Strange occurence

[Oeystein]

I have just returned from my third narrowboat holiday and it was a good holiday as ever. This in spite of numerous chavs, yobs, lagerlouts and various other human forms (including the three rockthrowers and their retarded mother at Preston Brook). Not always pleasant, but something one has to accept and live with. As other has pointed out in this forum; "smile to the world and it doesn't throw bottles at you"

Strange though that the only real bad experience was from "fellow" boaters.

We had been up to Worsley and was cruising south on The bridgewater just south of Barton. There was no traffic, no moored boats, the canal is deep and wide, so I wasn't to concerned when my GPS showed speeds between 4 and 4,5 mph. There was no wash and very little wake. In the distance I spotted two boats, also going south, which I gained upon very fast. Their speed was around 2,5 mph. They were in company and they were talking to each other and apparently had a nice day out on the canals. I kept my speed and started to overtake them well to their port side, both of them was close to the towpath. When I was abreast of the second boat, both boats gave full throttle and pulled away ahead of me. I slowed down and pulled in behind them, deciding that passing wasn't that important once they had increased their speed. But, at the instant I was behind them, they again reduced speed, again to 2,5 mph . The boats looked old and scruffy and smelled like they were running on old rubber tyres, so a little angry I decided to pass them whatever it took. The same happended this time, but my engine proved the healthiest. I finally managed to pass them both just north of the bend at Kelloggs, this time we had three boats doing much more than 4-4,5mph.

OF COURSE I should have gone with less than 4 mph the first time and OF COURSE I should have signalled for permission to pass, but the helmsman on the second boat stood and looked directly at me when I aproached and somehow I don't think I would have gotten a friendly wave to pass. (I had tried a cheerful "good morning" to the same gentleman that same morning when we were moored at the same place without getting any sort of reply or recognition)

I guess this is the exeption to the rule that all boaters are nice people, perhaps they should be wearing 1 % badges and leather vests, much the same as the bad bikers.

Of course, beeing a guest in a foreign country one should be quiet and polite, but this one I had to get of my chest. Next year we'll be going for two weeks instead of just one

Edited July 2, 2006 by Oeystein

[charles123]

Welcome to the site, on balance this sort of behavior is in the minority fortunately in my experience. I always try to avoid conflict as I am on the waterways to relax and enjoy the life. On my last week long trip I had a man shout at me to slow down in the same area even though I was not speeding and there was no wash also a fisherman shouting something, I tend not to answer back and that seemed to make things worse in the case of the fisherman who continued shouting at me but I could not understand what he was saying.

 

Problems of the sort you note are upsetting

 

Charles

[stuart]

I've had a similar experience on the B'ham New Line, a boat was moving about 2mph against the tow path while a woman was walking her dog on the towpath. Everything I attempted to go around (plenty of room on the BCN) the other boat would increase in speed. Really frustraiting!

[Oeystein]

I've had a similar experience on the B'ham New Line, a boat was moving about 2mph against the tow path while a woman was walking her dog on the towpath. Everything I attempted to go around (plenty of room on the BCN) the other boat would increase in speed. Really frustraiting!

 

A rottweiler? (The dog, not the woman). The boat I'm speaking of had one, even more openly hostile than the owner.

[mykaskin]

I've had a similar experience on the B'ham New Line, a boat was moving about 2mph against the tow path while a woman was walking her dog on the towpath. Everything I attempted to go around (plenty of room on the BCN) the other boat would increase in speed. Really frustraiting!

 

The BCN main line is the best for overtaking, you can nip around the other side of a toll island, while they slow down even more to get through!

 

Mike

[Hairy-Neil]

The BCN main line is the best for overtaking, you can nip around the other side of a toll island, while they slow down even more to get through!

 

Mike

 

Been there, done that, got the T shirt....

[John Orentas]

This is a very common problem on the waterways, I have suffered from it many times, the trouble is people are reluctant to bring up the subject because they are then open to a tirade of abuse with replies telling you shouldn't be 'speeding' in the first place.

 

In my view it is totally unacceptable to attempt to control the speed of another boater in this way or any other, because they are out for a quiet dawdle, and there is nothing wrong with that, for them to slow you down to their speed is the height of arrogance. I am afraid I have occasionally taken a fairly aggressive attitude when faced with this anti-social behaviour, I will wait sometimes a considerable time for a wave but if that does not come I have been known to force my way past anyway. The speed limits should not be taken too literally, as Oeystein says a reasonable slow speed on one canal such as the Bridgewater will be irresponsibly fast on narrow shallow canals like the Macclesfield.

 

I would add on the subject of overtaking it can be a fairly complex matter in a technical sense, many hydraulic effects are at work, everyone who has done it will have noticed that when you pull up alongside a slower boat the speed of that boat will increase and as you pass by a reverse effect will occur, so it is not always down to the other chap speeding up.

 

I haven't had much trouble with the 'Slow Down' brigade this year, non at all in the south of the country for some reason. Have you noticed that they all find mooring on the shallowest bit of waterway they can find and leave at least 2 mtr. of slack in their mooring lines. They lack originality too, the most usual comments being "You've lost your water skier", "Are you winning", "Where's the fire" and other brilliant bits of repartee.

Edited July 16, 2006 by John Orentas

[Breals]

Some argy-bargy at the moorings in Evesham this morning. Two boats lashed travelling together were leaving their mooring, and agressively started revving their engine and directing a massive spray of water onto the boat they were moored against, the owner shouting ....'and I would be KINDER TO YOU IF YOU KEPT YOUR BLOODY KIDS UNDER CONTROL, keeping us awake till 4 IN THE MORNING'. He probably had a point, but what does this sort of display really achieve other than making raising the blood pressure levels of everyone concerned?

[Stephen Sugg]

 

I haven't had much trouble with the 'Slow Down' brigade this year, non at all in the south of the country for some reason. Have you noticed that they all find mooring on the shallowest bit of waterway they can find and leave at least 2 mtr. of slack in their mooring lines. They lack originality too, the most usual comments being "You've lost your water skier", "Are you winning", "Where's the fire" and other brilliant bits of repartee.

 

I overtook three boats between locks on the Thames last week, they were going very slowly and I was having trouble staying a polite distance behind so I went for it. On the Thames it's easy because it's so wide........

[Cris P]

It's a tricky one really, too fast for some people too slow for others - you're probably going about the right speed.

 

My gripe this weekend (not really, I'm full of the joys of summer) has been the folks who refuse to give any room when we pass in opposite directions, and I end up aground. And the two hirers who left their boat unattended, unwatched and descending in Bradford on Avon lock, whilst they had a good argument on the lockside. My wife put them right about that pretty sharpish.

 

Generally at this time of year one's patience gets tested, but it appears I have the patience of a saint (you are allowed to debate this), and I relish a challenge when steering. So if trouble comes towards us, and I can steer my way out of it, then I'm feeling pretty good !

[NB Willawaw]

I don't know what was going on this weekend on the GU.

Boaters were approaching on the wrong side and forcing us

into the bank. When we went over as far as we dared on the right

hand side, at the last minute, they would move over to their correct side and pass with 12-18" gunwhale to gunwhale leaving loads of room the other side.

It happened a couple of times and they weren't hire boats neither, so they can't blame

inexperience.

 

I could see no visible reason for their actions - i.e. we were to the right of centre when approaching them and the depths were ok.

 

I have noticed that the canals are getting busier and busier and boats appear to be

literally falling over themselves. Peoples manners, aggression and transferred stress appear to be approaching the same level as employed on the roads.

 

I think we'll go back to weekdays only and avoid contributing to the congestion.

 

Roll on the Autumn !!!

[Christine]

Ahhhhhh...the joys of the Wey & Arun Canal. No problems here with only the two trip boats NB Zachariah Kepple and NB John Smallpeice (not a spelling mistake) on the 2.5 miles up to Drundgewick Lock. It is just glorious.

 

We now have 3 weeks of Waterways Recovery Group working parties lowering the Onslow pound, to get the canal under the road crossing at Loxwood. Soon we will be able to get up to Devils Hole Lock. The W&A Trust are considering purchasing an electric boat to run on the new stretch.

 

I will be organising a 'Boaters Banter' in August at the Onslow Arms PH - to see the new works and construction of a lock. Watch out for postings.

 

Chrissie

[mikevye]

Experiencing mostly narrow water ways on the llangollen and montgomery canals the courtesy of moving over to allow somebody to hog the centre of the canal is not an option. Steering directly at the oncoming boat at the appropriate moment left rudder pointing the bow towards the bank then right rudder to bring the boat about steering at a point slightly behind the approaching boats stern, works for me! If the oncoming boat skipper is experienced he will automatically do the same leaving loads of room, in the event of inexperience and or stubborness to stick to centre line the manoeuver still works but with less room. I would never move over or allow myself to get stuck because all the thanks you'll get is somebody laughing at your predicament.

[tony collins]

I haven't had much trouble with the 'Slow Down' brigade this year, non at all in the south of the country for some reason. Have you noticed that they all find mooring on the shallowest bit of waterway they can find and leave at least 2 mtr. of slack in their mooring lines. They lack originality too, the most usual comments being "You've lost your water skier", "Are you winning", "Where's the fire" and other brilliant bits of repartee.

 

 

There is a parallel thread to this in the virtual pub - see mimsers

 

Tony

[CanalWalker]

i remember some (insert your own expletive) woman was infront of me at a very slow speed in a narrowboat, in my plastic boat with an outboard engine i had a very hard time steering at such slow speeds with the slight wind not helping. She knew i was there but ignored me for ages until the canal was finally wide enough to over take her. at the next lock she had the cheek to come and stand at the lockside and tell me i was rude, you have never heard such language comng from the bottom of the lock. she is lucky she wasnt there by the time the lock had filled.

[John Orentas]

I believe I set a new personal speed record for a northbound passage of the Harecastle tunnel this summer, just over the hour mark had to select neutral several times as I was rapidly catching the very careful chap in front, the normal time is about 40 minutes. Why do people do that, going so slow that you begin to loose steerage.

 

Noticed a crafty device on the Thames, two triangles a few feet apart on one side of the river, when you have an alignment between the two, start your watch, further on there are two more triangles stop your watch when they align. If the transit takes exactly 60 seconds you were travelling at 8 kph or 5 mph. I was 5 seconds too quick which is near enough I suppose.

[DHutch]

I believe I set a new personal speed record for a northbound passage of the Harecastle tunnel this summer, just over the hour mark.

Ah that nothing, we where in for just under 2hours last year. Try stearing at that speed!!

- Infact, thats the single one time when i have actally wittnessed the bow thruster being use full! It was a god sent that day holding the cabin off the wall.

 

 

Daniel