Horn

[Hairy-Neil]

Very true,

 

But if a horn blastee gets a reply from another boat, at least the blastee is forewarned that there is indeed another boat approaching from the opposite direction.

 

That was the intent of my missive .......

[aread2]

I'd like to know where the horns on diesel trains come from, i like the fact they all seem to be different.

 

and very very loud.

As understand it the paired horns on a train are controlled with one three position switch. In the middle is off. The other two positions are for each of the horns with the switch sprung to the middle. The switch is pushed first one way and then the other to make the signal. Timing and duration being at the driver's discretion so each signal is different.

[Hairy-Neil]

Timing and duration being at the driver's discretion so each signal is different.

 

On Ilkley Moor Ba' Ta-at was a regular of one Virgin driver....

[pagan witch]

As a driving instructor trainer and fleet driver instructor I teach the use of horn signals as per 'Roadcraft' which suggests that to stop your horn signal being missread as abusive a hand signal comprising of an open palm towards the receiver 'thank you' should be used.

 

As has already been said a signal does not give right of way - you can give way but not take it - it is meant to convey your intentions. Ditto flashing headlights - all it means is 'here I am'.

 

I use the long horn signal on blind junctions, bends, bridges etc but always in conjuctgion with a much reduced speed - being 'dead' right doesn't help anyone.

[NB Alnwick]

I think a big part of the problem is that many newbie boaters come straight from driving road vehicles

to inland craft.

This brings that many bring their "road heads" with them.

 

That may explain why I see some boats with RED tail lights !!!

 

Followed one through Crick Tunnel recently - it would be very confusing if they were read as navigation lights

[howardang]

That may explain why I see some boats with RED tail lights !!!

 

Followed one through Crick Tunnel recently - it would be very confusing if they were read as navigation lights

Another case of someone doing their own thing instead of sticking to the rules.

 

Howard

[Supermalc]

A little off topic, but it's reminded me of a tale I often heard years ago, while with a friend.

 

As a young man in the 60s he had made enough money by the time he was 17 to buy an American car. That's the equevalent of a 17 year old saving up enough to buy a Ferarri.

 

Well he made an exhaust whistle. He copied a referee's whistle (without the pea) enlarging it to the size on the exhaust pipe, which is fairly large for big engines. He made a Y junction in the exhaust system, fitting the whistle to one, and controlled the flow of gas with a simple flap valve, moved by a piece of wire into the car, under the dash.

 

One day while waiting at the level crossing gates, he whistled at the train. The drivers head shot out and looked up and down. He did it once or twice before the driver twigged and whistled back

 

He was on a journey across the Wolds when he came across an RAC man on his motorbike and sidecar. Remember in those days everyone travelled about 40 to 50mph, and there were no speed limits. As he approached the RAC man doing say 30mph plodding up a hill, he whistled to let him know he was coming from behind. But the RAC man suddenly turned the handlbars and drove into the hedge bottom Obviously at a slow speed he would be ok but.......

 

Anyway when he had finished his business in the nearby town, and was coming back out, who should he see but the RAC man with a policeman, who put his hand up to stop him.

 

Winding his window down he inquired what the trouble was. Remember it was a left hand drive car......a pink Oldsmobile in fact. The policeman asked my friend to blow his horn, which he did, peep peep. Is that it? the policeman asked the RAC man. No, said the RAC man. Is this the car? the policeman asked the RAC man. Well it looks like it, he replied (as if there could be another pink Olds around LOL)

 

My friend then asked what the problem was. Well said the policeman, this gentleman says you blew your horn while approaching at 'great speed' from behind, and he thought it was 'a plane crashing'. Oh dear, said my friend, I wonder what that was then. I didn't hear anything, but then at 70mph there is a lot of wind noise.

 

So with that they went their separate ways...

 

It wouldn't happen on our gridlocked roads of today though, but I was travelling down that very road only a few days ago, and little has changed.

[DHutch]

S'funny, most folk ask me to sell it to them.

Funny too, we get the same with out three chime whistle.

- Unfortunatly im not sure a the average punter understands the comitment in running the 'out of site bits' that are part of a steam whistle!

 

Back to topic, i agree that sometimes it would help if more people sounded off at bends, or atleast replyed audiabley to such a signal.

 

I basicaly sound off (one longish sound) at any bridge/juntion/bend where i feel that i cannot see far enough to be in a situation where i dont feel i couldnt stop before, or taking other avoiding action to miss, a boat that is just out of my vision.

- Emilyanne actaully stops well with her large prop. But she does carry some punch should she meet a boat, and eatherway a collision avoided is always best collision on my book.

- But as the OP says, proberbly around twice a year i find my self in the situation where ive sounded a warning in such an instance, heard nothing back at all and continued on, to then find another boat in path, making no attempt to stop, slow down, or even make its presence known.

 

I dont think its nessary on the canals to learn what all horn signals mean, although it would ofcause always help if they. However some simple common sense with horn useage from everyone would be nice.

- I dont make much of an issue of it myself even. However if i want to attract the attention of a boat i plan to pass i will use a short pip. And im im trying to suggest we pass 'wrong sides' i used two short pips and hand gestures. And 'PaAAAARRRRRPPPP ParP ParP' does make a very good sound, and does tend to be what i use if im trying to convay a sense of urgency and responseably to take avoiding actaion onto somone.

- Unless its really hectic, in which case anything will do as long as it makes a loud noise and i can get back to trying to take avoiding action myself.

 

 

Only ever hit a boat hard twice in 15years of boating.

 

 

 

Daniel

[GUMPY]

On Ilkley Moor Ba' Ta-at was a regular of one Virgin driver....

 

That will be Ken then.

Many moons ago when at the Northampton rally, the year it was at Blisworth a friend of Kens sounded his horn all the way from Blisworth station past the site and only stopped when he crossed the Northampton road.

The only problem it was 6am and Ken got the blame.........as another friend was dropping him off at the station......and he turned up on the site a few minutes later

 

Julian

[Timleech]

The problem with using the horn as an approach warning is that it's never safe to assume that it has been heard by the intended recipient, so you need to proceed with exactly the same degree of caution as if you hadn't sounded it. (and hope that the other party, if there is one, is doing the same).

 

The other problem is that if there's someone living next to the obstacle they will get mighty fed up with constant blaring of horns if everyone does it .

 

Tim

[Boaty Jo]

With regards blasting away with a horn, I think I'm right in saying the the 'downhill / downstream' boat has priority. This I think is the case on the continent. (have to brush up on this bit!).

In other words boat going into the stream must give way. This makes sense on a river in flood for example.

Not sure what you'd do in a summit pound??

 

Good honkin'.

 

Jo

[Supermalc]

The other problem is that if there's someone living next to the obstacle they will get mighty fed up with constant blaring of horns if everyone does it .

 

Tim

 

A very good point Tim. It's such a pity people in cars don't know that the horn is a device to warn people, not to tell people you are outside their house and too idle to get out to fetch them.

[Hairy-Neil]

The other problem is that if there's someone living next to the obstacle they will get mighty fed up with constant blaring of horns if everyone does it .

 

Tim

 

They have nowt to complain about.....I lived for 24 years on the main ambulance route to a major hospital.

[BlueStringPudding]

We use ours at the sharp corner and bridge outside Tesco in Warwick. Nightmare corner for a longer boat - especially in hire season. Alas there are two boats permanently (if a bit naughtily) moored there and they get the blast of our hooter right in their chops. But it's saved us froma collision once before there, so we'll always use it on the corner.

 

I want to change the horn sound for one that sounds like the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard... but Kev won't let me.

 

Neither will he let me weld the doors shut so we have to skid across the bow and jump in through the window...

[Hairy-Neil]

In other words boat going into the stream must give way. This makes sense on a river in flood for example.

Not sure what you'd do in a summit pound??

 

Good honkin'.

 

Jo

 

Only relevant on rivers. Canals don't have a flow as such...

 

I remember once passing downstream through Clifton Hampden bridge steering a breasted pair of narrowboats with the Thames on 'yellow' boards.....a brown trouser moment for sure, and pleased nobody was coming the other way.

[Supermalc]

Neither will he let me weld the doors shut so we have to skid across the bow and jump in through the window...

 

You mean like mine was

 

 

[BlueStringPudding]

Wow, Malc! Or should I call you the Duke of Lincoln...?

[Supermalc]

Wow, Malc! Or should I call you the Duke of Lincoln...?

 

Well it's better than what I've been called recently on here

[carlt]

Never saw the Duke boys let Daisy drive though.

[Supermalc]

Never saw the Duke boys let Daisy drive though.

 

If only

[Byeckerslike]

With regards blasting away with a horn, I think I'm right in saying the the 'downhill / downstream' boat has priority. This I think is the case on the continent. (have to brush up on this bit!).

In other words boat going into the stream must give way. This makes sense on a river in flood for example.

Not sure what you'd do in a summit pound??

 

Good honkin'.

 

Jo

 

That is fine is you are able to make visual contact with your opponent, but, what happens if you are approaching a blind bridge hole? I ALWAYS sound my horn (long single blast, repeated once, with suitable pause inbetween blasts), but not ONCE have I had a reply from boats approaching from the opposite direction, some being the "superior boater" (Narrowboat with trad engine room), equipped with suitable twin cylinder engine, such as Russell Newbury, Bolinger, Kelvin or Lister Petter), you know the type, the persons who can never acknowledge another boater and must always find something to macro examine as he is passing you.

Edited January 3, 2008 by Byeckerslike

[BlueStringPudding]

Never saw the Duke boys let Daisy drive though.

 

She does in the very first episode. Admtitedly not the General Lee - a police car. Yeee-haw!

[carlt]

some being the "superior boater" (Narrowboat with trad engine room, equipped with suitable twin cylinder engine, such as Russell Newbury, Boliger, Kelvin or Lister Petter), you know the type, the persons who can never acknowledge another boater and must always find something to macro examine as he is passing you.

Excellent generalisation.

 

Presumably you accept the, equally b*llsh*t, 'fact' that all people with modern narrowboats are imbeciles who have no idea how to steer a boat and go far too fast, all the time.

Edited January 3, 2008 by carlt

[magnetman]

How did they cope with narrow bridges in the working days? Who gave way to who(m?) and when? Tricky to stop a hose boat etc etc... I mean a hores boat of course.

[GUMPY]

That is fine is you are able to make visual contact with your opponent, but, what happens if you are approaching a bling bridge hole? I ALWAYS sound my horn (long single blast, repeated once, with suitable pause inbetween blasts), but not ONCE have I had a reply from boats approaching from the opposite direction, some being the "superior boater" (Narrowboat with trad engine room, equipped with suitable twin cylinder engine, such as Russell Newbury, Boliger, Kelvin or Lister Petter), you know the type, the persons who can never acknowledge another boater and must always find something to macro examine as he is passing you.

 

Bit of a genralisation but then its nothing new:

This song was written over 12years ago by Howard Bowden with Bru Peckett , still applies today!

 

http://www.moonlightshadow.demon.co.uk/number_ones.htm

 

Now in days of old, with paintwork bold

Owner boatmen were the best

Those number ones, on all the runs

Were a cut above the rest

Those days have gone, the trades all done

And sad it is to say

There's now a new breed of number ones

Who boat a different way, 'Cos

 

We are the new number ones

We've nothing left to learn

Out boat cost 50 thousand quid

And we've got cash to burn

Yes, we are the new number ones

We're arrogant, rude of course

And if what you want is to boat the old way

You should have bought a horse

 

We've got knitting round our tiller pin

Kew gardens on the top

We've a water can weighed down with bricks

And a new Vileda mop

We never nod nor say 'ow do

The gates we rarely shut

We've left the motorway behind

Now we own the cut, cos ..

 

We are the new number ones

We've nothing left to learn

Out boat cost 60 thousand quid

And we've got cash to burn

Yes, we are the new number ones

We're arrogant, rude of course

And if what you want is to boat the old way

You should have bought a horse

 

Well our engine it's a vintage job

Twice the size we need

And when we wind it up full blast

We've a fair old turn of speed

We meet such friendly folk we find

When we pass they all come out

But with the ghetto blaster on the slide

We can't hear what they shout, Yes ..

 

We are the new number ones

We've nothing left to learn

Out boat cost 70 thousand quid

And we've got cash to burn

Yes, we are the new number ones

We're arrogant, rude of course

And if what you want is to boat the old way

You should have bought a horse

 

We've a telly and a microwave

Dishwasher and all that

We've got every mod con known to man

But the batteries soon run flat

We have to charge them all day long

But of course this means

We've got enough juice stored down there

To light up Milton Keynes, Yes ..

 

We are the new number ones

We've nothing left to learn

Out boat cost 80 thousand quid

And we've got cash to burn

Yes, we are the new number ones

We're arrogant, rude of course

And if what you want is to boat the old way

You should have bought a horse

 

Now our headlamp it's of polished brass

It gleams in light of day

And for sheer pretentious brilliance

It'll take your breath away

A million candle-power it is

In tunnels bright as day

Why can't the other buggers see

To get out of our way, Yes ..

 

We are the new number ones

We've nothing left to learn

Out boat cost 90 thousand quid

And we've got cash to burn

Yes, we are the new number ones

We're arrogant, rude of course

And if what you want is to boat the old way

You should have bought a horse

 

At water taps we're hours and hours

It can cause quite a queue

Besides, we've got to wash the boat

Cut water just won't do

We don't share locks nor wait our turn

Though there hasn't been much rain

'Cos when the locks are all chained up

We'll bugger off to Spain, Yes ..

 

We are the new number ones

We've nothing left to learn

Out boat cost 100 thousand quid

And we've got cash to burn

Yes, we are the new number ones

We're arrogant, rude of course

And if what you want is to boat the old way

You should have bought a horse