Slowing down for moored boats

[Steve3]

There seem to be several styles adopted.

 

1) Drop the revs off just as the bow gets to the moored boat then straight back on when level with other end.

 

2) Dont slow unless there is signs of habitation.

 

3) Slow down a few boats lengths away to reduce overall hull speed and speed up when clear.

 

I tend to use 3 but rarely ever achieve the time taken on the Pearsons guide. Am I daft? or just a dying breed.

Edited February 17, 2009 by Steve3

[alan_fincher]

Am I daft? or just a dying bread.

Basically this has been done to death in many previous threads....

 

Nut the answers are....

 

No and No!

[Dutch]

There seem to be several styles adopted.

 

1) Drop the revs off just as the bow gets to the moored boat then straight back on when level with other end.

 

2) Dont slow unless there is signs of habitation.

 

3) Slow down a few boats lengths away to reduce overall hull speed and speed up when clear.

 

[b]I tend to use 3 but rarely ever achieve the time taken on the Pearsons guide.[/b] Am I daft? or just a dying bread.

 

 

As cruising turned into a time trial now ?

[GUMPY]

Seeing as no other Bu66er bothers to slow down, I have stopped doing it as well.

In fact if I see someone moored that has passed me overly fast I speed up.

 

J

[RLWP]

There seem to be several styles adopted.

 

1) Drop the revs off just as the bow gets to the moored boat then straight back on when level with other end.

 

2) Dont slow unless there is signs of habitation.

 

3) Slow down a few boats lengths away to reduce overall hull speed and speed up when clear.

 

I tend to use 3 but rarely ever achieve the time taken on the Pearsons guide. Am I daft? or just a dying bread.

 

We do 3 and achieve or exceed the Pearsons times. What are you doing between the moored boats?

 

Richard

 

Ducks like bread

[NB Alnwick]

As most boats contain accommodation, there is always the chance that the occupants of a moored boat are in the process of cooking, dishing out hot food, pouring boiling water to make tea or carrying out similar activities that would become extremely hazardous if their boat was to be subjected to an unexpected, sudden and violent movement - this often occurs when a passing boat is travelling too fast - even when the boat is properly tied up. The situation is only made more hazardous where inexperienced boaters have failed to secure their craft properly.

 

When in charge of any vessel navigating the inland waterways, it is safe, considerate and sensible to make sure that your boat moves through the water sufficiently slowly to avoid causing danger or damage to the occupants of moored boats and their property.

 

Failure to observe this simple and easily understood protocol is inexcusable and shows a selfish disregard for the safety of other waterway users.

[bottle]

Steve3

 

I always try to achieve No.3 not always possible where the boat is hidden.

 

I even do it for fishermenpersons.

 

I definitely do not lower my standards to anyone else's.

 

 

Edit: to correct PC.

Edited February 17, 2009 by bottle

[churchward]

As most boats contain accommodation, there is always the chance that the occupants of a moored boat are in the process of cooking, dishing out hot food, pouring boiling water to make tea or carrying out similar activities that would become extremely hazardous if their boat was to be subjected to an unexpected, sudden and violent movement - this often occurs when a passing boat is travelling too fast - even when the boat is properly tied up. The situation is only made more hazardous where inexperienced boaters have failed to secure their craft properly.

 

When in charge of any vessel navigating the inland waterways, it is safe, considerate and sensible to make sure that your boat moves through the water sufficiently slowly to avoid causing danger or damage to the occupants of moored boats and their property.

 

Failure to observe this simple and easily understood protocol is inexcusable and shows a selfish disregard for the safety of other waterway users.

 

I was thinking of a reply when you submitted yours. Since I agree with all you say, particularly the last line so I need not repeat it .

[Machpoint005]

I ... rarely ever achieve the time taken on the Pearsons guide. Am I daft? or just a dying bread.

 

This just means that Pearsons' timing is wrong, for you. Make the necessary adjustments.

I can't comment on the viability of your loaf, though.

[WJM]

Get through as quick as you can before they have time to react, or mop up!

[stewey]

Seeing as no other Bu66er bothers to slow down, I have stopped doing it as well.

In fact if I see someone moored that has passed me overly fast I speed up.

 

J

Well, we certainly slow down and from our observation so do most other boaters. Just because there are some selfish so and sos on the cut it doesn't mean that the rest of us should join them.

 

When in charge of any vessel navigating the inland waterways, it is safe, considerate and sensible to make sure that your boat moves through the water sufficiently slowly to avoid causing danger or damage to the occupants of moored boats and their property.

 

Failure to observe this simple and easily understood protocol is inexcusable and shows a selfish disregard for the safety of other waterway users.

Very well put. Summarises the situation perfectly.

 

Stewey

[dor]

Well, we certainly slow down and from our observation so do most other boaters.

 

Whilst I would agree that most boaters "slow down", it seems that more and more just resort to a token slight reduction in engine revs, followed by a sharp increase in revs after they pass you which they then reduce after a bit back to normal. Sorry, but you are not fooling anyone!

[Hobbler]

I like to slow right down to tickover when passing moored boats as it gives you a much greater opportunity to have a good old nosey look in their windows as you pass and it gives the occupants a much better chance of hearing any complimentary , envious or derogatory remarks our crew may wish to make about their boat.

[Night Hawk]

I like to slow right down to tickover when passing moored boats as it gives you a much greater opportunity to have a good old nosey look in their windows as you pass and it gives the occupants a much better chance of hearing any complimentary , envious or derogatory remarks our crew may wish to make about their boat.

 

Bravo Hobbler - I fully agree

[vicvdb]

Being an extremely old goat I remember the halcyon days when the only people who raced past moored boats on the Thames were the gin palaces and the hire boats (remember them?). When we moved onto the cut (about thirty years ago) it was a real culture shock to find most boaters being polite, easing off and being extremely friendly sorts but sadly these days I appear to find myself with more and more people who are out to do the something or other ring in three days and whose main preoccupation is with their paint and how fast they can get along.

 

Those who flash past moored boats are a real pain (whether or not the boat is populated or not!) and those who sit at the window moaning at anything over half a knot past their precious tubs are a bit of a pain too. Sadly as much as waterworld and other media publicity has attracted people to the canals and waterways the standards of boating, courtesy and behaviour has diminished too.

 

Please slow down when you pass - it's manners! If you can't, then please sell the boat and buy a motorhome and rave to your hearts content!

 

V

 

ps. And to the plonker who sat halfway between Llangollen centre moorings and the marina three years back (you know who you are), "I was going slow - I didn't even have the boat in gear such is the log flume that that stretch is!" What an idiot, hanging out of t window shouting at everyone who went past his show boat!!!

Edited February 17, 2009 by vicvdb

[Liam]

I do admit that I tend to dawdle along but when passing other moored boats I aim for black exhaust smoke

[mrsmelly]

Steve3

 

I always try to achieve No.3 not always possible where the boat is hidden.

 

I even do it for fishermenpersons.

 

I definitely do not lower my standards to anyone else's.

 

 

Edit: to correct PC.

 

Agreed

[Roger t' Bodger]

As a member of the Narrow Boat Trust (another shameless plug for the Charity) Our policy is to always slow down, which passing through Milton Keynes, makes a very long ordeal. BUT I believe in making the most of life (like Hobbler) so cameras for interesting craft and a nosey at the slowly passing boats and always smiling and waving at the occupied boat's owners. 'Cos it nice to get human contact but those mugs n' thar maggots only one in twenty responds - I'm sure they are working on depressing the poor fish so much that they give themselves willingly to the lure!

 

Enough

[Hobbler]

As a member of the Narrow Boat Trust (another shameless plug for the Charity) Our policy is to always slow down..........

 

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm must remember that next time I see a certain NBT member

[Woollymishka]

As has been said - this subject has arisen before (just the odd once or twice!) We just try and think - if that was us moored up - how would we feel if a boat went past trying to imitate towing a water skier?

Getting a wave from someone on board in recognition of your consideration has to be worth something.

On a slightly different tack - how do you dye bread?

[David Schweizer]

We tend to slow down to fast tickover a few boat lengths before a moored boat, drop to tickover as we pass, and increase to normal speed a few boat lengths after we have passed by, which is usually appreciated by the moored boat's occupants.

 

However over the years I have come to the conclusion that it is not as simple as that. The hull design and prop size of the boat seems to make a significnt difference to how much disturbance a boat causes to moored craft. It has taken me a while to come to this conclusion, but it would seem that longer deeper hulled narrowboats with fine graceful lines and slow revving engines seem to cause far less distuirbance, at the same speed, than shorther, shallow, blunt ended boats with high revving engines. I am sure that someone with a greater knowledge of physics could explain why I have made this observation, but it certainly appears that deeper hulled boats with long swims seem to cause less disturbance.

 

The other point I would wish to make, is that nothing improves stability whilst moored than being tied up properly, we also use two fairly small tyres suspended from the boat as side fenders when moored against a hard edge, for any period of time. these absorb a great deal of pressure without causing the boat to swing about or bang the side. I am still surprised how many people are prepared to leave their boat unprotected with loose lines, and then shout at every boat that passes them.

 

Our permanent mooring is on the Northern GU, about 300 metres from Napton Junction, and for some reason nearly every boat going north opens up just before they reach us, even thugh there is a line of moored boats, and they are only 1/4 mile from the Calcutt locks. If I did not tie our boat up securely with it's tyre fenders, I would be worrying all the time about everything iside being on the floor when I returned to the boat.

Edited February 18, 2009 by David Schweizer

[bigcol]

Hi all

 

 

so what speed should we slow down too please,

 

I wouldnt have thought going 4 knots would cause a wake, saying that Ive a lot to learn with Narrow boats.

 

When I was on the coast slowing down on a planing boat could be 8 knots. in Rivers 4 knots so how slow can a narrow boat go without losing stearage

 

 

Col

[Naughty Cal]

A lot slower than a cruiser

 

They move differently in the water. We are quite a way off moored boats when we have an affect on them. They start nodding well before we reach them. We draw quite a lot of water though.

 

(Moves aside to let the barrage begin)

[WJM]

"so what speed should we slow down too please"

 

There is no speed! It depends firstly on your boat's length/width/draft, and secondly on the depth of the water both under your boat and under the moored boats

[Nine of Hearts]

There is no speed! It depends firstly on your boat's length/width/draft, and secondly on the depth of the water both under your boat and under the moored boats

 

...and on the prevailing weather conditions, too. If you're fighting a crosswind, fr'instance.