Jump to content

Identify Boat Parts - Not All "Experts" Know Their Stuff!

alan_fincher

By alan_fincher
in General Boating

 Share

Featured Posts

alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

Single handing "Sickle" down Atherstone. an elderly gent approaches and says, "I particularly like your big red wheel for the speed control".

 

"Actually", says I, it is the little brass wheel that does the speed - the big red wheel is the gears - one way for forward, the other for reverse".

 

"No!", says he, " the red wheel will be your speed, and you will have a push-pull slider for forwards and reverse".

 

"I don't wish to be impolite", says I, "but I have just brought the boat all the way up from Milton Keynes, and would have struggled to do that if I couldn't distinguish between a speed control, and the one for gears. Anyway you will see I have no push pull slider, and that the big red wheel is marked with two arrows, one saying "ahead" and the other "astern".

 

Eventually he agreed that was correct, but pronounced such arrangements "not normal!"

 

I tried to tell him such arrangements are "very normal" on "Grand Union" boats, but am not convinced he believed me.

 

(If you are a forum member sir, I apologise for repeating this story!....)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MoominPapa Veteran II

MoominPapa

Posted
Posted (edited)

Single handing "Sickle" down Atherstone. an elderly gent approaches and says, "I particularly like your big red wheel for the speed control".

 

"Actually", says I, it is the little brass wheel that does the speed - the big red wheel is the gears - one way for forward, the other for reverse".

 

"No!", says he, " the red wheel will be your speed, and you will have a push-pull slider for forwards and reverse".

 

"I don't wish to be impolite", says I, "but I have just brought the boat all the way up from Milton Keynes, and would have struggled to do that if I couldn't distinguish between a speed control, and the one for gears. Anyway you will see I have no push pull slider, and that the big red wheel is marked with two arrows, one saying "ahead" and the other "astern".

 

Eventually he agreed that was correct, but pronounced such arrangements "not normal!"

 

I tried to tell him such arrangements are "very normal" on "Grand Union" boats, but am not convinced he believed me.

 

(If you are a forum member sir, I apologise for repeating this story!....)

Your writing style here very much resembles a certain Mr Darlington. Have you considered disguising Odin as a greyhound, and taking Sickle across The Channel?

 

MP.

Edited by MoominPapa
  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
dmr Veteran II

dmr

Posted
Posted

We got asked what way we were going by a fellow boater who walked up to the narrow lock we were in and filling. I can only assume they were new at this game. smile.png

Whilst the boat is actually sat in a lock I am amazed how often we are asked if we are going up or down. I have an answer ready for most questions but this one always defeats me, I have always assumed that the pointy end is going forward!. I accept that we have been known to take a lock backwards on a few occasions but surely our reputation has not spread that widely!

 

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites
koukouvagia Influencer

koukouvagiaDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I like it when I overhear conversations on the towpath when I'm unseen inside the boat.

 

The best remarks are made when a child asks his dad, "what's that engine?" Dad, not wishing to lose face or admit ignorance replies authoritatively. I've heard all sorts of weird and wonderful explanations of the spark plugs on the Kelvin and I've smiled to myself when I've heard the engine described as a Lister, or better still, a steam engine.

 

The hydraulic pipes on the elum of the butty have been variously explained as "power steering" or - I kid you not - "brakes".

 

I once shared a lock with a hire boat whose steerer asked me if Fellows, Morton and Clayton were a good firm to hire from! (Yes, I know I've told this on the forum before!)

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
  • Author
Posted
The hydraulic pipes on the elum of the butty have been variously explained as "power steering" or - I kid you not - "brakes".

Having steered Hampton for a bit, I have to say adding power steering would be my strong preference if doing long trips with it!

 

Also my memory is that whilst it takes off very well in "ahead", it is a bit weaker on the topic of "brakes"!

I I've smiled to myself when I've heard the engine described as a Lister.........

 

I suppose you can just continue to aspire to a "proper" narrow boat engine, Jim!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Black Ibis Proficient

Black Ibis

Posted
Posted

Coming up the "New Thirteen" on the BCN Challenge, walking ahead of Yeoford on the towpath, was asked "Is that a Springer?". And more recently, was asked if Willow was a Big Ricky. To be fair, at a distance, I suppose welded wrought iron looks a little more like wood than riveted steel does...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doorman Veteran

Doorman

Posted
Posted (edited)

Whilst the boat is actually sat in a lock I am amazed how often we are asked if we are going up or down. I have an answer ready for most questions but this one always defeats me, I have always assumed that the pointy end is going forward!. I accept that we have been known to take a lock backwards on a few occasions but surely our reputation has not spread that widely!

 

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

We reverse back down through two locks on a regular basis (pump-out requirements) and some of the comments we get are hilarious and that's nothing to do with my skills or lack of them at the helm. As we reversed into lock14, Audlem, a boater travelling down towards us shouted "leave the gate open!" as I was closing it to empty the lock. When he moored up on the bollards I cheekily asked did he wish to share the (single) lock? His look of bemusement tickled me.

 

On another occasion last year when the Transport Festival was in full throw and the ex-working boats were breasted up in the pound adjacent to the Shroppie Fly, we were reversing back from lock 12 in a quest for the water point and another boat just kept coming forward towards our stern. As I was just passing under the road bridge with very little space to pass, I asked the gentleman why he was trying to get into the lock whilst we were still exiting it? "I thought that you were going into it" came the puzzled reply. His audience was many amongst the gongoozlers and elite heritage boat crews.

Edited by Doorman
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mark99 Veteran II

mark99

Posted
Posted (edited)

I like it when I overhear conversations on the towpath when I'm unseen inside the boat.

 

 

Yeah heard a cracker t'other day; bloke in a knowing way to his missus - "do you know you cannot even stand upright anywhere in any of those barges"

 

I really wanted to run down the boat and poke me head out of the engine room side doors!

Edited by mark99
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tesla Proficient

Tesla

Posted
Posted

Yeah heard a cracker t'other day; bloke in a knowing way to his missus - "do you know you cannot even stand upright anywhere in any of those barges"

 

I really wanted to run down the boat and poke me head out of the engine room side doors!

We heard a chap on Friday tell his friend that you had to exit the boat to get past the engine room ;) He felt it would make living aboard very difficult...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Laurie Booth Veteran

Laurie BoothDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I like it when I overhear conversations on the towpath when I'm unseen inside the boat.

 

 

 

I once shared a lock with a hire boat whose steerer asked me if Fellows, Morton and Clayton were a good firm to hire from! (Yes, I know I've told this on the forum before!)

These boat trips are run by Fellows, Morton & Clayton Ltd, Canal Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 4LU

 

Well they do boat trips

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

We reverse back down through two locks on a regular basis (pump-out requirements) and some of the comments we get are hilarious and that's nothing to do with my skills or lack of them at the helm. As we reversed into lock14, Audlem, a boater travelling down towards us shouted "leave the gate open!" as I was closing it to empty the lock. When he moored up on the bollards I cheekily asked did he wish to share the (single) lock? His look of bemusement tickled me.

 

On another occasion last year when the Transport Festival was in full throw and the ex-working boats were breasted up in the pound adjacent to the Shroppie Fly, we were reversing back from lock 12 in a quest for the water point and another boat just kept coming forward towards our stern. As I was just passing under the road bridge with very little space to pass, I asked the gentleman why he was trying to get into the lock whilst we were still exiting it? "I thought that you were going into it" came the puzzled reply. His audience was many amongst the gongoozlers and elite heritage boat crews.

I was always amazed that I never received a single comment when doing it both at Napton Top and Braunston bottom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bassplayer Influencer

bassplayer

Posted
Posted (edited)

Single handing "Sickle" down Atherstone. an elderly gent approaches and says, "I particularly like your big red wheel for the speed control".

 

"Actually", says I, it is the little brass wheel that does the speed - the big red wheel is the gears - one way for forward, the other for reverse".

 

"No!", says he, " the red wheel will be your speed, and you will have a push-pull slider for forwards and reverse".

 

"I don't wish to be impolite", says I, "but I have just brought the boat all the way up from Milton Keynes, and would have struggled to do that if I couldn't distinguish between a speed control, and the one for gears. Anyway you will see I have no push pull slider, and that the big red wheel is marked with two arrows, one saying "ahead" and the other "astern".

 

Eventually he agreed that was correct, but pronounced such arrangements "not normal!"

 

I tried to tell him such arrangements are "very normal" on "Grand Union" boats, but am not convinced he believed me.

 

(If you are a forum member sir, I apologise for repeating this story!....)

Do you have a chain to hook to the wheel to stop it slipping out of gear? My mate has this problem with his gear linkage. Right bugger when doing an emergency stop... Edited by bassplayer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.