Owners versus hirers

[Graham Davis]

Bollox! We began as hirers almost ten years ago and we remain here! I do hope that comment was meant tongue in cheek!

 

For various reasons it's not practicable for us to buy, so we hire and borrow...who's to say that we don't "belong"? We have more lock miles under our belt than many of the owners around!

 

Janet

 

Have a greenie!!

Ditto us, too.

[Minos]

The comment was clearly expressing a minority opinion I encountered. I am jealous if you haven't encountered it.

 

It obviously isn't a popular opinion.

 

In further defence of hirers; they may make mistakes, but thanks to insurance requirements they have been taught how to behave on the water by the hire company which is almost always very keen on protecting its good reputation on the cut. The same cannot be said of a minority of owners.

 

I've seen some appalling examples of "I'll do as I damn well please so sod you!" behaviour from owners, including a boat chained to a lock landing with a row of empty moorings behind it.

 

That's a more significant divide that the hirer/owner one: the divide between the majority of boaters who do their best to enjoy the waterways without upsetting anyone or taking the piss, and the loud minority of boaters who treat the rules and etiquette with contempt and believe that they should be allowed to do as they damn well please.

[mrsmelly]

We were all hirers once!

 

No we were not !!

[bizzard]

A classic case of the hierarchy and committee members of organizations taking the prime moorings at shows and festivals,was.

My cousin and i were on his boat at the i think 1992 Peterborough IWA festival,and of course miles away from the show area.So in order to get a better position at the following years festival at Waltham Abbey,we booked both our boats in, in a year in advance at Peterborough.This made no difference whatsoever,both of us stuck under the M25 overbridge,at Rammey marsh,the noise was horrendous.8 of us had our ropes undone during the night too.We beat it at dawn the next morning,Sunday.

Needless to say all the hierarchy were still close to the show site,most of which were the same boats as at Peterborough.

I've never taken my boat to any festival since,nor been to one. bizzard

[luctor et emergo]

I AM A HIRER..

[Chris Pink]

I AM A HIRER..

 

You can get help these days

[Minos]

I AM A HIRER..

I my experience, I can deduce from your declaration that:

1. You try your damnedest to use locks properly
   
2. You only moor in the appropriate, designated places
   
3. You don't overstay
   
4. You don't lie about your use of moorings and then attempt to intimidate people who challenge you for it
   
5. You are on the waterways to enjoy yourself, and want others to enjoy the waterways, too
   
6. You slow down when passing moored boats, passing oncoming boats, passing coots' nests...
   

I'm thinking of designing a fictitious hire company livery to decorate my boat with so no-one thinks I'm one of those badly-behaved owners.

[Gibbo]

Bollox!

 

Perfect answer. The rest was not required

[Roxy]

I have never hired, but have just bought my cabin cruiser, probably but may give you a smile...

Went through a lock, was my second time, first time a lovely couple said to me (as I was a new boater) you stay on your boat and we will do the lock for you.

However on the way back I 'doubled' up with another cabin cuiser, I thought this time I will 'try' to help. Anyway used the windlass to open the paddle and forgot to make sure the catch was down, pulled off the windlass well tried too and it spun round about 100mph and ripped the strapped off my dress! The bloke the other side shouted becareful make sure the catch is down, that couldve hit you in the face and took your teeth out!!!....I shouted back Oh shit sorry I forgot about that!...I attempted to winde it back up only to realise my boob was hanging out!!!! I was so embarrased I left him to it and ran back to my boat........

I hope he's not on here but if so I can only apoligise for being a newbie and utter twat...bet he was thinking OMG !

[RichardH]

Some guests of ours ended up really quite upset last night on their first ever day on a boat.

 

They moored up, which in their own words, took some doing but once they had worked out what to do with pins etc they were happy and ready to go to the pub for their dinner.

 

Then the boater moored opposite who had watched their efforts waited until they were done and called across 'you can't moor there it is a water point'

 

Now for those of you who know East Marton it is not the most obvious as it is discretely hidden in a wall.

 

But instead of saying to our guests 'don't worry it is unlikely anyone will want it before the morning or just move back 20ft' he suggested they carry on

 

Whereupon with all the stress they got themselves well and truly stuck 200yds down the canal.

 

I went out to help and reversed them back but by this time they had missed their dinner and were pretty fed up

 

I sincerely hope this chap was very very pleased with his behaviour.

[Guest]

Tad annoyed today when we tried to explain to a Snaygill boat crew heading for Skipton that you don't close the swing bridge in the path of the two waiting boats coming the other way if they have opened the bridge.

 

Male crew member took on board what I was saying, female crew member (who opened the bridge) came back with..

 

"What and wait there all day....? you you must be joking." came back the reply "Thanks for the advice...not"

 

The other hire boat (Silsden boats) that was the boat in front of us clearly understood how it all works as they patiently held the gate open for their boat and ours.

 

I just called back that she was likely to make loads of new friends on her way along the canal shutting the bridge in the path of other boats and we hoped she enjoys her holiday.

[Dalesman]

Tad annoyed today when we tried to explain to a Snaygill boat crew heading for Skipton that you don't close the swing bridge in the path of the two waiting boats coming the other way if they have opened the bridge.

 

Male crew member took on board what I was saying, female crew member (who opened the bridge) came back with..

 

"What and wait there all day....? you you must be joking." came back the reply "Thanks for the advice...not"

 

The other hire boat (Silsden boats) that was the boat in front of us clearly understood how it all works as they patiently held the gate open for their boat and ours.

 

I just called back that she was likely to make loads of new friends on her way along the canal shutting the bridge in the path of other boats and we hoped she enjoys her holiday.

Well all it all goes to show you how the hire boat operator briefs their new crews, as an ex Silsden Boats hand over guy we always told new crews about the system that worked on the L & L and that they should always wait for other boats.

[Guest]

Well all it all goes to show you how the hire boat operator briefs their new crews, as an ex Silsden Boats hand over guy we always told new crews about the system that worked on the L & L and that they should always wait for other boats.

 

We have hired with both co.s and TBH I can't recall being told by either of them but for me it's just bloody common sense....

[Smelly]

it's just bloody common sense....

 

I'm all greenied out; have a hug instead...

[Janet S]

We have hired with both co.s and TBH I can't recall being told by either of them but for me it's just bloody common sense....

 

It's a bit remiss of them not to mention it, but I also think it's simple common sense!

 

Janet

[Minos]

Pace Janet S and Gibbo's expressed opinion of my comment, I maintain my point that as far as some owners are concerned, hirers are treated as outsiders who do not belong on the canals & rivers and are regarded as fair bait for some downright offensively patronising comments. It is inevitable that if you spend any time on a hire boat, you will be on the receiving end of one of these comments.

 

If you both (and everyone else here) are in the vast, overwhelming majority of friendly boaters who just want to get on well with everyone else, then that is good. But there is little profit to be had in pretending that the attitude doesn't exist.

 

While heading back toward the hire base yesterday an owner saw our vessel waiting to enter the lock he was occupying, not knowing I was one of the people doing all the bloody work while he gobbed off with a glass of wine in one hand, and announced to everyone present that at least hirers returning to base had spent a week on the boat so there was a small chance they might not hit him on the way past.

 

And then this morning two lady boaters tried to tell me that the reason I couldn't open the gates and let them out of their lock was because I was "pushing it the wrong way, didn't your hire company teach you how to do locks?" Of course, their failure to close a paddle properly behind them had nowt to do with it, did it?

 

As my experience of the waterways increases, I am settling into the conclusion that, actually, the vast majority of boaters are good people. If my daughter brought one of you home, I wouldn't object. Actually, my daughter is a boater...

 

But some boaters clearly have a problem with hirers. And I haven't see any evidence that hirers are any worse at boating than owners.

[Janet S]

as far as some owners are concerned, hirers are treated as outsiders who do not belong on the canals & rivers and are regarded as fair bait for some downright offensively patronising comments. It is inevitable that if you spend any time on a hire boat, you will be on the receiving end of one of these comments.

 

We indeed have been on the receiving end of such comments, but take it all with a pinch of salt now. The last time was on the Oxford last year, when a couple (who were on their second day of taking their boat out for the first time in eighteen months) made some snide comments about hirers which they didn't realise we'd overheard...they soon shut up when we met them at a lock and whilst chatting, told them that we were in the third week of our four week cruise, having gone from the Midlands down to London and along the Thames before heading back.

 

janet

[Guest]

And I haven't see any evidence that hirers are any worse at boating than owners.

 

I could possibly agree but day hirers seem to be in a league of their own - the majority we have encountered seem to be completely inept in how to handle boat, possibly not surprising really.

 

The exception being the hen party on a Pennine Cruisers day boat we passed yesterday - even though they were all dressed as pirates the young lady on the tiller seemed to know how to steer her boat very well as we met at a tight spot.

[churchward]

Pace Janet S and Gibbo's expressed opinion of my comment, I maintain my point that as far as some owners are concerned, hirers are treated as outsiders who do not belong on the canals & rivers and are regarded as fair bait for some downright offensively patronising comments. It is inevitable that if you spend any time on a hire boat, you will be on the receiving end of one of these comments.

 

If you both (and everyone else here) are in the vast, overwhelming majority of friendly boaters who just want to get on well with everyone else, then that is good. But there is little profit to be had in pretending that the attitude doesn't exist.

 

While heading back toward the hire base yesterday an owner saw our vessel waiting to enter the lock he was occupying, not knowing I was one of the people doing all the bloody work while he gobbed off with a glass of wine in one hand, and announced to everyone present that at least hirers returning to base had spent a week on the boat so there was a small chance they might not hit him on the way past.

 

And then this morning two lady boaters tried to tell me that the reason I couldn't open the gates and let them out of their lock was because I was "pushing it the wrong way, didn't your hire company teach you how to do locks?" Of course, their failure to close a paddle properly behind them had nowt to do with it, did it?

 

As my experience of the waterways increases, I am settling into the conclusion that, actually, the vast majority of boaters are good people. If my daughter brought one of you home, I wouldn't object. Actually, my daughter is a boater...

 

But some boaters clearly have a problem with hirers. And I haven't see any evidence that hirers are any worse at boating than owners.

The point is that to generalise for or against hirers or boat owners is a futile argument. There are some boat owners who are very poor boaters and so are there hire crews who are very poor too. I have encountered examples of both. It is also true to say that I have also encountered very good boaters who are owner and hire crews alike.

Edited August 21, 2011 by churchward

[tree monkey]

I could possibly agree but day hirers seem to be in a league of their own - the majority we have encountered seem to be completely inept in how to handle boat, possibly not surprising really.

 

The exception being the hen party on a Pennine Cruisers day boat we passed yesterday - even though they were all dressed as pirates the young lady on the tiller seemed to know how to steer her boat very well as we met at a tight spot.

 

there are always exeptions but day boats tend to be a nightmare in my experance don't know how to handle the boat in the morning and pissed on the way back, in a small boat with a full sized engine, bloody hell they can move fast.

 

we hired one many moons ago and were late getting back and opened her up to avoid the late return fine, we just didn't realise and thats the problem i suppose.

 

in general hire boats are no worse than private good and bad everywher again in my experance

[muddywaters]

We have always been lucky and mostly the worst we have had is a friendly wave and hello ignored by private and other hirers.

But what we have had is a lot of friendly chats with both boat owners and fellow hirers.

And have also had loads of good advice from mainly boat owners.

Thinka lot of it is down to how confident you look really, have said this before, I think a lot of the reason for why we very really have problems is giving the impression we know what we are doing.

Half the time we only look that way though lol, thing is I don't believe I know it all and eccept I still have a lot to learn so will always listen toadvice from fellow boaters be they owners or hirers.

[Charles]

Please... just stop whingeing and enjoy life...

[Wiggins]

Some people are rude & annoying & some people arent. If you give some of the former a boat/car/supermarket trolley it just seems to encourage their behaviour.

[Minos]

The point is that to generalise for or against hirers or boat owners is a futile argument. There are some boat owners who are very poor boaters and so are there hire crews who are very poor too. I have encountered examples of both. It is also true to say that I have also encountered very good boaters who are owner and hire crews alike.

But this thread is not about the skills or merits of hirers versus owners.

 

It's about the way a small minority of owners regard hirers.

 

 

Some people are rude & annoying & some people arent. If you give some of the former a boat/car/supermarket trolley it just seems to encourage their behaviour.

Absolutely - or, as I saw with reliable regularity, an insignificant nobody at the tiller of a large, shiny boat.

[dor]

At the weekend we came up to the winding hole just south of Bunbury staircase to turn. There was a Cheshire Cat hire boat trying to turn and it had the back end in the winding hole and the bow wedged against the towpath side. I dropped my wife off with the intention of her taking the bow line and pulling them round as the stern appeared to be grounded and they were getting nowhere.

 

The woman on the bow declined her offer saying we can manage perfectly well thank you. Her abrupt, nay rude manner made my wife back off and leave them to it. When after about five minutes they did eventually manage to turn my wife suggested that it's better to turn the bow in to the winding hole to keep the stern in deeper water with more room to manoeuvre. "It depends which way you are going" she was told.

 

You can't help some people. Having said that I treat hirers and private boaters the same. I've come across too many cases of incompetence amongst private boaters and good handling among hirers to pre-judge them. (Like the very expensive-looking shiny boat that was jammed in Hurleston on Friday - had to cut his fenders off with a bread knife, but only did it after the lock keeper came down to tell him to do it. There are big signs on the entrance to the lock telling you to lift fenders...)