Invading my space

[astalweeks]

We had a hire boat out last week, and in my opinion, October is always a good time of year for boating. The trees are turning and there are very few boats around. We worked our way up a flight of locks, carried on for another 1/2 mile and tied up. We were in the middle of nowhere, not a house in sight, so I was quite surprised when I went to look at the moon later that evening (a euphonism) to see that someone had tied up 10 ft behind us. I was even more surprised when he fired up a petrol generator at 7.30am the next morning. We weren't actually intending to be up that early, it was a Sunday. I suppose I could have got dressed and gone and have a word with them but then I would be up as well. So, we joined in and cranked up our rattly old engine which rather ruined the whole idyllic pastoral setting.

There were a series of letters earlier this year in some newspaper bemoaning the fact that wherever people stopped for a picnic within 10 minutes they would be joined by fellow picnickers.  It would appear to be affecting boats now as well.

[nicknorman]

It can be a bit annoying. But also there is another side of the coin. Sometimes you have stopped where you have stopped because it is the best place to stop (piling, deep sides, no noisy road or railway etc etc.). It is only empty because no one has yet stopped there that day. Other people know it is a good place to stop too.

 

As an example, we wanted to stop at the nearest pleasant place to stop approaching Birmingham on the B&F, which is just after the cuttle bridge inn. Before the CBI there is a busy road, and a little bit further on it gets rather built up and there is a sewage works. But just after the bridge is the “sweet spot”. Piled, quite deep, road has curved away behind buildings. One other boat there, never mind. Later a couple of other boats joined us. Chatting to the person there first, he implied that he was a bit irked that he had moored in the middle of nowhere and was then joined by 3 other boats. He didn’t realise that we had done that not because he was there, but simply because it was the best spot in the vicinity.

 

All that said, the starting the genny at 7:30am thing is quite unacceptable.

[Tracy D'arth]

31 minutes ago, astalweeks said:

We had a hire boat out last week, and in my opinion, October is always a good time of year for boating. The trees are turning and there are very few boats around. We worked our way up a flight of locks, carried on for another 1/2 mile and tied up. We were in the middle of nowhere, not a house in sight, so I was quite surprised when I went to look at the moon later that evening (a euphonism) to see that someone had tied up 10 ft behind us. I was even more surprised when he fired up a petrol generator at 7.30am the next morning. We weren't actually intending to be up that early, it was a Sunday. I suppose I could have got dressed and gone and have a word with them but then I would be up as well. So, we joined in and cranked up our rattly old engine which rather ruined the whole idyllic pastoral setting.

There were a series of letters earlier this year in some newspaper bemoaning the fact that wherever people stopped for a picnic within 10 minutes they would be joined by fellow picnickers.  It would appear to be affecting boats now as well.

Sad that he wakened you half an hour early, perhaps his sundial is fast. If his arrival was late in the day and he didn't disturb you he must have a quiet engine. Perhaps he has failing batteries and needed power in the morning to charge his alarm clock. Or his respirator.

Why is he not entitled to moor 10 feet behind you?

Why did you have a rattly old engine that annoys other people? The hire company should not allow you to take it out.

Face up to the fact that you are not the only person on the planet.

[Midnight]

We moored at Horbury Bridge last Tuesday night. Boat behind ran his engine until 11.30pm - is this face bovvered?

[Tracy D'arth]

33 minutes ago, Midnight said:

We moored at Horbury Bridge last Tuesday night. Boat behind ran his engine until 11.30pm - is this face bovvered?

Its a state of mind really. If you let the running engine bother you, no matter what time of day, it will nag at you terribly if its " out of hours ".

 

Accept that at some time it will be necessary for you to run your engine and it pales into insignificance.

[Paul C]

The mooring next to is fine - already covered by others above.

 

The running of the genny at 7:30am is NOT fine - there is a clear rule, 8am-8pm while moored. 8am is annoying enough but obviously its a balance between those with a need to run their engine or genny, vs the entitlement not to be disturbed/polluted. Those who say "my batteries are flat" or "my water is cold" etc need to sort themselves out repairing or having equipment that works for the intended purpose in the first place, or organising their charging/heating around the incredibly-simple rules.

[LadyG]

55 minutes ago, Midnight said:

We moored at Horbury Bridge last Tuesday night. Boat behind ran his engine until 11.30pm - is this face bovvered?

I can't understand boaters who need to do this, not even thinking about code of practice, running the engine is expensive in wear and tear.

I had one idiot who ran his engine three times from 9 pm to 12.35 , I can assure you that does nothing for friendship.

No name or number , I wish I had remonstrated when he started it at 9.00, but I could not believe he would keep doing it 

[Maru]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

All that said, the starting the genny at 7:30am thing is quite unacceptable.

I had no idea of the hatred many people harbour for gennies until I started reading this forum, but the more thought I give it the more I understand it. My boating has all been done in Norfolk, and generally it's only the high end gin palaces that have gensets and even then they're in soundproof enclosures!

Edited October 20, 2022 by Maru
Autocorrect auto fault.

[nicknorman]

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Its a state of mind really. If you let the running engine bother you, no matter what time of day, it will nag at you terribly if its " out of hours ".

 

Accept that at some time it will be necessary for you to run your engine and it pales into insignificance.

Can’t remember the last time we ran the engine when moored. Several years ago, anyway. This could perhaps be because we use our boat for cruising, rather than as a cheap way to live in a lovely rural spot with great views.

[Midnight]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I can't understand boaters who need to do this, not even thinking about code of practice, running the engine is expensive in wear and tear.

I was guessing it was a continuous cruiser who had battery problems. I sometimes run my engine during the day and it doesn't bother me so an engine running next door doesn't bother me either. Having said that the sound from a genny is at a pitch that does bother me after 8pm.

[LadyG]

15 minutes ago, Midnight said:

I was guessing it was a continuous cruiser who had battery problems. I sometimes run my engine during the day and it doesn't bother me so an engine running next door doesn't bother me either. Having said that the sound from a genny is at a pitch that does bother me after 8pm.

They need to buy a new battery or use some other strategy. I suspect this guy was fitting out his boat as all the lights were on. I still can see the idea of running the engine intermittently all night to after midnight is anything other than irresponsible, there were ten boats and a two blocks of flats near him.

Edited October 20, 2022 by LadyG

[cuthound]

14 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Can’t remember the last time we ran the engine when moored. Several years ago, anyway. This could perhaps be because we use our boat for cruising, rather than as a cheap way to live in a lovely rural spot with great views.

 

Same here, but then again I usually only stop for one night but occasionally two.

[blackrose]

17 hours ago, astalweeks said:

We had a hire boat out last week, and in my opinion, October is always a good time of year for boating. The trees are turning and there are very few boats around. We worked our way up a flight of locks, carried on for another 1/2 mile and tied up. We were in the middle of nowhere, not a house in sight, so I was quite surprised when I went to look at the moon later that evening (a euphonism) to see that someone had tied up 10 ft behind us. I was even more surprised when he fired up a petrol generator at 7.30am the next morning. We weren't actually intending to be up that early, it was a Sunday. I suppose I could have got dressed and gone and have a word with them but then I would be up as well. So, we joined in and cranked up our rattly old engine which rather ruined the whole idyllic pastoral setting.

There were a series of letters earlier this year in some newspaper bemoaning the fact that wherever people stopped for a picnic within 10 minutes they would be joined by fellow picnickers.  It would appear to be affecting boats now as well.

 

 

I'm afraid I don't accept the premise of the title of this thread. Antisocial behaviour (like starting his generator at 7.30am) aside, the thing is it's not your space.

Edited October 21, 2022 by blackrose

[Arthur Marshall]

3 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

 

I'm afraid I don't accept the premise of the title of this thread. Antisocial behaviour (like starting his generator at 7.30am) aside, the thing is it's not your space.

The nesting urge is quite common. Being an antisocial trombone player, I do try to moor up in the middle of nowhere as far away from anyone else as I can, so it's always a bit disappointing when, with a mile of empty piling each side of me, someone ties up a yard away. I do then tend to regard it as their problem if they don't like brass bands.

But often it is simply that there are limited spots where a boat can get in, and, especially late evening when you've been running all day, it's handy to moor up where you can obviously get in, because someone already has. Times like that, I leave the 'bone alone. I can always play the trumpet, after all.

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

The nesting urge is quite common. Being an antisocial trombone player, I do try to moor up in the middle of nowhere as far away from anyone else as I can, so it's always a bit disappointing when, with a mile of empty piling each side of me, someone ties up a yard away. I do then tend to regard it as their problem if they don't like brass bands.

But often it is simply that there are limited spots where a boat can get in, and, especially late evening when you've been running all day, it's handy to moor up where you can obviously get in, because someone already has. Times like that, I leave the 'bone alone. I can always play the trumpet, after all.

 

Or the tuba, low frequencies penetrate through walls (including boats) better... 😉

[RB-T]

I talked about this recently on another thread 'Safety parasites'. I try to moor in places it's hard for people to get in around me, sometimes it takes a bit of gymnastics, especially on the rivers. The buggers will still try and get in though. I understand people probably do it without thinking, it's just a human instinct to huddle. But human beings are 2 million years down the line now. You'd think people would be a bit more conscious. 

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

 

Or the tuba, low frequencies penetrate through walls (including boats) better... 😉

True, I'll take the euphonium.

[junior]

Everyone has to be somewhere. 

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, junior said:

Everyone has to be somewhere. 

I quite agree, mostly I am cruising new territory, and I never go far, so if I see another boat it's like to be a decent mooring, its much safer to be near another boat . I don't run the engine or okay .my euphonium

 

 

 

 

[Mike Todd]

On 21/10/2022 at 13:40, Arthur Marshall said:

The nesting urge is quite common. Being an antisocial trombone player, I do try to moor up in the middle of nowhere as far away from anyone else as I can, so it's always a bit disappointing when, with a mile of empty piling each side of me, someone ties up a yard away. I do then tend to regard it as their problem if they don't like brass bands.

But often it is simply that there are limited spots where a boat can get in, and, especially late evening when you've been running all day, it's handy to moor up where you can obviously get in, because someone already has. Times like that, I leave the 'bone alone. I can always play the trumpet, after all.

Perhaps they have read too many complaints about leaving git gaps!

[Cheese]

On 20/10/2022 at 16:12, astalweeks said:

... I was quite surprised when I went to look at the moon later that evening (a euphonism) to see that someone had tied up 10 ft behind us. I was even more surprised when he fired up a petrol generator at 7.30am the next morning. ...

If you were playing the euphonium late at night he was only getting his own back!

[tree monkey]

On 20/10/2022 at 18:18, Maru said:

I had no idea of the hatred many people harbour for gennies until I started reading this forum, but the more thought I give it the more I understand it. My boating has all been done in Norfolk, and generally it's only the high end gin palaces that have gensets and even then they're in soundproof enclosures!

We had a boat moored opposite us recently for 2 weeks or so, charging batteries is a fact of life and we all have to do it and to be fair this chap kept his charging between 8 and 8 and his engine was unobtrusive, his choice of charging method though was the genny, it was a decent looking suitcase genny and not particularly loud but my god is was annoying, I mean really really annoying, the sort of noise that it's almost impossible to ignore

[Arthur Marshall]

16 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Perhaps they have read too many complaints about leaving git gaps!

I have a suspicion the definition of a git gap has changed over the last few years, in that the first word no longer refers to the gap leaver  but to the people you really don't want to get close to!

[Pretty Polly]

I TOTALLY feel for you on this... at one point, I thought noisy ignorant boaters seemed to gravitate towards me EVERY TIME I headed out somewhere a bit quieter for the weekend! With ALL the space available on the cut, there were many times I popped my head out of the side hatch and there was someone moored up RIGHT behind me. As I'm on my own, it was rather worrying sometimes - to be honest. There were a few times when I unpinned and moved further down. It's even more annoying if they have a petrol gennie running or the boat engine at high revs.

Don't just stew in your annoyance - best to just move on and find somewhere else. You might find somewhere even better!!

 

As a side note to finding somewhere nice and quiet to moor up - I remember a few years ago when I was up near Adlington on the L&L in a quiet(ish) place. I had a lovely evening sat out on the bow, a bottle of wine and some nice food and then I turned in for the night around midnight. I was all snug and comfy when the next second, I heard a distant 'whirring' noise that got loud VERY QUICKLY and then I thought the boat was going to invert!! I was unpinned, my cupboard doors all flew open and everything was all over the floor in my kitchen. I thought I was going to slide out of bed!! I didn't know I'd been unpinned until the next morning when I was in the middle of the cut pressed up against a moored up cruiser!! It turns out that some IDIOT thought it was funny to come down the cut at midnight on a speed boat. The wake that caused as it went by my boat was just INSANE!! He he!!

Kathy

🙂

[nicknorman]

2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I have a suspicion the definition of a git gap has changed over the last few years, in that the first word no longer refers to the gap leaver  but to the people you really don't want to get close to!

Probably. Just to clarify my thoughts: when on a popular visitor mooring, one should moor close to the next boat, probably sharing rings. Otherwise you are a selfish git because there is limited space and you are preventing someone else from being able to moor.

 

When in the middle of no-where, it is impolite to moor unnecessarily close to someone else especially if you are going to make a noise.

Leave a good gap.