prop direction and the resulting prop-walk. You are now pulling water over the prop and rudder from the stern instead of pushing it over the prop & rudder from the bow. Is that what happens when you reverse really then? Heck. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 56 minutes ago, reg said: It would appear that in modern usage Furlongs are only used for horse racing and canal measurement. I've managed 7 decades plus without knowing that. Edit to add that seems to be used in London underground measurement, http://thewordden.blogspot.com/2019/10/word-to-use-today-furlong.html Railways were generally laid out in miles and chains, a chain being 22 yards or 1/10 of a furlong (and the length of a cricket pitch) and thus there are 80 chains to the mile. In highway and railway engineering, although distances are now measured in metres, the longitudinal distance measured from the start point is still referred to as the "chainage". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyG Posted May 9, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 12 minutes ago, PD1964 said: You should of hand hauled the boat at the same time, nice night for it. 40 years of sailing backwards😂 pity not one of your sailing skills have seamed to of migrated to your Canal life. Once again you seam to be making a massive mountain out of a small mole hill. It keeps the old grumpies like yourself in their daily moan and groan. I try to post things of general interest, and put folks with nothing useful to contribute on ignore. In this instance curiousity overcame me, I won't make that mistake again. Edited May 9, 2022 by LadyG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizzard Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 It depends on which gearbox it is before going astern for a long distance. If an old epicyclic box it would probably overheat and ruin itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PD1964 Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 28 minutes ago, LadyG said: It keeps the old grumpies like yourself in their daily moan and groan. I try to post things of general interest, and put folks with nothing useful to contribute on ignore. In this instance curiousity overcame me, I won't make that mistake again. Things of General interest, really? more like a calamity of errors with you, I’ve already had a laugh with your comment of 40 years sailing backwards experience, yet you’re asking how to sail backwards for 10 minutes😂 Edited May 9, 2022 by PD1964 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chagall Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, LadyG said: There's some branches in the water, so I'll need to keep looking back, I've walked back the five furlongs, I'll cope. I tend to point the blade of the rudder to my destination, maybe that works best when there is a decent keel and plenty of thrust, but it should work on any boat, in theory. , You can do it and just think how you will feel when its done. Good luck. Edited May 9, 2022 by Chagall still trying hard to remain in the sisterhood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenataomm Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 11 hours ago, LadyG said: Just when I dumped the tyre I've carried from my early days on the Aire and Calder, sigh. I'l wait till it's all quiet. Instead of a tyre try a bucket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 1 minute ago, zenataomm said: Instead of a tyre try a bucket A bucket was what was used in the old days but modern buckets are rubbish or worse plastic and the rubbish in the canal will probably rip it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo47 Posted May 9, 2022 Report Share Posted May 9, 2022 Using a barge pole in the bows is fine if you have a second person to wield the pole, but impractical for a single hander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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