Right of Way

[tosher]

Excellent boat handling is rare and in my experience inept boat handlers usually come out with the equally inept remark that "boating is a contact sport" - in my opinion, it isn't; it is a skill that takes time practice and experience to acquire . . .

 

Very well put Alnwick, couldn't agree more. tosher.

[Dominic M]

Excellent boat handling is rare and in my experience inept boat handlers usually come out with the equally inept remark that "boating is a contact sport" - in my opinion, it isn't; it is a skill that takes time practice and experience to acquire . . .

I second that. I don't mind if someone says, "Sorry, we're new to this," but when you get some arrogant sour faced **** who just bangs into you and says, "It's a contact sport", well, so is bare knuckle fighting

[stuart23]

I feel it's a bit sad that people have to get upset about giving way at a bridge hole...WTF are they on the canal for if they have to give way grudgingly or accelerate to make sure they are through first....I'd just as soon stop and make a cup of tea rather than have a contretemp...

[bottle]

Right of way, does it exist, I think not, if you are closer to the hole you do not have a right to proceed just first come first served perhaps and everyone carries on their journey without hinderence.

 

Each and every situation is different.

 

It will depend on a lot of things, you may be first at the hole but if you proceed there is not enough room on the other side to pass each other. Then who is the 'silly boater'

 

I am also with Graham (Alnwick), I feel a sense of achievement if I do not hit anything and annoyed with myself if I do, if I can get a narrow boat into a narrow lock without touching the sides, job done.

[alan_fincher]

.....if I can get a narrow boat into a narrow lock without touching the sides, job done.

That's probably what the guy who steered his boat into the top of lock 14 on the Worcester & Birmingham thought......

 

....... until they started emptying the lock.

 

Obviously a bit of contact is inevitable if working a motor/butty pair. Or when passing through some supermarket trolley filled bridge hole.

 

Otherwise I agree, it does seem sensible to aim for as little of it as possible.

[Hairy-Neil]

I am also with Graham (Alnwick), I feel a sense of achievement if I do not hit anything and annoyed with myself if I do, if I can get a narrow boat into a narrow lock without touching the sides, job done.

 

Take a look at the old working boats, they are covered with dents large and small. IIRC, GUCCC Thaxtead's counter is caved in about 4 inches.

 

I've also heard the horse boater would likely have used the lock gate as a brake.....

[alan_fincher]

Take a look at the old working boats, they are covered with dents large and small. IIRC, GUCCC Thaxtead's counter is caved in about 4 inches.

Not that bad, but this (very poor) picture of my brother's boats, Bilster & Angel, shows what a counter often looked like after a few years of being used as a brake for the butty.

 

The picture seems to be soon after purchase, before much remedial work had been done on either.

 

 

Soon after this picture IIRC, it was completely cut off, and replaced, although not until it had done at least one coal run, I think, with temporary patching of holes in the uxter plate. (My spell checker is insisting on Ulster plate!).

[NB Alnwick]

Take a look at the old working boats, they are covered with dents large and small. IIRC, GUCCC Thaxtead's counter is caved in about 4 inches.

 

I've also heard the horse boater would likely have used the lock gate as a brake.....

 

The difference is that those boatmen had work their boats to earn their living and although most were excellent boat handlers, there would have been times when the boats were necessarily handled by less skilled personnel and other times when even the most experienced boatmen were forced to press on in conditions that were far from ideal or even safe.

 

In contrast, today's boaters live in a very different world and we all can take time to perfect our skills and also help each other to improve our boat handling techniques.

[Amduck]

Do you think maybe a bit of over-analysis is creeping in?

 

Give the other guy the benefit of the doubt. He wasn't looking ahead very well (maybe it was raining - many car drivers can't see past their windscreen wipers in the rain) and didn't see your boat. Maybe he was travelling fast anyway, and not putting on speed to get through the bridge first.

 

Maybe it wasn't a dirty look - after all he didn't say anything - maybe he was embarrassed because he realised he should have seen you coming. So he reversed to let your boat continue coming through the bridge hole - the right thing to do in the circs.

 

Perhaps if we all recognised that communication isn't always simple on boats, we could avoid attributing malign intent to others, and so all be more tolerant of mistakes in handling or etiquette.

[tidal]

I was prertty sure that I had seen something in the old byelaws about this...........?

[Captain Miss Pugwash]

On Monday his knibs took the boat to the water ole, whilst I took the car, did the school run, then met him at the water ole.

 

He told me after that as he was approaching a bridge, you could see what was coming, but then you came to a bend where you could no longer see. He could see a boat some way off in the distance and as he seemed to be the closer, he thought he would navigate the bridge first, especially as the approach tot he bridge was a straight and he had to navigate a bend it would be safer for him to navigate the bridge first as it was a blind bend for whoever was coming the other way once they were through the bridge.

 

As he got to the bridge though the front was just entering the bridge when this guys did too. He had obviously put full whack on to get to the bridge first, as he was a fair distance and as e know the canal pretty well, we can judge distances etc.

 

Anyway, straying off, the guy reversed and let Mick pass through first but not without a rather displeased look.

 

Who in this case was in the wrong/right?

There have been several qquestions regarding rules and etiquette recently. I recommend the RYA Inland waterways handbook. It is a must have "bible" for anyone using the waterways, and in answer to your above question, I quote page 25 from the afore mentioned book, "When approaching a bridge or other narrow section, slow down well in advance. If a boat coming the other way is nearer, wave them through first. Keep right until they are clear. On rivers, the boat coming downstream has right of way". I would also recommend taking the RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman's Certificate course.

[MartinClark]

I've also heard the horse boater would likely have used the lock gate as a brake.....

Yes they would, but not in any way that would damage the gate. The top gates generally had the post furthest from the quoin sticking up a little and this was known as the strapping post. As the boat entered the lock when going downhill, the steerer would throw the stern line around the strapping post and pull on the rope. This would have the effect both of slowing the boat right down to a halt and of shutting the gate. This only works properly if the boat is coming into the lock fast enough. Many modern gates do not have a strapping post as part of their design.

[Hairy-Neil]

Many modern gates do not have a strapping post as part of their design.

 

And a good many that do have the strapping post have the hand rail fitted tight up to the post to prevent its correct use. I wonder if this is deliberate, or a case of forgive them lord for they know not what they do....

[Dominic M]

Yes they would, but not in any way that would damage the gate. The top gates generally had the post furthest from the quoin sticking up a little and this was known as the strapping post. As the boat entered the lock when going downhill, the steerer would throw the stern line around the strapping post and pull on the rope. This would have the effect both of slowing the boat right down to a halt and of shutting the gate. This only works properly if the boat is coming into the lock fast enough. Many modern gates do not have a strapping post as part of their design.

And uphill would raise top paddles to a degree as the boat entered the lock.

[kienik]

i am of the opinion and speak of what my father tought me as a child, "when approaching a bridge hole if their isa boat coming the other way and they are closer to it than yourself it is courteous to wave them through, if your boat is closer then proceed through".

 

this of course seems to be common sense but it should be taken in to account that each situation is different i.e. is the bridge on a blind bend (for either boat), is the channel shallow in a certain part,etc.

 

i believe that boating should be a leisurely sport/lifestyle and why bother getting all wound up by a bridge hole confrontation, take it in your stride and if you believe you were in the right then give a cheery smile to the "offender" and then when the day is done sit down with a large glass of your favourite tipple and laugh it off.

 

i really dont see why we get so het up on making issues for ourselves, of course there are boaters out there that believe they have right of way at every obstacle they come across but dont get mad just smile, that makes them even more enraged (haha) seriously though if we all chill out boating will once again become even more enjoyable

 

"stands down from soapbox"

 

Nik

[stubbs]

yours for not being there to sort them out