Exactly how slow are you supposed to pass moored boats ?

[bowten]

Sad to say that consideration for other boaters and their craft has deteriorated over recent years, in much the same way as manners and consideration for other people has diminished in other walks of life.

I agree,even when trying to moor alone and holding the centre line I have been amazed at the speed of some craft.24 tons of widebeam takes some holding.It all comes down to consideration and manners,I have been thrown out of the shower and had the mooring pins pulled out on more than one occasion.Trying to work on the boat can be dangerous when you are being knocked about or even hit full on.

Edited May 7, 2012 by bowten

[Guest wanted]

I saw a wonderful billboard once that read 'you are not in a traffic jam, you are the traffic jam

 

I always think of that when I see people having a moan about busy canals.

[DeanS]

I cruised as slowly as I could round a bend between two rows of moored boats, with a really bad crosswind. Any slower and I wouldnt have been able to keep the bow under control. Passed one guy and he had his nose against the window, mouthing the words...slooowww downnnnn.....I've never forgotten it..

[Dr Bradley]

I have various policies. If a boats flying a pirate flag or has an unfunny but common name I don't bother slowing. Just recently I have had a few shouts to slow down or abuse. Each time I was at tickover and at the same speed I've had people thank me for slowing down. I have to admit that I get bored on long lines of moored boats and genrally assume that on permanent moorings they are well moored so can go slightly faster. I really get bored with boats moored 100yds apart over a mile or so. My tickover is slightly over 1mph. The next notch on the morse (nothing in between) is slightly under 2mph. Generally I think that reasonable.I'm thinking of having a sign painted for the shouters to show as I pass - "get a caravan".

[luctor et emergo]

Ahh yes, the perpetual mooring site that is the K&A. Funnily that those who live here, have recently been commenting that there seem to be less boats between Bath and Bradford on Avon. As for not liking hireboats, that may have something to do with the sheer number of hireboats on this short stretch of canal. Foxhangers-Foxhanger Canalboats, Hilperton-Alvechurch, Bradford on Avon-Sallyboats & Oxfordshire Narrowboats, Bath - Bath Narrowboats, and then there are the Anglo Welsh boats.....

add to that the popularity of Stag and Hen parties, which are a nuisance, and you can see how there are two very conflicting user groups on a 15 or so mile stretch.

And before you trot out that with out the hire boats there would be no income, and no canal, consider for a moment the damage, and water use age, of all those hireboatsats. The pesky liveaboards paytheir licence fee, and use hardly any water, and do a fraction of the damage to the infrastructure.

Edited May 8, 2012 by luctor et emergo

[Biggles]

I am moored on a reasonably wide and deep river. I have noticed in the 2 months I've been there 2 things.

 

1. Plastic cruisers cause more noticable movement.

2. Steel tubes of all types cause less.

3. The very worst are the 12'' safety boats that follow the rowers. Why does a 12' open boat need a 25hp outboard?

 

Conclusion is hull type is more relevant than speed.

[Graham Davis]

The pesky liveaboards paytheir licence fee, and use hardly any water, and do a fraction of the damage to the infrastructure.

 

Of course they don't, they never move!

 

 

 

 

I'll get my coat.

[luctor et emergo]

Of course they don't, they never move!

 

 

 

 

I'll get my coat.

 

in the current climate, that doesn't seem such a bad thing

[blackrose]

Hi all,

I am a relative new boater (January this year) the proud owner of a 50ft narrowboat. I had intended (and still do) wish to be a continuous cruiser until a brief pulminory thingy magig meant that I have to stay in one place for a while (river Thames at Windsor). I have moored up but I am being constantly buffeted by the large plastic cruisers, hire boats and the ever present tourist boats. What speed indeed. The alleged maximum of 4 knots (walking pace) seems to have been overlooked by these craft. What can one do !!!!

 

It's completely different on the Thames and perhaps some people who moan about their boats being moved by passing boats on the canals should try mooring on a big river. For starters it's 5mph on the non-tidal Thames and it's mainly the wash of passing boats rather than the draw of the water ahead of them that moves you (although if some of the big passenger boats pass close it's the latter). The answer is to use springs (look it up if you don't know what that means), but if boats really are speeding then get the phone numbers of Romney & Bovney locks and give the respective lock keeper a call.

Edited May 8, 2012 by blackrose

[Pykebird]

It's not the wake the stern causes that upsets me, I live on a boat, so expect it to move, BUT myself and a friend did shout at a boat from one of the charities recently.

The reason was we saw his bow wake come round the corner before the front of the boat appeared! It was full of kids, most of them on the front shouting theres some boats! What a suprise.

Even though he did power off, the gang plank which was tied and staked came off and both boats lurched heavily. Things were thrown over inside, but luckily nothing broken.

The worry is these people are responsible for "teaching" the next generation of boaters.

Edited May 8, 2012 by pykebird

[Chris Pink]

There's no point In shouting at people. If their behaviour is unacceptable then you should complain in writing to the charity.

 

Or, in the case of hire boats, phone the base, they can phone the hirers.

 

In the case of privately owned boats you might as well save your stress.

[Pykebird]

This time we did call the charity concerned, but felt it was also the time to yell at the person on the tiller!

[pevil]

Sad to say that consideration for other boaters and their craft has deteriorated over recent years, in much the same way as manners and consideration for other people has diminished in other walks of life.

 

 

I totally agree, just be considerate, however you won't please all the people all of the time.

[Martin Megson]

No Martin, you are missing the point.

 

Even if half a dozen boats are tied up exactly the same, some will be more affected by a passing boat than others. Good tying up can mitigate the effects of this, but it is still noticeable.

 

I would agree that hull shape will influence the effect of a passing boat. As will the direction the moored boat is facing (in terms of fore and aft movement).

[furnessvale]

No, even all other things being equal. Even if a boat's properly tied up, you can see it straining to move if you pass too fast, or hear its chains clanking.

I often hear the "nappy pin" clang as it jumps along the waling on steel piling. If they only knew to put the pin next to a bolt it wouldn't move.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[carlt]

Sad to say that consideration for other boaters and their craft has deteriorated over recent years, in much the same way as manners and consideration for other people has diminished in other walks of life.

You must be very old indeed because when I started boating, in the early 80s, people used to moor badly, speed, shout at each other and be generally bad mannered, too.

 

There weren't as many boats about, of course, so the incidents were numerically less common but proportionately just as frequent.

 

The ones not boating were behaving just as badly, of course and the old codgers were moaning that back in their youth they had manners and consideration for others, of course (oh and you could understand what the pop stars were singing, too).

[mayalld]

OK, nobody likes it when you`re moored up and your boat is moved around as another passes it, particularly on a shallow narrow canal, but exactly how slow is one supposed to go past moored boats ? ! ?

The reason I ask we`ve just come back from a trip on the Kennet & Avon (well part of it, the navigation was blocked at Hilperton and there was no access to the Avon at Bath ! ) and we`ve never had so many people* giving us the evil eye, or even asking us to slow down, despite the fact that on my GPS we were doing around 2 mph ! In fact the boat wouldn`t physically go much slower even on tickover, possibly 1.6 mph ? If people are really saying you should be going much slower than 2 mph that isn`t actually possible with most of the boats we`ve hired ! The other point is that there seemed to be more moored up boats on the K&A than any other waterway we`ve been on, if you`re supposed to pass moored boats at 1 mph (which, as I`ve said, isn`t actually possible anyway) we literally wouldn`t have averaged more than 2 mph on whole section of canal we were on. Now I like narrow boating because it`s relaxing, but 2 mph is possibly taking things a bit far, or in this case, ironically not far......

 

OK, there are actually two entirely contradictory answers to your question.

 

Firstly, there is the fact that (as in all walks of life) there are people out there who will have an entirely unreasonable expectation of how other people should behave and exacting specifications for how the world should revolve around them. It might well be that you encountered somebody for whom your mere existence withing sight of his boat is an affrontery.

 

Secondly, there isn't a single numerical answer to "how slow", and as such quoting a speed from the GPS is approaching the question in the wrong way.

 

The problem with that approach is that it makes huge assumptions that simply aren't valid in many cases.

 

In particular, it assumes;

• 2mph is half the normal speed.
• only 0.5mph over the absolute minimum speed can't make a difference
• an average of 2mph is unreasonable

You need to forget the GPS, because you are using it to support your right to go at a particular speed.

 

Consider the following;

 

• On some canals, notwithstanding the 4mph limit, it isn't actually possible to exceed 3mph without causing erosion to the banks.
• On some canals (narrow and shallow in particular), the difference in effect on moored boats between 1.5mph an 2.0mph is considerable, with the difference between 2 and 3mph being less marked.
• On canals with a lot of moored boats an average of 2mph is entirely reasonable.

As you say several people have given you the evil eye, it may be that 2mph is not sufficiently slow for that boat.

 

In general, start from the assumption that you will pass moored boats at tickover. If you are CERTAIN that a bit faster causes no problems, then ease it up a little, but you do need to be certain (and that means knowing what to look for)

 

 

 

[Chris Pink]

O frabjous day, a Mayall listy

Edited May 8, 2012 by Chris Pink

[furnessvale]

OK, nobody likes it when you`re moored up and your boat is moved around as another passes it, particularly on a shallow narrow canal, but exactly how slow is one supposed to go past moored boats ? ! ?

 

I do not have one set speed, rather the speed is dictated by various factors.

 

Firstly my knowledge of the canal depth and width gives me a starting point. Bye the way, that knowledge can be that learned in the 50yds before the moored boat, not necessarily by a previous passage along that canal. Even then, a sudden change alongside the boat can catch you out. Often a boat that never moves will have its own little mudbank.

 

Next I have a pecking order of who gets the most consideration.

 

Overnight moorers on pins get the slowest treatment. They have no previous knowledge of the ground conditions and I MAY pull their pins.

 

Next come overnighters on rings or piling clips or chains. They have had the opportunity to make a more secure mooring and their boat should react accordingly.

 

Last in the consideration are permanent on line moorers. They have had ample opportunity to tie up the Titanic and their lines should be well up to the job. Having said that, I can think of a good number tied up on loose string and even GRP boats with one central pin to serve fore and aft lines.

 

A good case in point is Golden Nook en route to Chester. I will not be passing a one mile long permanent linear mooring site at one mph for anyone.

 

I moor two boats on line and even 35ft Sandbach has six lines attached.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[mayalld]

O frabjous day, a Mayall listy

 

Yes indeed, a list.

 

If setting something out as a list makes it easier to read, then why not?

 

Far better a list that imparts something useful than another one of your predictable tedious attacks on me.

[Justin Smith]

OK, there are actually two entirely contradictory answers to your question.

 

Firstly, there is the fact that (as in all walks of life) there are people out there who will have an entirely unreasonable expectation of how other people should behave and exacting specifications for how the world should revolve around them. It might well be that you encountered somebody for whom your mere existence withing sight of his boat is an affrontery.

 

Secondly, there isn't a single numerical answer to "how slow", and as such quoting a speed from the GPS is approaching the question in the wrong way.

 

The problem with that approach is that it makes huge assumptions that simply aren't valid in many cases.

 

In particular, it assumes;

• 2mph is half the normal speed.
• only 0.5mph over the absolute minimum speed can't make a difference
• an average of 2mph is unreasonable

You need to forget the GPS, because you are using it to support your right to go at a particular speed.

 

Consider the following;

 

• On some canals, notwithstanding the 4mph limit, it isn't actually possible to exceed 3mph without causing erosion to the banks.
• On some canals (narrow and shallow in particular), the difference in effect on moored boats between 1.5mph an 2.0mph is considerable, with the difference between 2 and 3mph being less marked.
• On canals with a lot of moored boats an average of 2mph is entirely reasonable.

As you say several people have given you the evil eye, it may be that 2mph is not sufficiently slow for that boat.

 

In general, start from the assumption that you will pass moored boats at tickover. If you are CERTAIN that a bit faster causes no problems, then ease it up a little, but you do need to be certain (and that means knowing what to look for)

 

I have to say it`s rare for us to do much more than 3 mph when we`re cruising, that`s partly out of consideration for the canal bank, but just as much because the engines`s quieter and 3 mph is a also bit more relaxing, or should I say even more relaxing. The only exception to this is if we have to get somewhere for a particular time, something we try to avoid, but sometimes you can`t.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Justin Smith

[KirraMisha]

This weekend everyone slowed down when passing me as I could hear their engines come down in tone.

But before me there was a 50 plus footer narrowboat that broke its mooring 4 times at the front.

I put it back smacked the pin back in but it kept getting dragged out again.

The soil was just very soft where he had moored.

So obviously there are a lot of factors involved other than speed alone.

I must say though through my limited experience some people only seem to slow down if they know you are on the boat.

[Chris Pink]

I must say though through my limited experience some people only seem to slow down if they know you are on the boat.

 

How on earth do you know that? Do you hide?

 

 

Far better a list that imparts something useful than another one of your predictable tedious attacks on me.

 

I believe that's what they call a non-sequitur - would you like me to look that up for you?

 

oh no, I forgot, you studied Latin at school, with some distinction I believe.

 

 

...

Edited May 8, 2012 by Chris Pink

[Chertsey]

O frabjous day, a Mayall listy

Bulletted lists are a good way of presenting information - don't knock it for the sake of it.

 

 

 

• [*]On some canals, notwithstanding the 4mph limit, it isn't actually possible to exceed 3mph without causing erosion to the banks.

On some canals, notwithstanding the 4mph limit, it isn't actually possible to exceed 3mph full stop. (Or 2 on the Chesterfield)

[Chris Pink]

Bulletted lists are a good way of presenting information - don't knock it for the sake of it.

 

 

• 
   
  
• Who's knocking?
  
• I agree
  
• I love it when Dave rolls out a list.
  
• I wish I could do them half as well