Just because we use a hire boat

[Kiwidad]

When did we start letting bloody hirers on the forum, pah, whats the world coming to.

These mods will be letting canoodlists, fishymen, MAMILS and swans join soon.

 

Oi! I am an ex hirer, a fisherman (even worse, a flyfisherman!), and I have been here since 2007!

 

I am now a liveaboard, have a shiny looking boat, but logs an coal and bike etc on roof, so I suppose I must be a 'shiny water gypsy'?

 

I did polish me brass a coupla weeks ago as well!

Edited November 2, 2012 by Kiwidad

[Ronniesonic]

As many have posted before the Boating community has it's good bad & ugly just like everything else.

 

I like all sorts of boaters.

 

The only things I do not like are marmite, tripe, poncy cider, Eastenders, Leicester City FC, bread they sell without crusts, people who think all Staffies are killers, generators at 11pm, polyester, dodgy barnets & syrups, Deal or no Deal, Bingo & finally BT.

 

My favourite things are boats, my Staffie called Lt Ripley & Sickle (i love that boat)

 

My mind is far to active & random but it helps pay the bills.

 

Have a good weekend all

[Bod]

Seems to me that you can kiss my pikey arse.

WOW

That was more restrained than I expected!!

 

Bod

[John V]

As many have posted before the Boating community has it's good bad & ugly just like everything else.

 

I like all sorts of boaters.

 

The only things I do not like are marmite, tripe, poncy cider, Eastenders, Leicester City FC, bread they sell without crusts, people who think all Staffies are killers, generators at 11pm, polyester, dodgy barnets & syrups, Deal or no Deal, Bingo & finally BT.

 

 

Oi!! I like deal or no deal....provided you mean the one in the pub, I'm running about £6 up at the moment otherwise mostly agree!

[jenlyn]

I don't think that was deserved to be honest. perhaps not the best choice of forum shorthand on my part but there are as we all know those with chips on thier shoulders in all walks of life...

 

 

seems to me that you need to remove your head from up your own posterior...

More rubbish, could do with a wheelie bin in here at times!

[Athy]

a fisherman (even worse, a flyfisherman!)

 

You must have to use a really long line to reach down from the aeroplane to the water.

[BlueStringPudding]

'Water gypsies?' Really, though! Another classical example of considering a whole demographic of people (who might not even self-identify as part of said stereotypical group) as one unit and treating them accordingly; pretty much what the OP said about hiring.

Shall I continue the theme by assuming that you have a modern, all bells and whistles shiny boat and concluding from that that you're a stuck up yuppie who looks down their nose at anyone who gets to live on their boat and doesn't, for whatever reason, follow your idea of how a boat should be used?

 

No. I choose not to stereotype other boaters, of any kind, even when they don't afford the same courtesy to me.

This 'water gypsy' has more class.

 

:clapping:

 

Oi! I am an ex hirer, a fisherman (even worse, a flyfisherman!), and I have been here since 2007!

 

I am now a liveaboard, have a shiny looking boat, but logs an coal and bike etc on roof, so I suppose I must be a 'shiny water gypsy'?

 

I did polish me brass a coupla weeks ago as well!

 

How very dare you

[Tinker Fox]

Just because we use a hire boat seems to give anyone who has their own boat the right to assume that we can't steer, go too fast, don't slow down past boats, not know how to deal with locks etc etc etc. Sorry this is a bit of a rant but often in general conversation if we mention that we are on a hire boat there generally follows something relating to one of the topics mentioned. I just feel like people who hire should be treated with a little more respect than is often the case. Just yesterday I followed a private boat past moored boats and he was getting away from me. Certainly faster that tick over.

 

If it's any consolation I have hired boats from 1980-1994, had a share of a boat from 1994-2000 and owned a boat from 2000 to now and I still get people who assume that we can't steer, go too fast, don't slow down past boats, not know how to deal with locks etc.

 

<sigh>

[BlueStringPudding]

You must have to use a really long line to reach down from the aeroplane to the water.

 

Nah, the line just reaches down from his zip to the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I live on an ex hire boat. And it's scruffy with a load of tat on the roof.

 

Does that make me the Superdevil?

 

Seems to me that you can kiss my pikey arse.

 

:lol:

Edited November 2, 2012 by BlueStringPudding

[fee666]

When boaters tell me they are on a hire boat i always say is it your first time? and are you enjoying yourself?

Thats about it really unless im asked any questions then i try to answer as best i can, after all ive only been boating

for 17 years so still have things to learn!

[Guest anthony6]

Just because we use a hire boat seems to give anyone who has their own boat the right to assume that we can't steer, go too fast, don't slow down past boats, not know how to deal with locks etc etc etc. Sorry this is a bit of a rant but often in general conversation if we mention that we are on a hire boat there generally follows something relating to one of the topics mentioned. I just feel like people who hire should be treated with a little more respect than is often the case. Just yesterday I followed a private boat past moored boats and he was getting away from me. Certainly faster that tick over.

I would rather have a hire boat pass me than a know all private

[Guest]

I would rather have a hire boat pass me than a know all private

 

What about a 'know all hirer'

 

Categorisation of boaters is pointless and tiresome.

[Ray T]

When boaters tell me they are on a hire boat i always say is it your first time? and are you enjoying yourself?

Thats about it really unless im asked any questions then i try to answer as best i can, after all ive only been boating

for 17 years so still have things to learn!

 

Mrs T writes:

 

Ray hired boats from 1990. I joined him in 2004. We bought our "dull but now fairly shiny" boat in 2009.

 

My reaction to hirers is to remember how appalling I was in 2004 in handling a boat and then to consider what they have spent to hire a boat for the week - it ain't cheap !

 

Yet to meet any hirers who are arrogant or abusing the unwritten rules of the canal. Met one day boat by Wigrams Turn overloaded by drunks - thought at one stage it would sink.

 

Met plenty of owners who are a menace............when helping Ray polish the brass............

 

 

Mrs T

[Justin Smith]

I must admit to being cautious when meeting a hire boat coming the other way -- but I'm happy when they prove to be capable boaters (which they generally do!).

 

As a hirer I have to say owners tend to be more capable of skillfully handling their boats than hirers, but that`s most definitely not to say that all, or even most, hirers are unskilled. Most are perfectly capable of handling the boats they have on hire. In fact I`ve an amusing anecdote we`ve dined out frequently. It was the second narrowboat we`d hired back in 2008 and it was on the Macclesfield. As we cruised along we saw this boat coming round the corner straight towards us, I said to the wife don`t worry it`s a private boat he won`t hit us, but he kept coming on and on, even at the last moment we were expecting him to save the situation, then, CRASH, right into us ! From memory he wasn `t even that apologetic !

 

In much the same way, I'm cautious about getting too close to BMW drivers on the road -- but happy for the driver to demonstrate that he/she isn't a complete Richard Cranium after all.

 

BMW drivers, in fact German car drivers generally, are worse, I`ve done some objective research on it !

Edited November 2, 2012 by Justin Smith

[Janet S]

As Cheshire~Rose mentioned earlier, we've been hiring for ten years or so now, as well as borrowing their boat Carrie~Lou on several occasions and also Theodora, kindly loaned to us by Theo to allow us to experience boating in the snow and ice (we loved it!)

 

We've noticed throughout the years that there is definitely a tendency for some boat owners to look down their noses at hirers...a prime example being on our 2010 cruise when we encountered what I can only describe as a numpty at a set of locks...he made a rather disparaging remark about hire boaters but I soon shut him up when I told him that we were actually three weeks into a month long cruise which had taken us from the Midlands, down to London, up the Thames and onto the Oxford and several places in between...I then pointed out that he'd never fill that lock whilst the bottom paddles were still open....oh sweet revenge!

 

We don't consider ourselves hire boaters...we are just boaters and we take people as we find them.

 

I now work for a hire boat company, conducting guest handovers and I must say that most of our guests show a lot more knowledge and enthusiasm for boating than many of the boat owners I know who seldom leave their marinas.

 

Janet

[Steilsteven]

I must admit to being cautious when meeting a hire boat coming the other way -- but I'm happy when they prove to be capable boaters (which they generally do!).

 

In much the same way, I'm cautious about getting too close to BMW drivers on the road -- but happy for the driver to demonstrate that he/she isn't a complete Richard Cranium after all.

 

 

I'm cautious when meeting any boat coming the other way.

 

Keith

[Ange]

When did we start letting bloody hirers on the forum, pah, whats the world coming to.

These mods will be letting canoodlists, fishymen, MAMILS and swans join soon.

 

You are norty Matty!

 

 

Seems to me that you can kiss my pikey arse.

 

:clapping:

 

Nice one Starry! From one pikey boater to another

 

On a serious note - private boaters - we've met a lot of grumpy ones, a lot of know it alls, a lot of very judgemental ones who look down on our not-so-shiny boat, but have also had the privilege of meeting many many lovely people. Hirers - I've never met a grumpy one, never met a know it all and never had our boat looked down on. On balance I'd much rather share a lock with a hirer any day of the week.

[Guest]

I do wonder sometimes - do we boaters give out what we get?

[steven wilkinson]

we are on a hire boat right now and we have had no adverse comments during our cruise at all (well maybe just the one - but we won't go into that!) It might help that our boat is bright, shiney and brand new - and not a typical hire boat!

 

Despite our limited experience, our method of operation is to judge each approaching boat individually! We do what we consider right at the time, watch whats going on ahead, and make any adjustments as required - irrespective of the boat ahead! We have encounted wide and narrowboats, private and hired boats this week - and we haven't hit a single one! (We have run aground avoiding each type though!)

 

We give everyone a cheery wave and a hello! If we dont get one back we make nasty comments about their parenthood, and move on and offer a cheery wave to our next encounter! (50/50 on the nil response front private/hire)

[Guest]

we are on a hire boat right now and we have had no adverse comments during our cruise at all (well maybe just the one - but we won't go into that!) It might help that our boat is bright, shiney and brand new - and not a typical hire boat!

 

Despite our limited experience, our method of operation is to judge each approaching boat individually! We do what we consider right at the time, watch whats going on ahead, and make any adjustments as required - irrespective of the boat ahead! We have encounted wide and narrowboats, private and hired boats this week - and we haven't hit a single one! (We have run aground avoiding each type though!)

 

We give everyone a cheery wave and a hello! If we dont get one back we make nasty comments about their parenthood, and move on and offer a cheery wave to our next encounter! (50/50 on the nil response front private/hire)

 

We hired often before we owned and (aside from a false accusation of speeding) I don't recall one, not one disparaging comment about our ability to boat just because we were hiring from anybody, private owners or anyone else.

 

The first time we ever boated as canal boat hirers our crew competently locked a boat with us up the summit of the L&L. We got no complaints just appreciation.

 

Just where do these hostile private boat owners lurk.??

[Catrin]

Sickle (i love that boat)

A man of taste!

[wannabe]

As many have posted before the Boating community has it's good bad & ugly just like everything else.

 

I like all sorts of boaters.

 

The only things I do not like are marmite, tripe, poncy cider, Eastenders, Leicester City FC, bread they sell without crusts, people who think all Staffies are killers, generators at 11pm, polyester, dodgy barnets & syrups, Deal or no Deal, Bingo & finally BT.

 

My favourite things are boats, my Staffie called Lt Ripley & Sickle (i love that boat)

 

My mind is far to active & random but it helps pay the bills.

 

Have a good weekend all

Well at least about staffies and tripe lol

Edited November 2, 2012 by wannabe

[alan_fincher]

My favourite things are boats, my Staffie called Lt Ripley & Sickle (i love that boat)

I suspect Sickle may have shared more locks with hire boats than private ones.......

 

I didn't realise I was supposed to be looking down on them. Makes mental note that mugt try harder!

[fuzzyduck]

I didn't realise I was supposed to be looking down on them. Makes mental note that mugt try harder!

 

Ignorance of the rules is no defense.

[Keeping Up]

We once went down to Banbury to fetch back a hireboat that had suffered an on-board "incident". On our way back we were passing the Nether Heyford moorings, third in a close succession of 4 boats. One moored boat, whose owner we actually knew and who would have recognised us if we'd been on our own boat, called a cheery greeting to the two boats in front of us, then insulted us roundly and accused us of going too fast, and finally called a cheery hello to the boat behind us. Inevitably all 4 boats were travelling at exactly the same speed, and it opened our eyes to the anti-hirer snobbery that we had previously imagined to be just a myth.