RYA Training completed

[wiltshirewonderer]

Earlier this week me and the better half went and did our inland Helmsman training. We took it as an opportunity to have a short break at the same time so went for a two day options that gave us time on the K&A and also the river Avon.

 

I found it invaluable and got taught a few things that obviously weren't common sense/practice (Based on the comments we seemed to be getting every time we went in a lock and what we saw others doing).

 

We did find the amount of other boaters passing negative comments surprising though! Shared a lock with one couple that refused to share after the first because we didn't open both the paddles wide open until half way through. They were moaning that it was time wasting etc. and that the training was a waste of time ("its all common sense") They went ahead at the next lock without us (Waste of water?) and proceeded to knock seven shades of sh*t out of the side wall as the boat bounced all over. When we turned around and went up the next day apparently a section of the wall had been dislodged and we were lucky to get back through, they closed it half an hour later due to the size of the bulge. A German chap made the same comment on the way up (Having boasted about having just cleared Caen hill in 3.5 hours), said he was used to dealing with European sized locks. The issue with the wall was pointed out and finally he clicked...

 

Thinking about it, probably the same guy who knocked one of the lock gates off its hinge two locks up. Is this amount of damage common? I'm surprised anything works!

 

Plenty of comments about the life jackets as well. Not really surprised and I personally found them dangerous (Kept getting caught on things). Hey ho, no harm done with them though.

 

Overall, I thought it a great experience and definitely worthwhile. Hoping that the level of d*ckheads is lower outside of the corner of Bath on the cabals though. We must have had the best part of a dozen prats and only 5-6 boater friendlies over the two days. Interestingly most of the latter were CC'ers....

[RickH]

I had a run in with a hire boat that thought I was filling the lock too slow , wanted me to back out ! ALWAYS stick with what you are happy with , don't ever be bullied . I think I may have seen this German chap at Semington . The Western K&A has a lot of great friendly boaters so don't let a few D Heads spoil it for you .

[dmr]

We had a big and potentially violent confrontation with a hire boater on the Llangollen two years because we were going "too slowly" through a lock.

I tried to explain to him that at very nearly 7 foot wide we had to take the locks very slowly and carefully. Between the expletives he managed to say "but I can't wait, I'm on holiday so I'm in a hurry!"

 

..............Dave

[RickH]

We had a big and potentially violent confrontation with a hire boater on the Llangollen two years because we were going "too slowly" through a lock.

I tried to explain to him that at very nearly 7 foot wide we had to take the locks very slowly and carefully. Between the expletives he managed to say "but I can't wait, I'm on holiday so I'm in a hurry!"

 

..............Dave

That seems to me to be the big problem ,some hire boatershave an inflated idea of what they can do on a NB as far getting places

[David Mack]

We had a big and potentially violent confrontation with a hire boater on the Llangollen two years because we were going "too slowly" through a lock.

I tried to explain to him that at very nearly 7 foot wide we had to take the locks very slowly and carefully. Between the expletives he managed to say "but I can't wait, I'm on holiday so I'm in a hurry!"

 

..............Dave

 

Why? Almost all narrowboats "very nearly 7 foot wide", and some, including ours, are a bit over. But that doesn't mean every lock has to be taken "very slowly".