Are boaters getting more selfish or is it just the world in general

[LadyG]

6 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Some years ago, towing a disabled boat on a long line I had an oncoming grp cruiser pass me on the correct side, but then tried to pass the towed boat on the wrong side! I don't think he had even seen the towline.

I remember someone crossing the road between two cars in the High Street, the second car being towed by the first , fortunately he made it!

[Mike Todd]

52 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

This is the key, being aware and expecting something to appear.  That is how I boat and often I'll have an approaching boater ask how I knew they were there as they were oblivious to a boat approaching where as I had seen them across the fields.  At many bridges if you get the right line approaching the bridge you can generally see enough to know if someone is approaching or you can make your own bows easily visible to them.  Having done quite a bit of boating towing a butty I try to get into a position where I won't have to stop as the butty running up the stern can throw the motor all over the place.

 

Bridges right on the apex of a sharp turn sometimes make the 'right' line impossible to see anything oncoming unless a lookout is posted to the bow. 

[Dav and Pen]

21 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Some years ago, towing a disabled boat on a long line I had an oncoming grp cruiser pass me on the correct side, but then tried to pass the towed boat on the wrong side! I don't think he had even seen the towline.

This is even more interesting when it happens in Braunston tunnel and the cruiser didn’t understand what I tried to tell him as the Butty was just in the Bend . He bounced off the rope, the wall and the butty.

[dixi188]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

I remember someone crossing the road between two cars in the High Street, the second car being towed by the first , fortunately he made it!

My sister Trish did that and broke her wrist when she fell.

[dixi188]

I love the blind bends on the summit of the Oxford Canal. Never know what's coming round the next bend in the summer, but in the winter you can see through or over the hedges except bridge 131.

I always give one long blast on the horn and I've never heard a reply, but met quite a few boats.

[reg]

6 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Probably 50% of the boaters I meet don't even know what port and starboard are, they are just told to drive on the right. I am thinking first time hirers and day boats who have never been afloat before.

A simply Aide-memoire is

 

All the long words go together

RIGHT, GREEN, STARBOARD 

All the short words go together

LEFT,RED,PORT

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, reg said:

A simply Aide-memoire is

 

All the long words go together

RIGHT, GREEN, STARBOARD 

All the short words go together

LEFT,RED,PORT

So who is going to tell that to all the new boaters.

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, reg said:

A simply Aide-memoire is

 

All the long words go together

RIGHT, GREEN, STARBOARD 

All the short words go together

LEFT,RED,PORT

 

There is no Red Port Left in the Bottle

[dixi188]

It used to be "There's no Red Port Left in the barrel"

Sorry crossed.

Edited September 12, 2022 by dixi188

[Wanderer Vagabond]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

So who is going to tell that to all the new boaters.

..and more to the point, why? All they need to know is to pass oncoming boats on the right hand side, unless to do so will lead to a collision. Even telling new hirers to keep to the right causes them some problems since they interpret that to mean keep to the right hand side of the canal at all times. Obviously the best place to put your boat in the shallow canals is in the centre of the channel where it is deepest, trying to keep to one side will just result in them regularly grounding and makes steering a nightmare.

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, Wanderer Vagabond said:

..and more to the point, why? All they need to know is to pass oncoming boats on the right hand side, unless to do so will lead to a collision. Even telling new hirers to keep to the right causes them some problems since they interpret that to mean keep to the right hand side of the canal at all times. Obviously the best place to put your boat in the shallow canals is in the centre of the channel where it is deepest, trying to keep to one side will just result in them regularly grounding and makes steering a nightmare.

I pulled one off this week, he gave way to me at a bridge, I was already stopped as there were two boats ahead of him, by the time I passed him he was well stuck, engine, pole, he was going nowhere 

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

..and more to the point, why? All they need to know is to pass oncoming boats on the right hand side, unless to do so will lead to a collision. Even telling new hirers to keep to the right causes them some problems since they interpret that to mean keep to the right hand side of the canal at all times. Obviously the best place to put your boat in the shallow canals is in the centre of the channel where it is deepest, trying to keep to one side will just result in them regularly grounding and makes steering a nightmare.

 

 

OTOH most hire boats only draw 18" or 2ft at the most, so it doesn't really matter.

 

 

[reg]

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

So who is going to tell that to all the new boaters.

Not me 

The only time I found it useful was when I was fitting my navigation lights.

[ditchcrawler]

Just now, reg said:

Not me 

The only time I found it useful was when I was fitting my navigation lights.

I hope the installation complies with the Colregs

[LadyG]

1 minute ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

..and more to the point, why? All they need to know is to pass oncoming boats on the right hand side, unless to do so will lead to a collision. Even telling new hirers to keep to the right causes them some problems since they interpret that to mean keep to the right hand side of the canal at all times. Obviously the best place to put your boat in the shallow canals is in the centre of the channel where it is deepest, trying to keep to one side will just result in them regularly grounding and makes steering a nightmare.

I think that a bit of hands on steering supervised by the trainer will soon sort that one out. I assume new boaters might expect canals to be u shaped in profile, but they may have started out that way and are now more like a river bed in places.

 

 

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Some years ago, towing a disabled boat on a long line I had an oncoming grp cruiser pass me on the correct side, but then tried to pass the towed boat on the wrong side! I don't think he had even seen the towline.

In certain parts of the world long tows are quite common, and very long, 

[LadyG]

14 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I hope the installation complies with the Colregs

Most unlikely.

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I think that a bit of hands on steering supervised by the trainer will soon sort that one out. I assume new boaters might expect canals to be u shaped in profile, but they may have started out that way and are now more like a river bed in places.

 

 

In certain parts of the world long tows are quite common, and very long, I have a notion flashing lights are involved, but in addition to standard lighting, and they might even be yellow, don't quote me 

I cannot think about passing on the right, that seems to be so wrong, it's passing port to port The sailors mantra is "if to std RED appear, tis your duty keep clear", not quite so handy on a canal, but there is good reason not to use "right " when it could be affirmative , or correct 

Edited September 12, 2022 by LadyG

[Arthur Marshall]

48 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Most unlikely.

I cannot think about passing on the right, that seems to be so wrong, it's passing port to port The sailors mantra is "if to std RED appear, tis your duty keep clear", not quite so handy on a canal, but there is good reason not to use "right " when it could be affirmative , or correct 

I've never heard anyone use "boating" terms on the canal. Right and left, front and back, pointy end and blunt bit. Driver not helmsman, steerer sometimes. Kitchen not galley. No heads, either. The only time I've needed less ambiguity was trying to work out engine rotation when people kept going on about anti-clockwise, which means nothing unless you know which end you're looking at.

[peterboat]

6 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I've never heard anyone use "boating" terms on the canal. Right and left, front and back, pointy end and blunt bit. Driver not helmsman, steerer sometimes. Kitchen not galley. No heads, either. The only time I've needed less ambiguity was trying to work out engine rotation when people kept going on about anti-clockwise, which means nothing unless you know which end you're looking at.

Exactly Arthur I often park the boat or moor the car does it matter?

[Graham Davis]

14 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I've never heard anyone use "boating" terms on the canal. Right and left, front and back, pointy end and blunt bit. Driver not helmsman, steerer sometimes. Kitchen not galley. No heads, either. The only time I've needed less ambiguity was trying to work out engine rotation when people kept going on about anti-clockwise, which means nothing unless you know which end you're looking at.

Quite!
I'm sure this was raised years ago, but can someone actually PROVE that ColRegs apply to me as I plod up the Llangollen or the T & M?

[Ex Brummie]

As one who in his working life traversed narrow country lanes, when boating, I adopt the strategy of being the one who is able to stop. I assume there is someone around every bend or through each bridgehole and will stop. It doesn't always avoid collision, but at 2mph instead of 5mph or so it is a lot less violent. When we don't crash, it is nice to be the one in the right position rather than up the bank or in the trees.

[ditchcrawler]

16 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Exactly Arthur I often park the boat or moor the car does it matter?

Same here, and mention git gaps in carparks 

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

Quite!
I'm sure this was raised years ago, but can someone actually PROVE that ColRegs apply to me as I plod up the Llangollen or the T & M?

 

The MCA regs cover Inland Waterways and have special rules for vessels carrying less than 12 passenger - for many of the rules a privately owned craft is exempt EXCEPT for NAVIGATION & Pollution Reqirements.

 

So, your privately owner NB does come under the MCA Navigation Rules (section 7):

 

7 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

7.1 The Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/75) implement the Convention on International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea2 – usually known as the “COLREGS”. These regulations apply to vessels on waters that are navigable by seagoing vessels, which include most Category D inland waters, and some Category C.

 

(Remember that boats such as 'NaughtyCals' Sealine 23 could use many of the canals and is a 'sea-going vessel)

 

 

 

 

See section 1.3

 

 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

As one who in his working life traversed narrow country lanes, when boating, I adopt the strategy of being the one who is able to stop. I assume there is someone around every bend or through each bridgehole and will stop. It doesn't always avoid collision, but at 2mph instead of 5mph or so it is a lot less violent. When we don't crash, it is nice to be the one in the right position rather than up the bank or in the trees.

Agree, I will often give way at bridges, the problem is a lot of hire boats wont continue to come forward. Likewise with country lanes, I immediately stop and go into revers even if I have a lot further to go than the car coming towards me, it normally works out faster.

[Graham Davis]

So if I read that correctly 1.3 means that I don't have to abide by or learn all these toot toot codes, which I am sure is the same conclusion that was come to years ago.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Graham Davis said:

So if I read that correctly 1.3 means that I don't have to abide by or learn all these toot toot codes, which I am sure is the same conclusion that was come to years ago.

 

 

No, I think you are not reading correctly - section 1.3 states that you are NOT exempt from the Naivigation rules (Colregs - see section 7) which are applicable to MOST Inland waterways