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LadyG

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5 minutes ago, Ronaldo47 said:

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. 

 

When we used the Leeds&Liverpool short boat Fanworth as a passenger boat we used to reverse it quite a distance to turn between trips. The crew would be sorting the bar and interior, and the steerer would simply tie the tiller to prevent it moving, go gently into reverse gear, and steer from the fore end with a long shaft. To turn meant giving the bow a push in the required direction and running back to the stern to complete winding in the conventional way. Could not have been done on a boat with no side decks or easily accessible roof.

 

Tam

 

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4 hours ago, PD1964 said:

🏇You sound more like Tony McCoy after taking the wrong “Canal Turn” in the Grand National. 5 Furlong, how many miles is that?😂🏇🏇🏇

Five eighths🙂

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When we're doing the offside vegetation cutting we sometimes have to reverse the workboat quite a distance at the end of the day so as to find somewhere secure to leave it. We find the easiest and quickest way is to have a person at each end guiding the boat from the towpath using the fore and aft ropes. If one end or other of the boat begins to stray towards the offside the relevant person just pulls their end of the boat back towards them in order to straighten to direction of travel.

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9 hours ago, Tam & Di said:

 

When we used the Leeds&Liverpool short boat Fanworth as a passenger boat we used to reverse it quite a distance to turn between trips. The crew would be sorting the bar and interior, and the steerer would simply tie the tiller to prevent it moving, go gently into reverse gear, and steer from the fore end with a long shaft. To turn meant giving the bow a push in the required direction and running back to the stern to complete winding in the conventional way. Could not have been done on a boat with no side decks or easily accessible roof.

 

Tam

 

Indeed. From the swan and bottle to uxbridge lock as I recall.

Always done slowly.

 

Used to do same thing at Batchworth, untie from the mooring stand on bow with shaft ,  let the current take the butty to the lock, round the bend.

Fill up water tanks empty loo and then cadge a tow back to the mooring.

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22 minutes ago, Grassman said:

When we're doing the offside vegetation cutting we sometimes have to reverse the workboat quite a distance at the end of the day so as to find somewhere secure to leave it. We find the easiest and quickest way is to have a person at each end guiding the boat from the towpath using the fore and aft ropesm. If one end or other of the boat begins to stray towards the offside the relevant person just pulls their end of the boat back towards them in order to straighten to direction of travel.

Yes, perfect handling, agreed, for a boat designed for working, and i'm assuming your towpath guys don't include one with a broken ankle!

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12 hours ago, reg said:

Got a house point for that around 1965, used it give the weight of a gallon of water which is 10 pounds.

I got a "thick ear" in '56 when I gave that answer because my teacher thought I was asleep and guessed the answer to his question. 

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10 hours ago, Ronaldo47 said:

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. 

That's why the sensible among us have bow thrusters!

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11 hours ago, Chagall said:

 

You can do it and just think how you will feel when its done.

Good luck. 

 

 

 

Yes, I'm not in any doubt, thanks, at the moment I'm more concerned with trying to comply with the cc requirements after my marathon overstay, locally.

It was just a thowaway post when I thought it might be an easy option to hitch a lift from a neighbouring boat, I can't see any problem being towed abreast backwards, slowly, but sometimes the forum can provide an insight. It's a great discussion forum, and things do pop up which are of general interest.

 

Edited by LadyG
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41 minutes ago, Grassman said:

When we're doing the offside vegetation cutting we sometimes have to reverse the workboat quite a distance at the end of the day so as to find somewhere secure to leave it. We find the easiest and quickest way is to have a person at each end guiding the boat from the towpath using the fore and aft ropes. If one end or other of the boat begins to stray towards the offside the relevant person just pulls their end of the boat back towards them in order to straighten to direction of travel.

That’s how I manage but on my own. 
I steer from the bank with a rope tied front and back, and the boat ticking slowly in reverse.

If there’re boats in the way I steer from the boat, with a bit of difficulty but usually manage of a sorts. 
 

Otherwise I go to the next winding hole.

 

I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable asking for a tow backwards because I missed the winding hole.

And I don’t know if I’d want to tow someone because they missed a winding hole? Bit cheeky I think. 

I’d ask “how long you been sitting here waiting for a tow? When you could have sorted yourself out?”

Could probably get to the next winding hole before finding a tow.

 

I’ll always tow someone broken down or pull them out of the mud.

But there are times when people have just got to sort themselves out.

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Yes, I'm not in any doubt, thanks, at the moment I'm more concerned with trying to comply with the cc requirements after my marathon overstay, locally.

It was just a thowaway post when I thought it might be an easy option to hitch a lift from a neighbouring boat, I can't see any problem being towed abreast backwards, slowly, but sometimes the forum can provide an insight. It's a great discussion forum, and things do pop up which are of general interest.

 

Are you still there?

😂🤣😂

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5 minutes ago, Goliath said:

That’s how I manage but on my own. 
I steer from the bank with a rope tied front and back, and the boat ticking slowly in reverse.

If there’re boats in the way I steer from the boat, with a bit of difficulty but usually manage of a sorts. 
 

Otherwise I go to the next winding hole.

 

I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable asking for a tow backwards because I missed the winding hole.

And I don’t know if I’d want to tow someone because they missed a winding hole? Bit cheeky I think. 

I’d ask “how long you been sitting here waiting for a tow? When you could have sorted yourself out?”

Could probably get to the next winding hole before finding a tow.

 

I’ll always tow someone broken down or pull them out of the mud.

But there are times when people have just got to sort themselves out.

Don't worry about it, I just throw a few of these odd posts on to the forum to stimulate discussion. I've no intention of asking for a tow, it just occurred to me there might be some occasion when it might actually be a requirement.

According to Canallplan it's  26 locks to get back to my location, but in fact there is an unofficial one fairly close, unfortunately I thought it was this side of the locks, but it's not.

Edited by LadyG
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1 minute ago, Goliath said:

So are you still there?

 

I'm on a mooring, no problem, just hanging about waiting for a prescription to be , err, prescribed, so I don't want to go too far in either direction at the moment.

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13 hours ago, LadyG said:

 

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.

It works for Midnight in tickover with the occasional burst of forward if the bow wanders off line. I used the walking method last year when reversing up the bottom couple of locks on the Curdworth flight. Walking along the towpath next to the rear cabin holding the rope threaded through the rear roof drain with the boat in reverse tickover. As you say, not good for passing moored boats though or occasional shallow sides.

Edited by Midnight
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45 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Don't worry about it, I just throw a few of these odd posts on to the forum to stimulate discussion. I've no intention of asking for a tow, it just occurred to me there might be some occasion when it might actually be a requirement.

According to Canallplan it's  26 locks to get back to my location, but in fact there is an unofficial one fairly close, unfortunately I thought it was this side of the locks, but it's not.

 

It has taken three pages of posts to come clean on your lack of intention to be towed. Throwing out these random  posts so you can  stimulate discussion may inadvertently cause an issue for other boater who might wish to help you.

Just bear in mind that someone who gives you a tow maybe negating the terms of their own boat insurance, or are you not bothered about this?.

 

Howard

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9 minutes ago, howardang said:

Just bear in mind that someone who gives you a tow maybe negating the terms of their own boat insurance, or are you not bothered about this?.

 

 

Does breasting a boat up to one's own to move it count as "towing"?

 

I don't think it does, as towing means pulling another <whatever> along behind you on a rope. 

 

 

P.S. I do hope not as I breasted a stricken boat up to mine the other day to move it back past a couple of moored behemoths and through a lock to a mooring space. Insurance never crossed my mind and even it had, I'd still have done it. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by MtB
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2 minutes ago, Midnight said:

Not from me. If you suvvern softies need a girlie button it's fine. 

 

Tin hat in place.

If you northern softies need an engine that's fine. Real boaters bow-haul... 😉

 

Tin underpants in place 😉

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