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Single handing in the wind


Chickadee

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Sorry asked that this morning and then was without internet all day.

 

Loads of useful advice though, thanks. It would be great to moor where the wind was more favorable but here most of the moorings are to the side where the wind just blows you straight back out again.... and our home mooring is on one of the most exposed bits of the whole bloomin canal!

Theres very few bollards or anything to tie to either so I have to battle with chains with one hand while trying to hold the boat to the side with the other hand lol.

I lost my longest line on the Severn, i'll have to buy another one and try just using a front and back line see if thats any easier. I do have wood on the roof but thats going down by the day. :)

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I don't think anyone has mentioned a little manoeuvre I use sometimes.

 

Almost come to a stop so that a bollard/ring is roughly at midpoint of boat, then put into tickover only. Immediately jump

 

off back with centre line, loop round that bollard, jump back on and hitch centreline onto stern dolly. Staying in gear,

 

the slow forward motion will keep you pulled into bank. You can then get off, secure bow and stern lines as usual. Cut

 

engine, remove centre line, and tighten ropes if required.

 

Some don't like the idea of getting off whilst in tickover, but its quite safe and you have control of the centreline at

 

all times. I have also used this method for single handed locking/swingbridges, leaving the boat in gear on the centreline whilst

 

setting the lock. It wont go anywhere!

Edited by Rebotco
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I don't think anyone has mentioned a little manoeuvre I use sometimes.

 

Almost come to a stop so that a bollard/ring is roughly at midpoint of boat, then put into tickover only. Immediately jump

 

off back with centre line, loop round that bollard, jump back on and hitch centreline onto stern dolly. Staying in gear,

 

the slow forward motion will keep you pulled into bank. You can then get off, secure bow and stern lines as usual. Cut

 

engine, remove centre line, and tighten ropes if required.

 

Some don't like the idea of getting off whilst in tickover, but its quite safe and you have control of the centreline at

 

all times. I have also used this method for single handed locking/swingbridges, leaving the boat in gear on the centreline whilst

 

setting the lock. It wont go anywhere!

It might if the rope breaks or your no good at knots.

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I don't think anyone has mentioned a little manoeuvre I use sometimes.

 

Almost come to a stop so that a bollard/ring is roughly at midpoint of boat, then put into tickover only. Immediately jump

 

off back with centre line, loop round that bollard, jump back on and hitch centreline onto stern dolly. Staying in gear,

 

the slow forward motion will keep you pulled into bank. You can then get off, secure bow and stern lines as usual. Cut

 

engine, remove centre line, and tighten ropes if required.

 

Some don't like the idea of getting off whilst in tickover, but its quite safe and you have control of the centreline at

 

all times. I have also used this method for single handed locking/swingbridges, leaving the boat in gear on the centreline whilst

 

setting the lock. It wont go anywhere!

I agree with most of this but... I would put it in neutral before getting off the boat and only put it back into gear once I was back on. Not sure what additional advantage is conferred by tying the rope off on the dolly rather than just on the bollard? And, while this works well with the back end line on a working boat, doing it with a roof mounted centre line can cause the boat to heel over. It is such a useful trick though that if I were ever to have a fully cabined motor boat again I would have lower or gunnel level ropes attached for the purpose.

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.................Some don't like the idea of getting off whilst in tickover, but its quite safe and you have control of the centreline at

 

all times. I have also used this method for single handed locking/swingbridges, leaving the boat in gear on the centreline whilst

 

setting the lock. It wont go anywhere!

I would take issue you with this statement; you can't possibly have control of a boat when it is in gear and you are on the bank. In my opinion it is a problem waiting to happen. :(

 

 

Howard

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I would take issue you with this statement; you can't possibly have control of a boat when it is in gear and you are on the bank. In my opinion it is a problem waiting to happen. :(

Howard

 

Just as well that its just an opinion then, it works for some not others.

Use the boat and engine to fight the wind, not your muscles, makes sense to me.

Given that you need to rope properly and tie well.

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I would take issue you with this statement; you can't possibly have control of a boat when it is in gear and you are on the bank. In my opinion it is a problem waiting to happen. :(

 

 

Howard

 

As I said, some don't like the idea.

 

But bear in mind you are off the boat for under 10 secs just whilst you put a turn round the bollard, then straight back

 

on. And you have the line in your hand the whole time. I can see no undue risk in that, and I am a very cautious person.

 

I really think any anxiety is more in the mind rather than in the practice.

 

For Chertsy, I would say the advantage of hitching on to the stern dolly is (a)So you are only off the boat for a few short

 

seconds and (b)It is easier, quicker and safer to get off afterwards because you can do so whilst remaining on the deck.

 

Incidentally, this was first shown to me by one of the most highly qualified nb trainers/examiners of the RYA.

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Let me tell you a story.

Many moons ago when i owned an old Harborough marine boat ''Patience'' with a SR2 engine.

It was Christmas week and i'd been on a jaunt to Waltham Abbey solo.

There had been heavy rain and the Stort was in flood,strong current and all.I reached Roydon lock on the way back which always badly overflows over the top gates in those conditions.Well i couldn't open em normally,i then tied my bow line to the end of a gate beam and went astern and tried pullin it open,still no good.So put the bows on the gates set Patience in fore gear at half throttle and got off holding the stern rope and started shoving on a gate beam.It suddenly gave,my heels slipped and i all but sat down,any way being quite nimble i was up like a flash as Patience roared out of the lock.I managed to get a turn around the paddle standard with the stern rope,with the boat straining at the leash like a looney dog and out of reach,at about 10'from the bank.

Ho hum,tried hauling it in,no good,tried hauling the stern towards me ,nearly did it,its surprising how those propellers bite.

Well i now had visions of camping on the bank and just looking at it until its fuel ran out which could have been days,very economical those old SR's. Then allofasuddenihadabrainwave.I found a bit of tree branch which i managed to wangle into the rope,yank it round to 90degs and so created a sort of Spanish windlass and so managed to twist and wind and wind in the beastie,knock it into neutral and reboard,and drank several large Scotches,and then carried on my way.

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As I said, some don't like the idea.

 

But bear in mind you are off the boat for under 10 secs just whilst you put a turn round the bollard, then straight back

 

on. And you have the line in your hand the whole time. I can see no undue risk in that, and I am a very cautious person.

 

I really think any anxiety is more in the mind rather than in the practice.

 

For Chertsy, I would say the advantage of hitching on to the stern dolly is (a)So you are only off the boat for a few short

 

seconds and (b)It is easier, quicker and safer to get off afterwards because you can do so whilst remaining on the deck.

 

Incidentally, this was first shown to me by one of the most highly qualified nb trainers/examiners of the RYA.

Bizzard has very ably demonstrated why it's not such a good idea and if you were taught this by an RYA trainer/examiner it just goes to show that even they can make occasional errors of judgement. It all boils down to good boatmanship/seamanship - something which is occasionally mocked on this forum but which I think is just as necessary on the canals as it is on more lumpy waters. :rolleyes:

 

Regards

 

Howard

Edited by howardang
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Bizzard has very ably demonstrated why it's not such a good idea and if you were taught this by an RYA trainer/examiner it just goes to show that even they can make occasional errors of judgement. It all boils down to good boatmanship/seamanship - something which is occasionally mocked on this forum but which I think is just as necessary on the canals as it is on more lumpy waters. :rolleyes:

 

Regards

 

Howard

 

 

I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one. Personally I think this is good boatmanship.

 

Bizzards experience was entirely different. He was at half-throttle, not tickover. He was off his boat with line

 

unsecured, trying to open the gate, not just hopping off for 5-6 secs. He was also on a river, not canal.

 

The only way you will be convinced is to try it for yourself at some quiet time perhaps with a crew available to give ssome

 

confidence/backup - then you will understand. :cheers:

 

If you do use the engine in gear method i wouldn't take a turn of the rope around your hand cos if you slip you'll be dragged into the oggin,those old propellers don't half bite.

 

Absolutely.

 

If you do use the engine in gear method i wouldn't take a turn of the rope around your hand cos if you slip you'll be dragged into the oggin,those old propellers don't half bite.

 

Absolutely.

Edited by Rebotco
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I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one. Personally I think this is good boatmanship.

 

Bizzards experience was entirely different. He was at half-throttle, not tickover. He was off his boat with line

 

unsecured, trying to open the gate, not just hopping off for 5-6 secs. He was also on a river, not canal.

 

The only way you will be convinced is to try it for yourself at some quiet time perhaps with a crew available to give ssome

 

confidence/backup - then you will understand. :cheers:

Ah with a crew that's different,but solo be careful. I'm not really the sort of chap to give out safety advice willy nilly being a bit of a daredevil myself,but i was once an IRA sailing dinghy instructor and i had to keep all that in check. :cheers:

PS Sorry RYA not IRA Its da way it rolls off da tongue.

 

Absolutely.

 

 

 

Absolutely.

Edited by bizzard
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When mooring up I slow Victoria as much as possible without it being thrown back into the middle of the canal, steer it along the bank, if it's stupidly wind jump off with it still in gear, but normally take it out of gear and step off with the back end rail line (effectively the historic boat equivalent of a centre line), take a couple of turns around a bollard, and with the loose end back under the line, pull upwards to provide the back pressure to strap the boat. Don't pull hard or else you'll snap the line or pull the boat over. This can be done when entering wide locks also.

 

Try to stop the boat with the line anchor point next to a bollard, throw the line off the bollard and move it to the other one. If it's tight this on it's own should hold the boat mostly next to the bank. With the line being further back then centre if the boat does drift out only the fore-end drifts, bringing the stern in. If this just isn't happening then I step back on and put it slow ahead.

 

If the situation is suitable I'll strap it using a line on the stern dolly and I'll let the fore-end go into the lock mouth to hold it in a convenient place (i.e. so you can open the gate).

 

For temporary mooring places, bridge 'oles, and in lock mouths are good places. In a bridge 'ole you can use the brickwork to swing the boat back in line again, or reverse up to get the bow in the right place again.

 

If you are across the cut but can get off at the back, then centre line to a bollard and drive ahead slowly. Done carefully it shouldn't rock the boat any more than normal use.

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

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I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one. Personally I think this is good boatmanship.

 

Bizzards experience was entirely different. He was at half-throttle, not tickover. He was off his boat with line

 

unsecured, trying to open the gate, not just hopping off for 5-6 secs. He was also on a river, not canal.

 

The only way you will be convinced is to try it for yourself at some quiet time perhaps with a crew available to give ssome

 

confidence/backup - then you will understand. :cheers:

Oh, I understand what your saying all right, and thanks for the helpful advice but I don't think I need any confidence building/handholding; I would rather rely on a lifetime spent as a professional mariner with a broad background in command of both ships and small boats, and as someone who has trained ship handlers over the years. You and I will just have to agree to differ about whether getting off a boat when singlehanding, for however small a period, with the gear engaged is good or bad practice :cheers:

 

Best regards

 

 

Howard

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If you know what you are doing, then leaving the boat in gear is often the SAFEST option! However it does assume you understand all that can wrong also. I've had to step onto the boat before dropping paddles to stop it going down the cut on it's own... but at no point was there a danger to me. Here's a good example of the worst that can usually happen (time 8m04s):

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdop30lig3Q

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

Edited by mykaskin
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If you know what you are doing, then leaving the boat in gear is often the SAFEST option! However it does assume you understand all that can wrong also. I've had to step onto the boat before dropping paddles to stop it going down the cut on it's own... but at no point was there a danger to me. Here's a good example of the worst that can usually happen (time 8m04s):

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

 

 

Well he made a right dick of himself.

 

Darren

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He should get a round of applause for the best nonchalant 'well I cocked up there but I'll pretend it was all planned' look

 

Exactly what I thought. I met a bloke steering an old working boat on the mars worth flight and he went crashing into the bottom gates, there was roars of laughter and he casually stepped of and explained that's how the old boat people used to do it!!! And I think he believed himself.

 

Darren

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