Not So Freindly Boaters After ALL

[purplehaze]

WOW! I must be in some sort dreamland

 

When I look round our basin I find many A's More B's but a couple of C's

 

However whenever I meet them at the moorings, they are pretty well all D's. That said, I have some Portugese friends who are delightful people, But.... put them behind the wheel of a car and THEN see what happens....!

 

On the subject of greeting other boats, I always give a nod, smile or cheery wave and usually get a similar response. My standard question to hire boaters is "what do you think of it so far?" We get a variety of replies as you may guess, dependant on the circumstances.

 

However, I know a many of the local hire boat operators, they are customers and I have no compunction in telling them "Have good look at the "Saucy Sue" when she comes back in." If I see a boat being abused/driven madly. Notice however I say driven madly not badly, after all we were all learners once. I find hirers are usually generally pretty receptive to advice gently given. The other day an all female crew asked for advice before tackling a flight of locks, so they are not all idiots.

 

I find that if you offer a friendly demeanor it is usually reciprocated, at least by most.

 

Tony

 

The major problem is that if it is a hire boat you can't tell if they are out for the first time or like us having hired for over 20 years. We usually go out a couple of times a year, consider ourselves an experienced crew and in fact have helped some private new crews. We love the canals and feel privaliged to be on them, would love our own boat but only if we win the lottery.

 

I agree most people are very friendly, something that doesn't happen anywhere else, maybe apart from Norfolk, but a few let the side down.

Julie

 

 

The major problem is that if it is a hire boat you can't tell if they are out for the first time or like us having hired for over 20 years. We usually go out a couple of times a year, consider ourselves an experienced crew and in fact have helped some private new crews. We love the canals and feel privaliged to be on them, would love our own boat but only if we win the lottery.

 

I agree most people are very friendly, something that doesn't happen anywhere else, maybe apart from Norfolk, but a few let the side down.

Julie

PS Maybe we need some sort of signs to denote how many years we have all been on the canals!!!!

[Liam]

PS Maybe we need some sort of signs to denote how many years we have all been on the canals!!!!

Ner.

 

I've been moaned at by old farts before, and when I answer with a quirky reply I always get the question of "I've been boating for years, unlike you blah blah" Yeah? been boating for years now have ya? So you should now what you're doing so why moor up on the water point, or on lock moorings and then p*ss off shopping!

 

so it's not just the hire boaters... actually I don't think it is 99% of the time for me.,

[tony collins]

: Maybe we need some sort of signs to denote how many years we have all been on the canals!!!!

 

They may have been doing it wrong for all those years!

 

Tony

[Bake]

Surely though, if someone goes to the expense of hiring a boat they'd do a small amount of research? Isn't there a video or something that gets sent? If I was going on a sailing holiday (never done it) I'd look into it a bit so I wouldn't have the stress of being totally green.

 

No.

 

I hired an Anglo/Welsh boat from Trevor in 2001, which kindled an unquenchable desire ( I live in Australia) to return to the canals of England. I was asked what I understand about boating and replied that you push the tiller away from you to go left and pull the tiller toward you to go right. I refused the offer to take the boat from its mooring site by myself for fear of hitting the other boats moored on either side. After the boat was transferred to the Llangollen Canal the hire operator allowed me to steer approximately 50 metres before instructing me to the side where he hopped off and my wife and I were on our own.

 

I don't know where the desire to travel on the canal came from but, while at work, I visited several web sites and had a rudimentary idea how to operate locks and that i should slow down when I passed moored boats. That was the sum total of my knowledge when I set off in mid summer, on the only canal with a current and possibly the busiest canal in July.

 

I proceeded to Llangollen, and found that it was wall to wall boats in the township. I winded at the end of navigation and on return found a mooring right in the middle of town and subsequently tied up. Very pleased with myself. After sitting there for a while I decided to get up and have a look at the other boats. The owner of the boat moored in front of me asked me how long I'd been on the canals. 3 and a half hours I replied. He complimented me on my skill and boat handling ability and then informed me that I was moored at a watering point and that normally I should not moor there. In my readings I did not come across this but did see the logic when it was explained to me. In response to a question I replied that I would not mind if people breasted up beside me to take on water he indicated that it would be alright to tie up for the night, it was 6.30pm by this time. No boats required water while we were at the mooring and I moved the following day. Mistake number one.

 

The next happened a few days later when I waited my turn entered a lock and proceeded to the next level. I did not wait to share the lock with a boat that came around a bend as I entered the lock. The owner/ operator informed me that I should have waited in order to save water. Both of the boaters were civil and I didn't moor at a watering point and waited for other boats when operating locks.

 

I had no instruction and little knowledge of what was involved in operating a narrowboat. My maritime heritage, an paternal ancestor was purportedly an Admiral with Nelson at Trafalgar and my grand mother was Swedish (Viking), may have helped me in the most enjoyable week of my 9 week holiday in Great Britain.

[Allie]

How funny that you'd mention the instructional video. We received ours this week from Rose Narrowboats in anticipation of our holiday next month. We watched "The Boater's DVD" from British Waterways twice. In the end, we decided that NOBODY would want to take a narrowboat holiday if their only exposure was this video.

 

As for us, we admit we are first-timers and we are praying that others will take pity on us and offer instruction and advice. I'm even bringing along the red "L" sticker that I bought on our first driving trip in England. I hope other boaters see the humor and humble intent.

 

Allie

[StoneHenge]

How funny that you'd mention the instructional video. We received ours this week from Rose Narrowboats in anticipation of our holiday next month. We watched "The Boater's DVD" from British Waterways twice. In the end, we decided that NOBODY would want to take a narrowboat holiday if their only exposure was this video.

 

As for us, we admit we are first-timers and we are praying that others will take pity on us and offer instruction and advice. I'm even bringing along the red "L" sticker that I bought on our first driving trip in England. I hope other boaters see the humor and humble intent.

 

Allie

 

I bet there will be oodles of folks out there to help and give advice. There are only the few that tend to spoil it for the rest, but it's like driving a car, you get annoyed getting stuck behind a learner, yet forget you were once a learner and needed to gain some experience.

 

Most people you will come across will be the nicest people you could meet, and if you come across an old fuddy duddy who thinks he owns the place, just be polite, ride past, and ignore them!

 

In our marina our immedaite neighbours are a lovely couple, the chap almost retired and he's been boating for years and years. He gave us loads of good advice when we first moved to the marina about various bits and bobs to make life easier etc, yet he's still fallen into the canal 3 times in the last two months (bless him), and as most of them will say to you 'it doesn't matter how long you have been boating for, you learn something new every day'.

 

It's so true!!!

[Alec Gatherer]

How funny that you'd mention the instructional video. We received ours this week from Rose Narrowboats in anticipation of our holiday next month. We watched "The Boater's DVD" from British Waterways twice. In the end, we decided that NOBODY would want to take a narrowboat holiday if their only exposure was this video.

 

As for us, we admit we are first-timers and we are praying that others will take pity on us and offer instruction and advice. I'm even bringing along the red "L" sticker that I bought on our first driving trip in England. I hope other boaters see the humor and humble intent.

 

Allie

I tell you what, that's a brilliant idea. Possibly not new, but new to me. It will indicate, with more than a touch of humour (sorry, humor) that you are novices and receptive to advice.

The only downside I can think of is that if Snibble encountered a comely young American lady wearing "L" plates.......

[fuzzyduck]

a couple of weeks ago in our marina I had to open the throttle to avoid being rammed from behind. by a boat just the right size and shape to potentially make a real mess of my outboard.

 

on cue, some moany old git stuck their head out of their boat to yell "slow down"

 

this is the same group of people who told me a few weeks ago that "this is a private marina" while the wife and I were having a mooch. "I bloody know, I've been mooring here for the last 2 years" isn't quite what i said, but still ...

 

On the river however, 99.999% of the people i've met have been fabulous.

 

I still leave the marina on a trip with a sort of open mouthed innocence, even though i know my home river quite well, i'm 100% enthusiastic, and tend to jabber a bit at people. I swear most of the population of the Soar thinks I have some kind of learning disorder, and treat me with a sort of "just be nice he'll bugger off"

[John Orentas]

Really irritating, you first set foot in a marina and you can guarantee that a voice, usually female will come out with the brilliantly original and welcoming phrase "Can we help you", invariably a euphemism for 'what are you doing here, you are trespassing'.

 

It isn't usually the owners either just some busy-body who thinks they are in charge.

[Sir Nibble]

[

The only downside I can think of is that if Snibble encountered a comely young American lady wearing "L" plates.......

I assure you I have nothing but the greatest of admiration and affection for our colonial cousins, and would always treat a lady with respect and courtesy

[RichardH]

Great thread - couldn't agree more. We too are thirtysomething boaters and have owned the boat for 5 years. We have seen a gradual improvement over the years but actually put this down to us getting older and therefore being more 'socially acceptable'.

 

On the flipside 2 sets of our boating friends are retired so no logical ageist comparison - more the floating palace brigade - who were even worse when we were twentysomethings and the boat was still in its hire livery !!

 

The thing that still winds me up is the number of predominantly private boaters who don't understand the need to drop the speed when passing moored boats - doesn't it p*ss them off being pulled off their pins ?

[Sir Nibble]

doesn't it p*ss them off being pulled off their pins ?

You can waterski past me if you like, if my pins pull out that's entirely my fault.