Reversing

[Richard Bustens]

Hi all

I'm going to turn the boat this w/end so that means i will have to go through the lock turn in the winding hole then reverse into the lock and ascend back wards.

 

ANY ADVICE OR TIPS PLEASE

Edited July 1, 2005 by Richard Bustens

[steveh]

Hi all

I'm going to turn the boat this w/end so that means i will have to go through the lock turn in the winding hole then reverse into the lock and ascend back wards.

 

ANY ADVICE OR TIPS PLEASE

24704[/snapback]

 

 

Silly as it sounds make sure the bow is away from the cill.

 

When I reverse I try to make sure I have sufficient momentum and use slight forward motion with the tiller to angle the stern. As the reverse motion slows I add a little more. The bigger the boat the better, I tried this once with a 20ft NB good job no one was looking tits up every time!

Edited July 1, 2005 by steveh

[David Schweizer]

The best way to reverse a Narrowboat any distance involves two people. Have one person at each end of the boat, the person at the stern is responsible for maintaining steady progress in reverse gear, and holding the tiller in the central position. The other person stands either on the top plank, or the foredack with a long pole, and steers the boat with the pole by pushing the bow in one direction or the other to maintain the direction of the boat. Some communication may be neccessary between the two people, so agree a system of siglals before commencing.

 

This is the method used by the Working boatmen but it applies just as well to modern Recreational boats. Often the working boatmen often did it single handed by tying a string to the tiller and securing it on the cabin roof to hold it central, and putting the boat in reverse gear on tickover. They would then move from one end of the boat to the other along the top plank, but it requires a degree of experience to do this successfully. The last time I saw it being done was one evening at Braunston seven years ago.

Edited July 1, 2005 by David Schweizer

[Big COL]

Hi all

I'm going to turn the boat this w/end so that means i will have to go through the lock turn in the winding hole then reverse into the lock and ascend back wards.

 

ANY ADVICE OR TIPS PLEASE

24704[/snapback]

 

Richard

 

The easy way is to steer with your bow thruster when going astern.

[Richard Bustens]

Hi Big C and David

I,m not bothered about going backwards, total amount is only less than 50 yds it is the going up in the lock backwards that is concerning me

But silly me i'm not going to be doing that, as i want to turn the boat round i will be doing it the right way today, it is when i need to turn again i will be backwards then it will be going down in the lock.

[Speedwell]

The best way to reverse a Narrowboat any distance involves two people. Have one person at each end of the boat, the person at the stern is responsible for maintaining steady progress in reverse gear, and holding the tiller in the central position. The other person stands either on the top plank, or the foredack with a long pole, and steers the boat with the pole by pushing the bow in one direction or the other to maintain the direction of the boat. Some communication may be neccessary between the two people, so agree a system of siglals before commencing.

24722[/snapback]

 

Good method this ! We used it for about 2 miles from Perry Barr Top lock back to Rushall Junction when we had to get to the top lock for our BCN silver but the flight was closed. My wife, at the stern, had to do a few emergency maneuvers with the engine and rudder when I fouled up with the pole.

Arthur

[Bernie]

Richard, if I can do it so can you. I have done it at Kings Lock to fill up with water. Going down the lock either way is easier than going up IMHO. Just take your time and make sure you are straight as you enter and leave.

[Paul Evans]

Reversing through a lock - particularly a narrow lock - is very safe if you take your time and think about it.

 

If you are going up, put the boat in the lock and close the bottom gates. Before you open any paddles, put the boat against the bottom gates with forward gear engaged in tick over. Now open the paddles gently. The boat should stay against the bottom gates but you can adjust the throttle to keep it there.

 

If you are going down, put the back end as close to the bottom gates as you can without fouling anything on the gate. As you empty the lock the boat will hold against the bottom gates.

[colinjw]

If the wind is from the northwest,there is no way on this earth I can go out of my marina (Otherton) forwards.

 

I have had to reverse out quite a few times now but it is fairly easy as the stern goes into the wind anyway and the bow gets blown round to line up with the narrow exit.

 

Colin

 

p.s.

who says that it is compulsory to leave forwards?

[Guest]

If the wind is from the northwest,there is no way on this earth I can go out of my marina (Otherton) forwards.

I have had to reverse out quite a few times now but it is fairly easy as the stern goes into the wind anyway and the bow gets blown round to line up with the narrow exit.

 

24937[/snapback]

 

Colin

Now I cant wait to meet up. Looking forward to seeing this.

 

Peter

[colinjw]

Hi Peter,

 

There have been a few people wondering what I'm doing but no way will the boat turn to starboard with the wind there, especially in the middle of the marina.

 

So it is backwards I go.

 

Colin

[John Orentas]

Does nobody use a pole anymore ?

 

With one person at the controls and another with a pole there is no conceivable situation you cannot get out of.

[colinjw]

Hi John,

 

It's a bit awkward to use a pole and steer at the same time when I'm single-handing.

 

Colin

[Amicus]

Be boring if it was easy, wood in it?

[Bernie]

Does nobody use a pole anymore ?

 

With one person at the controls and another with a pole there is no conceivable situation you cannot get out of.

24940[/snapback]

Fun when you have to reverse out of Barnton Tunnel when you are over halfway through and the other boat keeps coming towards you despite it being your right of passage at this particular point. The joys of boating.

[John Orentas]

Bernie.

 

That is amazing, I have done the exact same thing, ended up reversing out towing the other boat, the other chap being very reluctant to do so.

Only when I reached daylight and having scratched my boat up on the tunnel walls did I realise that it was a hire boat.

I have always felt a bit foolish telling this story but it is a strange thing that although you can clearly see the far entrance a boat can be tucked into the bendy bits of the tunnel, then when it begins to come into view you imagine your eyes are playing tricks, then it's too late.

[Liam]

Fun when you have to reverse out of Barnton Tunnel when you are over halfway through and the other boat keeps coming towards you despite it being your right of passage at this particular point. The joys of boating.

24955[/snapback]

The three tunnels at the top end of the T&M have those handy chains attatched to the wooden 'rubbing strake' things just above the waterline. Very handy to tie upto whilst you put the kettle on and wait for the person who doesn't have the right of way to move/reverse out.

 

Shame you can't watch the TV or listen to the radio lol.

[Paul@CW]

Bernie.

 

Only when I reached daylight and having scratched my boat up on the tunnel walls did I realise that it was a hire boat.

 

24962[/snapback]

 

Does it being a hire boat make a difference then John? I would have thought that would have been annoying no matter what type of boat it was or are you saying that its was less annoying as you realised they may have been new/unsure of what to do etc?

 

I hate those Barnton and Saltersford tunnels with a passion. Last time I went through we could see a light coming the other way so we reversed out. Nothing came through so we went back in. Saw the light again that looked like a boat coming through so same again. Again nothing came out. In again, blast on the horn, no reply so we just went for it. As we came out the other end we realised it was the sun reflecting off a boat that had moored near the tunnel mouth and reflecting down the tunnel. Until we got close it looked exactly like a headlight.

 

I blame the people who built the thing. Clearly no regard for us 21st century leisure types :-)

[John Orentas]

Paul.

 

The point about it being a hire boat was that it would have been better to have scratched that than my fairly new 'pride and joy', nothing to do with the driver.

 

I don't suppose it would have been a load of laughs legging a 20 ton working boat back out of there if you got it wrong, there are stories of big punch up's having occurred over priorities for the tunnels.

 

As for the somewhat imprecise boring of Barnton, there was always a pub directly above, perhaps that has something to do with it.

[Speedwell]

As we came out the other end we realised it was the sun reflecting off a boat that had moored near the tunnel mouth and reflecting down the tunnel. Until we got close it looked exactly like a headlight.

 

We have had the same experience but luckily a trip boat caught up with us at this point and explained it, so we followed him through. All the uncontrolled, curved or misty tunnels would benefit from a proper system of sounding so you could tell which way a boat in the tunnel was going. Eg 1 blast every 30 seconds if going North, 2 blasts similarly if heading South This could be posted at the tunnel mouth.

Arthur

[David]

Unfortunatley Arthur youv'e just told the boat coming the otherway you are altering course. BW used to print the short list of horn signals in their Users Handbook for canal use I recall.

Mind you I suppose with bow thrusters, Sat Nav, 240volt to all mod con's who needs to bother with old fashioned stuff like this, so the boat coming the otherway is just as likely to hoot right back at you and you would still both meet in the middle.

 

HORN SIGNALS

One short I am altering course to starboard (my right)

Two short I am altering course to port (my left)

Three short My engines are going astern

Four short (pause) one short I am turning round in the fairway to starboard

Four shot (pause) two short I am turning round in the fairway to port

Five short You are taking insufficient action to avoid me

Two long, one short I wish to overtake on your starboard (right) side

Two long, one short I wish to overtake on your port (left) side

Long, short, long, short You may overtake me

One very long I am about to enter the fairway.

[John Orentas]

Has anyone ever bothered to memorise that lot, I certainly haven't and by the time you have looked up what the other chap is trying to tell you, you've probably hit him.

 

It may be OK for seagoing craft and on the larger rivers. but the working boatmen never bothered with such a cumbersome system, they didn't even use port and starboard.

[dor]

When I stop at a bridge to let another boat through, I usually use the three, although flashes of the tunnel light rather than the horn.

 

The one & two would be useful if more people knew what they were. Don't think you would need any of the others. It's easy to remember: the number is the number of syllables except it isn't it's the other way.

Well that's how I remember it anyway.

[David]

That was my point about still meeting in the middle, anyway the BW list used to be something like

1 going to your left

2 going to your right

3 I coming forward

4 I going astern (that means backwards)

Not very hard to remember, but like I said earlier with all todays mod con's not needed I mean havent we all got not only the ones I mentioned earlier like Sat Nav etc etc but Infra-red, Radar, Sonar, Ship to Shore radio (Ship to Shore on a canal LOL, which reminds me I must go and order my lifeboat and survival suits) so surely collisions must be impossible.

Come on John has the hot weather given you a sense of humour bypass, no wonder Onion finds it so easy to wind these threads up.

David

[John Orentas]

No, not very hard to remember but then I do not have the slightest intention of acquiring any of the contraptions you mention either, I do not like to be regimented nor do I seek to regiment others.

I manage quite well with a klaxon to tell people to get out of my way.