Canal bus cock up

[Proper Job]

Some times you can't make it up.................

 

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11457029.Locked_out__canal_boat_bus_too_big_for_maiden_voyage/?ref=mr

 

[nicknorman]

"It also encourages people to commute by carbon-neutral boat, but I think it will be used more by tourists."

Hmmm, presumably the passengers have to pull the boat then? And pay £10 for the pleasure!

Edited September 8, 2014 by nicknorman

[craftycarper]

Some times you can't make it up.................

 

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/11457029.Locked_out__canal_boat_bus_too_big_for_maiden_voyage/?ref=mr

 

at ten quid a ride can't see it being a big hit anyway, I don't know how far the journey is but in bristol we can jump on and off the ferry,s around the floating harbour for a couple of quid a ride

[john6767]

Wow, that is expensive £10

 

I don't remember Isis lock being particularly narrow though, is this boat wider than 7ft? It also says the service is starting as planned, but does not say what they did, squeeze the hull in or crane it.

[YamYam]

Let's rip off the tourists springs to mind, presumably the Yanks

[patty-ann]

Can they shave a bit off the sides to make it fit? or will they have to buy another? then guess trips would have to be £20

[Proper Job]

I like the , “It also encourages people to commute by carbon-neutral boat.........."

 

Or they could walk/cycle which would be more environmentally friendly, quicker and better for them

[Ssscrudddy]

Lol £10, very pricey. How is it carbon neutral? & it seems they got the specs wrong, makes you wonder what else they got wrong...

[Peter X]

The error over the width is probably not too big a deal for them financially, because they've only hired the boat for a 6 week trial, but sounds rather silly to me as it would be common sense to allow a bit of spare room when hiring a boat from as far away as Norfolk.

 

What really puzzles me is why they don't go for a narrow boat if they're going to operate on the canal? Same number of crew, same speed, but either more passengers or the same number enjoying greater comfort (tea and coffee from a galley?) to improve profitability. It looks to me as if they're using that GRP boat just because it's what they have handy? I don't know what its draught will be, but they might want to check that before they use it on the Cherwell, and to bear in mind that they'd have to transfer passengers to another boat at Parsons' Pleasure.

 

People probably would pay a premium to travel on water, but not that much. The trip up the canal will be competing against the buses up the Woodstock Road (and taxis?), so at £10 return for adults I'd agree that their main market would have to be tourists.

 

(edited just to correct a typo)

Edited September 8, 2014 by Peter X

[Tony Brooks]

So that's anther visitor mooring gone then. It'l be like the Bridge Inn, Napton moorings where BW altered a length of visitor mooring to to Trip Boat only and now the trip boat never seems to use it.

 

Could be another lost mooring the other end of their route as well. Oxford needs more visitors moorings, not less.

[alan_fincher]

What really puzzles me is why they don't go for a narrow boat if they're going to operate on the canal? Same number of crew, same speed, but either more passengers or the same number enjoying greater comfort (tea and coffee from a galley?) to improve profitability. It looks to me as if they're using that GRP boat just because it's what they have handy? .

My understanding is the eventual plan is to use a type of boat that is in use as a Water Taxi on the continent.

 

Probably not exactly this type of thing....

 

 

.... but that I think is the general idea.

 

I think, (hope!), consideration has been given to the route, where the boat would tstop and urn, and what its effects would be on the numerous craft it would have to pass.

 

On that basis I conclude they have decided a small GRP craft is a better option than a steel narrow boat.

 

Could it also be that Boatmaster regulations are not as stringent as they would be once you carry more than 12 passengers?

 

As has been said, this is a boat they brought in for a trial, not the one(s) they plan to use eventually, (though the width thing still seems to be an unfortunate oversight!).

[ditchcrawler]

I like where they state its just 1 cm to wide, was that to get into a full lock or an empty one and are they sure there are no bulges in the wall on the way up. The other point is did they measure it with fenders up or down. I see it was to be the first of 6 also going up the Cherwell, wasn't there a post here the other week about taking a boat up the Cherwell?

[Peter X]

I like where they state its just 1 cm to wide, was that to get into a full lock or an empty one and are they sure there are no bulges in the wall on the way up. The other point is did they measure it with fenders up or down. I see it was to be the first of 6 also going up the Cherwell, wasn't there a post here the other week about taking a boat up the Cherwell?

 

There was, that was me in the Thames topic, and as I said there depth could be a problem in places. As far as I remember from punting it years ago, it's mostly deep enough down the middle but maybe not right along, it's often shallow by the banks, and impassable at Parson's Pleasure due to the punt rollers + weir there. It has one or two low-ish footbridges too; a friend of mine once broke a punt pole after catching it in the ironwork of one of them.

[Athy]

No doubt when he took it back to the boatyard he was surprised to hear the owner calling it "a bit of a punt". Or perhaps he misheard.

[Chalky]

The way things are on the south Oxford the lock wall will probably collapse soon and can then be rebuilt wider...

[Beaker]

No doubt when he took it back to the boatyard he was surprised to hear the owner calling it "a bit of a punt". Or perhaps he misheard.

 

Norty!

[Keeping Up]

So that's anther visitor mooring gone then. It'l be like the Bridge Inn, Napton moorings where BW altered a length of visitor mooring to to Trip Boat only and now the trip boat never seems to use it.

 

Could be another lost mooring the other end of their route as well. Oxford needs more visitors moorings, not less.

Wasn't the Napton "trip boat" just a tiny day-boat owned by the landlord (many many landlords ago) and hasn't even existed for years. I suppose changing the sign is regarded as a low priority.

[ditchcrawler]

Wasn't the Napton "trip boat" just a tiny day-boat owned by the landlord (many many landlords ago) and hasn't even existed for years. I suppose changing the sign is regarded as a low priority.

I don't think they even owned it, there was a similar one run from The Mill House in Braunston