Random people stepping on your boat? Two in one evening

[Doodlebug]

Hi all,

 

This evening i've had two people randomly decide to get on my boat.

 

One was a fisherman who, whilst walking down the towpath with his line, fly fishing I assume, decided to continue by getting on my boat, walking down the gunwales and then getting off at the front.

 

I was taken slightly by surprise at this, and although I was tempted to blast the horns in his ear as he got off, I just thought it was weird and didn't say anything.

 

Then just now, I felt the boat tip, got up to look out the window to see a man and woman getting off, and he then passed her handbag back where he had helped her get off.

 

What the beep?

 

Does this happen often? Ive never had it before but its making me think more about security.

 

I'm going to put a pressure pad under the matting on the stern, hooked up to a bloody loud horn.

 

Thanks

[Kiwidad]

You don't say where you are (it makes no difference, but I am a fly fisherman, and if you have trout, I want to know :-) ) I would have been tempted to show them what the water looks like from underneath. Or at least given a bit of wtf do you think you are doing!

[tillergirl]

We've had an estate agent taking a photo of a canal side property from the stern of our boat.

[Doodlebug]

On our way out of london at the moment. I appreciate its a city, so lots of people about, but even so its the first time we've had it happen, and we have just come down from uxbridge to the lee and back.

 

I should have said something, but wasn't sure how much bigger than me they might be

 

And its not so much the fisherman, I can see why they did it, even if they shouldn't have.

 

It was the random couple that I thought were crossing the line. You dont just walk into someones garden to have a look round.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Doodlebug

[Kiwidad]

I had a big bloke leaning against the boat at paddington one morning. When I stuck my head out and asked if he was comfortable he nearly fell in the water he got such a shock! He apologised profusely, saying he didn't know anyone was onboard. I explained that these were our houses, and he had the good grace to say sorry again - lucky for me, he was really big lol

Edited May 8, 2013 by Kiwidad

[GoodGurl]

thats well cheeky i would have to say something if it was my boat.

[Doodlebug]

Your making me wish i'd said something now! I was so surprised I didn't act in time.

[MHS]

Moored at Gas St Basin, we've had visitors.

 

Firstly some young Japanese girls. Sorry about the stereotype, but they all had cameras and were snapping away.

 

Secondly (He knocked on the window first) a delightful black American cop. He was visiting his cousin in Brum, and was fascinated by what a narrowboat was like inside. He worked at Yale University, and gave me a great embroidered police badge as a thankyou for letting him aboard.

[Ange]

I must confess we were once guilty of the crime. We needed to bow haul a friend's boat in a CRT mooring from one part to another and during the process stepping onto another boat was the easiest way. The boat looked unoccupied so I stepped on the back and walked along the gunnels on the canal side, pulling our friend's boat along. Next thing I know a bleary eyed chap popped his head out of the rear hatch to find out what was going on

 

After apologies and explanations were offered he was fine, but I did feel a bit silly.

 

We've had an over exuberant youth climb onto our roof in Lancaster once (profuse apologies from his mates when we appeared - it was his 18th birthday) but apart from that no one's boarded while we've been on board.

[Laurie Booth]

Moored at Gas St Basin, we've had visitors.

 

Firstly some young Japanese girls. Sorry about the stereotype, but they all had cameras and were snapping away.

 

Secondly (He knocked on the window first) a delightful black American cop. He was visiting his cousin in Brum, and was fascinated by what a narrowboat was like inside. He worked at Yale University, and gave me a great embroidered police badge as a thankyou for letting him aboard.

I get this all the time in Birmingham and at first I was shocked, now I take it as a compliment. PS Love showing Oriental girls around my boat.

[nicknorman]

Happened to us once in central Brum, just a kid larking and she scarpered as soon as we shouted. I suspect it was a dare.

[Doodlebug]

I don't mind if its a boater, doing a boat related thing, thats understandable, and if they knock first thats also fine.

 

Looking on the bright side, at least it wasn't someone trying to break in. Thats my biggest fear. I don't know what i'd do if they did. Probably attack them with a saucepan.

 

Anyone been broken into when you were onboard?

[Keeping Up]

It seems to happen all the time.

 

At the Black Country Museum, two separate parties of Japanese tourists sat on the cruiser stern to have photos taken.

 

On the Stourbridge flight, a staff member from the Glass works sat on the boat to have publicity photos taken for their magazine.

 

The same day further up the flight, a bridal couple sat on the boat to have wedding photos taken (at least they asked first)

 

And at Uppermill one evening we heard running footsteps on the roof. I flung open the front doors to talk to a group of youths on the towpath, one of whom said his mate had always wanted to jump on to the roof of a boat, run along it and jump off the other end, and after a few beers had decided to do it on ours thinking there was nobody home. The group then dispersed but reappeared 5 minutes later, dragging their friend back to apologise. We all ended up sitting on the front of the boat together and chatting over a few more beers.

[David Mack]

We've had an estate agent taking a photo of a canal side property from the stern of our boat.

I hope you charged him a fee!!

[magnetman]

we got a strange crying latvian woman on the boat yesterday. I wasn't in but swmbo said it,was a bit of a weird thing to happen. I have quite a large barge relative to the canal itself so people often get on the gunnel for photo opportunities which I don't mind

[blackrose]

PS Love showing Oriental girls around my boat.

I bet you do!

 

As I was waking up one morning on the Thames in Reading several years ago I heard someone walk across my stern deck. I popped my head out of the bow doors to see what was going on to see a teenager fishing from my boat.

 

I told him to get off but he just looked at me and carried on, so my next message to him was shouted loudly and he got off in a huff. As he got back onto the towpath his adult guardians were walking along chatting in an E European language.

They just carried on without saying anything to him or me.

 

My stern deck is big and inviting, so I now have a short length of barrier rope on each side which basically tells people not to get on.

[Dave_P]

I get this all the time in Birmingham and at first I was shocked, now I take it as a compliment. PS Love showing Oriental girls around my boat.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's noticed this. As a moorer in GSB I'd say about 3/4 of all the people stepping on boats are young female oriental tourists/students. And yes Laurie, like you, I don't really mind too much

[Leo No2]

I was moored above Days Lock (Thames) some years ago and unknown to me a professional photographer took a picture through the back doors - the picture is now available printed on a coffin!

 

I did take issue with the company who said it wasn't their issue and they had bought the picture legitimately but they refused to give me the name of the photographer. I would have thought they might have at least offered me a free one at the appropriate time!

 

You can see the coffin here: http://www.creativecoffins.com/coffins/narrowboat/

[cheshire~rose]

In Skipton at the festival we decided to have a walk along the towpath and look at the boats that were moored a little further out. There were a lot of other people on the towpath as the town was so busy. Inevitably you end up chatting to a random individual who is enjoying the walk just like we were. There was one boat that had something a little unusual about it and I stopped at the bow, moved closer to the water and took a good look along the waterline as I was interested.

 

The random individual, who, by his comments had already made it failrly plain he knew nothing about boats then decided to join in with the general interest in this boat and as we moved on he then walked onto the stern of the boat and looked down at the waterline mimicking my earlier interest, but this time from on board the boat! As this chap had been ambling along talking to us it must have appeared to anyone around that he was with us and at this point we were mortified! I don't think either of us was expecting his action and to our shame we did not advise him that it was not "the done thing" Why? I can't say. I think at this point we had already realised this chap was fairly harmless and possibly just a bit lonely so while we were happy enough to have a little chat with him we were both hoping the time would soon come when we could move away from him.

I suspect we may have said something if someone had been aboard and as he seemed a pleasant and harmless enough chap but with hindsight I think we should have said something as unless people realise what they are doing is not right then they will do it again in the future

 

Whoever that boat belonged to - if you read this, sorry for not intervening but no harm was done.

[Ally]

We get it a lot in towns, the tug deck seems to be a nice place for people to sit on the edge of while chatting to their mates!! Then there are the kids who jump on to make it rock and run away quickly, and then the couples taking photo's on it!

[BlueStringPudding]

Hi all, This evening i've had two people randomly decide to get on my boat. One was a fisherman who, whilst walking down the towpath with his line, fly fishing I assume, decided to continue by getting on my boat, walking down the gunwales and then getting off at the front. I was taken slightly by surprise at this, and although I was tempted to blast the horns in his ear as he got off, I just thought it was weird and didn't say anything. Then just now, I felt the boat tip, got up to look out the window to see a man and woman getting off, and he then passed her handbag back where he had helped her get off. What the beep? Does this happen often? Ive never had it before but its making me think more about security. I'm going to put a pressure pad under the matting on the stern, hooked up to a bloody loud horn. Thanks

Yes it does. I have a cruiser stern deck and people think its okay to step on, feed the ducks, watch the water, cuddle up with their partner, and even enjoy a beer on it. I go nuts at them, tell them this is my home which doesn't seem to have crossed their mind, and I threaten to sit on the bonnet of their car, or feed the birds from inside their front porch and ask how they'd feel about that - they invariably look very sheepish and guilty. For a few years now I hang a chain across between the cabin and the stern rails. So you have to actively climb up and over to get onto the stern deck - it's less easy just to step on without making the effort. Since doing that no one has stepped on uninvited, that I know of, at least.

Edited May 9, 2013 by BlueStringPudding

[WJM]

I have been asked on a few occasions while boating in London - "How much?" The first few times were quite perplexing, but the full text should read 'How much for a ride on your waterbus?' But they are always apologetic when I explain that I am not a waterbus operator!

[kiki]

I found a nice surprise in our local Buxton Advertiser - a photograph of our boat with a bicycle leaning up against it surrounded by my pots of flowers. Found out in the end a local bike shop thought it was the best backdrop for thier artical. Was I annoyed.......hell no.

[little duck!]

i get quite annoyed at people taking pictures of my boat, (and me!) from the canal side, i know it's harmless but i find it rude to be photographed without 1st being asked if it's ok, i like to think of it as manners, so i will often turn my body away from the camera. we were on our on line mooring at the weeked doing odd jobs on the boat, i was sat in a deck chair at the back of the boat taking a rest, an old couple came past the boat and the man stopped and stared in the front window for a good few minutes, other half didnt notice! I wish i'd asked him what was so interesting about our lounge!

Again on a recent trip over a famous aquaduct( llangollen canal) we unfortunately timed our trip back across the aquaduct to coincide with 2 coaches of tourists arriving, one Japanese, lots of cameras, and another european. Not only did they get in the way of our ropes as we had to wait to cross and were holding on to ropes but they also blocked our view to see if it was clear. Then as we were crossing they were actually touching our boat and trying to stick their faces up to the windows.I went in and closed the curtains and then saw one think about stepping on the bow until he saw me and changed his mind! Yes it's a large (in more ways than one) tourist attraction but i am not part of it and would like people to remember their manners and respect my privacy!

Sorry that turned into a bit of a rant

 

Edited to add, I'm not that grumpy and am happy to talk about my boat with others but stepping on or touching without consent is a huge no no and people staring in is annoying but a fact of life!

Edited May 9, 2013 by little duck!

[RickH]

Hi all,

 

This evening i've had two people randomly decide to get on my boat.

 

One was a fisherman who, whilst walking down the towpath with his line, fly fishing I assume, decided to continue by getting on my boat, walking down the gunwales and then getting off at the front.

 

I was taken slightly by surprise at this, and although I was tempted to blast the horns in his ear as he got off, I just thought it was weird and didn't say anything.

 

Then just now, I felt the boat tip, got up to look out the window to see a man and woman getting off, and he then passed her handbag back where he had helped her get off.

 

What the beep?

 

Does this happen often? Ive never had it before but its making me think more about security.

 

I'm going to put a pressure pad under the matting on the stern, hooked up to a bloody loud horn.

 

Thanks

I'm confused , you felt them get off the boat , not on ? Had they crossed from another boat ?