Being like....totally precious

[carlt]

It only ever happens in the imagination of other hysterical members of the tow path telegraph.So many tales so much Bull S--t

Why do you feel you have to be so confrontational.

Pot, Kettle, Black

[steelaway]

Pot, Kettle, Black

 

Hi There

 

I was generalising to instill in him more confidence.

 

You have probably got the poor sod even more paranoid.

 

So much for sympathetic members.

 

Alex

[GUMPY]

Hi There

 

Why do you feel you have to be so confrontational.

But then again I am not like you - I make mistakes.

Total count in this forum - two in two years.

Sorry I was wrong - just talking rubbish

 

I wasnt being confrontational just stating a fact about a boat being burnt which you said didnt ever happen.

 

Oh and in 93 I was punched whilst standing on the front of my boat moored above the swing bridge at winkwell by an irate motorist because I was a boater and he had to wait for another boat to come through the bridge.

 

Julian

Edited February 4, 2008 by idleness

[sueb]

Do you never take your car out of the garage? Your boat is safer on the canal than a car is out of a garage. We leave ours all over the place, luckily with no problems so far. Yes it could be broken into but so could your car.

Sue

[carlt]

Hi There

 

I was generalising to instill in him more confidence.

 

You have probably got the poor sod even more paranoid.

 

So much for sympathetic members.

 

Alex

I've never claimed to be sympathetic towards anybody, ever.

 

I happen to agree with you that there is far too much paranoia, but I wouldn't patronise someone by lying to him saying "shit never happens".

 

It does but, if you let it rule your life and avoid anywhere some bonehead says is full of youths out to wreck your pride and joy, you'll never leave Sawley Marina.

[Chris J W]

Carlt, Steelaway ...

 

Ah-hem, the OP is a "She", BTW.

[carlt]

Carlt, Steelaway ...

 

Ah-hem, the OP is a "She", BTW.

I never referred to her gender.

[Chris J W]

I never referred to her gender.

 

Sorry - must have been the way I read your last reply to Steelaway. In hindsite, given that the OP is a she, it just read that way to me given that Steelawy had refered to them as "he".

 

 

[edit for clarification]

Edited February 4, 2008 by Chris J W

[steelaway]

Carlt, Steelaway ...

 

Ah-hem, the OP is a "She", BTW.

 

 

OOOops - Sorry Capey - never notice

 

Thats me generaliseing again, not being sexist.

 

Alex

[carlt]

[edit for clarification]

 

Blimey, I'm glad I didn't see the first draft

[steelaway]

Blimey, I'm glad I didn't see the first draft

 

I forgot how to spell her name.

 

Alex

[carlt]

I forgot how to spell her name.

 

Alex

No, I was referring to Chris's "clarification"

 

I'm off to get another Calvados. In fact I think I'll bring the bottle through.

[Chris J W]

OOOops - Sorry Capey - never notice

 

Thats me generaliseing again, not being sexist.

 

Alex

 

Sit on the Norty step for a while, Alex, and all may be forgiven!

 

Capey,

 

As you'll have read, some things DO happen, but they are generally few and far between. Obviously it's pretty horrible for those involved, but on the whole you'll be fine.

 

Carl, Alex - could we agree that the sorry tale of Usk and Lucy can be put to bed for a while? We're trying to reassure Capey that things aren't really all that bad on the cut, despite how it's possible to get oneself wound-up.

 

We probably all have 'bad' tales, but at the end of the journey there's a damn sight more Good Tales than the bad.

 

Unless folks would like to start giving some Good tales?

 

Let me start ...

 

Coming down The Aylesbury Arm I was getting flustered by the fact that I couldn't get the top gate of Lock 13 open due to it over topping. Took some guts to ask a pair of strangers if they'd mind giving me a hand getting it open - they were more than willing, and even helped me with the next lock down.

 

Whilst I was winter moored at Cow Roast I really got to know the couple who were moored behind me just be the simple thing of suggesting that the didn't bother bow-hauling their boat back any further to the water point and I'd get my spare hose instead.

 

Doing my arm in at Hutton Bridge Road I'm for ever indebted by the kindest of the crew of "The Craft" who looked after me whislt I was waiting for the ambulance - and from that; even more indebted to The Baldocks for getting me back down to Ricky and helping me get my confidence back.

 

The cut is a wonderful place.

[Big Steve]

Being paranoid, having been set adrift and burgled while onboard, (luckily he got away before I got my hands around his throat, or I'd probably be in jail now) I bought a mobile phone alarm. Cost £150, detects fire , bilge water, movement and door opening then automatically phone s me up on the number of my choice, then allows me to listen in to activity on the boat so I can detect if it's a false alarm. I've had a few, caused by sun shining on the infra red motion detector, cured by shutting the curtains. Certainly gives peace of mind when you're in the pub, not to mention at home. This is where I got mine from,

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GSM-BOAT-WIREFREE-AL...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

basic but good, there are plenty more to choose from, just search for gsm alarm

[steelaway]

Sit on the Norty step for a while, Alex, and all may be forgiven!

 

Capey,

 

As you'll have read, some things DO happen, but they are generally few and far between. Obviously it's pretty horrible for those involved, but on the whole you'll be fine.

 

Carl, Alex - could we agree that the sorry tale of Usk and Lucy can be put to bed for a while? We're trying to reassure Capey that things aren't really all that bad on the cut, despite how it's possible to get oneself wound-up.

 

We probably all have 'bad' tales, but at the end of the journey there's a damn sight more Good Tales than the bad.

 

Unless folks would like to start giving some Good tales?

 

Let me start ...

 

Coming down The Aylesbury Arm I was getting flustered by the fact that I couldn't get the top gate of Lock 13 open due to it over topping. Took some guts to ask a pair of strangers if they'd mind giving me a hand getting it open - they were more than willing, and even helped me with the next lock down.

 

Whilst I was winter moored at Cow Roast I really got to know the couple who were moored behind me just be the simple thing of suggesting that the didn't bother bow-hauling their boat back any further to the water point and I'd get my spare hose instead.

 

Doing my arm in at Hutton Bridge Road I'm for ever indebted by the kindest of the crew of "The Craft" who looked after me whislt I was waiting for the ambulance - and from that; even more indebted to The Baldocks for getting me back down to Ricky and helping me get my confidence back.

 

The cut is a wonderful place.

 

Hi Chris

 

Well done for that.

 

Capey I am sorry for this thread getting a bit heated.

 

I am sure that after a few trips you will get your confidence, the odds are you wont have problem.

 

Byeck - I'm exhausted after this thread - going for a whisky.

 

Alex

[Sir Nibble]

Morning Capey. I used to live in the shadow of the Table mountain, as a city, Cape Town had it's fair share of criminal activity but I didn't let fear of crime run my life, did you? (mind you, that was in the early 80's) Crime in this country isn't close to as bad as some sections of the press would have us believe, statistically, you are probably more likely to die in the car on your way to the boat than to have your boat broken into.

Your boat should liberate you, not imprison you.

 

Big warm handshakes, I have very fond memories of RSA and it's people.

[cotswoldsman]

Hello Capey I can understand where you are coming from and feel for you. I am a CC and have been for nearly 2 years when I first started I would worry every time I moored up. 2 years later I don't worry anymore as nothing has ever happened and I have cruised and moored in most of the places that I was warned never to go to. I think the only way you will get over your worries is time and more cruising and as time goes bye and nothing happens you will come to realise that the canal is one of the safest places to be. Anyway Capey good luck.

[blackelle123]

Just read the thread and felt that perhaps your just a little jumpy. We have only been on the water a short time but found that in general boaty people are great, always willing to help and I would think always keeping an eye out for any possible trouble. So far, we have picked up so much good advise by just talking to other boaters.

With regard to leaving the boat, we both work and the boat is often left unattended and of course there is the obligatory trips to the pub to be taken into account. So, we found that leaving two Jack Russells on board does the trick. It appears that while we are not on board they take on a completely different persona and become the hounds from hell if the boat is touched in anyway. We have just got to get them to stop smoking and using the cooker while under the influence of booze while we're out and we're as safe as 'houses'!!!.

[Chertsey]

I say good for Capey for actually coming out and asking about it. How many people must there be who never leave the marina and don't even consider that their fears might be ungrounded?

 

My boat was broken into once in my absence - but I was gone for days, not just to the pub. This was after being moored on the towpath in the middle of Huddersfield for eighteen months, and on board, nights only, three or four nights a week. The strange thing is, it hasn't affected my attitude or my fear levels one way or the other. Yes, these things happen, but they don't happen very often and even when they do most cases are not the worst case scenario (by definition).

 

My advice to people who might be worried: refrain from reading the Daily Mail, Daily Express and Narrowboatworld. You'll feel better instantly.

 

PS Following the above advice will also help reduce stress caused by benefit scroungers and Eastern European immigrants eating swans, carp etc.

Edited February 5, 2008 by WarriorWoman

[Capey]

Sheeesh, come on get real.So you are from South Africa - it's not like you are going to get car-jacked at gun-point here. And does the average middle-class resident of Jo'burg get attacked every night?OK, so boats do occasionally get broken into, but IT IS RARE!If you are really that paranoid about it, then the canals are the wrong place for you. Just about every one else gets on with it, enjoys the canals and doesn't suffer any more break-ins etc than land based people suffer. If you REALLY are that bothereed, I suggest you go and see a psychiatrist, the canals just are not that bad. Yes, bad things happen, as CarlT has unfortunately suffered. But I've been leaving boats moored up for a week or two in odd places for the last fifteen years and never suffered a break-in. OK, so if I've left a boat for a few weeks and go back and find it untouched I do breath a little sigh of relief, but do I get home in the evening and think "well no-one tried to shoot me today"?Go and get your pills or give up the idea of going on the canals.

Wow, whats biting your ass then :lol:Hi all, thanks a million for the lovely encouraging messages, I feel a whole lot better now, not only knowing that there are nice caring people out there who will listen to a nervous newby, but I even found a fellow Capetonian - it doesn't get better than this.So I will stop being antsy, and relax, enjoy my next trip - and I might even buy one of those widget things to let me know if the gas leaks or whatever....memo to self: check the website.Thanks so much to you all, nice to know there are friendly and encouraging people out there on the canals,......hmmmm maybe a few grouchy ones, but I guess I can ignore them. So next time you see a green and gold boat go past with a couple of Saffers on board, (you will know us....we are the ones with the loaded guns and the burglar bars on the windows - just kidding dor - you know I am ) give us a wave - OK

[Amduck]

I'm with whoever said "what's the worst case scenario" (can't be bothered to go back and look). We came across a boat that had been set adrift last year, but let's face it, how far can it go? We simply tied it back up for the owners - although they would have had to retrieve their lifebelt from the water. Of your concerns, I suppose being set on fire is the worst, but it is VERY rare.

 

Continuously fretting and being anxious is very bad for your health, so it is definitely in your best interests to try to conquer your fears and get out and about for a relaxing cruise.

 

Anyway, I really joined the topic to say what does the boat name mean?

[carlt]

It's "you (something) tobacco", my language training was limited to the essentials only, when travelling so I'm not sure about "praat".

 

Edited to say: I can ask for a beer and a smoke in about 20 different languages.

Edited February 5, 2008 by carlt

[StoneHenge]

Hi capey,We have only been as far as Rugby on our boat (we are on the Ashby), and are planning the warwickshire ring at the end of March.We are also a little nervous, as most people would be. More so because it's further than we have been before etc, so probably quite normal when you have limited boating experience in terms of travelling to different places.We just asked about places not to moor, because there will always be the odd hot spot for trouble, but I think you have to take the attitude that if we worried about everything we did in life, we would never do anything, so I understand your anxiety, but you will enjoy it. At 4mph, how much more laid back could you be?Enjoy it, and there will always be a fellow boater around to help out or reassure you. That's the beauty of boaters, and those that love it, they are a good bunch.

Edited February 5, 2008 by StoneHenge

[Capey]

I'm with whoever said "what's the worst case scenario" (can't be bothered to go back and look). We came across a boat that had been set adrift last year, but let's face it, how far can it go? We simply tied it back up for the owners - although they would have had to retrieve their lifebelt from the water. Of your concerns, I suppose being set on fire is the worst, but it is VERY rare. Continuously fretting and being anxious is very bad for your health, so it is definitely in your best interests to try to conquer your fears and get out and about for a relaxing cruise.Anyway, I really joined the topic to say what does the boat name mean?

thanks amduck, I am feeling better alreayd, just listening to you lot. The boats name....well as one nice fella on the towpath once said, if you're south africans- then that's got to be rude - well I never !!!! Who would have thought we were known for being - like rude hey?? Like many expressions in Afrikaans there is just no translating it - direct translation means "you are talking a wad of chewing tobacco" so go figure, but "twak" is just another expression for rubbish, nonsense or a pile of poo!. While we were buiding the boat we got all sorts of opinions about where to put what, what make was best, who was to be trusted who was not, where to put the loo - you know the sort of thing, until our heads started to hurt..so in the end our answer was "Jy Praat Twak".

It's "you (something) tobacco", my language training was limited to the essentials only, when travelling so I'm not sure about "praat".Edited to say: I can ask for a beer and a smoke in about 20 different languages.

Ah yes good one, as I have just told Amduck, twak is indeed tobacco, it used to be in rolls that you could bite off and chew - and is used to describe any sort of nonsense that someone is speaking - OK so no one said Afrikaans was logical - but its the best "cussing" language in the world Praat means to speak. Edited February 5, 2008 by Capey

[Amduck]

Thanks for that - I can see it becoming a useful phrase - any hints on pronunciation?