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Dangerous and irresponsible hire practice


MrsM

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1 hour ago, Orwellian said:

According to CRT's website all their licenced hire boat operators should be complying with this HBC V2 Final.pdf

My reading is that the only thing deemed essential by that guide is an "in-water trial".  Everything else in 3.3.3 is covered by the words "The handover topics may include ...." (my emphasis)

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Day hirers or new boaters nearly always fall into the same trap about steering when they encounter another boat. Panic seems to set in and the practice of steering the opposite way goes out of the window.

In a recent trip on the south Oxford, we encountered a day boat on a perfectly straight stretch of canal with one moored boat in a wide part of the canal.

I had slowed for the boat and was 1/4 past it when the day boat speeded up and then pushed the tiller the wrong way. The result was their bow caught ours and winded our stern into the moored boat whilst also taking their own stern into the moored boat. Later, approaching Napton Marina, there was a long line of moored boats with another boat coming the other way. I was well to the right with a good 10ft between me and the moored craft. The oncoming steerer dashed from side to side of the stern and still managed  to crash into our bow, and consequently into the moored boat. When I pointed out I had left plenty of room, I was told that the lady did not want to bash the moored boat. Again, the tiller was swung vigourously from side to side.

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1 hour ago, Ex Brummie said:

Day hirers or new boaters nearly always fall into the same trap about steering when they encounter another boat. Panic seems to set in and the practice of steering the opposite way goes out of the window.

 

A bit like this?

 

 

  • Greenie 1
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Obviously, not all handovers are up to standard. We've just had a hired widebeam run aground opposite us, but just off the bank. My crew advised them to use the gangplank to go ashore then push the stern out.

"We haven't got one" 😟

My crew, pointing to lump of flat wood on their roof - "That thing". 🥴

"Well, they never told us we had a gangplank!!" 🙄

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I didn't get shown how to work a lock on my first hire err too many years ago, but as I'd been active restoring Rowner and Malham locks I already knew how they worked even if I hadn't had any practice.

Later hires all gave instruction although I didn't need it my crew did, best for me where Swanline at Fradley I went back many times.

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2 hours ago, AndrewIC said:

Coming down Middlewich we have before now been asked by the hire base staff not to assist the boat coming up, because the hire crew are being talked through doing it themselves.

Anderson Boats probably give one of the best locking instructions of any hire boat company 

1 hour ago, buccaneer66 said:

I didn't get shown how to work a lock on my first hire err too many years ago, but as I'd been active restoring Rowner and Malham locks I already knew how they worked even if I hadn't had any practice.

Later hires all gave instruction although I didn't need it my crew did, best for me where Swanline at Fradley I went back many times.

First time I hired we were late at the boat yard, not our fault so they talked us through the boat and that was it

  • Greenie 1
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3 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Anderson Boats probably give one of the best locking instructions of any hire boat company 

Yes that was our experience too (many years ago). Also pennine cruisers of Skipton met us at the first lock and were very diligent.

 

Our experience was that Silsden boats on the L&L were consistently bad. Simply expecting hirers to watch 'the video' 

 

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24 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Anderson Boats probably give one of the best locking instructions of any hire boat company 

 

Andersen boats have the "advantage" of having 3 locks right by their base. Middlewich Narrowboats had that advantage too - no matter which direction a hirer set off, inevitably there would be a lock within 1-10 mins. Wrenbury, Whixall, Ellesmere..........not so much. Anglo Welsh Bunbury were next to the staircase so it was easy too - but they often got lazy because there was a volockie there, so they said "listen to him" and he de-jure ended up doing the lock training. He probably got good at it, better than the hire base itself.

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When we hired a cabin cruiser from Cally Cruisers in Inverness we were made to sit in a back room and watch a 20 minute video before they'd let us have the boat. After watching it there was the usual type of handover and any questions we had were answered.

 

I know this doesn't guarantee people will take it all in but at least being captive and with no distractions there's a very good chance people will pay attention. I think all hire companies should be encouraged to do this.

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