How slow is too slow?

[Wanderer Vagabond]

How slow is too slow? We were behind a boat today that even with my relaxed pace of travel, I believe fell into this category. I accept that the whole purpose of travelling by narrowboat is to go slowly and appreciate the surroundings, this boat however was somewhat overdoing the ‘slow boat’ sketch. Now whilst our boat travels at about 1mph on tickover this boat was travelling at about half that speed. The result was that I was constantly having to knock our boat into neutral and drift otherwise I would run into the back of him. Being of an easy-going nature I was happy to do this for a while but after about 40 minutes during which he had not increased speed at all (despite there being no moored boats in sight) it was becoming a little trying particularly since I don’t believe that constantly putting the boat in gear and then knocking it out of gear again is good for the drive plates.

 

Eventually, and totally against my nature, I had to overtake him. Overtaking on canals is not something to be taken lightly since it puts you onto the wrong side of the canal in the path of any oncoming boats and it is likely to take a lot longer than you anticipate. Eventually I found a stretch which was safe to overtake and began to do so. The other problem with overtaking on a shallow canal is that two boats will draw double the water which makes it even shallower but the overtake went ahead reasonably well although I was surprised to be totally blanked by the guy on the other boat. Normally canal folk are reasonably chatty and I thought perhaps he’d tell me that he had some problem with his engine/gearbox but no, totally blanked me as I passed. The unfortunate side effect was that as my stern passed his bows it sucked them across towards us and as I passed he found himself drawn into the trees on the left side of the canal, obviously not very happy!!

 

A strange event all round, but what occurred to me was that for us it was just a minor hiccup but for someone who has paid some serious money to hire a canalboat for a week, to be held up behind someone who chooses to travel at less 1mph could wreck their week’s travel plans.

 

My thoughts are that if I had to or wanted to go as slowly as that I would pull across and let other boats pass as they caught up with me, what are other people’s views?

[Paul C]

The problem is, I can only speak for myself, not other boaters especially the one you overtook today. It does appear that some people are like this though, and given the difficulty of overtaking combined with the poor etiquette/rudeness of doing so uninvited, it is a problem-ette. I try to schedule time into the, ummm, schedule, to allow for delays such as this and others (eg queues at locks, or getting stuck behind a slow boater through a flight of locks). Sometimes you can de-conflict by altering eg lunch time, or simply keep going a bit longer into the evening so it wouldn't disrupt a schedule too much.

 

Basic rule though: if someone catches you up, ALWAYS offer them the overtake. If you catch someone up, NEVER assume they'll offer or want to be overtaken. Hang back if needs be.

 

I think if they've not noticed after 5-10 mins, a polite way of letting them know you're there is okay - eg someone going to the front of the boat and asking them. Horn is probably a bit overbearing (especially a loud one like ours).

[NB Lola]

Now't as queer as folk. I would do exactly what you did

[trackman]

I've had this once or twice and it is hard to know what to do if the slow boater doesn't do the honourable thing and wave you by.

Even if you are not in a hurry, constantly going in and out of neutral is not something you want to endure for long.

I have resorted to stopping for a while on occasion, but clearly this wastes time and may not fit your schedule.

[roland elsdon]

I just wait until I determine a suitable spot to me and hold over, we are aware an old boat floats in the canal not on the canal and is therefore sometimes very slow. However anyone roaring up behind and trying to push past is likely to end up with a bow through their window or a gouged handrail, because their impatience will render us unable to hold the front over....

[muddywaters]

If I'm honest I do tend to go a little to slow at times.

But what I also do is look out for any other boats that are catching me up and if one is I will pull over to the towpath and let it pass.

Everyone is happy then.

Oh and every time that I have done that the person on the faster boat has always thanked me

[Grace and Favour]

We have a slow boat, and it's not rare that a boat will overtake us.

 

That's fine - we will always move over and wave them on when I believe it's safe to do so.

 

If I do not think it's safe, I will hold course - if they then attempt to overtake then they will take full responsibility for their decision - I will not unnecessarily risk damage to my craft or crew by compensating for their decision.

[nicknorman]

I think you did the right thing. One of the nice things about the canals is that you get to encounter a wide spectrum of people. Most are pleasant and friendly but just a few are downright rude, unfriendly and inconsiderate.

 

Personally I wouldn't have waited so long before overtaking if he really was sub-1mph. That is just ridiculous.

 

Although of course it is nice to be asked to overtake, ultimately permission is not required just as it is not required in a car (although I notice an increasing number of folk who take great exception to being overtaken safely in a car). What is required is that you can do the manoeuvre safely but this is made much easier if the other boat is really slow. It is when it is just say 0.5 mph slower than you want to go, that co-operation from the guy in front is needed in terms of him reducing power.

 

As a technique point, when overtaking I tend to give it plenty of welly to build up speed, but as we start to overlap I reduce power so as to avoid the boat in front getting sucked towards us etc, hoping that in part, momentum will carry us through.

 

Being deep drafted we are often slow in shallow water and beckon anyone behind to overtake as soon as possible. Having long swims means that in deep water we are quite fast and sometimes want to overtake even though our normal cruise rpm is 1300 (engine's max is 2800).

Edited June 16, 2014 by nicknorman

[RichardH]

There are days when I would have enjoyed the meander and days I would have replicated your actions.

 

Nothing wrong in my opinion either way.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

The problem is, I can only speak for myself, not other boaters especially the one you overtook today. It does appear that some people are like this though, and given the difficulty of overtaking combined with the poor etiquette/rudeness of doing so uninvited, it is a problem-ette. I try to schedule time into the, ummm, schedule, to allow for delays such as this and others (eg queues at locks, or getting stuck behind a slow boater through a flight of locks). Sometimes you can de-conflict by altering eg lunch time, or simply keep going a bit longer into the evening so it wouldn't disrupt a schedule too much.

 

Basic rule though: if someone catches you up, ALWAYS offer them the overtake. If you catch someone up, NEVER assume they'll offer or want to be overtaken. Hang back if needs be.

 

I think if they've not noticed after 5-10 mins, a polite way of letting them know you're there is okay - eg someone going to the front of the boat and asking them. Horn is probably a bit overbearing (especially a loud one like ours).

I would tend to agree with you and this was probably the first uninvited overtake I have ever done on the canals in quite a few years of narrow-boating. I am not in any hurry to get anywhere so, provided that the boat I am following is at least travelling at tick-over speed I am quite content to follow on behind. On this occasion it was well below tick over speed (I can only assume that he has some pretty substantial reduction gear on his boat) so following was, quite frankly, difficult. Since I'd been behind for for about 40 minutes (not too close) I find it difficult to believe that he was not aware that I was there and by his reaction when overtaken I can only assume that he didn't want to be overtaken.

 

The follow-up is that he has now eventually caught us up several hours later and has moored in front of us after we've moored for the night. Being a reasonably social sort of bloke I would be interested to chat with the guy to see what was going on but on this occasion I think I'll just let it pass since he didn't look particularly happy that my stern had dragged his bows across into the bank, one to put down to experience I suppose.

[nicknorman]

Your stern dragged his bows across into the bank because he had insufficient power applied to properly control his boat and was in centre channel. An own goal for him, I would say. Make sure you depart tomorrow before him, or a long time after him!

[lockedout]

We were returning to the marina a few weekends ago going at a reasonable pace - wake just reaching the bank. A boat came steaming up behind us at such a speed that I had a quick look behind to see if he was towing a water skier! We then got a long blast on the horn and a little bit of arm waving. There aren't many overtaking opportunities on that stretch, so I pulled over and let him steam on past, he shouted something about getting to the marina because he was low on fuel (not surprising really, I thought).

 

Anywho... as we got to the marina he was blocking the entrance as the fuel berth was occupied, I made a polite request (honest) for him to get out of my way which he did with a lot of noise and revs allowing me to get in to the marina.

 

I swung the boat round, reversed into out berth while Mrs 'Er indoors tidied up down below. I got us tied up, curtains drawn, power off, doors locked, covers on, dogs off, car loaded, and Mr Speedy Bo**ox was still waiting at the fuel berth.

 

I allowed myself a little chuckle and reminded myself of a fable told by a certain Mr Aesop involving a tortoise and a hare.

[bigste]

You are losing too much sleep over this. If he's going too slow for you then you just pass him a.s.a.p. end of.

[Naughty Cal]

You can't win on here. Some whining that boats go too quick and now others moaning they are going too slow

[nb Innisfree]

Medium speed boats get my goat..

[gazza]

We had an infuriating chap hold us up on Well Creek, the shallowest slowest bit of water we boat on.

Caught him put putting along a little way before Outwell basin.

The Elysian is a pig at slow speeds at best of time. Well Creek is a 900 rpm 2MPH chug for us. matey was creeping along at about half this pace - we use a Garmin eTrex for distance, speed, moving and stopped averages. The posted limit is 4mph but absolutely no chance of achieving it!

After a fair bit of in and out of gear shenanigans we reached a spot were there was enough room to get by (9'6" + 6'10" on a cut not much wider....)

Knobhead was incensed I wanted to come by. No amount of explaining we had limited steerage and was unable to go at his speed without wearing out the 'box helped.

In the end I made his mind up for him passing on the wrong side with a moored boat on his side leaving Him no option but to let us past.

His Misses was embarrassed and upset by his actions. Poor women had to live with the daft sod, we only. Suffered him for a short while.

When we got to Marmonts Priory lock, Maureen asked if anyone else was on the way. I explained what had happened and described both boat and bellend, her response was ' oh that's so and so, the know-all ex fireman, he's a complete prat!'

Felt a bit better about the incident after that.

He was the only tool we met in 750 miles of boating last year.

Thank heaven for the quieter fenland boating :-)

Edited June 16, 2014 by gazza

[pendle]

Not exactly on topic but having waited to allow a hire boat through a bridge which was probably mine, I awaited a thank you or at least a nod. No such acknowledgment only a blast on accelerator by said hirer. As there were many moored boats on non towpath side I suggested he might like to try slowing down as opposed to speeding up

 

There was some divine justice when I looked back and saw said boat stuck in shallow waters on towpath side

[Ricco1]

I cruise pretty slowly. Partly because my little engine needs to rev its socks off to go at over 3mph and partly because, if I was in a hurry to go anywhere, I wouldn't be going there in a narrowboat.

 

The way I do it is thus: I scan the canal before I set off. If there is a boat, even in the distance, travelling in the same direction as I am I hammer a stake in, tie the centre rope to it, make a brew, draw on my e cig and let it pass. I then set off at my leisurely 2 1/2mph. If a boat appears behind I'll monitor its progress. If it draws close fairly quickly I'll look for the first opportunity to pull in towards the towpath bank (not too far) and offer for it to pass. If the boat behind gains on me only very slowly I'll keep going just the way I was. If it gets close I'll look for a safe passing place, slow down and wave for it to pass. It doesn't have a choice really, unless it wants to slow its speed to 1 mph or so.

 

The last bit of the previous paragraph makes an important point I think. I can understand the frustration that a boater feels when someone slows them up. But it's equally frustrating, or stressful perhaps, to feel that you're being speeded up by another boater.

[John V]

101 Thames Harbourmasters launch by mudlarker2, on Flickr

 

 

serious overtaking

[gazza]

I cruise pretty slowly. Partly because my little engine needs to rev its socks off to go at over 3mph and partly because, if I was in a hurry to go anywhere, I wouldn't be going there in a narrowboat.

 

The way I do it is thus: I scan the canal before I set off. If there is a boat, even in the distance, travelling in the same direction as I am I hammer a stake in, tie the centre rope to it, make a brew, draw on my e cig and let it pass. I then set off at my leisurely 2 1/2mph. If a boat appears behind I'll monitor its progress. If it draws close fairly quickly I'll look for the first opportunity to pull in towards the towpath bank (not too far) and offer for it to pass. If the boat behind gains on me only very slowly I'll keep going just the way I was. If it gets close I'll look for a safe passing place, slow down and wave for it to pass. It doesn't have a choice really, unless it wants to slow its speed to 1 mph or so.

 

The last bit of the previous paragraph makes an important point I think. I can understand the frustration that a boater feels when someone slows them up. But it's equally frustrating, or stressful perhaps, to feel that you're being speeded up by another boater.

If only there were more like you!

 

Another trip that springs to mind was 2011 on the GU,it was the week of the Royal wedding. We caught up with the Lionhearts cruising club at Yardley Gobion, complete with CB radios, run leader and tail end charlie.

we had 16' and 20' cruisers, what a faff getting by this unfeasible long and slow convoy of self appointed canal police, we had the eTrex so were confident we were not exceeding the speed limit.

A couple of the group were decent enough and understood why we didn't want to join their procession, others were frankly rude and obnoxious, but hey ho it makes for memories and tales to tell.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

I cruise pretty slowly. Partly because my little engine needs to rev its socks off to go at over 3mph and partly because, if I was in a hurry to go anywhere, I wouldn't be going there in a narrowboat.

 

The way I do it is thus: I scan the canal before I set off. If there is a boat, even in the distance, travelling in the same direction as I am I hammer a stake in, tie the centre rope to it, make a brew, draw on my e cig and let it pass. I then set off at my leisurely 2 1/2mph. If a boat appears behind I'll monitor its progress. If it draws close fairly quickly I'll look for the first opportunity to pull in towards the towpath bank (not too far) and offer for it to pass. If the boat behind gains on me only very slowly I'll keep going just the way I was. If it gets close I'll look for a safe passing place, slow down and wave for it to pass. It doesn't have a choice really, unless it wants to slow its speed to 1 mph or so.

 

The last bit of the previous paragraph makes an important point I think. I can understand the frustration that a boater feels when someone slows them up. But it's equally frustrating, or stressful perhaps, to feel that you're being speeded up by another boater.

Ricco, your approach is pretty sound and what I would generally expect, it is what I would do if I wanted to travel really slowly. The problem I had wasn't even frustration at the other boater since, as I have said, I'm not really in any rush to get anywhere, it was more the wear that it was putting on my gearbox and drive plates by constantly putting it into gear and then knocking it out again. If we were travelling at a speed that I could maintain I would have been happy to do so and follow since I didn't really want to to overtake, but I couldn't match his speed.

 

Bigste's suggestion above of '..If he's going too slow for you then you just pass him a.s.a.p....' rather ignores how difficult it is to overtake safely on the canals

Edited June 16, 2014 by Wanderer Vagabond

[carpet wallah]

Can there really be two of these guys out there? About 6 years ago we were cruising up the Macc/Peak Forest when we "caught up" with an OwnerShips boat out of Heritage Marina.

If I were to describe his activities and the situation, I could just have cut and pasted WV's exact words - well under 1 mph, never once looked back. It was the end of the day and, after half an hour or so, I assumed, wrongly, that he was looking for somewhere to moor.

Eventually, when there was the opportunity to pass, he blanked us.

B*gger me, if, on the way back to Etruria a few days later, we didn't get stuck behind him again, going even slower! This time we decided to stop for lunch and passed his moored boat later, the occupants having gone Into town.

I eventually concluded that the guy had mental health problems, his behaviour was that bizarre.

Could he still be out there???? Did you notice if it may have been an ex OwnerShips boat, WV?

[matty40s]

Yelvertoft is a share boat which likes to dawdle, and crawl through bridges. Eventually when they ( one of the crews) finally see fit to wave you through, discover top speed as you are halfway past and end up crashing boats together as the water all disappears. (Huddlesford last year)

[MHS]

It's always amazed me that there's no set etiquette for overtaking on the canals.

 

Whenever someone catches us up, we never hesitate to wave them past, unless just approaching a nearby single width lock flight.

 

On the rare occasion we have caught someone up, I am amazed how some boaters NEVER look behind them. Try that on a waterway carrying large commercial traffic!!!!!

[Ssscrudddy]

Grr too slow. The other day after over an hour at tickover past endless lines of moored boats I get almost to the end of them & a boat pops out. No boats at all in the next section & he's on tickover all the way. When he finally comes up to some more moored boats he speeds up & disappears from sight.

Canal Companion (20 years old) reckons 1 1/2 hours for the whole dam page yet the bit without any boats took over 2 1/2 hours for less than half the page!