Does being a driver make you a better boat handler?

[Stephen Sugg]

Couldn't agree more. I think it's the anticipation aspect of steering a boat that has made me a better car driver. When tootling down a canal or river, I find myself trying to imagine how I'm going to negotiate that piece of water, make this manœuvre or avoid those idiots over there. When this type of driving is applied to road traffic the benefits are self evident as far as I can see. Car drivers making better boat steerers? - can't see the logic really.

 

JOTW

 

I agree, but I also find that steering a boat makes me better at reversing my car, it seems to make more sense.

[Travis]

Driven artics for thirty years (dont tell Carrie!) Nowt like a boat....can back a 45' trailer into spaces I cant steer a boat into forward.

 

Anyone fancy a steer on our boat? There's a bridge up here so low that the only way to get under it is to get halfway under it and then give a bootfull to get the wheelhouse under. That gives us about an inch or two clearance, thats all.

 

Wife's driven cars for thirty years but wont have a go at the wheel on the boat.

 

Vote nitwit.

 

Andy.

[FadeToScarlet]

Steering 60ft boats and not being a driver hasn't really impacted me much. However, these 60ft boats tend to have eight rowers as well asme and be made of, basically, cardboard. I find cycling through massively congested mCambridge city streets is good practice for coxing on a river that's 4k long with 4,000 rowers... Can't wait for next year when we can get a REAL boat that's not a matchstick...

[Guest]

Your friend is a nit-wit

I concur.

[fuzzyduck]

I'm the only non driver, and the best all round boat handler in my family. But this is because I was single handing boats at 5 thanks to my father.

 

I've thought about this for a while, and I Just can't see how being a 'driver' can help at all. in fact, the failure to grasp the massive differences have lead to some dangerous decisions by car drivers.

 

like the man who was planning to use 'the engine in reverse' to stop a yacht on a dead run (under full sail) in a 12Mph wind while berthing by the Pleasure Boat on Hickling Broad.

 

The tosspot who expected my boat to stop like a car while turning it. then critisised the boat when it didn't. despite ignoring my instructions.

 

The best newbie helms are kids. a kid will have a basic hang of steering a displacement motor boat within a few minutes. I'd rather have a 10 year old at the helm than Jenson Button.

 

I like slow deliberate people who when they get on my boat are aware that I know best. If the only thing they've driven is a car, then they're at the bottom of the food chain, and they might as well use their license to clean the dipstick.

 

Not only is your friend wrong, but his ideas are dangerous. A newbie who drives needs as much, if not more supervision. Complacency causes accidents.

[BlueStringPudding]

I'm the only non driver, and the best all round boat handler in my family. But this is because I was single handing boats at 5 thanks to my father.

 

I've thought about this for a while, and I Just can't see how being a 'driver' can help at all. in fact, the failure to grasp the massive differences have lead to some dangerous decisions by car drivers.

 

like the man who was planning to use 'the engine in reverse' to stop a yacht on a dead run (under full sail) in a 12Mph wind while berthing by the Pleasure Boat on Hickling Broad.

 

The tosspot who expected my boat to stop like a car while turning it. then critisised the boat when it didn't. despite ignoring my instructions.

 

The best newbie helms are kids. a kid will have a basic hang of steering a displacement motor boat within a few minutes. I'd rather have a 10 year old at the helm than Jenson Button.

 

I like slow deliberate people who when they get on my boat are aware that I know best. If the only thing they've driven is a car, then they're at the bottom of the food chain, and they might as well use their license to clean the dipstick.

 

Not only is your friend wrong, but his ideas are dangerous. A newbie who drives needs as much, if not more supervision. Complacency causes accidents.

 

I don't drive and I'm bloody useless handling the boat. I'm a bad judge of distance and I struggle to hold the tiller straight without my shoulder aching after ten minutes. But I'm slowly working on it - it's gonna take a while though.

 

Meanwhile, I make a nifty one-woman crew.

[Nine of Hearts]

I think a boat does handle like a car. Providing the car has four wheel steering making it pivot in the middle, has bald tyres and is on ice.

 

Anyone remember the Amphicar? Drives like a boat, sails like a car etc... Apparently some nutcases took a pair across the channel in the sixties, perhaps we should ask them?

Edited November 22, 2007 by Nine of Hearts

[Radiomariner]

Someone earlier in the thread mentioned supermarket trollies. It is the DIY centre trollies with fixed wheels at the front and castors at the back that handle most like a boat. Once you are alongside that row of shelves the only way out is to reverse. Perhaps this should be recommended training for would-be boaters!

[good7saint]

Think I can honestly say that is a load of rubbish.

I don't drive but in my wife's opinion I am pretty good when steering a boat, took me a couple of cruisers to gain enough confidence.

Think that is more important than car driving experience to be honest, having to confidence to handle the boat.

I will be honest, the first boating holiday we had I was terrified the first few days and it could have put me off boating.

But luckily people along the way gave good advice and I got the confidence.

Don't think being a driver would have helped, if anything might of made things worst, as I would have been taking bad driving habits onto the boat.

Plus driving experience I had picked up most of which would have been no use to me.

[Supermalc]

I think a boat does handle like a car. Providing the car has four wheel steering making it pivot in the middle, has bald tyres and is on ice.

 

Correct, which is why handling a car off road does in fact give you 'a clue' when handling a boat.

 

So does handling a cruiser, mean you are better than someone who has not, when handling a narrowboat?

 

It's more or less the same thing, they are totally different.......yet I can say from my own recent experience, it certainly DOES.

 

Anyone remember the Amphicar? Drives like a boat, sails like a car etc... Apparently some nutcases took a pair across the channel in the sixties, perhaps we should ask them?

 

Some nutcases.....Clarkson and co took a truck across the channel THIS YEAR. Must say hats off to them, even if wearing all the safety stuff with rescue boats around.

Edited November 24, 2007 by Supermalc

[ChrisG]

I agree, but I also find that steering a boat makes me better at reversing my car, it seems to make more sense.

 

This is a spot-on comment. The important difference between driving a car and handling (almost) any boat is that boats are rear-steer devices, while cars steer from the front. The wheeled vehicle most similar to a boat is a rear-steer forktruck or tractor - so the front part is essentially going straight, while the back part is doing the steering by moving from side to side and thus changing the direction of the thrust that's pushing the front forward!

 

If you watch professional ship and boat handlers when making difficult manoevres going slowly ahead in confined spaces, he spend more time watching the stern than the bow. Because the stern is being moved from side to side under the impetus of the screw and rudder . . . of course, all that goes out of the window if you have a bow thruster!

Edited November 24, 2007 by ChrisG

[sueb]

The best steerers on our boat have been daughter when she was 11/12 ish and truck drivers. The latter pick it up straight away and don't touch the sides when entering a single lock.

If girls pick up steering easily why do men steer boats leaving the women to do the hard work?

Sue

[ChrisG]

The best steerers on our boat have been daughter when she was 11/12 ish and truck drivers. The latter pick it up straight away and don't touch the sides when entering a single lock.

If girls pick up steering easily why do men steer boats leaving the women to do the hard work?

Sue

 

Yup - truckers are used to rear steer when reversing 40ft trailers, and watching where the other end is going when they're going around corners . . . and personally, I always like doing the lockwheeling . . otherwise you're just sinking into a hole - ahead a touch . . . astern a touch . . . ahead . . .

[tidal]

Having read all the comments, noted the various opinions expressed and balanced them against my own experience I will go back to an earlier post.

 

I think the guy who made that statement Chris, is talking out of his hat

 

I would strongly suggest that the poster is aimng too high

Edited November 25, 2007 by tidal

[Supermalc]

I would strongly suggest that the poster is aimng too high

 

That I like

[hmallett]

"Of course, because you can't drive (a car) there's really no point talking about it as you'll never really handle a boat if you can't drive."

Imagine if all the 17 year-olds on their first driving lesson were told, "Of course, you'll be rubbish at this, as you can't handle a boat"!

[Supermalc]

Imagine if all the 17 year-olds on their first driving lesson were told, "Of course, you'll be rubbish at this, as you can't handle a boat"!

 

Never mind that........question is, WHY all 17 year olds can't drive a car by that age.

[kookie]

I am a good car driver, in fact, I would say am a very good car driver, I can handle cars in poor conditions, unlike many others on the road, and have had tuition on a skid pan. I have never caused an accident, and my evasive action has helped prevent minor accidents becoming serious incidents. I have been driving for 20 years. I have been complemented on my driving., I can reverse my car into the tightest space, but I m frightened to death of taking our boat out unless someone is with me and the water is like a mirror.

So much so that I am going on a helmsman course on Tuesday. Like it's been said, a river or canal is a completely different entity to a stretch of inert tarmac, it isn't 'live' like a moving body of water. I think he is a nit wit too.

[Supermalc]

I am a good car driver, in fact, I would say am a very good car driver, I can handle cars in poor conditions, unlike many others on the road, and have had tuition on a skid pan. I have never caused an accident, and my evasive action has helped prevent minor accidents becoming serious incidents. I have been driving for 20 years. I have been complemented on my driving., I can reverse my car into the tightest space, but I m frightened to death of taking our boat out unless someone is with me and the water is like a mirror.

So much so that I am going on a helmsman course on Tuesday. Like it's been said, a river or canal is a completely different entity to a stretch of inert tarmac, it isn't 'live' like a moving body of water. I think he is a nit wit too.

 

Yes, but moving YOUR boat that is huge and is your home, is quite unlike driving a normal family car. That's more like comparing it to driving a Huge articulated lorry. These have special tests, and so they should.

 

It's also very different parking a car, as backing a 4 wheel trailer around a farmyard.

 

BTW I've lost the skill of parking. Years ago, I always beat my mate by parking in a gap with probaly less than 2 feet with the least shunts. Now I can't park in a gap unless it's at least twice the length of my Clio. (No idea why)

 

I think one trouble with this thread.......too many different types of boats.

 

So maybe it shouldn't be just drive a car, but a car, ship, plane and helicopter.

[carlt]

Never mind that........question is, WHY all 17 year olds can't drive a car by that age.

Cos motorbikes are more fun?

[Supermalc]

Cos motorbikes are more fun?

 

 

No m8.......cos there townies with nowt about them. Everything on their doorstep so don't have to learn owt.

 

Actually it's not really fun, coming home on a cold December night, icycles haning off your nose, hands and feet frozen, slowly picking your way along the icy road, with a bit of sleet stinging your eyes, trying to see with the dimming bulb, from the dying battery, as the dynamo has packed up.

 

Character building ...... yes ........ fun ......... no

[Chris J W]

It would appear that the RobinHood Hire Company seem to think a Driving Licence makes a difference!

 

Reading their T&Cs (here) and to quote the last paragraph of the Booking section "There must (in accordance with our Insurance requirements) be at least one person in the holiday party who is over 23 years and has a driving licence and will be responsible for driving the boat. If no person has a driving licence then one or more persons must be responsible for driving the boat and if necessary at the Company’s entire discretion agree to training from the Company’s epresentative before commencing any booking If persons under 18 are to drive the boat they must do so in accordance with the provisions of clause 5 below"

[seamus63834]

Having a conversation recently about a handling issue I've got with the boat. Reversing. A Catch-22 of because I've not done it enough I'm not confident, but because I'm not confident I've not done it enough.

 

But that's by the by (and not the topic of this thread), and the conversation got into general handling but suddenly hit a brick wall when this sentence was dropped into the conversation ...

 

"Of course, because you can't drive (a car) there's really no point talking about it as you'll never really handle a boat if you can't drive."

 

WHAT???

 

Considering we're talking two completely different modes of transport with widely different handling methods in widely different conditions the statement above surely has to be complete, erm, twaddle.

 

The chap is adamant, but I can't see the connection.

 

So, open to the floor.

this is total nonsence i cant drive a car but i can do anything with my 70ft 6 n.b. reverse in a strait line etc etc and wind in very tight spots

[canalchris]

Having a conversation recently about a handling issue I've got with the boat. Reversing. A Catch-22 of because I've not done it enough I'm not confident, but because I'm not confident I've not done it enough.

 

But that's by the by (and not the topic of this thread), and the conversation got into general handling but suddenly hit a brick wall when this sentence was dropped into the conversation ...

 

"Of course, because you can't drive (a car) there's really no point talking about it as you'll never really handle a boat if you can't drive."

 

WHAT???

 

Considering we're talking two completely different modes of transport with widely different handling methods in widely different conditions the statement above surely has to be complete, erm, twaddle.

 

The chap is adamant, but I can't see the connection.

 

So, open to the floor.

[canalchris]

regarding boat driving ability being linked to driving skills or lack of them, i have let numerous people take the tiller of my 60 foot trad FAULKNOR over the last four years. to a certain point i think being self confident can play a big part , but the guys who seemed to take to it most confidantly were invariably my mates who had class 1 artic driving licences, i think succesful boat driving is 80% observation and anticipation,like they say on police driving coures ,if you see something and expect the worst you are more likely to be able to deal with it ,than if you had:nt seen it in the first place. PS why is everyone so adamant that boats dont have brakes, what about the engine gearbox and prop? or does everyone just coast to astop.

Edited January 18, 2009 by canalchris