Late night boating

[norman18grp]

Ｓｔｏｋｅ　ｌｏｃｋｓ　ｏｎ　ａｎ　Ａｕｔｕｍｎ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　ｉｎ　ａ　ｓｐｅｃｔａｃｕａｒ　ｔｈｕｎｄｅｒ　ａｎｄ　ｌｉｇｈｔｎｉｎｇ　ｓｔｏｒｍ．　Ｏｎｅ　ｏｆ　ｍｙ　ｂｅｓｔ　ｂｏａｔｙ　ｍｏｍｅｎｔｓ．

 

Ｄｏｎ'ｔ　ｓｅｅ　ａｎｙ　ｐｒｏｂｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｌａｔｅ　ｎｉｇｈｔ　ｂｏａｔｉｎｇ，　ｉｎ　ｆａｃｔ　Ｉ　ｄｏ　ｑｕｉｔｅ　ａ　ｌｏｔ　ｏｆ　ｉｔ　ａｓ　ｗｅ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｏｆｔｅｎ　ｂｅ　ｓｏｍｅｗｈｅｒｅ　ｅｌｓｅ　ａｆｔｅｒ　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｈｏｍｅ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｗｏｒｋ．　Ｎａｒｙ　ａ　ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍ　ｂｕｔ　ａｇａｉｎ　ｗｅ'ｒｅ　ｂｏｔｈ　ｃｏｎｆｉｄｅｎｔ　ｅｎｏｕｇｈ　ａｎｄ　ｋｅｅｐ　ａｎ　ｅｙｅ　ｏｕｔ　ｆｏｒ　ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｓ．

 

聪明的超氧化物歧化酶

 

If you don't speak Chinese

Stoke locks on an Autumn night in a spectacular thunder and

lightning storm. One of my best booty moments

 

Don't see any probs with late night boating, in fact I do

quite a lot of it as we would often be somewhere else after

getting home from work. Nary a problem but again we're both

confident enough and keep an eye out for problems.

[MaryP]

I did the Stockton flight just before Christmas last, and of couse it gets dark early. So I started in the light, but was dark by the time I got half way up.

It was fantastic. The tunnel light lit up my approach, up the ladder and did the gates and paddles. The boat rose whilst I went on to the next one to ready it, and the tunnel light came up behind the gate like the sun rising to light up my work.

The night was clear, it all went like clockwork, and I loved every minute!

[carlt]

Sat in my living room, 2.05 in the morning and I've just heard a car drive by!

 

Should I ring the police or dash out and berate them?

 

There are no laws against night boating and it is a highly pleasurable experience.

 

I think this is definitely a case of "Mind your own business and stop twitching those curtains!"

[black]

people have traveled by night on water for thousands of years and navigated by using the stars and moon.

people only get sore about things cos they are not used to something new to them.

 

as for lock climbing im not sure id want to do it in the dark if I didn't need to. but I would chug along lit up like an xmas tree if I had to.

[Yamanx]

I like night cruising as well Although I did clout the swing bridge on the Peak Forest a little too hard because I didnt see it until the last minute, fortunately I was only travelling very slow.

 

I went into Gas Street Bason arriving at 11pm once, the trip from Tipton on the old main line in the late evening was an eye opener, half the homeless people seems to have made their home along that stretch, building bonfires and make shift camps. I didnt have any problems although it was a bit uncomfortable, going through the locks at Smethick we had some kerfuffle with a gang of Asian lads.

[mayalld]

I like night cruising as well Although I did clout the swing bridge on the Peak Forest a little too hard because I didnt see it until the last minute, fortunately I was only travelling very slow.

 

Are you confessing to being the boater that broke bridge 30?

[Naughty Cal]

Night time cruising is one of the things we enjoy. Better on a clear eveing when the moon reflects off the water and then there is no need for the spot light. You do have to be extra careful at locks though as the other half found out early this year

[Dekazer]

As with most other posters, I love night time boating, although we don't do it all that often and would probably avoid doing locks.

 

However, I have also been in the situation the OP described, where you're looking for a mooring and you don't know the area and the map suggested there would be moorings and there weren't, or you got grounded, or they're full and you don't know what to do other than just push on and hope for the best. It can be a bit worrying if you're inexperienced and a stranger to the area.

 

It might have been kind, in the circumstances, to offer a bit of local knowledge and ask if they'd like to brest up to your boat for the night - they might have been very grateful.

[carlt]

As with most other posters, I love night time boating, although we don't do it all that often and would probably avoid doing locks.

Locks are perfectly safe if you have a decent Petzl torch (other headtorches are available but they're rubbish, in comparison).

[NB Alnwick]

Locks are perfectly safe if you have a decent Petzl torch (other headtorches are available but they're rubbish, in comparison).

 

Out in the country, it is quite nice to navigate by night without the aid of artificial light - even to the extent of operating locks - once your eyes have got used to it. Unfortunately, the headlights of cars flashing by, street lighting and reflected light from conurbations means that your eyes have more difficulty adjusting and this makes a headtorch an essential accessory.

[nb Innisfree]

Out in the country, it is quite nice to navigate by night without the aid of artificial light - even to the extent of operating locks - once your eyes have got used to it. Unfortunately, the headlights of cars flashing by, street lighting and reflected light from conurbations means that your eyes have more difficulty adjusting and this makes a headtorch an essential accessory.

 

I.R. headset?

[FadeToScarlet]

I've done a bit of night-time boating on the canals, but mostly on the Ouse and Cam rivers.

 

Now that IS a different kettle of fish! The problem was, it was necessary because we were continuously cruising (no moorings available) and, in winter, it's dark when you finish work at 5. I had a 2 month period, I think, when I didn't move the boat in daylight, just because I was having to do all my cruising by evening.

 

Makes for dramatic views, and it is much more exciting. I generally took more are, and did things a lot more "by the book" than I would do during the day- for example, limbing down lok ladders onto the boat, rather than jumping onto the (often icy) roof.

 

Good head torches (LED Lenser, VERY bright) and, crucially, lifejackets (to overcome the weight of winter clothing) were all necessary.

 

http://nbluckyduck.blogspot.com/2009/01/cu...night-time.html

Edited July 10, 2009 by FadeToScarlet

[Yamanx]

Are you confessing to being the boater that broke bridge 30?

 

When was this?

 

 

 

Ah! no, twas not I. It wasn't bridge 30 it was the first swing bridge travelling south from Ashton and it was in 2005. Also I didnt break anything, I actually moored up right next to it until morning, I didnt hit it very hard at all

Edited July 10, 2009 by Yamanx

[carlt]

I.R. headset?

Just the red light setting, on a head torch, is fine, and won't affect your night vision.

[JohnEW2912]

Tomorrow, I'm in work and I expect to get to the boat at 6pm. We are then off on a 3 week cruise. Now clearly we could set off Saturday morning (we have ample time, we aren't pushing an impossible schedule), but we will set off from the mooring at 7pm, and cruise until about 9pm, and moor at the bottom of Marple.

Unless Marple is in its own time zone I doubt it will be dark at 9pm tonight!

[Chris J W]

Unless Marple is in its own time zone I doubt it will be dark at 9pm tonight!

 

Marple doesn't. But ... Dave does ...

[Yoda]

I don't do tunnels at night.

[canalman1946]

I don't do tunnels at night.

 

[honey ryder]

night time cruising is fun around london because its mostly lit up with groovy lights.

 

[mayalld]

Unless Marple is in its own time zone I doubt it will be dark at 9pm tonight!

 

It will be dark if we don't get away by 7!

[Nine of Hearts]

Going home on the BCN I found that at night it was easier, if anything. The corona thrown by the headlight made turning into the bridge holes wonderfully easy to judge. In daylight most of those turns take me two goes, that is bit of reverse more forward on turn etc. (the one into Hockley itself about 84 on occasion ).

[Stroudwater Boy]

I love travelling in the dark but normally only in the country. Not much fun through a town with drunks about.

 

It is a case for common-sense to have to be used in spadefuls, passing boats at tick-over (genuine tick-over not what most people use) and elsewhere just taking it easy.

 

I do not reckon on being a jack-in-a-box any jumping up when a boat goes past, earlier this year was the first and only time I have ever shouted at a person for going too fast. 11:30 one night in a working boat, clearly didn't feel the need to slow down as it was a working boat and pulled out both pins complete with a chuck of bank both ends.

[MartinClark]

Ah! no, twas not I. It wasn't bridge 30 it was the first swing bridge travelling south from Ashton and it was in 2005. Also I didnt break anything, I actually moored up right next to it until morning, I didnt hit it very hard at all

I hope you didn't make that bridge swing - it's a lift bridge!

[Zoro]

I work on a flight of locks. I wont embarrass anyone by saying which. I find that people tend to make more mistakes when going through the locks late at night. ie in the dark it must be easier to miss the odd paddle, paddles not fully closed.gates that have swung back open which in daylight boaters would probably re close. There is the further potential trip hazard in the dark. I am not against the practice but people should be extra carefull and many are not.

[MartinClark]

It will be dark if we don't get away by 7!

Why stop at the bottom of Marple Locks? If you start off up at 9.00 pm you'll get a good clear run up without other boats getting in the way!

 

Going home on the BCN I found that at night it was easier, if anything.

But beware of the toll islands in the middle of the canal! A boat I was on (but not steering at the time) narrowly missed going over the top of one once!

 

I have done a fair bit of boating in the dark, including whole flights of locks, and it can be really magical. It's funny, though, no matter how slowly you creep past moored boats, someone will always peer out from behind the curtains to see who is mad enough to be moving in the dark.

Edited July 10, 2009 by MartinClark