What s a boater?

[Sir Nibble]

Don't care what a boater is. The term is so wide that according to at least one long time contributor it includes a tourist visitor to HMS Belfast.

I am a navigator, I navigate my boat on the inland waterways and have common cause with other people who navigate on the waterways. I have nothing in common with residential moorers or those who consider navigation a fortnightly chore. Those of us who navigate prioritise water under the baseplate and infrastructure that works, others would be quite content if their boat was aground and would be well served if it were on hardstanding and plumbed into water gas and sewage mains. I would be interested in joining an association for like minded people who wish to navigate, I have no interest in joining with those who wish to avoid navigation or prioritise a rooftop garden (or woodpile) above responsive steering.

[steven wilkinson]

I am also a navigator. I last navigated a Subaru Impreza WRC through a Welsh forest at great speed.

[DeanS]

someone who has to pay to be on the canals ?

[Jerra]

I am a navigator,

I thought it was the navigators (navies)who dug the canals.

[Timleech]

To me, 'boater' implies someone who carries on the activity of 'boating', so wouldn't really include those who live in static boats.

That said, I don't remember it being a term in common use in these parts twenty or thirty years ago.

 

Tim

[Rufford]

A boater is someone who has an affinity with the waterways and someone whom feels a compulsive need to say hello to every walker, jogger, cyclist and other boaters. Sometimes I catch myself saying hello to people in the street, and they just look at me strangely and ignore me.

[Nightwatch]

I've always thought that you weren't a real boater until you'd taken a fully immersed dip in the canal or river on which your boat travels.

 

My wife can now claim to be a fully paid up member after her 'swim' last Tuesday morning. I didn't laugh. In fact I was surprisingly quite concerned.

 

Martyn.

[Rufford]

I think you are correct in that one. To be a 'real' boater you must have fell in once, started using other peoples toilets and have done at least one winter

[Nine of Hearts]

If a boater is defined as one who engages in a certain activity, for how long before or after that activity does the definition apply? If I boat once, am I always a boater? And if not, how long after I last boated do I stop being one? Am I one now?

 

One of the best, most experienced and skilful narrowboat handlers that I know doesn't own a boat. He's also a forum member

 

This is not true. I do own a boat.

[twbm]

I think for the purpose of the debate in hand, a boat is a vessel for the time being in use on waters under the jurisdiction of of CaRT, of sufficient size to require a clear channel and fully operational infrastrucure in order to make progress.

 

Falling from that a boater would be an individual who regularly travels or lives on such a vessel, be that for pleasure or lifestyle choice.

 

Cue debate about 'clear channel' and 'regularly'.

[mayalld]

I think for the purpose of the debate in hand, a boat is a vessel for the time being in use on waters under the jurisdiction of of CaRT, of sufficient size to require a clear channel and fully operational infrastrucure in order to make progress.

 

Falling from that a boater would be an individual who regularly travels or lives on such a vessel, be that for pleasure or lifestyle choice.

 

Cue debate about 'clear channel' and 'regularly'.

 

There have been a number of factors introduced, and it is interesting that you raise the question of "requires a clear channel".

 

I can see merit in that argument, because a canoeist simply doesn't have the same requirements that other boaters have.

 

The question which seems to be troubling people is one of ownership.

 

Clearly, if I own a boat I am a boater, but what about if I hire one, have access to one or intend to buy one?

 

To me, the question must be "does this individual have a legitimate expectation that his or her views on the provisions for boats should be taken into account, because he or she will be affected, and does he/she self-identify as a boater"

 

As a rule of thumb, if somebody has boated in the last 12 months, and is likely to do so in the next 12 months, he/she is a boater.

[twbm]

Dave, I don't think ownership is necessarily relevant (well I wouldn't, would I), it's more about active participation. Happy with the 12 month suggestion by way of clarification of 'regularly' - given that it incudes me in.

[Starcoaster]

I've always thought that you weren't a real boater until you'd taken a fully immersed dip in the canal or river on which your boat travels.

 

My wife can now claim to be a fully paid up member after her 'swim' last Tuesday morning. I didn't laugh. In fact I was surprisingly quite concerned.

 

Martyn.

 

Can you have a word with MB then please? He seems to be actively trying to make me fall in by means of judicious application of the klaxon when I am looking the other way!

[Nightwatch]

Can you have a word with MB then please? He seems to be actively trying to make me fall in by means of judicious application of the klaxon when I am looking the other way!

Perhaps, and its only a perhaps, he's trying cover noise the noise of some other pleasure that he secretly has.

 

It's a bit unfair to catch someone out with a klaxon though. Maybe I should take it away from him (for safe keeping of course) until he can behave himself.

 

Martyn (nice to here from you)

[Starcoaster]

Please feel free... Make sure to collect them all, there are at least three on Reg and one on Aldebaran, and he's definitely doing it deliberately!

[DHutch]

IMO opinion it is a person who boats.

For the purpose of the canals, that can be narrowed to "a person who boats on the inland waterways."

In terms of negotiations with/ the use of the term by and in contact with CRT, I believe it to mean "a person who owns a boat on the inland waterways" taking that umbrella to mean hire companies and boating trusts etc. too, whose boats are used by many people and who get feedback on issues from their clients and so can speak on their behalf as the boat owners/managers.

 

There is no one "type" of "person who owns a boat on the inland waterways" and to try to build a median demographic of "the typical boater" would be impossible.

I asked the question because the term is used as if we are all the same, with the same views and aspirations, and yet a quick look at this forum suggests the opposite.

The term "boater" seems more wide reaching than its road equivalent, "motorist", which is often used in news reports about the price of fuel etc. For example, one assumes that a motorist actually travels on the road. Not all boaters seem to want to move anywhere, in fact a subset of boaters spend their time on a boat that never moves (except for swaying back and forth with the passing of other boats).

I think a boater is anyone who uses a boat. That could be a boat owner (who actially uses the boat), hire boater, live aboard, canoeist, someone in a rubber dingy, yacht...actually leads me onto another question....what's the definition of a boat? I hope CRT count the number of boat users and not just the number of boats when they draw statistical conclusions..,

Surely a portion of the cost of hiring a boat goes towards the hire companies licence cost...

To try to start off the "what is a boat" line the dictionary says

Noun

A small vessel propelled on water by oars, sails, or an engine.

Verb

Travel or go in a boat for pleasure: "they boated through fjords"; "she likes to go boating.".

To me, 'boater' implies someone who carries on the activity of 'boating', so wouldn't really include those who live in static boats.

That said, I don't remember it being a term in common use in these parts twenty or thirty years ago.

I think you are correct in that one. To be a 'real' boater you must have fell in once, started using other peoples toilets and have done at least one winter

Its certainly an interesting thread and topic of conversation. I also agree that, outside of talk on 'boaters meetings' and the like, its not a term I really here used when out and about on the canal, all be it more common now than a few years ago and seen on facebook and the forum.

 

Its clear that the dictionary entries state that is someone that uses a boat, for pleasure. Which works for me. Obviously that depends slightly on the context, and for CRT that will typically mean 'people who boat on CRT waters' or at very least, inland waterways. hence excluding people such as dingy sailers on tidal waters, another hobby of mind but distinct from inland waterways boating.

 

Within that you then have.

- People who hire a boat, people who own a boat

- People who share or have a share in a boat, people who use another's boat with them or otherwise

- Narrowboats, new old and historic, fibreglass boats, open or trailable boats, kayaks and all other boat types

- Static boats, boat people live on, community owned boats.

 

 

Stick that lot in a meeting room and ask them what they want? Popcorn may be required I feel!

 

Which is obviously much of the problem.

 

 

Daniel