Jump to content

Actual use of anchors in emergencies on UK canal/river network


IanD

Featured Posts

2 minutes ago, Midnight said:

 Yes but you obviously don't. Although naturally, being a superior being, you think you do.

GFAM.

Just now, Loddon said:

This takes me back to my working days doing risk assessments. 

I would do an assessment and have crew disagree with me for whatever reason they felt like🤭

And disagreement is fine, nobody -- especially me! -- is saying everyone should have the same opinion. Except Midnight... 😞

Link to comment
Share on other sites

on a similar note, is there such thing as 'too many; tyres and inflatable things hanging from your boat to protect it, providing you're not doubling them up? it seems so sensible yet a lot of boats seem to not have many and im wondering if there's a reason?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Sass said:

on a similar note, is there such thing as 'too many; tyres and inflatable things hanging from your boat to protect it, providing you're not doubling them up? it seems so sensible yet a lot of boats seem to not have many and im wondering if there's a reason?

That all depends upon what your boat is made from. If it is GRP with gelcoat then there probably isn't such a thing as too many fenders. If on the other hand you are 'well hard' like an 18 ton steel narrowboat, what do you need fenders for?;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"(and I'm sure this will result in condemnation from some people -- but hey, it's my boat not yours, I'm not saying you should do the same)"

 

Oh boy, wasn't *that* a safe prediction... 😞

 

2 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

That all depends upon what your boat is made from. If it is GRP with gelcoat then there probably isn't such a thing as too many fenders. If on the other hand you are 'well hard' like an 18 ton steel narrowboat, what do you need fenders for?;)

To protect your shiny expensive sprayed-on paint job? 😉

Edited by IanD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Sass said:

on a similar note, is there such thing as 'too many; tyres and inflatable things hanging from your boat to protect it, providing you're not doubling them up? it seems so sensible yet a lot of boats seem to not have many and im wondering if there's a reason?

Tyres are not good fenders, if they get knocked off they sink (unless filled with foam) and then get sucked into another boats propeller.

If you haven't tried to get a tyre off the prop you haven't lived😱

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Loddon said:

Tyres are not good fenders, if they get knocked off they sink (unless filled with foam) and then get sucked into another boats propeller.

If you haven't tried to get a tyre off the prop you haven't lived😱

Pipe fenders do the same, but at least are not quite as horrible to get off the prop...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

They normally tend to be below the gunwale 'cos if you hang 'em on the handrail, you'll probably scratch that as well.;)

 

But that's what somebody suggested doing instead, now I don't know what to do...<sob>

 

I suppose there's no point worrying anyway, I'll have drowned by then because of not having an anchor... 😉

Edited by IanD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

Pipe fenders do the same, but at least are not quite as horrible to get off the prop...

I have never quite 'got' why people leave them down when on the move, let's face it they aren't going to do anything, except possibly get sheared off in the next lock. I don't know how many fenders you'd need on a 60 foot narrow boat to make any difference at all in a collision on the move, but it's probably quite a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

I have never quite 'got' why people leave them down when on the move, let's face it they aren't going to do anything, except possibly get sheared off in the next lock. I don't know how many fenders you'd need on a 60 foot narrow boat to make any difference at all in a collision on the move, but it's probably quite a lot.

 

Maybe a really big fender or two. That would explain the mattress... 😞

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, IanD said:

"(and I'm sure this will result in condemnation from some people -- but hey, it's my boat not yours, I'm not saying you should do the same)"

 

Oh boy, wasn't *that* a safe prediction... 😞

 

To protect your shiny expensive sprayed-on paint job? 😉

The normal type of fenders on a narrowboat are unlikely to protect the paint, it would only be the black anyway. Cruising with them down is not recommended and can cause problems in certain locks. They do have their role - when moored they generally can help avoid being kept awake by constant banging against the edge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Mike Todd said:

The normal type of fenders on a narrowboat are unlikely to protect the paint, it would only be the black anyway. Cruising with them down is not recommended and can cause problems in certain locks. They do have their role - when moored they generally can help avoid being kept awake by constant banging against the edge.

Yes, Hurleston is notorious for it having myself seen someone try to get in with the pipe fenders down and then having to be 'flushed' out of the lock because he'd jammed. As you say fenders do certainly have a role, big one's to get away from the 'Shroppie Shelf' being the favourite, but leaving them down when on the move is somewhat pointless. The only real exception I'd make would be for GRP boats in locks with us well 'ard narrow boats, because it makes them feel safer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

The normal type of fenders on a narrowboat are unlikely to protect the paint, it would only be the black anyway. Cruising with them down is not recommended and can cause problems in certain locks. They do have their role - when moored they generally can help avoid being kept awake by constant banging against the edge.

Obviously, hence the smiley -- though the black may be shiny two-pack epoxy too... 🙂

7 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Yes, Hurleston is notorious for it having myself seen someone try to get in with the pipe fenders down and then having to be 'flushed' out of the lock because he'd jammed. As you say fenders do certainly have a role, big one's to get away from the 'Shroppie Shelf' being the favourite, but leaving them down when on the move is somewhat pointless. The only real exception I'd make would be for GRP boats in locks with us well 'ard narrow boats, because it makes them feel safer.

 

Someone bunged up Foxton for about an hour doing that last time we went through... 😞

Edited by IanD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

Obviously, hence the smiley 🙂

 

Someone bunged up Foxton for about an hour doing that last time we went through... 😞

Yes, I've also seen that but with Hurleston you jam as you go in but, if the example I saw at Foxton was anything to go by, you jam as you go down which is a whole lot more problematic because refilling the lock on a jammed boat has the potential to sink it if is doesn't kick free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Midnight said:

When travelling down on the ebb from Naburn (Cawood) to Selby on a friend's boat the engine stalled when the prop got a log stuck in it so I deployed the anchor. We did eventually stop and we were able to retieve the anchor when we got going again. 

 

Similar happened a few years ago with us on the tidal  Trent just past Gainsborough where it winds around a bit. Plastic bag on the prop, tide running out.  Dad went into the weedhatch stationed me on the bow with a longshaft to fend us off the bank. Did have an anchor ready but fortunately he never cleared the prop so fast and we were in power before I had fended off the bank more than twice. 

Whilst they are rarely necessary I wouldn't recommend travelling tidal rivers without. There is all sorts of crud that can easily get tangled in your prop, despite whistle clean engines.  Fast flowing flood rivers I would avoid whenever possible. 

Its a bit like travelling on a boat without a spare pair of clothes, you never know when needed till you need them. 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Yes, I've also seen that but with Hurleston you jam as you go in but, if the example I saw at Foxton was anything to go by, you jam as you go down which is a whole lot more problematic because refilling the lock on a jammed boat has the potential to sink it if is doesn't kick free.

The jammed boat was coming up the lower five, it got really solidly wedged -- luckily the lockies spotted the problem before the water rose enough to flood the boat and really put the kibosh on the whole thing. IIRC they'd just bought the boat and it was their first day out on it, not a good start... 😞

 

(and after the locky had complained about their stupidity, I did ask why they hadn't been told/asked to pull their fenders up -- mumble, mumble...)

 

5 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

 

Similar happened a few years ago with us on the tidal  Trent just past Gainsborough where it winds around a bit. Plastic bag on the prop, tide running out.  Dad went into the weedhatch stationed me on the bow with a longshaft to fend us off the bank. Did have an anchor ready but fortunately he never cleared the prop so fast and we were in power before I had fended off the bank more than twice. 

Whilst they are rarely necessary I wouldn't recommend travelling tidal rivers without. There is all sorts of crud that can easily get tangled in your prop, despite whistle clean engines.  Fast flowing flood rivers I would avoid whenever possible. 

Its a bit like travelling on a boat without a spare pair of clothes, you never know when needed till you need them. 

 

 

Always a good idea. Surely they'd usually be on yellow or red boards though?

Edited by IanD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

 

.....Fast flowing flood rivers I would avoid whenever possible. ........

 

 

 

 

 

 

FTFY;)

6 minutes ago, IanD said:

The jammed boat was coming up the lower five, it got really solidly wedged -- luckily the lockies spotted the problem before the water rose enough to flood the boat and really put the kibosh on the whole thing. IIRC they'd just bought the boat and it was their first day out on it, not a good start... 😞

 

 

 

That is a bit easier to resolve if the boat is coming up

Edited by Wanderer Vagabond
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

FTFY;)

That is a bit easier to resolve if the boat is coming up

 

You'd think so, but it wouldn't have been in another minute or so because the boat (it was a steel narrowboat) would have filled with water. As it was it wouldn't let go when they dropped the water, there was a lot of heaving around with shafts, eventually they had to cut the (pipe) fenders into pieces and knock the bits out from between the hull and the lock wall.

 

Do you think an anchor would have helped them? 😉

Edited by IanD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.