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Youngsters hiring boats


Captain Fizz

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Oh my god, do you have to stand on a box to see where you are going?

 

Its an issue i have commonly at only 26 years of age! fortunately being 6ft2 also helps, so with box, im ok.....

 

But no, while being crashed in to be a boat of drunk crew is far from idea, I would rather odd cases of that, than 20/30 yo's not being able to find someone willing to hire to them. No issues with stag groups either, but do agree that there should at least be some moderation, certianley in the steerer.

 

We often boat with 4-5, often mainly male, and an average age of around 25-26ish and have never been drunk in charge.

 

 

Daniel

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Its an issue i have commonly at only 26 years of age! fortunately being 6ft2 also helps, so with box, im ok.....

 

But no, while being crashed in to be a boat of drunk crew is far from idea, I would rather odd cases of that, than 20/30 yo's not being able to find someone willing to hire to them. No issues with stag groups either, but do agree that there should at least be some moderation, certianley in the steerer.

 

We often boat with 4-5, often mainly male, and an average age of around 25-26ish and have never been drunk in charge.

 

 

Daniel

Hungover in charge, however..... ;)

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And I suppose that all of the private boat owners in the area have been model citizens in that same time period?

 

Yes, you are correct, I did not see any significant bad behaviour at all from any boat owners, including those who you would probably call continuous moorings. Apart from the very old and much discussed crime of not moving as far as many would like, the continuous moorers appear to me to be well behaved. A number of leisure boaters do go a little too fast past moored boats.

I think the issue is that boat owners tend to do their drinking either in the pub or in the boat at the end of the day, whilst single sex hirers like to do excessive drinking whilst they are also trying to steer the boat.

 

I hope this answers your question.

 

..............Dave (a genuine continuous cruiser who does like to spend a bit of time on the western K&A every year)

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Yes, you are correct, I did not see any significant bad behaviour at all from any boat owners, including those who you would probably call continuous moorings. Apart from the very old and much discussed crime of not moving as far as many would like, the continuous moorers appear to me to be well behaved. A number of leisure boaters do go a little too fast past moored boats.

I think the issue is that boat owners tend to do their drinking either in the pub or in the boat at the end of the day, whilst single sex hirers like to do excessive drinking whilst they are also trying to steer the boat.

 

I hope this answers your question.

 

..............Dave (a genuine continuous cruiser who does like to spend a bit of time on the western K&A every year)

Im sorry but I find that very hard to believe.

 

Hirers take a lot of stick from folks on this forum and a lot of it is very much uncalled for. Let us not forget where a lot of us got our first taste of boating.

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Im sorry but I find that very hard to believe.

 

Hirers take a lot of stick from folks on this forum and a lot of it is very much uncalled for. Let us not forget where a lot of us got our first taste of boating.

I have no axe to grind, or at least not a very big axe, so I am not offering an opinion but just reporting on my experience when I spent a while down the western end earlier this year. I have of course on other occasions seen bad behaviour from some boat owners and some bad behaviour from one or two of the "continuous moorers" (but it really is only one or two.)

 

I have absolutely nothing against hirers, we love sharing locks with them, and they are usually friendlier and often less opinionated than many boat owners. Top tip here...hirers really like to share locks with liveaboards on big traditional style boats...they will buy you drinks if you go the pub with them!.

The issue is that as the hire businesses find life harder they are increasingly hiring to single sex groups whose main objective is to get very very drunk rather than to go boating.

 

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

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I have no axe to grind, or at least not a very big axe, so I am not offering an opinion but just reporting on my experience when I spent a while down the western end earlier this year. I have of course on other occasions seen bad behaviour from some boat owners and some bad behaviour from one or two of the "continuous moorers" (but it really is only one or two.)

 

I have absolutely nothing against hirers, we love sharing locks with them, and they are usually friendlier and often less opinionated than many boat owners. Top tip here...hirers really like to share locks with liveaboards on big traditional style boats...they will buy you drinks if you go the pub with them!.

The issue is that as the hire businesses find life harder they are increasingly hiring to single sex groups whose main objective is to get very very drunk rather than to go boating.

 

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

Where is your proof of that?

 

For as long as we have been boating, both hiring and on our own boat, (which amounts to some twelve years worth) we have come across large, single sex groups.

 

To be perfectly frank on our recent Broads trip it was rather dull without them. We only came across a pair of them travelling together, everybody else hiring was far too sensible. Took a bit of the fun out of it really :)

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Where is your proof of that?

 

For as long as we have been boating, both hiring and on our own boat, (which amounts to some twelve years worth) we have come across large, single sex groups.

 

To be perfectly frank on our recent Broads trip it was rather dull without them. We only came across a pair of them travelling together, everybody else hiring was far too sensible. Took a bit of the fun out of it really smile.png

 

My only evidence is my own observation. Five or six years ago it was quite rare to see a drunk single sex group, this year they are much more common, and (I keep saying this) down the western end when I was there I saw about 20 hire boats and all but one was single sex.

 

They are indeed not all bad, and yes many are good natured and great fun, but a significant minority are bad and dangerous, and especially unpleasant on the return journey when they are hungover.

This is going to sound very sexist but I think the hen groups are the worse. If you have ten blokes on a boat then its almost certain that at least one will know what he is doing. We have been hit very hard once and that was a "hen boat" (North midlands not K&A). They did not appear at all concerned and just regarded a large impact as the quickest way to get their boat to the bank.

 

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

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I've let both of my sons take tawny out from the age of about 18, ad the groups were usually single sex. (Unless one of the party had a girlfriend in tow at the time.

 

As far as I know hey have never been drunk in charge, at least not he ones driving, and haven't upset anyone else. In fact people who've seen them out and about and mentioned it on here have said how nice and polite they were, whcih as a parent is always good to hear!

 

When it comes to dressing up in silly costumes though.......

 

Another blatant plug for my son and his gang. As you can see they weren't drunk, but got some funny looks!blink.png

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowybhBXgdU

 

Sue

 

Edit to try and get the video on here, but I can't remember how, and Richard's not here to ask!

Edited by Mrs Tawny Owl
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If you visit the western end of the K&A you will find that drunken and often rude single sex groups are not the minority but the norm.

Earlier this year I think about 20 hire boats passed us and only one was Not a drunk single sex group.

However some of them were certainly late 20's or thirties, Its not an age problem, it a single sex group problem.

 

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

 

As someone who lives on the Western end of the K and A at the moment I'd say that comment is very wide of the mark. I don't see every boat movement by any means, but being almost at Dundas Aqueduct and often outside (my mooring is just on the coal canal) I see a lot of them, a certain amount of incompetence yes, drunken stupidity, not really.

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I've let both of my sons take tawny out from the age of about 18, ad the groups were usually single sex. (Unless one of the party had a girlfriend in tow at the time.

 

As far as I know hey have never been drunk in charge, at least not he ones driving, and haven't upset anyone else. In fact people who've seen them out and about and mentioned it on here have said how nice and polite they were, whcih as a parent is always good to hear!

 

When it comes to dressing up in silly costumes though.......

 

Another blatant plug for my son and his gang. As you can see they weren't drunk, but got some funny looks!blink.png

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowybhBXgdU

 

Sue

 

Edit to try and get the video on here, but I can't remember how, and Richard's not here to ask!

thats brilliant.hilarious.clapping.gif

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18-20.. old enough to drink, have sex, fight in a war, drive a car, vote.

Clearly not old enough to inhabit the same space as some of the sad old grumpy gits on this forum.

I think to be honest people would be objecting just as much if there were boat loads of octogenarians navigating boats while under the influence.

  • Greenie 1
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