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You don't need a bow thruster with this trick


Pete & Helen

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A VERY useful trick that I was taught on RYA inland helmsman course is "stern off ".

Incredibly simple and nobody pushing and jumping! (But not that useful in strong wind).

 

1. Start by moving forward and steering INTO the bank. Pointy end makes contact with bank and stern moves out into canal/river. (boat pivots on bank)

2. Reverse, straight, a little way. Pointy end is now a few feet from the bank.

3. Now move forward but steer away from bank. Boat now pivots normally, about its centre, roughly. With a bit of practice you can do an elegant sweep, avoiding smacking the stern into bank as you turn into main stream.

 

Its described in the RYA Inland Waterways Handbook.

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A VERY useful trick that I was taught on RYA inland helmsman course is "stern off ".

Incredibly simple and nobody pushing and jumping! (But not that useful in strong wind).

 

1. Start by moving forward and steering INTO the bank. Pointy end makes contact with bank and stern moves out into canal/river. (boat pivots on bank)

2. Reverse, straight, a little way. Pointy end is now a few feet from the bank.

3. Now move forward but steer away from bank. Boat now pivots normally, about its centre, roughly. With a bit of practice you can do an elegant sweep, avoiding smacking the stern into bank as you turn into main stream.

 

Its described in the RYA Inland Waterways Handbook.

Being a bit breezy here in the Fens I have often used this method myself. Oh and the RYA hand book does make a good read.

Phil

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I got blown good and hard into reeds on the upper Thames in a howling cross-wind after reversing hard to avoid a hire boat coming downstream at about 30mph.

 

Nothing to push against with the longshaft so I was stuck there until evening when the wind dropped at bit!

 

I wasn't best pleased at the time...

 

smile.png

 

MtB

 

 

Had something similar on the Stort....nearest I could get to "away from the bank" was across the river with the bow on one side and the stern on 'tother

 

Ended up jumping ashore with a long centre rope while the girl friend steered and walking along the towpath (fortunately the upwind side) pulling the boat into the middle (it was bl00dy hard work as it was a 72 footer)

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A VERY useful trick that I was taught on RYA inland helmsman course is "stern off ".

Incredibly simple and nobody pushing and jumping! (But not that useful in strong wind).

 

1. Start by moving forward and steering INTO the bank. Pointy end makes contact with bank and stern moves out into canal/river. (boat pivots on bank)

2. Reverse, straight, a little way. Pointy end is now a few feet from the bank.

3. Now move forward but steer away from bank. Boat now pivots normally, about its centre, roughly. With a bit of practice you can do an elegant sweep, avoiding smacking the stern into bank as you turn into main stream.

 

Its described in the RYA Inland Waterways Handbook.

 

BH! I worked that one out all by myself!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I guess it's always good to have a few different techniques, especially if you're single-handed. However, in moving my narrowboat and my 32 tonne widebeam on my own over many years, I can't ever recall having any problems moving off from the bank even if it was windy. As they say on Dragons Den, this seems to be a solution for a problem that doesn't exist (not for me anyway).

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I guess it's always good to have a few different techniques, especially if you're single-handed. However, in moving my narrowboat and my 32 tonne widebeam on my own over many years, I can't ever recall having any problems moving off from the bank even if it was windy. As they say on Dragons Den, this seems to be a solution for a problem that doesn't exist (not for me anyway).

 

I quite agree.

 

I was shown this technique a few years ago and I though it was quite cool and probably handy

 

Never needed to use it yet!

 

 

MtB

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I quite agree.

 

I was shown this technique a few years ago and I though it was quite cool and probably handy

 

Never needed to use it yet!

 

 

MtB

I've used the "springing off" technique a few times, sometimes because I can't be bothered to walk 72' and push the fore end, others most recently to line up the boat from awkwardly angled lock landing stages on the Nene- some are at 90 degrees to the lock

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Richard will be pleased you took note, Whaley Bridge Basin can be particularly difficult in cross winds and I have watched Nb Alton use a variety of methods to wind there as well.

I do remember one day when Gracie decided she was winding and not going in for water (Springers for you!) and we were less experienced then as well.

Edited by StarUKKiwi
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I've used the "springing off" technique a few times, sometimes because I can't be bothered to walk 72' and push the fore end, others most recently to line up the boat from awkwardly angled lock landing stages on the Nene- some are at 90 degrees to the lock

 

Well my boat is 68ft and I never needed to walk the 68ft to push out the fore end.

 

Engage astern (or even ahead) briefly to get the back out. Then engage ahead. Now steer the stern in towards the bank and the bow moves out like a dream... and orf you go!

 

MtB

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Well my boat is 68ft and I never needed to walk the 68ft to push out the fore end.

 

Engage astern (or even ahead) briefly to get the back out. Then engage ahead. Now steer the stern in towards the bank and the bow moves out like a dream... and orf you go!

 

MtB

 

 

A lot depends on how it's trimmed and where the pivot point is

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Skimmed the topic, but as we are normally moving off from a grass bank and with a full head of steam, the other thing that works is just giving it a good hard reverse. Washes enough water down the side of the boat to push the back out 6ft, let it drift a bit, then go forwards and steer outwards.

 

 

Daniel

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  • 4 months later...

I have used the same method loads of times it's an art that is so simple but people seem to forget because of machinical aids like bow thrusters . Used it off the bow end of my boat to get out of the top lock at brighouse as it's a T Junction

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I've used it too and I have a bow thruster.

 

I'm sure that mechanical aids such as internal combustion engines also changed the behaviour of those steering boats compared to those who went before and didn't have engines. I wonder what useful methods they used that we've all forgotten...

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I've used it too and I have a bow thruster.

 

I'm sure that mechanical aids such as internal combustion engines also changed the behaviour of those steering boats compared to those who went before and didn't have engines. I wonder what useful methods they used that we've all forgotten...

I use the same method, frequently.

 

One old-time variation that I've read about, was that on certain particularly sharp outside bends it was useful to attach the tow-line from the horse to the stern of the boat, so that pulling it around the outside of the bend would swing the bows out and take them around the bend. I first read of this technique as being standard practice on the now-unnavigable river section of the river Stout below Kidderminster.

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I use the same method, frequently.

One old-time variation that I've read about, was that on certain particularly sharp outside bends it was useful to attach the tow-line from the horse to the stern of the boat, so that pulling it around the outside of the bend would swing the bows out and take them around the bend. I first read of this technique as being standard practice on the now-unnavigable river section of the river Stout below Kidderminster.

Very interesting. Certainly when towing with a horse on a long line from the mast, you would flick the line over the T stud on the fore end, so that when the horse went around the corner, it would pull the fore end over and around.

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That's true my dad worked on motor barges and dumb barges and I class myself as competent but there is loads of things he will do and even though he thought me and my brother everything we know he can still do things that We have had to stand back and go how did he do that

Edited by Barge Venus
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I have found that as long as it's not windy simply pulling on the back rope sends the bow out, hop on and away you go, never tried it with a ring or bollard tho.

 

Agreed- if you untie and stow the front line first, the boat often puts its stem out all by itself. Not if the wind is pinning you to the side, though.

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That's true my dad worked on motor barges and dumb barges and I class myself as competent but there is loads of things he will do and even though he thought me and my brother everything we know he can still do things that We have had to stand back and go how did he do that

It would be great if you could give some more details of techniques that your Dad uses. I remember the first time some one showed me the stern line technique of getting the bows out from the bank I was really impressed. " Let the boat do the work" was the phrase used.

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