Speeding

[geoffwales]

I am new to boating, but constantly amazed by the Richard heads that belt past moored up boats. One wide beam was going so fast its wake battered the boats near to me forcing one to break from its moorings. I thought it was just courtesy to cruise past at a reduced rate for not only the safety of the boats but also it's residents.

 

Rant over, good morning

[alan_fincher]

A frequent topic, but for balance I'd like to say that we have just boated around a total of 500 miles from Hertfordshire up to Manchester and back via Birmingham (amongst many other places), and have not experienced in all that time one really bad example of what you are talking about. Travel time a calendar month - two very different boats involved.

 

Not sure if this is down to luck, regional differences, or just general expectations about what is a reasonable speed ?

 

I'm not trying to play down the issue, and there are places where we have had to stake the boats firmly because the banks are soft, as well as places where people have passed faster than optimal, but there has not been a single incident in 500 miles that has actually made me think it necessary to have a go at anybody.

 

Balanced view over - good morning!

[carlt]

If everyone tied up as if the next boat to pass them was going to be speeding and everyone navigated as if the next boat they will pass was moored up with toothpicks then there wouldn't be a problem.

[Tuscan]

In the last 3.5 months travelling around the system , we found that where we felt boats were travelling too fast the majority were private boats not hirers before that argument starts. Being deep drafted and heavy we are conscious that even at slower speeds we can have a pull effect. As Carl says its not normally speed it's the skill with which the boat has been moored that is normally the issue.

[NickF]

There are definitely two issues here.

1. The speed some boaters travel past moored boats.

2. The way in which some boats moor up even on long term moorings with just a couple of slack breast ropes and no springs and then expect their boat to stay still.

 

As the previous post said if everyone slowed down past moored boats and everyone tied their boats up properly when they moor then there wouldn't be a problem .... but both things have to be done........I do feel some of us are a bit inclined to blame the passing boater rather than look at the way we have tied our ropes!

 

Sorry that's my rant over .... and personally I always pass boats on tickover because I know the chances are it won't be tied up properly!

 

Nick

Edited September 10, 2012 by NickF

[Naughty Cal]

We moor in an area where a lot of the boats are incapable of even travelling at the speed limit. This means that we have to moor up in a sensible manner to reduce the surging from passing boats. We dont find it to be a problem however. Worrying about boats passing a bit too quickly just isnt really worth it. There are more important things in life

[alan_fincher]

Several of the boats we past yesterday were tied up mainly by ropes from the hand rails or centre ring, usually at 90 degrees to the boat, and not angled forward or backwards.

 

Sometimes these were supplemented by slack ropes at one end, (not always the other), which allowed several eet of movement.

 

What do people who "tie up" boats in such a manner expect to happen ?

[Lady Muck]

Where we moor it is wide and deep so one doesn't tend to notice wash. Anyone complaining about speeding would not do well to visit the Thames as thats when you realise what speeding really is. No one cares and there is no fist waving either. Different navigation, different attitude.

[Leo No2]

Where we moor it is wide and deep so one doesn't tend to notice wash. Anyone complaining about speeding would not do well to visit the Thames as thats when you realise what speeding really is. No one cares and there is no fist waving either. Different navigation, different attitude.

 

And EA Enforcement Officers with radar guns to ensure you don't exceed 8 kph. Different on the tidal Thames of course.

[Timleech]

Where we moor it is wide and deep so one doesn't tend to notice wash. Anyone complaining about speeding would not do well to visit the Thames as thats when you realise what speeding really is. No one cares and there is no fist waving either. Different navigation, different attitude.

 

Different issues, too. You're unlikely to be affected by the 'draw' from a passing boat, only by the wash. Wash will not pull out mooring stakes, unless it's really severe.

 

I think one factor is that people who might in principle be ready to slow down adequately for moored boats get fed up with slowing for mile after mile of permanent moorings. Permanent moorings should IMO be regarded a bit differently, there's an expectation that the boats will be tied adequately to cope with anything that passes and dead slow tickover might be slower than needed. Someone tied to stakes in the middle of nowhere might reasonably hope that passing boats will show a bit more respect.

 

Tim

[Nickhlx]

I always slow down to tickover when passing moored boats, at which speed there is barely a ripple, although of course some draw ( Reeves hull, 62 foot narrowboat), and usually get a smile or wave from residents who are on board...

 

However, yesterday I passed some "person" in the same manner, maybe only 4 feet from his boat, and as I went by he said "under his breath - hoping I wouldn't hear" - "slow down".... Others in the very same string thanked me, so I think he was bored and possibly not tied up properly either....

 

I think some people, and especially older people, like to exert their "authority" and think they can dish out the advice/orders to younger people, not that I remotely qualify for that description anyway...

 

Nick

[Boat&Bikes]

I always slow down to tickover when passing moored boats, at which speed there is barely a ripple, although of course some draw ( Reeves hull, 62 foot narrowboat), and usually get a smile or wave from residents who are on board...

 

However, yesterday I passed some "person" in the same manner, maybe only 4 feet from his boat, and as I went by he said "under his breath - hoping I wouldn't hear" - "slow down".... Others in the very same string thanked me, so I think he was bored and possibly not tied up properly either....

 

I think some people, and especially older people, like to exert their "authority" and think they can dish out the advice/orders to younger people, not that I remotely qualify for that description anyway...

 

Nick

 

 

There is always the odd boat that is never happy with anything you do and will moan and shout often for reasons you can never fathom.

 

Ian.

[RLWP]

 

For the last two BCN challenges, we carried a satnav which the steerer could watch. We set it to show sped (and direction ) rather than a scrolling map.

 

IIRC, the only places we managed to speed, i.e. exceed 4MPH, was on the long stretches of the New Main Line*. Generally, it was as much as you could do to go much over 3.5MPH

 

Richard

 

*For experimental purposes, no other boats around, solid brick banks, reduced speed back to 4MPH so as not to get disqualified for speeding

[Keeping Up]

Several of the boats we past yesterday were tied up mainly by ropes from the hand rails or centre ring, usually at 90 degrees to the boat, and not angled forward or backwards.

 

 

You mean in the same way that Sickle was tied up at Grendon in the week before the Alvecote gathering?

[RLWP]

You mean in the same way that Sickle was tied up at Grendon in the week before the Alvecote gathering?

 

Alan was replicating the approved and historic BW mooring method

 

Hairy blue string I hope

 

Richard

[Grace and Favour]

Alan was replicating the approved and historic BW mooring method

 

Hairy blue string I hope

 

Richard

 

Excellent - - - but, to properly authenticate the BW method, should not Alan also leave the craft unattended for at least three months ?

[Guest]

Excellent - - - but, to properly authenticate the BW method, should not Alan also leave the craft unattended for at least three months ?

 

 

On a water point or lock landing for the full effect..

[RLWP]

Secured with a single line

 

Richard

[NickF]

Secured with a single line

 

Richard

 

Remember to tie the single line to something movable or at least too weak for the job ... small twig like branches are ideal.!

[Keeping Up]

Secured with a single line

 

Richard

 

As indeed Sickle was. Rolled like anything as we passed.

[Guest]

As indeed Sickle was. Rolled like anything as we passed.

 

Did you give KU a bit of 'welly' as you passed??

[Keeping Up]

Did you give KU a bit of 'welly' as you passed??

 

I couldn't slow down too much, the two dogs were water-skiing on the gangplank behind me

[chykensa]

As a hirer, I find this topic of 'slowing down for moored boats' fascinating. We recently completed the Warwickshire Ring, and tried to be as considerate aw we could, reducing speed to tickover whenever there were moored boats to be passed.

One individual whose boat will remain nameless stuck his head out of the boat and yelled "bl**dy slow down, you git!". As I was on tickover, I don't quite know what more I could have done, save knock out of gear and hope I had enough steerage to get past his length before the stern slid somewhere.

I was also constantly amazed by boats passing in the other direction who seemed not to slow down at all - and I'm sorry to say these were all seemingly privately owned.

I do agree with previous posters too about the quality of mooring - on various occasions we had to pass quite close to a moored boat, and the sorry state of ropes, stakes, or Armco clips was in many cases to blame for excess movement.

But do continue with the approved BW/CaRT method of mooring - I would love to see some examples. Anyone got any pictures? - or is this a new thread - the most badly moored boat photo!?

ETA - corekt my speelingg

Edited September 10, 2012 by chykensa

[alan_fincher]

You mean in the same way that Sickle was tied up at Grendon in the week before the Alvecote gathering?

I have no idea Allan - I wasn't the person removing her from the dry dock - yo'd need to ask them!

[OldGoat]

There are definitely two issues here.

1. The speed some boaters travel past moored boats.

2. The way in which some boats moor up even on long term moorings with just a couple of slack breast ropes and no springs and then expect their boat to stay still.

 

As the previous post said if everyone slowed down past moored boats and everyone tied their boats up properly when they moor then there wouldn't be a problem .... but both things have to be done........I do feel some of us are a bit inclined to blame the passing boater rather than look at the way we have tied our ropes!

 

Sorry that's my rant over .... and personally I always pass boats on tickover because I know the chances are it won't be tied up properly!

 

Nick

 

 

2 above is almost universal on the Oxford, coupled with loose chains anchored to the Armco type bank protection. Either the owners don't care or do it deliberately, hoping that folks will go even slower.

 

It's no great deal to put (even) shallow springs fore and aft which will hold the boat tight in and if a couple of decent fenders are used to save the paint, even a fast moving boat will not cause distress.