WHEEZE of the week

[bizzard]

Some folk seem to have difficulty judging the length of their boat,my observation.It seems the longer the boat,the more conflict marks there are on the front, ie the more ragged the fender ect.

So why not fix a garden bamboo cane vertically onto the prow,stick it into the fender somehow,so that the top can be seen from the back and adjust spectacles to focus on it,if worn.Perhaps a wee flag on top.Or for night use a bit of fluoresant tape, or even hollow out the stick,poke a wire up it to an LED bulb,it will warn off low flying aircraft too,if you happen to be sailing near an airport after dark. bizzard.

[Lady Muck]

I'm gonna make the dog walk down the towpath ahead of us waving a flag.

[BGA]

Some folk seem to have difficulty judging the length of their boat,my observation.It seems the longer the boat,the more conflict marks there are on the front, ie the more ragged the fender ect.

So why not fix a garden bamboo cane vertically onto the prow,stick it into the fender somehow,so that the top can be seen from the back and adjust spectacles to focus on it,if worn.Perhaps a wee flag on top.Or for night use a bit of fluoresant tape, or even hollow out the stick,poke a wire up it to an LED bulb,it will warn off low flying aircraft too,if you happen to be sailing near an airport after dark. bizzard.

 

And for the more technically minded a Car's reversing senser mounted on the front, Beep, Beep, Beep STOP!!!

[bizzard]

I'm gonna make the dog walk down the towpath ahead of us waving a flag.

Harness the dog,like a Husky to haul the boat along,save fuel. bizzard

[alan_fincher]

I'm missing something here.....

 

Simply stand at the back, and look at the front......

 

The front is where you can see the front is.........

 

Simple!

 

 

EDITED TO ADD:

 

On the subject in another thread of "Sunset Rising" on the T&M, this is a spot where it is quite important that you can assess what is coming the other way before proceeding!.........

Edited August 1, 2011 by alan_fincher

[DickBrowne]

But where's the back, Alan? I can see the front, but if you were reversing and asking me to judge where to stop from that photograph, I'd be scraping your blacking, sorry. Anyway, you have a modification on Bizzard's suggestion at the front with your light. Almost.

 

I'll get m'coat, shall I?

 

More seriously, Simon Piper had a widebeam at Crick, which he'd built for the son of Theo Paphitous from Dragon's Den, and that replaced talent, boatmanship and observation with a CCTV camera wired to a monitor at the helm.

 

Edited to correct apalling spelling

Edited August 1, 2011 by DickBrowne

[keble]

I'm missing something here.....

 

Simply stand at the back, and look at the front......

 

The front is where you can see the front is.........

 

Simple!

Wow, you must be very tall!

 

CCTV cameras are cheap - £50 or so.

Now there's a solution that's possible but maybe excessive?!

 

ETA Dick got there first

Edited August 1, 2011 by keble

[RLWP]

Some folk seem to have difficulty judging the length of their boat,my observation.It seems the longer the boat,the more conflict marks there are on the front, ie the more ragged the fender ect.

So why not fix a garden bamboo cane vertically onto the prow,stick it into the fender somehow,so that the top can be seen from the back and adjust spectacles to focus on it,if worn.Perhaps a wee flag on top.Or for night use a bit of fluoresant tape, or even hollow out the stick,poke a wire up it to an LED bulb,it will warn off low flying aircraft too,if you happen to be sailing near an airport after dark. bizzard.

 

Meh

 

Richard

[WotEver]

Meh

Thank you for such a deeply considered observation, sir.

 

Tony

[Guest wanted]

I'm more of a learn how long your boat is fan, I'm still at the gently tapping other things stage, but it's getting better.

[RLWP]

Thank you for such a deeply considered observation, sir.

 

Tony

 

There's only so much advice I can have rammed down my throat

 

Richard

[carlt]

There's only so much advice I can have rammed down my throat

 

That's very uncharitable.

 

I made this wall light out of a 4 litre milk bottle, at the weekend.

It's amazing what you can achieve if you put your cynicism aside and embrace novel ideas.

[Odana]

We pondered the idea of Droitwich Canal pennants on tall sticks as novelty canal souvenir items this weekend - very decorative on reedy windy canals.

 

Though I DO like the idea of reverse reverse parking sensors.

 

We could have done with some electronic "you are now entering a tunnel. please close your side hatch" alarms yesterday. That, or functioning brains. We had neither. Oops.

[stewey]

That's very uncharitable.

 

I made this wall light out of a 4 litre milk bottle, at the weekend.

It's amazing what you can achieve if you put your cynicism aside and embrace novel ideas.

I hope the milk isn't still in it, Carl

 

Stewey

[twbm]

They're made of steel FFS, and they all have a built in 'that's far enough' sensor. They go bong, possibly clunk, and stop.

[DaveC]

But where's the back, Alan? I can see the front, but if you were reversing and asking me to judge where to stop from that photograph, I'd be scraping your blacking, sorry. Anyway, you have a modification on Bizzard's suggestion at the front with your light. Almost.

 

I'll get m'coat, shall I?

 

More seriously, Simon Piper had a widebeam at Crick, which he'd built for the son of Theo Paphitous from Dragon's Den, and that replaced talent, boatmanship and observation with a CCTV camera wired to a monitor at the helm.

 

Edited to correct apalling spelling

[DickBrowne]

D'you see what I did there?

 

Congrats on being the only one to spot it.

 

So far...

 

Richard

[ditchcrawler]

Wow, you must be very tall!

 

 

No the cabin is only 10 foot long

 

We pondered the idea of Droitwich Canal pennants on tall sticks as novelty canal souvenir items this weekend - very decorative on reedy windy canals.

 

Though I DO like the idea of reverse reverse parking sensors.

 

We could have done with some electronic "you are now entering a tunnel. please close your side hatch" alarms yesterday. That, or functioning brains. We had neither. Oops.

When IWA held the National at Beale Park for the first time there was an award for going up to Lechlade and in the pack was a small flag attached to the end of a length of threaded rod with a small spring clamp on the bottom. The idea being that it could be seen above the banks on the bendy upper Thames.

[bizzard]

That's very uncharitable.

 

I made this wall light out of a 4 litre milk bottle, at the weekend.

It's amazing what you can achieve if you put your cynicism aside and embrace novel ideas.

Is it half of a model cruise liner? bizzard.

[sebrof]

D'you see what I did there?

 

Congrats on being the only one to spot it mention it.

 

So far...

 

Richard

[DeanS]

I'm missing something here.....

 

Simply stand at the back, and look at the front......

 

The front is where you can see the front is.........

 

Simple!

 

 

When I stand at the back of my boat, I can see everything except the end of my boat. Every time I approach the bank, or go into a lock, it is total guesswork. I find putting a person near the front, completely useless, because they always tell me to reverse AFTER I have hit something. I am getting quite good at virtualisation.

[alan_fincher]

No the cabin is only 10 foot long

Cheeky!

 

Actually about 13' 6" if you include the 5' 6" of engine room.

 

When I stand at the back of my boat, I can see everything except the end of my boat. Every time I approach the bank, or go into a lock, it is total guesswork. I find putting a person near the front, completely useless, because they always tell me to reverse AFTER I have hit something. I am getting quite good at virtualisation.

Yes,

 

Sorry!

 

Generally true of most live-aboard and leisure narrow boats that knowing where the front is involves a degree of guesswork.

 

If on "Chalice" we are in the same situation.

 

There are many complexities to steering "Sickle", (too much draft, and far too much power, mainly!), but one of the big advantages is being able to see the front fully from the steering position.

 

So stopping it just on a gate, or with a nose on the bank when winding, is a real pleasure, lacking in any guesswork.

[the grinch]

Cheeky!

 

Actually about 13' 6" if you include the 5' 6" of engine room.

 

 

Yes,

 

Sorry!

 

 

so it's only 8ft long then not 10 - bragging again?

[Tiny]

If I stand at the back and look forward I can see both side but I can't see the bit of boat in front of the cabin BUT

 

If I sit down at the back and look through the open back doors I cannot see down the sides but I can see the nose as i can stare through the whole 13' 6" of cabin and out through the front windows. This is very useful when the wind in blowing on rivers or the Shroppie though it tend to confuse oncoming boats as no-one appears to be steering if I am sitting.