Give way to working boats yes or no? discus

[Hairy-Neil]

BTW. Reading to Brentford is two days, and Brentford to Stoke can be done at a push in 2 days, leaving you a complete day in hand! You

 

I have left Reading with the pair at lunchtime saturday and caught the tide at midday the following day. it involved hand winding 13 Thames locks out of hours and 3 hours in bed....

[alan_fincher]

ps. While I stand to be corrected, I understand that boatmen often understood that delays might cause problems, and so for the first few days of their trip would get as many miles under their belts as possible, even if it meant lighter days towards the end.

Not if you believe the awful plot of the film "The Bargee"

 

Allegedly a boatman had a different woman in every "port", and trips were planned around his sex life, rather than a need to actually deliver cargo.

 

Or isn't it like that with the NBT ?

[Phil Speight]

In was once informed by a Working Boatman that front fenders were there to protect lock gates and that the rear fenders were there to stop the rudder getting caught in the bottom gates.

........and to run the butty onto. Fenders are to protect paint eh - see my earlier post about the relevence of history.

 

Aha ! I`ve just found the paint protection post. Bloody hell Carl you got me wound for a minute there ! Sad experience means I took it perfectly seriously !

Edited May 19, 2009 by Phil Speight

[carlt]

........and to run the butty onto. Fenders are to protect paint eh - see my earlier post about the relevence of history.

 

Aha ! I`ve just found the paint protection post. Bloody hell Carl you got me wound for a minute there ! Sad experience means I took it perfectly seriously !

I'm not sure why that post is winding people up (you had less than a minute to read Redfastlad's response, before a moderator removed it).

 

If someone wants fenders to protect their paintwork (though I'm not sure how, unless they mean the blacking) then they should have sufficient for their needs and not expect anyone else to provide them.

[Chertsey]

I'm not sure why that post is winding people up (you had less than a minute to read Redfastlad's response, before a moderator removed it).

 

If someone wants fenders to protect their paintwork (though I'm not sure how, unless they mean the blacking) then they should have sufficient for their needs and not expect anyone else to provide them.

Damn, did I miss something? I was lying awake last night trying to work out how one boat could scratch another's paint. I'm still none the wiser.

Only time I've ever seen it happen was with the corner of a side hatch - because a fender rope was behind it and dragged it out.

[FadeToScarlet]

Damn, did I miss something? I was lying awake last night trying to work out how one boat could scratch another's paint. I'm still none the wiser.

Only time I've ever seen it happen was with the corner of a side hatch - because a fender rope was behind it and dragged it out.

 

You know those massive, elephantine rubbing strakes on the Duck's bow? They could leave quite a scratch down a cabinside.

 

Other than that, it's all just blacking, as you say.

[Jim]

Damn, did I miss something? I was lying awake last night trying to work out how one boat could scratch another's paint. I'm still none the wiser.

Only time I've ever seen it happen was with the corner of a side hatch - because a fender rope was behind it and dragged it out.

 

Back in 70s I spent a few weeks on "Gardenia" - a BW working boat loaded to about 15 tons - used as part of the "Keep the Channel Clear" campaign. There was still just about a "channel" in those days, which of course went around the outside of the bends. I came round one such bend, somewhere on the Trent & Mersey I seem to recall, to find a shiny new-looking boat moored right where I needed Gardenia to be. Despite my best efforts (no training was given to steerers irrespective of their experience - or lack of it) the bow came in contact with this boat and took a strip of paint off all along the side. Funnilly enough, the steerer actually apologised to me for mooring on my line - an apology I accepted gracefully before motoring away as quickly as I could before he thought to check for any damage!

[carlt]

I could do some damage with the stem iron of my Harborough Marine but no amount of fendering would have protected a boat from it.

[the villian]

My recent experience is largely the reverse.

 

Coal (narrow) boats tend to potter, moving slowly, with regular stops to make canal-side sales.

 

We have been delayed slightly by a pair using a lock as a shop, or by one taking it's bulk fuel delivery at a water point and sanitary station.

 

I don't begrudge them this, and am very happy to see them working, but generally the chances of us holding them up are slim.

 

If one of those bloody great gravel barges that operate on the Southern GU was actually breathing down my neck, I'd move over, as that's real commercial traffic. But scary though they look, they don't seem able to go that fast, when laden. I certainly wouldn't contest a bridge hole with one though!

 

What gets my goat is trip boats that seem to think they have a divine right of way, or are justified in nearly flushing people out of locks, so that their progress is not impeded.

 

 

trip boats have to work to a stricked timetable so why not give way to them

[alan_fincher]

trip boats have to work to a stricked timetable.......................

Why ?

 

Who says ?

[PhilR]

trip boats have to work to a stricked timetable so why not give way to them

 

Strictly speaking, timetables and canals are two words that don't usually fit together in the real world.

 

(sorry - just putting my coat on) ..................

[mayalld]

trip boats have to work to a stricked timetable so why not give way to them

 

Trip boats should plan their timetables with sufficient slack to allow for delays.

[LEO]

Why ?

 

Who says ?

 

I cheerfully agree with you, especially with regard to the trip boat that comes up the Marsworth flight and turns round in the pound halfway up, just as you leave the lock, pinching your lock and setting all the next ones against you.

 

Leo.

[Tiny]

I have more than once been told by hire boaters that they get priority, because a hire boat licence is a commercial one.

 

You have to laugh, don't you!

 

On more than one occassion I have been told by hirers (normally the lady battleaxe who orders the crew around) that as they have paid for their boat while we are a load of state spungers we should give them priority at locks and even give up our mooring (us having moored and cut back the edge - thus producing the only nettle free mooring in miles of BW eco). This despite the fact our boat is far from tatty and some might call it shiney.

[Tiny]

You know those massive, elephantine rubbing strakes on the Duck's bow? They could leave quite a scratch down a cabinside.

 

Other than that, it's all just blacking, as you say.

 

I shared a lock with an old springer with sloping out sides. No problem as the lock was 25' wide - then the idiot on the Springer pushed across to join us hull to hull. I just got my body between boats before his gunnel hit our paintwork at window height. When I complained he was completely oblivious.

 

A similar thing nearly occured when a cruiser joined us on the Stratford Avon. If the boat had been in good nick and under control all would have been OK but this one had a lot of partial the metal strakes - at window height - the ends of which just stuck out at all angles just waiting to gouge the paint. Chummy, who waited moored in the distance while we set the lock then moved off and joined us as we were in and shutting the gates, made little attempt to control his boat in the lock and was shooting in all directions having driven in with no hint of ropes as are required. We reversed out and let him go down alone. Later moored up near him we noted he, also moored played the same, wait then race up after the other boat has set the lock on a hire boat.

 

Incidentally our boat is not a tug but a normal higher sided narrow boat.

[Chertsey]

I shared a lock with an old springer with sloping out sides. No problem as the lock was 25' wide - then the idiot on the Springer pushed across to join us hull to hull. I just got my body between boats before his gunnel hit our paintwork at window height. When I complained he was completely oblivious.

 

A similar thing nearly occured when a cruiser joined us on the Stratford Avon. If the boat had been in good nick and under control all would have been OK but this one had a lot of partial the metal strakes - at window height - the ends of which just stuck out at all angles just waiting to gouge the paint. Chummy, who waited moored in the distance while we set the lock then moved off and joined us as we were in and shutting the gates, made little attempt to control his boat in the lock and was shooting in all directions having driven in with no hint of ropes as are required. We reversed out and let him go down alone. Later moored up near him we noted he, also moored played the same, wait then race up after the other boat has set the lock on a hire boat.

 

Incidentally our boat is not a tug but a normal higher sided narrow boat.

Good god, is your paintwork really more important than your body?

[churchward]

Good god, is your paintwork really more important than your body?

Perhaps that is how he got to be known as Tiny!

 

Still on a more general note , I think there is little positive to come out of identifying any one group of boaters as a "bad lot" I have found all kinds of behaviors from all types of boaters good and bad and really I can assign no specific behavior to anyone group.

[Chertsey]

Perhaps that is how he got to be known as Tiny!

 

Still on a more general note , I think there is little positive to come out of identifying any one group of boaters as a "bad lot" I have found all kinds of behaviors from all types of boaters good and bad and really I can assign no specific behavior to anyone group.

Anyone who would put their paintwork before their own safety is sufficiently stupid to be a menace to all.

[Sir Nibble]

Anyone who would put their paintwork before their own safety is sufficiently stupid to be a menace to all.

I don't think Tiny meant to imply that he threw himslf between hulls as a fender, more that he had to move quickly to put himself in a position to be able to fend off.

I stand to be corrected but I don't think Tiny will rush to say "No no snibs, I really am a pillock."

[churchward]

Anyone who would put their paintwork before their own safety is sufficiently stupid to be a menace to all.

I wasn't arguing with your original point. I agree that it is not a wise thing to do.

 

Someone I know made a similar error of judgment and came off worst. He put his foot between the boat and a concrete wall (like the sides you get on the GU) when the counter was swinging round in the wind and about to hit it. He misjudged and his foot went down between the wall and the boat the upshot of which was a badly smashed ankle. Still, I wouldn't say he was a danger to all as it was a momentary lack of judgment normally I would have said he was very good with boats. But none of us are perfect and we can all make mistakes or take the wrong decision in the heat of the moment.

[Chertsey]

I don't think Tiny meant to imply that he threw himslf between hulls as a fender, more that he had to move quickly to put himself in a position to be able to fend off.

I stand to be corrected but I don't think Tiny will rush to say "No no snibs, I really am a pillock."

I doubt that too somehow.

[Tiny]

I doubt that too somehow.

 

No, it was fending off and it was only a 30' Springer being pushed across the lock (not driven) towards us by its owner. We presumed he realised we had ropes up to hold us back figured he would just push across and hold his boat to ours while getting a free ride up. We never got a word out of him on the whole episode but after he was pushed off a woman of advanced age came out the cabin and dashed up a lock ladder at amazing speed gripping a centre rope. We reckoned from their attitude they were trying it on. When that didn't work they did their bit.

 

Apart from the odd hotel pair we have never had other forms of working boats try to take presidence. Most seem to get up early if they want to get somewhere. On the other hand we have met the odd bod who plays at captaining a working boat (his being to look a bit like but built shallow and with a rotten swim) who acts very anti social as he does expect to be let past so he can get back to his mooring, change into his suit and drive off in his sports car back to town.

[mayalld]

No, it was fending off and it was only a 30' Springer being pushed across the lock (not driven) towards us by its owner. We presumed he realised we had ropes up to hold us back figured he would just push across and hold his boat to ours while getting a free ride up. We never got a word out of him on the whole episode but after he was pushed off a woman of advanced age came out the cabin and dashed up a lock ladder at amazing speed gripping a centre rope. We reckoned from their attitude they were trying it on. When that didn't work they did their bit.

 

Apart from the odd hotel pair we have never had other forms of working boats try to take presidence. Most seem to get up early if they want to get somewhere. On the other hand we have met the odd bod who plays at captaining a working boat (his being to look a bit like but built shallow and with a rotten swim) who acts very anti social as he does expect to be let past so he can get back to his mooring, change into his suit and drive off in his sports car back to town.

 

Ah, yes, we have had that attitude from a certain reverend gentleman, who took the attitude that as he was running a hotel boat to a schedule, he could jump a queue of 5 boats waiting for a water point.

Edited July 6, 2009 by mayalld

[Naughty Cal]

Wouldnt say i would go out of my way to let "workingboats" queue jump, but we did let the trip boat Newark Crusader (Sonning or Sonnay?) into Newark Town lock before us. Thought it was a wise idea given its size to let it in and rope up first before we followed in behind.

 

The lock keepers in the area do give priority to the trip boats though, rightly or wrongly it doesnt really matter does it?

[mayalld]

Wouldnt say i would go out of my way to let "workingboats" queue jump, but we did let the trip boat Newark Crusader (Sonning or Sonnay?) into Newark Town lock before us. Thought it was a wise idea given its size to let it in and rope up first before we followed in behind.

 

The lock keepers in the area do give priority to the trip boats though, rightly or wrongly it doesnt really matter does it?

 

Yes, just like it matters when people push it in the lane on a motorway that is coming to an end, then try to push there way back in way up the queue.

 

Sure, each individual in the queue isn't delayed much, in order that one selfish individual can gain a fair bit, but it only works if the (self-selecting) takers are a minority.

 

Looked at another way, can you all send me a quid. You won't even notice a quid will you, and I'll trouser a tidy sum. Only works if I'm the only one who thinks of it!