Inconsiderate boaters

[debbifiggy]

Is it just me or are people becoming more and more inconsiderate?

 

There is a boat moored on the towpath near us that has come adrift (not for the first time either), Yesterday my partner and various other locally moored boaters re tied this boat twice, banging in the pins firmly. A call was put into BW for the owner of the craft to come and sort their boat out. It had been pulled off on both occasions by speeding private boats. No sign of the owner checking it so far.

 

This morning we've had the same problems with speeding craft and the boat is once again loose across the cut with the speed culprit blissfully unaware of what he'd done. Two more private boats have just passed it and neither made any attempt to slow down or stop and tie the craft up.

 

I would limp around myself down the road and across the bridge and along the towpath with a mallet but am currently indisposed after an argument with a wasp which my knee lost badly. Guess it's time to put another call into to BW to request that the owner comes and sorts out their craft. I do hope they are not on holiday abroad somewhere.

 

D

[Lady Muck]

Three words. Tottenham Lock Moorings.

[debbifiggy]

Is it just me or are people becoming more and more inconsiderate?

 

There is a boat moored on the towpath near us that has come adrift (not for the first time either), Yesterday my partner and various other locally moored boaters re tied this boat twice, banging in the pins firmly. A call was put into BW for the owner of the craft to come and sort their boat out. It had been pulled off on both occasions by speeding private boats. No sign of the owner checking it so far.

 

This morning we've had the same problems with speeding craft and the boat is once again loose across the cut with the speed culprit blissfully unaware of what he'd done. Two more private boats have just passed it and neither made any attempt to slow down or stop and tie the craft up.

 

I would limp around myself down the road and across the bridge and along the towpath with a mallet but am currently indisposed after an argument with a wasp which my knee lost badly. Guess it's time to put another call into to BW to request that the owner comes and sorts out their craft. I do hope they are not on holiday abroad somewhere.

 

D

 

Well done Buccaneer (again). It's just been sorted with a hefty mallet, until the next time of course. So not everyone is inconsiderate.

[Guest]

Three words. Tottenham Lock Moorings.

 

Avest there me hearties - sink the scurvy sea dogs I say...

[carlt]

But as long as they were treating the situation "with a smile and a cheery wave" then they were acting with "consideration", according to BW and their "Stepford Boater" friends.

 

Personally I'll stick to tying up stray boats and helping people out whilst retaining my outwardly grumpy demeanour.

[Jim Riley]

Is it just me or are people becoming more and more inconsiderate?

 

There is a boat moored on the towpath near us that has come adrift (not for the first time either), Yesterday my partner and various other locally moored boaters re tied this boat twice, banging in the pins firmly. A call was put into BW for the owner of the craft to come and sort their boat out. It had been pulled off on both occasions by speeding private boats. No sign of the owner checking it so far.

 

This morning we've had the same problems with speeding craft and the boat is once again loose across the cut with the speed culprit blissfully unaware of what he'd done. Two more private boats have just passed it and neither made any attempt to slow down or stop and tie the craft up.

 

I would limp around myself down the road and across the bridge and along the towpath with a mallet but am currently indisposed after an argument with a wasp which my knee lost badly. Guess it's time to put another call into to BW to request that the owner comes and sorts out their craft. I do hope they are not on holiday abroad somewhere.

 

D

 

speeding hire craft? Now if you could fit a speed gun to a radio controlled shark........

[Timleech]

Is it just me or are people becoming more and more inconsiderate?

 

Maybe it's that there are more inconsiderate people (or people ignorant of what constitutes proper consideration) on the waterways than there were.

There are more people on the water, and especially more people who have bought a boat 'because it seemed like a good idea' or as potentially somewhere cheaper to live, rather than because they have any special regard for the waterways.

Also narrowboats etc generally have much more powerful engines than they did, and some people will tend to use that power if it's there. Just like the roads really, I 'suffered' from at least three prats in over-powered Audis this morning on a simple motorway trip to Rochdale & back. Dunno if it was coincidence that all were Audis?

 

 

Tim

[Smelly]

It's certainly not just you Debbi.

 

We've re-tied.two on our jaunt, both likely victims of hirers; the first was with 6 boat crews busily standing around waiting for a lock oh, about 7 boat lengths ahead.

 

The second probably felt awash with karma when I enquired of the Viking boat ahead of us whether they'd spotted the drifting boat after commenting on how quickly they'd made it to the next lock...

[debbifiggy]

It's certainly not just you Debbi.

 

We've re-tied.two on our jaunt, both likely victims of hirers; the first was with 6 boat crews busily standing around waiting for a lock oh, about 7 boat lengths ahead.

 

The second probably felt awash with karma when I enquired of the Viking boat ahead of us whether they'd spotted the drifting boat after commenting on how quickly they'd made it to the next lock...

 

I didn't say it was a hire crew that went to fast to drag the boat off its pins. Actually, I hate to say it on all occasions I've witnessed recently it's been the private boat owners. Most of the hire crews have been well behaved with a couple of exceptions. I guess that these days there are more private boats than legitimate hire craft unless you are based around Sawley to enjoy Canaltime antics.

 

Oh well, it's not come loose again tonight but tomorrow is another day and I'm back at work. Roll on the weekend.

D

[Guest]

speeding hire craft? Now if you could fit a speed gun to a radio controlled shark........

 

Just where did debbifiggy mention Hire craft.....

 

 

Edit to add I see debbifiggy has covered this in post #9

Edited August 12, 2010 by NB No Deadlines

[Night Hawk]

Now usually I'm the politest, most considerate of boaters on the cut...until I came across this forum some years ago.

 

What 'grinds my gears' are those snotty signs that moored boaters, boatyards or marinas display saying 'SLOW' or 'SLOW DOWN'....I now make a point of not doing so....because there's no legal or enforcable requirement to do so...and if they're bothered so mutch about bobbing around a bit then bog off to a floating car park aka marina or tie your boat up better.....

 

If those signs say 'Please'...or 'would you mind' etc ...then I have no problem about slowing down....manners need to be reciprocated..n'est pas?

 

A x

[mayalld]

Now usually I'm the politest, most considerate of boaters on the cut...until I came across this forum some years ago.

 

What 'grinds my gears' are those snotty signs that moored boaters, boatyards or marinas display saying 'SLOW' or 'SLOW DOWN'....I now make a point of not doing so....because there's no legal or enforcable requirement to do so...and if they're bothered so mutch about bobbing around a bit then bog off to a floating car park aka marina or tie your boat up better.....

 

If those signs say 'Please'...or 'would you mind' etc ...then I have no problem about slowing down....manners need to be reciprocated..n'est pas?

 

A x

 

Firstly, there is a legal and enforceable requirement to pass moored craft so as not to cause damage. Phylis was prosecuted for just this offence.

 

Secondly, why should moored boaters be required to ask nicely just to get people to do what they ought to be doing anyway?

 

If you make a point of not slowing down just because you don't like the fact that somebody has put a sign up addressed to inconsiderate morons, perhaps it would be wiser to pass at the proper speed, because if you don't you become one of the inconsiderate morons that the sign is addressed to.

[Night Hawk]

Firstly, there is a legal and enforceable requirement to pass moored craft so as not to cause damage. Phylis was prosecuted for just this offence.

 

Secondly, why should moored boaters be required to ask nicely just to get people to do what they ought to be doing anyway?

 

If you make a point of not slowing down just because you don't like the fact that somebody has put a sign up addressed to inconsiderate morons, perhaps it would be wiser to pass at the proper speed, because if you don't you become one of the inconsiderate morons that the sign is addressed to.

 

Damage...as opposed to a bit of bobbing around? Phylis was pulling water skiiers..?

 

Coming upstream on the Stratford was a glorious sign that said 'SLOW...respect the 4mph limit'....Happily chugging along at 1000 revs (about 2 mph) I chuckled and resisted the urge to open up the throttle!

 

This forum has taught me that there's no point in slowing down to tickover every time there's a moored boat.....more often than not it's empty!

 

I don't cruise at speed...usually no more than a couple of miles an hour...but it's the principle of those signs...

 

[barge sara]

Firstly, there is a legal and enforceable requirement to pass moored craft so as not to cause damage.

That does not necessarily include a requirement to slow down.

Is there not an implicit assumption that boats will be moored in such a way as to not be damaged when passed by a boat travelling at or below the speed limit?

I took the OP's first post as labelling the owner of the badly moored boat as just as inconsiderate as the boats passing at speed...

[Night Hawk]

That does not necessarily include a requirement to slow down.

Is there not an implicit assumption that boats will be moored in such a way as to not be damaged when passed by a boat travelling at or below the speed limit?

I took the OP's first post as labelling the owner of the badly moored boat as just as inconsiderate as the boats passing at speed...

 

Here here.....!

[Guest]

Now usually I'm the politest, most considerate of boaters on the cut...until I came across this forum some years ago.

 

What 'grinds my gears' are those snotty signs that moored boaters, boatyards or marinas display saying 'SLOW' or 'SLOW DOWN'....I now make a point of not doing so....because there's no legal or enforcable requirement to do so...and if they're bothered so mutch about bobbing around a bit then bog off to a floating car park aka marina or tie your boat up better.....

 

If those signs say 'Please'...or 'would you mind' etc ...then I have no problem about slowing down....manners need to be reciprocated..n'est pas?

 

A x

 

I suspect you are just trying to be a tad controversial -

 

every time I see one of those signs I slow down .

 

...not because of any legal requirement to do so, but because somebody has taken the time to produce and place a warning where there are moored boats advising me they are there......

 

I've never slowed down and then found a sign saying 'Silly bugger, actually there were no boats moored here we was just pulling your plonker...'

Edited August 13, 2010 by NB No Deadlines

[pistnbroke]

4 mph is very slow any way ....slow down ...no way ...if you carnt stand the wash get out of the cut .

 

And you buggers doing 2 mph ..total pain...would you do 35 mph in thecentre lane of the motorway ?

Edited August 12, 2010 by pistnbroke

[barge sara]

I've never slowed down and then found a sign 'actually there were no boats moored here' we was just pulling your plonker...

Nor even one saying "Actually all the boats are properly moored so you could have passed at normal speed".....

[MartinClark]

This forum has taught me that there's no point in slowing down to tickover every time there's a moored boat.....more often than not it's empty!

 

In what way has this forum taught you such a thing?

[alan_fincher]

 

The signs that say

 

"Which part of Slow Down do you not understand ?"

 

really piss me off.

 

To me they make the assumption that nobody ever does, whereas in my experience most boaters do slow down adequately, and only a relatively small minority do not.

 

Not to keen on

 

"For duck's sake, slow down!"

 

either - just don't hate them to quite the same degree.

 

As for

 

"Master boaters slow down........"

 

(yes, you know the one!..... )

Edited August 12, 2010 by alan_fincher

[Mick and Maggie]

Should we slow down past boats moored in a winding hole?

[barge sara]

The signs that say

"Which part of Slow Down do you not understand ?"

"For duck's sake, slow down!"

"Master boaters slow down........"

 

One of the advantages of the Yorkshire Navigations is that we don't see many of those signs.

We're presently moored at our favourite spot just upstream of the Went aquaduct, New Junction.

Just been passed by Humber Princess in the dark - biggest headlight you ever saw!

Sara dropped a foot, rose two, then settled back to normal. I've just been out to check our four BIG mooring pins - no problem.

But definitely my responsibility to moor appropriatley for the passing traffic.

[carlt]

Should we slow down past boats moored in a winding hole?

Why not?

 

If you pull their pins out then you make more problems for boats trying to turn than for the boat moored inconsiderately.

[journeyperson]

As for

 

"Master boaters slow down........"

 

(yes, you know the one!..... "sick:)

 

Yes, that one is moronic. There is a line of boats on a mooring, I think on the Middlewich Branch and several of them have the same photo-copied sign in a window. I think they are proud of having used a long word.

[Night Hawk]

I suspect you are just trying to be a tad controversial -

 

every time I see one of those signs I slow down .

 

...not because of any legal requirement to do so, but because somebody has taken the time to produce and place a warning where there are moored boats advising me they are there......

 

I've never slowed down and then found a sign saying 'bugger, actually there were no boats moored here' we was just pulling your plonker...

 

I am a little...the thing is, when we're in holiday cruising mode, full bow locker, full water tanks, full fuel tanks, full drinks cupboard, full larder etc, the boat is so heavy that we can rarely get past about two knots before you can surf on the bow wave...we don't speed...I just expect manners to be recipricated....those signs that demand you slow down really annoy me!

 

The grumbly old boating trolls that seem to have permenent residence just the other side of bridges and pop their hairy heads out to complain about you going just slightly faster than a limping snail never thank you for being considerate so why bother...

 

Some bossy, rather haughty, shiney boating lady last year told my children off for not being 'safe' around our boat.....the same boys who have had the royal seal of approval from 'Linda' the BW lady at Hurlseston Junction.....this bossy lady then promptly fell into the cut up to her rollers!

 

My garbled point is, I guess, considerate boating needs to be reciprical...and if you've got the time to make a sign...then why not tie your boat up better.....invest in some wheelbarrow wheels...etc