Side fenders on hire boats

[Morat]

You do get some funny looks when taking a 70ft hire boat into a Thames lock. The plastic boats look like carnival floats with enormous space hopper shaped fenders hanging on both sides. We just looked heavy and scratched. It's rather like driving a dented Transit through a traffic jam of Ferraris

[David Mack]

You do get some funny looks when taking a 70ft hire boat into a Thames lock. The plastic boats look like carnival floats with enormous space hopper shaped fenders hanging on both sides. We just looked heavy and scratched. It's rather like driving a dented Transit through a traffic jam of Ferraris

 

You get more than funny looks when the Thames lockie invites you to take your 71ft 6 of unloaded large Woolwich into the 72ft space remaining at the back of the lock, while in front of you is the gleaming white transom of a multi-storey gin palace, himself seated grandly in the fly bridge at the top and herself (decked out head to toe in designer unsuitable-for-boating wear) makes jabbing motions with a puny aluminimum boatpole in your general direction....

 

David

[Pentargon]

Yes we will be owners one day - we have been doing at least a week a year (usually early or late season) for a few years and I reckon we are close to spending as much on this as keeping our own narrowboat. Just have to find the purchase money - unlikely before we get a couple of kids through uni. Anyway hiring is great way of seeing lots of different waterways.

 

Until then our boat is an old Enterprise sailing dinghy although I tempted to build a folding, trailable camping punt.

 

Hi "One Day" I'm trawling the virtual ditches at the moment and came across your post here on canalworld.net.

 

Last year I was where you are now but next month the keys of my 'new' NB are to be handed over. [The broker buggered up getting the survey done and we have to wait now til 10thJan for a slot on the slip.] Having done all the sums ref. boat ownership and factoring in my sons' ability to drink themselves through 3rd level on MY account, it became apparent that by careful costing and budgeting a NB was possible. BTW, since you are on here anyway and you DO own a boat why not put down "Enterprise". I just looked up Jim Shead and there are loads of boats of that name registered with BW. (I'm not for one moment suggesting you should register it!) And by a HUGE coincidence the lenghts of about half of them are shown as 13'. Oh! My last (or present)craft is a garaged up GP14 bigger sister of yours. Happy Christmas to you and yours.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Pentargon

[Tiny]

Hi All,

 

My first post here but I have found the conversations here both fun and educational (even those about boating!).

 

We have had many enjoyable cruises over the years on lots of different boats and waterways and are hoping for a half-decent bit of weather next week for a trip south on the Oxford aboard the UCC NB Cheviot.

 

One thing I have noted is that hire boats don't seem to come with side fenders any more. When I asked at the Ashby Boat Co last year they said "We don't bother now - they just get or lost caught up". Is it worth asking any more?

 

I do miss them on a breezy night when moored against metal pilings - I'm thinking about bringing my own - it's a start towards boat ownership

 

It used to annoy us when we hired but one day we found a set floating in the canal so used them for a few years. It's amazing what does float away and all the good rope that gets dumped too.

 

Now we have our own boat and a lot of fenders which means no banging - but fender types come and go so if you find one you like buy them while you can!