Living alone on a boat

[Southern Star]

 

 

However back on topic I was asked last year how I deal with being lonely on the boat and the answer is very simple, I never am why should I be?. I am often alone but that is not then same as being lonely.

Exactly that. It's horses for courses, personally I have always preferred to spend the vast majority of my life in my own company and nobody else's.

 

I do spend time with other people, I have a wonderful and very beautiful girlfriend, but even though I live with her, our differing work schedules mean that we rarely see each other for more than an hour or two each week. I have twin boys who have given me enormous pleasure over the past 16 years but now they are ready to go their own ways and I see them less and less.

 

In 2015 I will start living full-time on my boat. I will be alone for the vast majority of the time, but I won't ever be lonely!

[Emerald Fox]

I find myself walking along our gunwales when pushing the boat out fom the bank, giving it a shove from the centre then pouncing on to the 'catwalk' and easing myself to the steering stick-thingy.

Also when removing/putting on window protectors.

The Idle Women seemed to do an awful lot of scampering along their gunwales, but then they were 'Amateur Boatwomen' as Kitty admits

[MtB]

Try pushing just the fore end out, then the stern stays by the bank ready for you to step onto

 

MtB

[Dalslandia]

Try pushing just the fore end out, then the stern stays by the bank ready for you to step onto

 

MtB

That's what the bow thruster is therefore. :-)

Edited December 20, 2014 by Dalslandia

[b0atman]

The "what "

[Dalslandia]

The "what "

"IF the ship owner paid for one, the Captain should use it."

 

Not having a bow thruster is like not having a Schilling rudder.

 

Not having a rudder is like not having a rudder.

 

I saw my old typewriter in the garage the other day!

Edited December 20, 2014 by Dalslandia

[Maffi]

I find myself walking along our gunwales when pushing the boat out fom the bank, giving it a shove from the centre then pouncing on to the 'catwalk' and easing myself to the steering stick-thingy.

Also when removing/putting on window protectors.

The Idle Women seemed to do an awful lot of scampering along their gunwales, but then they were 'Amateur Boatwomen' as Kitty admits

 

I think you will find the old working boats didn't have a gunnel worth risking 'taking a look'.

[Maffi]

Try pushing just the fore end out, then the stern stays by the bank ready for you to step onto

 

MtB

 

[alan_fincher]

Try pushing just the fore end out, then the stern stays by the bank ready for you to step onto

 

MtB

 

As long as you are not directly opposite the take off point for one of those very fast flowing bye washes at some of the lock flights on the Shroppie.

 

(But please don't ask me how I know this!).

[Emerald Fox]

Yes, to the pushing nose out first, but then u need to shove the back a bit so your prop doesn't chew the bank up, also the nose can get caught in current and swing all over the shop (Shrop?!)(geddit?).

 

I like my method and our narrowboating is for fun, so shall continue despite the tut-tuttings. We're on the canals to enjoy them, and explore England. Also we like our gunnels, nicely painted by us with play pit sand sprinkled into it, perfect grippy surface.

[Neil2]

Yes, to the pushing nose out first, but then u need to shove the back a bit so your prop doesn't chew the bank up, also the nose can get caught in current and swing all over the shop (Shrop?!)(geddit?).

 

I like my method and our narrowboating is for fun, so shall continue despite the tut-tuttings. We're on the canals to enjoy them, and explore England. Also we like our gunnels, nicely painted by us with play pit sand sprinkled into it, perfect grippy surface.

Don't want to get into an argument about this but there may well be folk new to narrowboats reading the thread and I think it's worth pointing out that your method of getting under way is most unusual and probably not practiced by the majority of narrowboaters.

 

Most of the time the accepted way is (whilst holding the centre line) push the bow away first then push the stern away as you get on board so the boat is well away from the side before you engage gear. I can't understand why anyone would want to risk walking along the side decks whilst getting under way and there are many boats where this would be impractical, if not downright dangerous.

 

The only situation where the above approach might not work is on a fast flowing river, but I assume we're talking about canals here.

[b0atman]

Got a by wash problem then push stern out first and a bit of reverse should clear the by

wash effect then onwards into the lock and upwards.

Bow thruster the only good one is the Hydraulic.

For some reason they use the wrong electric motor which limits time of operation.

Edited December 21, 2014 by b0atman

[Dalslandia]

Agree that many electric bow thrusters is Tinky Toys, and made for small boats. either the motor isn't up to the job or the joystick or contactors.

 

The one Dalslandia have is a 11kW 3 phase motor and a 15" propeller, have had 2 fault in more then the 30 years it have been in. first summer a fuse did go, (35A) then last summer a help contactor did go. I also changed the 3 V belts ones.

[Tom Richmond]

I generally push stern out, stepping on as I go, and then depending on wind and current either engage a little reverse gear to pull the nose away from the bank, or forward with the tiller hard over, which has the same effect. When I have crew on board they will often push the bow out for me, and most often times this leads to being half way across the cut and heading for a collision on the offside! Being that Foxie is only 43' I have never had in issue with controlling her entirely from the stern (I can even control her fairly well in reverse!)

[Alf Roberts]

Don't want to get into an argument about this but there may well be folk new to narrowboats reading the thread and I think it's worth pointing out that your method of getting under way is most unusual and probably not practiced by the majority of narrowboaters.

 

Most of the time the accepted way is (whilst holding the centre line) push the bow away first then push the stern away as you get on board so the boat is well away from the side before you engage gear. I can't understand why anyone would want to risk walking along the side decks whilst getting under way and there are many boats where this would be impractical, if not downright dangerous.

 

The only situation where the above approach might not work is on a fast flowing river, but I assume we're talking about canals here.

 

 

... there may well be folk new to narrowboats reading the thread and I think it's worth pointing out that your method of getting under way is most unusual and probably not practiced by the majority of narrowboaters....

 

...Most of the time the accepted way is...

 

 

...push the stern out in forward gear (if possible) by pushing with your hands* (if possible) or using the long shaft. Then reverse off until your stern is slightly over the other side of the centre channel, tiller over, put it into forward gear, give it some welly and off you go.

 

 

The only time it is worth pushing the bow is when the boat is thoroughly stuck both fore and aft and you need to wriggle. in this case the best bet is to push the bow with the long shaft until it's nearly on the other bank.

 

* the advantage of this is that if you are stuck (which if the motor won't do it you probably are) is if you put one foot on the gunwale, both hands on the cabin handrail and push you will likely tilt the boat so it will slide off the underwater obstruction. You have one foot on the gunwale so you can reach quite a long way before you have to step onto the boat.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Alf Roberts

[system 4-50]

Push bow out first is my preference.

[MtB]

Push bow out first is my preference.

 

 

Mine too.

 

If I push the stern out like Alf suggests, no matter how much I reverse out into the middle of the cut the bow stays resolutely on the bank. Nor does it move away if I engage ahead and give it some welly. The stern just goes back to where it started, against the bank.

 

I put this down to the bow drawing about 20" and remaining stuck in the shallow gloop I moored in, although I also notice this effect in REGINALD.

 

 

MtB

[Maffi]

Some boaters don't half make life hard. Who in their right mind would use a shaft to push off if they weren't grounded.

[Alan de Enfield]

Start engine

Walk up to bow, holding centre rope, firmly push bow out,

Walk back to stern, holding centre rope, firmly push stern out, step on board.

 

Engage forward gear and cruise off into the distance