Working Boats?

[Maffi]

Following a recent complaint about a hire boat running his engine after 11 pm a friend was told by the hire company:-

 

Thanks for your reply unfortunately hire boats are classed as working boats and as such are subject to some different rules even if there is a delay at a lock a hire boat can jump the queue I do not advocate that as such but only on one occasion when the boat had to get back!!

 

Now my first reaction was in your dreams and that was probably right. I have never heard such BS in my life, but does any one have any evidence to the contrary

[Starcoaster]

Ho ho holyshit, I call bullshit!

What company is this? Please do tell!

[PiRSqwared]

Well firstly what a loaf of BS. And secondly, commercial craft only have precedence on commercial waterways.

[luctor et emergo]

The only real consession that real working boats have, is that they can buy their diesel at 100% domestic rate, even for propulsion. And hire boats are not classed as working boats.

 

And of course a 600 ton river barge has right of way...

[Tam & Di]

Following a recent complaint about a hire boat running his engine after 11 pm a friend was told by the hire company:-

 

Thanks for your reply unfortunately hire boats are classed as working boats and as such are subject to some different rules even if there is a delay at a lock a hire boat can jump the queue I do not advocate that as such but only on one occasion when the boat had to get back!!

 

Now my first reaction was in your dreams and that was probably right. I have never heard such BS in my life, but does any one have any evidence to the contrary

 

They would be regarded as a commercial venture insofar as tax etc is concerned, but that does not make them a commercial boat in the sense it is being used here. Ask them if their hirers have commercial licences for steering the vessel.

[Dave_P]

Report this to the navigation authority - CaRT, EA etc

[Guest]

Ho ho holyshit, I call bullshit!

What company is this? Please do tell!

 

I agree that we should be told too, I'm normally an avid defender of hire boaters and competent hire companies but where there is such obvious mis-information being given we need to know who by.

 

The problem is of course they will likely telling their customers the same thing leading to hirers getting an even worse reputation in some quarters.

Edited May 18, 2013 by The Dog House

[Leo No2]

We go back to experiences with the 'lovely' Rev Martin Reed with Oak and Ash who thought he had precedence over leisure boaters because he was a business and therefore commercial. Likewise on the Thames gone are the days when a passenger boat could jump the queue at a lock claiming commercial precedence. I think the hire company concerned should be named and shamed.

[matty40s]

I was moored at Shardlow in early March when the Canaltime) or whatever they are called this season) boats had started moving again.

I had an early start to work next day so had retired and at 11pm the engine was switched on. After 10 minutes, I clambered out, got dressed and went and knocked, 3 times, then turned the engine off myself on the cruiser stern.

Head finally pops out of the doors as I was getting back on my boat,

"was that you turned my engine off?"

"Yes, it's after 11 and you shouldn't run your engine after 8"

"you could have bloody asked, " He turned the engine back on and disappeared inside.

I switched it off again and threw the keys in the bushes in the garden over the road and went to bed.

 

I did leave a note in the morning telling him where approximately the keys were.

Edited May 18, 2013 by matty40s

[XAlan W]

When we worked our hotel boats [Early 1970`s] a reply to our question to BW as to having preference at locks & any other advantages, the reply was [you can ask someone in front of you waiting for a lock if you could go ahead of them] but if they say no you can not jump the queue even though you are earning a living from the canal. I have no idea if the rules have changed but would doubt it

[bargemast]

This hire-boat company is trying to create a war between other waterway users and hirers, and if more of their hirers behave the same with running engine until crazy hours, spoil it for the boaters that respect the rules of running engines, and for housedwellers boats are boats, so they will complain about noisy boats.

 

Peter.

Edited May 18, 2013 by bargemast

[furnessvale]

This hire-boat company is trying to create a war between other waterway users and hirers, and if more of their hirers behave the same with running engine until crazy hours, spoil it for the boaters that respect the rules of running engines, and for housedwellers boats are boats, so they will complain about noisy boats.

 

Peter.

I wouldn't put such a high value on the actions of the hire company.

 

Someone complained to them about the users of a hire boat. The hire company decided a bit of bullshit would get shut of the complainant. Who knows, perhaps the hire company now puts a word about engine running times into their hirer instructions.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Guest]

Commercial boats taking precedent?

 

 

Even if they didn't have it would be a foolish narrowboater that didn't give them it up our neck of the woods -

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I was moored at Shardlow in early March when the Canaltime) or whatever they are called this season) boats had started moving again.

I had an early start to work next day so had retired and at 11pm the engine was switched on. After 10 minutes, I clambered out, got dressed and went and knocked, 3 times, then turned the engine off myself on the cruiser stern.

Head finally pops out of the doors as I was getting back on my boat,

"was that you turned my engine off?"

"Yes, it's after 11 and you shouldn't run your engine after 8"

"you could have bloody asked, " He turned the engine back on and disappeared inside.

I switched it off again and threw the keys in the bushes in the garden over the road and went to bed.

 

I did leave a note in the morning telling him where approximately the keys were.

Spot on!!

Sorted it on the towpath.

 

Glenn.

 

Commercial boats taking precedent?

 

 

Even if they didn't have it would be a foolish narrowboater that didn't give them it up our neck of the woods -

 

Great image.

 

Glenn

[Stephen Sugg]

On my handover chat yesterday, the chap specifically mentioned that I cannot run my engine if stationary before 8am and after 8pm. An angler told me at 7.30 this morning that I wasn't allowed on the water until 8!

[RLWP]

On my handover chat yesterday, the chap specifically mentioned that I cannot run my engine if stationary before 8am and after 8pm. An angler told me at 7.30 this morning that I wasn't allowed on the water until 8!

 

He's wrong

 

Richard

[ditchcrawler]

He's wrong

 

Richard

The fisherman, not the boatyard

[Mike Tee]

On my handover chat yesterday, the chap specifically mentioned that I cannot run my engine if stationary before 8am and after 8pm. An angler told me at 7.30 this morning that I wasn't allowed on the water until 8!

I take it that the self levitating device on the hire boat is defective

[Jerra]

I take it that the self levitating device on the hire boat is defective

I was wondering if the angler was going to volunteer to lift the boat out of and into the canal.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

The fisherman, not the boatyard

I thought hired boat were not permitted to navigate from 8 at night until 8 in the morning?

I guessed company policy and reasons of insurance.

But a privately owned boat can navigate around the clock.

 

?

[Paul C]

I thought hired boat were not permitted to navigate from 8 at night until 8 in the morning?

I guessed company policy and reasons of insurance.

But a privately owned boat can navigate around the clock.

 

?

 

The normal rule in the small print is "dawn to dusk" which of course varies through the year. But often hire firms will additionally advise/say not after 8pm.

[Geoff Taylor]

Hi, I would give way at all times to a working boat, the definition of a working boat is one that carries a full cargo that runs from a loading point to a discharge point or is running empty back to a loading point,this does not include hire boats or any that sell their wares in various places on the towpath. This narrows it down a bit!!.

[Jerra]

Hi, I would give way at all times to a working boat, the definition of a working boat is one that carries a full cargo that runs from a loading point to a discharge point or is running empty back to a loading point,this does not include hire boats or any that sell their wares in various places on the towpath. This narrows it down a bit!!.

I can understand not counting hire boats as working boats, they are after all on holiday and so are leisure boaters. I am puzzled as to why you don't count boats that sell their wares at various places as working. Don't coal boats work?

[FadeToScarlet]

I can understand not counting hire boats as working boats, they are after all on holiday and so are leisure boaters. I am puzzled as to why you don't count boats that sell their wares at various places as working. Don't coal boats work?

I'd argue that there's a difference between a boat taking a cargo between A and B, to a fixed timetable or to fit in as many trips as possible, is working in a very different way to a boat carrying a cargo to retail along the way.

[Paul C]

I thought there was a pecking order along the lines of something like

 

1. Funeral boat for a deceased working boater

2. Fly boats (those carrying perishable goods, day and night)

3. All other working boats

4. Other boats