Historic boat owners - nobs?

[Martin Megson]

I haven't found historic boaters to differ particularly. One thing I do find is that, as historic boats tend to have a deeper draft, they need to stay nearer the middle on shallow canals. Perhaps this could be seen as arrogance by those who don't realise that the historic boat is probably as close to the side as it can get.

 

Personally I'm quite happy to slow down and move over as it lets me get a better look at these lovely old boats.

[alan_fincher]

I haven't found historic boaters to differ particularly. One thing I do find is that, as historic boats tend to have a deeper draft, they need to stay nearer the middle on shallow canals. Perhaps this could be seen as arrogance by those who don't realise that the historic boat is probably as close to the side as it can get.

And, maybe perversely, the less of it you can see, the more water it might actually need, because if it is carrying or otherwise heavily ballasted, it will have a lot of draught, but may not look very significant heading towards you.

 

People look at our "Sickle", and I believe often just come to the conclusion "it's a small boat"!

[Peter X]

And, maybe perversely, the less of it you can see, the more water it might actually need, because if it is carrying or otherwise heavily ballasted, it will have a lot of draught, but may not look very significant heading towards you.

 

People look at our "Sickle", and I believe often just come to the conclusion "it's a small boat"!

 

This historic boat (1939 is pretty old?) looks really tiny, but I hope to see it looking a lot bigger in a few days' time:

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=68663

The only two people from this forum I've met so far are the owner Marcus Warry and Mike the Boilerman on the afternoon I turned up at Kingston, and there's nothing wrong with them. I don't know whether MtB's boats are historic.

[roland elsdon]

I could discuss the reverse, the ' individual' steaming past my 'historic' boat while we were trying to tie up in a gale today on a " " ( built near weedon and usually looking like they are sinking. ). If he was representative of this breed of owner then they all ; don't slow down, drag you off the bank when your wife is holding only a centreline , pull out the rear safety pin through the pilling when you whip a line round to avoid smashing the boat in front. This is accompanied by the sound of a 'vintage engine , bus related and overpowered, and have lots of midland swindlers copycat brass, barrels and rampant swans on their ? boats. We were in a line of 10 moored boats - you would think he was trying for the measured mile at Henley.

However I know this not to be true, I have met several nice owners of these boats .

Hope he's not going to alvecote because he will meet (

 

(. Get on the wrong side of me and you will believe that all owners of lets say blue fleece jackets are bad tempered miserable and cantankerous , and will be derogatory .about you and your boat.

[Allan(nb Albert)]

 

"Helen" is owned by John Dodwell, one of the CRT trustees, and I think the only one who is actually a boater?

 

EDIT: Oops - Somehow missed that George had already said that!

John Dodwell is just one of three trustees who are (or have previously claimed to be) boaters.

[furnessvale]

And, maybe perversely, the less of it you can see, the more water it might actually need, because if it is carrying or otherwise heavily ballasted, it will have a lot of draught, but may not look very significant heading towards you.

 

People look at our "Sickle", and I believe often just come to the conclusion "it's a small boat"!

I got exactly the same with SANDBACH which looks even smaller than SICKLE.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

My only excuse is that the Internet is a bit flaky where we were as I posted, (somewhere near Hyde, currently, I think, heading for Marple).

Unless you top the flight tonight we will see you with ALTON in the flight in the morning.

G

[alan_fincher]

I got exactly the same with SANDBACH which looks even smaller than SICKLE.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

Unless you top the flight tonight we will see you with ALTON in the flight in the morning.

G

 

Unless you top the flight tonight we will see you with ALTON in the flight in the morning.

G

George,

 

No, we are stopped just short of the aqueduct, and will be going up the flight in the morning.

 

Is it feasible to get a diesel top up, if we pass you in the flight, or is that just too hard?

 

(Not desperate, but it would be useful).

[nicknorman]

George,

 

Is it feasible to get a diesel top up, if we pass you in the flight, or is that just too hard?

 

 

Hint: George, ex nb Alton retired.

 

 

Alton now operated by Brian.

[alan_fincher]

Hint: George, ex nb Alton retired.

 

 

Alton now operated by Brian.

 

Yes, believe it or not, I know all that Nick!

 

The question was meant to be "I know and fully understand you are a fuel boat, but what are the actual practicalities of fuelling up bang slap in the middle of the Marple flight?".

 

Not all the fuel boat operators appreciate being flagged down by someone speeding past them the other way, or at least not if it isn't a sensible place to block the canal for the duration. I don't know the Marple flight well.

[nicknorman]

Marple flight: very deep locks, mostly moderate pounds, little traffic. Oh and a very nice flight it is too. Can't speak for Brian but there is no practical reason why refuelling couldn't take place mid-flight. Ah yes, in-flight refuelling. I should know about that!

[junior]

Marple flight: very deep locks, mostly moderate pounds, little traffic. Oh and a very nice flight it is too. Can't speak for Brian but there is no practical reason why refuelling couldn't take place mid-flight. Ah yes, in-flight refuelling. I should know about that!

Where are you? Based on your sighting of Tench and Illford you can't be a million miles from me as they were the other side of the bridge from me this morning moored up.

[nicknorman]

Where are you? Based on your sighting of Tench and Illford you can't be a million miles from me as they were the other side of the bridge from me this morning moored up.

Back in the marina (Fazeley Mill) - we were just out for the weekend, Fazeley to Fradley and back again. Jeff is back in Aberdeen for work now, I'm allowed out until Tuesday evening (the joys of being retired!)

[Captain Fizz]

Ramming speed Martin!!

[nicknorman]

Ramming speed Martin!!

Fortunately we are back in the sanctity of the marina, protected by proximity mines...

[fanshaft]

 

"Helen" is owned by John Dodwell, one of the CRT trustees, and I think the only one who is actually a boater?

 

EDIT: Oops - Somehow missed that George had already said that!

 

John gets around quite a bit with his lovely tug. He has, I'm told, on this trip, gone from top of Lapworth via Knowle, Camp Hill, Garrison, Perry Bar, Rushall, Anglesey Basin, and Norton Canes, part of the journey with CRT staff as part of the 'boating buddies' scheme, then today down the Wolverhampton 21 with CRT CEO Richard Parry lock wheeling.

Various Trustees have spoken to me about either owing boats or having boating holidays.

Regards

David L

[NB Alton]

Marple flight: very deep locks, mostly moderate pounds, little traffic. Oh and a very nice flight it is too. Can't speak for Brian but there is no practical reason why refuelling couldn't take place mid-flight. Ah yes, in-flight refuelling. I should know about that!

Yes, no problem for an in-flight refuelling on the locks in the morning :-)

 

Cheers, Brian

[Guest]

I haven't found historic boaters to differ particularly. One thing I do find is that, as historic boats tend to have a deeper draft, they need to stay nearer the middle on shallow canals. Perhaps this could be seen as arrogance by those who don't realise that the historic boat is probably as close to the side as it can get.

 

Personally I'm quite happy to slow down and move over as it lets me get a better look at these lovely old boats.

I believe you are spot on. I too always try to give such boats as much room as possible.

 

The only problems I have had with historic boats was with a horse drawn one, where I met and attempted to help one of the rudest and most arrogant people I have met in my life. The rest have been great, and always ready to share their knowledge. The canals would be pretty dull without them in my opinion.

 

The Fullers, mentioned earlier, are great folk. We have met them several times over the years with Ilford.

[billh]

 

George,

 

No, we are stopped just short of the aqueduct, and will be going up the flight in the morning.

 

Is it feasible to get a diesel top up, if we pass you in the flight, or is that just too hard?

 

(Not desperate, but it would be useful).

Please bunker as much fuel as possible and coal as well if you can. Brian will explain . It would be really useful if Alton is 'enlightened'

Bill

[Quinafloat]

Let me say straight away that I have no interest in historic boats whatsoever. My question is why should they need to hog the deep water?

 

I understand that actual working boats such as Alton or Towcester need deep water because they are carrying cargo. I also understand that some boats had to be deep draughted to fulfill their original function.

 

However your run of the mill ex working boats should be much lighter than normal narrowboats with living accommodation. Most that I see are running around empty of cargo with their noses high in the air. If a little ballast was added in the nose area surely they would lie a lot flatter in the water and could be navigated in the same manner as the vast majority of more modern boats and not need to hog the centre of the canal.

[nine9feet]

Let me say straight away that I have no interest in historic boats whatsoever. My question is why should they need to hog the deep water?

 

I understand that actual working boats such as Alton or Towcester need deep water because they are carrying cargo. I also understand that some boats had to be deep draughted to fulfill their original function.

 

However your run of the mill ex working boats should be much lighter than normal narrowboats with living accommodation. Most that I see are running around empty of cargo with their noses high in the air. If a little ballast was added in the nose area surely they would lie a lot flatter in the water and could be navigated in the same manner as the vast majority of more modern boats and not need to hog the centre of the canal.

 

Interesting opinion! What draft do you think an empty working boat has under the counter?

 

Cheers

[MtB]

 

Interesting opinion! What draft do you think an empty working boat has under the counter?

 

Cheers

 

From the tone of his post he thinks it's the same as yer average clonecraft, despite the previous posts saying otherwise.

 

MtB

[Sabcat]

Let me say straight away that I have no interest in historic boats whatsoever. My question is why should they need to hog the deep water?

 

I understand that actual working boats such as Alton or Towcester need deep water because they are carrying cargo. I also understand that some boats had to be deep draughted to fulfill their original function.

 

However your run of the mill ex working boats should be much lighter than normal narrowboats with living accommodation. Most that I see are running around empty of cargo with their noses high in the air. If a little ballast was added in the nose area surely they would lie a lot flatter in the water and could be navigated in the same manner as the vast majority of more modern boats and not need to hog the centre of the canal.

 

You're dead right. The high in the air noses are simply a ploy to intimidate other boaters and the tales of how deep they're drafted are all part of a conspiracy. Working boat owners occupy a shadowy world, do you know they've got their own section on this forum the rest of us can't see?

[carlt]

Historic boat owners - nobs?

 

 

Complete nobs, the lot of them, especially them wooden boat enthusiasts.

 

If you look up "nob" in the OED you'll see a picture of a historic boat owner complete with nobby neckerchief, even nobbier bowler hat and nobbish boat with it's nose stuck in the air looking down on the rest of the inferior boats.

 

Nobs!

[Guest]

Let me say straight away that I have no interest in historic boats whatsoever.

Which is pretty obvious, perhaps if you did you wouldn't have suggested what you did.

[furnessvale]

Let me say straight away that I have no interest in historic boats whatsoever. My question is why should they need to hog the deep water?

 

I understand that actual working boats such as Alton or Towcester need deep water because they are carrying cargo. I also understand that some boats had to be deep draughted to fulfill their original function.

 

However your run of the mill ex working boats should be much lighter than normal narrowboats with living accommodation. Most that I see are running around empty of cargo with their noses high in the air. If a little ballast was added in the nose area surely they would lie a lot flatter in the water and could be navigated in the same manner as the vast majority of more modern boats and not need to hog the centre of the canal.

You have received various answers to this one but I will give you one fact which may assist your deliberations.

 

When loading a large Woolwich, the first 18 tons of cargo you add does not increase its draught 1mm. It simply brings the bows down so they end up level with the stern, which is where the draught is set on an empty boat.

 

As you add more cargo, each extra ton puts another inch on overall draught.

 

George ex nb Alton retired