If people drove cars like they steer boats....

[Chertsey]

People wouldn't do 1, 2, or 3 in a car, so why do they do it in a boat?

Edited September 1, 2012 by Chertsey

[NB Lola]

The highway code applies even after you have passed your test and is updated regularly, to all you "expert drivers" try a read, it might make you a better driver and save that precious life

[Phil Ambrose]

Sadly around my way there are people who have no qualms about whanging others boats, their stock phrase is "It's a contact sport mate" well it's not and for my part it is a matter of pride that I do not make contact with other boats, much the same as when I drive.

 

Phil

[Chertsey]

Sometimes other boats put themselves in a position where it's impossible not to hit - or at least touch - them. And usually completely avoidably if they had just thought ahead and used some intelligence. That's part of the point I'm making.

 

Why is it that people can think and react appropriately when driving a car, but not a (much slower) boat? Do they just switch their brains off?

[Chagall]

Sometimes other boats put themselves in a position where it's impossible not to hit - or at least touch - them. And usually completely avoidably if they had just thought ahead and used some intelligence. That's part of the point I'm making.

 

Why is it that people can think and react appropriately when driving a car, but not a (much slower) boat? Do they just switch their brains off?

 

to be fair, a car does have a much quicker response time, it isn't generally affected by the variables of the wind, it holds the road in a shorter space, it can stop a zillion times faster, and usually goes wherever you point it.

 

a boat in the hands of a novice, can be unpredictable, bends and twists need advance concentration, even without the extra hazard of larger craft approaching, and once focus has been switched for whatever reason, it s so very easy to find oneself sliding into a bridge or an oncoming boat. I accept an expert would avoid that perfectly, but how many experts are on the canal at any given time?

 

is there no sympathy for those who get it wrong? a bump at 3 or even 4 miles an hour isn't as catastrophic as a car crash might be.

 

so why is it that those with 'superior knowledge' feel its important to condemn and be so contemptuous to those who struggle for a while? It takes years, I imagine, to be come entirely proficient with all the permutations of canal boat handling?

 

and those who "have no qualms".about bumps.. do you ever stop to think they may be horribly embarrassed that their supposed incompetence has caused maybe minor damage and bravado is perhaps a face to cover what can be very real fear. Its never easy to admit to error, especially when you may be confronted with the biting sarcasm from experts!

 

in my Pollyanna world I'd like to think that those experts might just say, "hey, shame you banged into that tree, would you like me to show you how to avoid that?" of course that isn't going to happen, you are on holiday after all, why should you help these idiots! Fair enough, but why bitch about it afterwards.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Chagall

[Paul C]

I suspect a lot of the problems the OP describes is BECAUSE people approach driving a boat the same way as driving their cars.

[Leo No2]

Sadly around my way there are people who have no qualms about whanging others boats, their stock phrase is "It's a contact sport mate" well it's not and for my part it is a matter of pride that I do not make contact with other boats, much the same as when I drive.

 

Phil

 

Whilst I don't regard boating on the canals as a 'contact sport' (a foolhardy comment by those that make it in my view) I do regard that area below the gunwales as being the working part of the boat. I try very hard not to scratch/damage that part but, for example, when going through a Stratford bridge hole (I am sure some of them are only 7' !) or a Basingstoke lock whose gates won't open fully (and there's another 60' boat in the lock) I accept that it will happen and if there's any contact I try to make it as low speed as possible.

 

I am fortunate in having had many years of experience but I still make misjudgements due to all sorts of reasons including. of course, my own fault - and I think we all do.

[twbm]

I've attended numerous incidents where drivers have executed all the first three alternatives with great aplomb. They will be happening somewhere out in the New Forest in the very near future.

 

I think the bigger problem is people who drive their boats like cars and get paranoid about little knocks and scrapes on the bitumen (which is way down the scale from 'whanging') and a gap of less than four feet between boats. If you could get a postcard between them, you've missed each other.

 

Ah - just read Paul C's comment too. Agreed.

[Athy]

Whilst I don't regard boating on the canals as a 'contact sport' (a foolhardy comment by those that make it in my view)

Far from "foolhardy", this can be a diplomatic comment - for example when another boat has bumped mine and it was obviously their fault, perhaps due to inexperience. I say it, or "Don't worry - they bounce", to the crew of the other boat, meaning "Don't worry, no harm done".

[Leo No2]

Far from "foolhardy", this can be a diplomatic comment - for example when another boat has bumped mine and it was obviously their fault, perhaps due to inexperience. I say it, or "Don't worry - they bounce", to the crew of the other boat, meaning "Don't worry, no harm done".

 

Perhaps I didn't get the meaning quite right - the ones who say something along the lines of (after they have hit you) 'Oh don't worry it's a contact sport' are the ones I find challenging. If I am trying to cool a situation (e.g. when a hire boater hits me) then I think your approach can work very well.

[Timleech]

I'd like to know why people don't go 'round' bends any more. It's not directly relevant to driving a car, but cutting (waterway) corners is more likely to end you in trouble (and contact with another boat if you meet one).

 

Tim

[John Holden]

People wouldn't do 1, 2, or 3 in a car, so why do they do it in a boat?

 

Unfortunately when I lived in a country that shall be nameless many people did drive as in 1 and 2!

[14skipper]

No surprise that everybody picks the obvious correct answer ! like they have never hit a boat/bridge hole/bank/lock gate in all theirs lives if thats the case which l doubt very much then you have not been far or are just lying !

I have done all the afore mentioned at some time and could blame the "idiot coming the other way " or the flow from the weir or the wind what ever,but must admit sometimes it was my fault (well maybe once )

And remember to the other boat "YOU are the idiot coming the other way"

 

14skipper

[Colin North]

I'm afraid that I drive slowly along the canal pretty much all of the time. Towpath pedestrians usually outpace me. I will always pull in to allow someone else to pass if they wish to. Therefore I would choose 4 as my option.

I enjoy my boating, I enjoy the scenery and other waterways users. Yes, I still get caught by the wind at unexpected times and I have had minor 'scrapes' with other boats, but being that bit slower, no damage is done.

[mrsmelly]

No surprise that everybody picks the obvious correct answer ! like they have never hit a boat/bridge hole/bank/lock gate in all theirs lives if thats the case which l doubt very much then you have not been far or are just lying !

I have done all the afore mentioned at some time and could blame the "idiot coming the other way " or the flow from the weir or the wind what ever,but must admit sometimes it was my fault (well maybe once )

And remember to the other boat "YOU are the idiot coming the other way"

 

14skipper

 

What a breath of fresh air. You are so right EVERYBODY has done all of the above or they aint been boating long enough yet. I certainly have. The ones who dont do it are the pratts who sit bang in the middle of the available space and refuse to move so causing other boats to hit something You would be suprised what many narrowboaters do daily in front of me when I am entering leaving Holme lock on the Trent, they just have no idea what is involved moving my daily drive around, but it doesnt matter we ALL started somewhere and I aint hit one of em yet oops, shouldnt have said that.

 

Tim

[RLWP]

Sometimes other boats put themselves in a position where it's impossible not to hit - or at least touch - them.

 

I don't understand that. How can you hit them when you are boating so considerately, prepared to avoid any possibly collisions with the inferior boaters???

 

Richard

Edited September 1, 2012 by RLWP

[BEngo]

I have always thought of boating as a contact sport in relation only to waterway structures. Generally I can get through bridges without contact, but sometimes there is something unseen in the bottom of the bridge hole which bounces me sideways! Locks are definite contact areas, because ICBA roping up or keeping the boat away from the sides or in wide locks from other (steel) boats sharing, and I still haven't hacked some of those vicious tail-weirs. It's all pretty gentle though, and I've not lost any beer glasses lately, but it still scrapes the guards a bit.

 

Contact with other boats outside locks should be minimal, albeit when someone does an unnnecessary "full astern with slew broadside" manoeuvre the odd scrape has resulted.

 

People just do not comprehend the dynamics of two boats passing. If done as espoused by Chris Deuchar (in A Boaters Guide to Boating) there is no problem and it's actually quite hard to hit the other boat.

 

N

[DHutch]

People wouldn't do 1, 2, or 3 in a car, so why do they do it in a boat?

Lack of experience and training.

[Tuscan]

Met a boat in the bridge ole in Leamngton Spa, lady on back of the other boat panicked into full ahead rather full astern, result big bang and I had a ruined exhaust stack. Wasn't a hire boat and we were both going fairly slowly before she sped up. It was an accident so didn't bother getting too het up about it. As others have posted no ns perfect and we have all done something silly at some time.

[bizzard]

Your all on my hit list.

[Athy]

I'd like to know why people don't go 'round' bends any more. It's not directly relevant to driving a car, but cutting (waterway) corners is more likely to end you in trouble (and contact with another boat if you meet one).

 

Tim

Tim, I think that people do - but I've often read that one should keep to the outside of bends as far as possible, as the inside of the bend is likely not to have been dredged, so there's more likelihood that one will have to do a bit of pole-pushing.

 

Leo2, yes, we are singing from the same hymn sheet here. If I belt another boat it's not my place to say "Don't worry".

[keble]

Lack of experience and training.

Totally agree. Experience takes time, and if you're only boating occasionally it can be a longtime coming.

Then as you get older you forget more ...

[mrsmelly]

Totally agree. Experience takes time, and if you're only boating occasionally it can be a longtime coming.

Then as you get older you forget more ...

 

Boating is like evrything else we learn about through life. The way to approach learning any subject is to think that when you start out you have a large bag in each hand. One bag is empty ( The experience bag ) whilst the other is full ( The Luck bag ) the idea is to fill the experience bag before you run out of the luck bag

 

Tim

[DHutch]

I don't understand that. How can you hit them when you are boating so considerately, prepared to avoid any possibly collisions with the inferior boaters???

 

Richard

Depends what you call 'boating considerately' if some one jumping in front of your car at 50, or swerved into you on the motorway, you wouldnt wish to be accused of inconsiderate driving.

 

There are cases where I have seen boats, including my own, making assumptions above what is reasonable to assume of the approaching boat which has then caused a collision. But equally there have been a great number of cases when having approached at a reasonable speed, leaving reasonable space, the other boat has at short notice having initially appeared to be in control then either failed to navigate into the space provided, and or panicked and gone into a tail spin across our bows. At which point there is little you can do other than be glad that narrowboats are fairly tough and the speeds unlikely to cause lasting damage.

 

 

Daniel

[nb Innisfree]

It takes two to tango.