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The Canals Are Alive


cheshire~rose

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Today as we have been doing a few jobs on the boat on our mooring we have had boats from 5 different hire fleets come past. Viking Afloat, Anglo Welsh, Countrywide Cruisers, Napton Narrowboats and Canal Cruising Co.

 

The sun is shining and families are relaxing as they move along the canal. Everyone is smiling and happy. It is wonderful to see so many boats moving again after the cold winter months. To see so many hire fleets out makes me smile. Those people who are hiring the boats are the ones who will be buying meals out to keep the pubs we like to drink at open, visiting the little shops along the way and puuting some cash in their tills. It is because they are there that BW have to keep maintaining the infrastructure of the canal.

 

The majority of the boaters I have seen on these hire boats appear to be relaxed and competent on the tiller. If they are repeat hirers then these might be the people who will soon be bringing some much needed business to boat builders or brokerages when they can resist the draw of the canal and the desire to own their own boat no more. If they are hiring for the first time then how likely is it they will get off that boat at the end of their hire period and never set foot on another boat again.

 

Yesterday we took the car down to get some coal from a coal boat which we knew was moored nearby. As we trundled the trolley with coal back up the towpath to the car there was a share boat waiting to enter the lock. A man was standing holding onto the rope while a Viking Afloat boat was in the lock coming down. It was one of the fleet that operates from just above the lock. A family on board with smiles as wide as a widebeam as they set off on their adventure. The man holding the rope on the share boat muttered something about how long he was going to have to wait because "there was a Viking Adrift" on it's way. I know if we were sharing wide locks I would much rather do so with the cheerful family of hirers and their inexperience than the sour faced share boat steerer!

 

We noted that above the lock the coal boat owners joined us in grabbing a bow line to help turn a hire boat round and we all chatted to the happy family on board while they waited to enter the lock chamber - the same lock chamber which now had the share boat in. The one who was not getting any assistance to open or close gates to ease his passage through by the 4 boaters standing talking to the hirers.

 

I know there will always be tales of things that happen to inexperienced steerers. Many of them will be hirers. This season I hope we can all remember we were all novices once upon a time and give a friendly smile to those people spending their hard earned cash on a holiday on the canals. Perhaps we can impart a little of our experience in a friendly way which will assist them in their onward journey? It is great to see them all out and about.

 

Here is a toast to all hirers everywhere :cheers:

 

I am in total agreement :cheers:

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Yeah, I second that toast. Walked up Napton to Marston Doles this morning and a couple of hire boats were working their way up that.

 

What really struck me last weekend as we came up from Cowley to Tring in rhe abnormally warm sunshine was how much the canal was enjoyed by multitudes of walkers, joggers and cyclists. It was great to see.

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Today as we have been doing a few jobs on the boat on our mooring we have had boats from 5 different hire fleets come past. Viking Afloat, Anglo Welsh, Countrywide Cruisers, Napton Narrowboats and Canal Cruising Co.

 

The sun is shining and families are relaxing as they move along the canal. Everyone is smiling and happy. It is wonderful to see so many boats moving again after the cold winter months. To see so many hire fleets out makes me smile. Those people who are hiring the boats are the ones who will be buying meals out to keep the pubs we like to drink at open, visiting the little shops along the way and puuting some cash in their tills. It is because they are there that BW have to keep maintaining the infrastructure of the canal.

 

The majority of the boaters I have seen on these hire boats appear to be relaxed and competent on the tiller. If they are repeat hirers then these might be the people who will soon be bringing some much needed business to boat builders or brokerages when they can resist the draw of the canal and the desire to own their own boat no more. If they are hiring for the first time then how likely is it they will get off that boat at the end of their hire period and never set foot on another boat again.

 

Yesterday we took the car down to get some coal from a coal boat which we knew was moored nearby. As we trundled the trolley with coal back up the towpath to the car there was a share boat waiting to enter the lock. A man was standing holding onto the rope while a Viking Afloat boat was in the lock coming down. It was one of the fleet that operates from just above the lock. A family on board with smiles as wide as a widebeam as they set off on their adventure. The man holding the rope on the share boat muttered something about how long he was going to have to wait because "there was a Viking Adrift" on it's way. I know if we were sharing wide locks I would much rather do so with the cheerful family of hirers and their inexperience than the sour faced share boat steerer!

 

We noted that above the lock the coal boat owners joined us in grabbing a bow line to help turn a hire boat round and we all chatted to the happy family on board while they waited to enter the lock chamber - the same lock chamber which now had the share boat in. The one who was not getting any assistance to open or close gates to ease his passage through by the 4 boaters standing talking to the hirers.

 

I know there will always be tales of things that happen to inexperienced steerers. Many of them will be hirers. This season I hope we can all remember we were all novices once upon a time and give a friendly smile to those people spending their hard earned cash on a holiday on the canals. Perhaps we can impart a little of our experience in a friendly way which will assist them in their onward journey? It is great to see them all out and about.

 

Here is a toast to all hirers everywhere :cheers:

 

As a 1st time hirer (next week) I'd like to say a big thank you! Although hiring for the 1st time, I've been on boats before and my better halfs' parents were liveaboards for almost 30 years. This is the year we sell up and buy our own!

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Not all shared ownership boats are miserable old gi**s :rolleyes: Some of us even enjoy ourselves!

 

Good to hear so many people are out and about enjoying the great weather. :cheers:

 

Howard

 

 

Sorry I realise my post reads as if I am also trying to stereotype all shared ownership boaters. That was not my intention I promise. Yesterday's experince just emphasised the contrast between two groups of people sharing the same bit of canal!

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I was giving the boat a clean today and a hire boat came past around 12 noon all well and truley on their way to being plastered looking in the wrong direction behind them and missed the bank by an inch! Could have been another boat!

So I dont entirely share the joys of hireboats and cant help thinking if they owned a share in the boat they were steering even the whole boat they would perhaps even pretend to give a damn.

 

I very much doubt the canals would grind to a halt without them.

 

I am not saying all hire boaters are like this obviously.

Edited by KirraMisha
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It is a fundamental sadness of humanity, I think, that is seems nigh on impossible for a positive statement, however well intentioned or innocent, to be allowed to stand as is without someone wishing to piss all over it.

 

People seem to have a unique myopia about their own flaws, and yet perfect vision concerning everyone else's. Hire boaters, share boaters, owners of shiny boats, owners of floating sheds, those who never stay in the same place twice, those who never leave the marina... Those who go too fast, too slow, are over friendly, unfriendly, helpful, unhelpful, thoughtful, intrusive...

 

It's a nice day outside. Don't get hung up on the minor stuff.

 

Quite right Starry!

 

And, if others insist on being hung up, may they not become hung up on the lock gates

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I very much doubt the canals would grind to a halt without them.

 

 

Utter tosh of course they would - do you seriously believe that if we take out the licence fee contributions by hire co's the system would survive??

 

Of course it wouldn't - certainly not in anywhere it's current form.

 

..

 

This is how I started in 1967. Renting a plastic boat for 2 weeks.

 

I'm on the far left.

cid_000c01cd07a721787e104001a8c0HOME.jpg

 

:)

 

I can't help but think the caption for that picture should be something like -

 

OMG - 2 weeks on that! little thing....

Edited by MJG
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Utter tosh of course they would - do you seriously believe that if we take out the licence fee contributions by hire co's the system would survive??

 

Of course it wouldn't - certainly not in anywhere it's current form.

 

..

 

Utter Tosh?

 

Is that a guesstimate?

 

How many hire boats are there?

How many leisure and residential boats are there?

 

Thank you?

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Utter Tosh?

 

Is that a guesstimate?

 

How many hire boats are there?

How many leisure and residential boats are there?

 

Thank you?

 

I doesn't need a precise breakdown or analysis - it's simple common sense...

 

We took our hireboat out today - it was gorgeous

 

Richard

 

I agree she's lovely....

 

 

 

oh sorry you mean the weather...

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It is a fundamental sadness of humanity, I think, that is seems nigh on impossible for a positive statement, however well intentioned or innocent, to be allowed to stand as is without someone wishing to piss all over it.

 

People seem to have a unique myopia about their own flaws, and yet perfect vision concerning everyone else's. Hire boaters, share boaters, owners of shiny boats, owners of floating sheds, those who never stay in the same place twice, those who never leave the marina... Those who go too fast, too slow, are over friendly, unfriendly, helpful, unhelpful, thoughtful, intrusive...

 

It's a nice day outside. Don't get hung up on the minor stuff.

 

Oh never mind over ten tons of steel driven by a drink driver its a nice day so it must be a positive thing!

 

I doesn't need a precise breakdown or analysis - it's simple common sense...

 

 

Logic would tell me there are less hire boats than leisure and residential boats put together?

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Logic would tell me there are less hire boats than leisure and residential boats put together?

 

Quite possibly - so what?

 

- I would say (logically) that would be a massive drop in income - which of course would have to made up somewhere if we were to maintain the system to at least it's current level, guess who would fill the gap....

 

Oh and what about all the owners like us that confirmed they wanted to own their own boat by virtue of the fact they enjoyed boating as hirers - if we take hiring boats out of the equation how would we have done that then???

 

You come across as a boat owning snob of the same vein as the one we once encountered who wouldn't share a lock with a hire boat because he preferred to send them up on their own (and waste water) because he wanted to go up with us because we were owners.... :rolleyes:

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Is it amount of boats that matters, or amount of miles covered by each boat? I would guess a hire boat travels many, many times the distance that a private boat does

 

That will be why so many people are killed every day by those drunk hire-boat drivers

 

Oh...

 

Richard

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Cheshire Rose,

have another greenie, and a big hug as well, for your lovely and sensible posting.

:clapping: :clapping: :hug:

 

KirraMisha,

if you were a child I'd say grow up!! :angry:

How you can tell someone is inebriated from a distance must be a wonderful talent. :angry2:

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