Why do narrowboats pass on the right?

[Quinafloat]

There was a stretch of the River Cam (and may still be) where the rules are reversed so everybody has to cross to the other (left) side of the river, and give way to craft going upstream. I started digging into this rather strange set of circumstances. It seems that the Cambridge Universities boat clubs used to use 12s rather than 8s and the and it was the extra length of the boats that meant they could not keep to the same side when rounding the bends there at speed (the concept of slowing down is a bit alien to rowing clubs).

I then visited the Cam Commissioners to complain about the lunacy of boats going upstream having right of way. The Cam Commissioner explained that when out hill walking it was a general rule that people coming downhill gave way to people coming uphill. Having very recently come downstream in flood conditions at very high speed I tried to explain to him the problem. Last time I was down that way nothing had changed but it was a few years back.

The concept of passing other boats whilst keeping to the right if in a narrow channel, had (and may still have) at least one exception in the UK.

[Maffi]

There was a stretch of the River Cam (and may still be) where the rules are reversed so everybody has to cross to the other (left) side of the river, and give way to craft going upstream. I started digging into this rather strange set of circumstances. It seems that the Cambridge Universities boat clubs used to use 12s rather than 8s and the and it was the extra length of the boats that meant they could not keep to the same side when rounding the bends there at speed (the concept of slowing down is a bit alien to rowing clubs).

I then visited the Cam Commissioners to complain about the lunacy of boats going upstream having right of way. The Cam Commissioner explained that when out hill walking it was a general rule that people coming downhill gave way to people coming uphill. Having very recently come downstream in flood conditions at very high speed I tried to explain to him the problem. Last time I was down that way nothing had changed but it was a few years back.

The concept of passing other boats whilst keeping to the right if in a narrow channel, had (and may still have) at least one exception in the UK.

I would be inclined to suggest that when water can flow uphill then they have a good rule.

[magpie patrick]

It wasn't universal - in Landscape with Canals Tom Rolt relates how, on reaching Wast Hill tunnel he found that the rule was keep left. No explanation was offered and I guess to the local boatman none was needed. It's like the rule of the road it doesn't matter what the convention is so long as there is one.

 

I can't quote a source for this but I think in horsedrawn days the unloaded boat would go towards the towpath - what happened it two loaded boats met I don't know. That may be quasi-history that someone made up because it sounded good though. I'll see if I can find my book of bylaws for the SCC and see what it has to say on the subject

[Phil Ambrose]

I would be inclined to suggest that when water can flow uphill then they have a good rule.

Sounds like just the sort of rule a good old Fen Boy would make given the lack of hills to put this into practice.

Phil

[Scholar Gypsy]

There was a stretch of the River Cam (and may still be) where the rules are reversed so everybody has to cross to the other (left) side of the river, and give way to craft going upstream. I started digging into this rather strange set of circumstances. It seems that the Cambridge Universities boat clubs used to use 12s rather than 8s and the and it was the extra length of the boats that meant they could not keep to the same side when rounding the bends there at speed (the concept of slowing down is a bit alien to rowing clubs).

I then visited the Cam Commissioners to complain about the lunacy of boats going upstream having right of way. The Cam Commissioner explained that when out hill walking it was a general rule that people coming downhill gave way to people coming uphill. Having very recently come downstream in flood conditions at very high speed I tried to explain to him the problem. Last time I was down that way nothing had changed but it was a few years back.

The concept of passing other boats whilst keeping to the right if in a narrow channel, had (and may still have) at least one exception in the UK.

 

That rule is still in place - although the justification given is rather bizarre!

 

When going downstream the first sign at the top of Plough Reach (saying cross to the left) does not say who has priority, while the second one (saying cross back to the right) does say that upstream boats have priority. This is, I think, because the first crossing is at the start of a (relatively) straight bit, so you have better visibility. In this context, "giving way" is really about who crosses first - what the sign means is that the upstream boat crosses when they need to, to get the best course around a sharp left hand bend (Grassy corner), and the downstream boat stays on the left and then crosses behind the boat travelling upstream. That is rather different from a rule on who has priority if meeting at a bridge - clearly then the downstream boat has priority as they cannot stop.

 

In strong streams, most crews will not be out anyway. See the red flag system here.

 

The arrangements described above are not unprecedented - see this blog on the blue board system on the Rhine, where upstream boats choose where they want to go and downstream boats keep out of the way...

Edited December 30, 2014 by Scholar Gypsy

[Martin Megson]

There are a couple of short stetches on the Thames which are reversed. These are above locks with long weirs on the left going upstream. I understand that this is to allow boats approaching the lock from upstream to keep well clear of the weir as they slow down to approach the lock while boats heading upstream from the lock can apply power to avoid the pull of the weir.

[Tam & Di]

I was always told that red/green is used because they are the easiest pair of colours that the mark1 human eyeball can differentiate.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

BUT ........ on our courses I had several chaps (it's not a woman thing as far as I know) with red/green colour blindness. That is why buoys are marked with a red can on port ones and green cone on starboard ones.

 

The possibility of passing starboard to starboard is formalised on continental waterways, where a blue board (previously a blue flag) and flashing light is displayed on the starboard side by a vessel travelling upstream to indicate he is leaving a clear passage for a downstream vessel on the starboard side. Priority does remain with the vessel travelling down though, but the upstream one can often find slack water on the "wrong" side and opt to stick over there.

 

Tam

 

edit to add, re Meggers point above this happens too of course, and in this instance there are navigational signs which tell craft to "blue board", so there is not doubt about it.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Tam & Di

[Scholar Gypsy]

There was a stretch of the River Cam (and may still be) where the rules are reversed so everybody has to cross to the other (left) side of the river, and give way to craft going upstream. I started digging into this rather strange set of circumstances. It seems that the Cambridge Universities boat clubs used to use 12s rather than 8s and the and it was the extra length of the boats that meant they could not keep to the same side when rounding the bends there at speed (the concept of slowing down is a bit alien to rowing clubs).

 

I'd be interested to know more about the 12s - what are your sources, please? It's hard enough to get round that corner in an eight....

[furnessvale]

BUT ........ on our courses I had several chaps (it's not a woman thing as far as I know) with red/green colour blindness. That is why buoys are marked with a red can on port ones and green cone on starboard ones.

Yes, I have heard that too so I really don't know. Although some males have red/green blindness, maybe even more would have a blindness to other permutations but it is not commonly tested?

 

I also understand that red is chosen as the danger signal because its particular wavelength is more penetrating than other colours. Very useful in mist or fog.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[larryjc]

Slight thread drift - but on the Thames there is one particular sharp bend which is very shallow on the inside - enough that there is a red can buoy marking the edge of the deep water. I was coming down it last year and got an earful of verbal abuse from a boat coming up as I hadn't gone inside it. 'Didn't I know the bloody rules??' I would have liked to have been there when he returned and did just that because it is very shallow.

[Quinafloat]

 

I'd be interested to know more about the 12s - what are your sources, please? It's hard enough to get round that corner in an eight....

 

I'm afraid I know nothing about them. My brother in law, who lives in Ely,and who went to Jesus college in Cambridge happens to be a history buff on the subject of the Great Ouse. When I told him about my experience on the Cam he immediately told me why that stretch had such unusual rules. I have no reason to disbelieve him.

 

I am sure that it is very easy to get round any corner on the Cam in an eight, they are highly maneuverable with eight separate motors. However it would require slowing down.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Slight thread drift - but on the Thames there is one particular sharp bend which is very shallow on the inside - enough that there is a red can buoy marking the edge of the deep water. I was coming down it last year and got an earful of verbal abuse from a boat coming up as I hadn't gone inside it. 'Didn't I know the bloody rules??' I would have liked to have been there when he returned and did just that because it is very shallow.

 

He would have got very confused by rowing boats on the Thames tideway - see page 9 here

[Keeping Up]

There was a period when the Thames Estuary had a very bizarre set of rules. When steam-ships started to become common and the Admiralty realised that the old sailing ship rules, based on the direction of sailing relative to the wind, were inadequate, they set one of their desk-captains to devise some rules that would be suitable for powered craft. This buffoon devised the simple rule that boats heading out to sea should keep to the right, and boats coming up towards London should keep to the left (or maybe it was the other way round, I'm not sure) . It took several head-on collisions and significant loss of life before the rule was amended.

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

I'm afraid I know nothing about them. My brother in law, who lives in Ely,and who went to Jesus college in Cambridge happens to be a history buff on the subject of the Great Ouse. When I told him about my experience on the Cam he immediately told me why that stretch had such unusual rules. I have no reason to disbelieve him.

 

I am sure that it is very easy to get round any corner on the Cam in an eight, they are highly maneuverable with eight separate motors. However it would require slowing down.

 

Here's a photo of three boats racing upstream around the corner in question, trying to bump the boat in front. You can see the boat in the distance which is on the right hand side of the river, having just come around a RH bend. The two boats nearer to the camera have switched to the left hand side to take the inside of the corner. A good spectator sport.

 

You are of course right, eights can turn (spin) on a sixpence, with one side padding forwards (as normal) and the other side paddling backwards.

 

 

There are some rowing boats that have more than eight rowers - here is one - but they are quite rare ...

 

Edited December 30, 2014 by Scholar Gypsy

[larryjc]

He would have got very confused by rowing boats on the Thames tideway - see page 9 here

Don't start me on rowing boats - we got to the first lock below Oxford and there was a big 'Regatta' sign. The lockkeeper said that the start was just above the lock and if they were in position then to wait and follow them up - fine. He also made the ominous statement that 'remember the rowers own the river.' When we got going there was no sign of a race starting but when we got around the next bend we were confronted with rowing eights all over the river and coming down towards me, leaving me virtually nowhere to go. As the majority were on the wrong side I went into the middle to try to keep clear, only to hear the commentator on the shore state loudly that boats should 'keep clear of the middle of the river'. I was tempted to go over and have a little chat but in the end contented myself with knowledge that I was 16 tons of blunt steel and it wouldn't be me in the water.

 

Edited December 30, 2014 by larryjc

[nebulae]

I think I am correct in saying that rules on the Bridgewater were keep left. Changed now ,but strange as the Bridgewater was owned by the Ship Canal.I assume rules on the Ship Canal have always been Port to Port?

[Catrin]

Why do narrowboats pass on the right?

 

So they don't crash into each other, silly!

 

 

MtB

 

 

BWAH HA HA HA!

 

BUT ........ on our courses I had several chaps (it's not a woman thing as far as I know) with red/green colour blindness. That is why buoys are marked with a red can on port ones and green cone on starboard ones.

Sciency bit: the gene dealing with red/green sight is on the X chromosome. Men have only one X chromosome, so if it is defective then they will be red/green colour blind. Women have two X chromosomes, so if one is defective, then they have another one to give the 'instructions' for red/green cones in the eye. It is possible for women to have two defective X chromosomes, but statistically much rarer.

[Keeping Up]

The commentator told us to follow the two rowing eights on the Great Ouse once (can't remember where, could it have been Huntingdon?). We did really well, came in Bronze Medal position.

[Leo No2]

To quote from my Aunt's (Daphne March) diary of operating during the war:

 

On some ‘cuts’ boats keep to the right, on others the left, on some empty boats must give way to loaded ones, and on others uphill takes precedence over downhill traffic.

 

I expect things became standardised after the war, one of which was pass on the right - remember that the GU boats, especially, operated in Limehouse with the seagoing craft so it was probably to make sure there were no nasty accidents.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Leo No2

[Scholar Gypsy]

Don't start me on rowing boats - we got to the first lock below Oxford and there was a big 'Regatta' sign. The lockkeeper said that the start was just above the lock and if they were in position then to wait and follow them up - fine. He also made the ominous statement that 'remember the rowers own the river.' When we got going there was no sign of a race starting but when we got around the next bend we were confronted with rowing eights all over the river and coming down towards me, leaving me virtually nowhere to go. As the majority were on the wrong side I went into the middle to try to keep clear, only to hear the commentator on the shore state loudly that boats should 'keep clear of the middle of the river'. I was tempted to go over and have a little chat but in the end contented myself with knowledge that I was 16 tons of blunt steel and it wouldn't be me in the water.

 

 

I know what you mean - rather oddly the marshalling during regattas is much better in Cambridge than in Oxford, despite there being rather more powered boat traffic on the Thames.

 

Just one of the many things that are done better in Cambridge compared to Oxford, I guess....

To quote from my Aunt's (Daphne March) diary of operating during the war:

 

"On some ‘cuts’ boats keep to the right, on others the left, on some empty boats must give way to loaded ones, and on others uphill takes precedence over downhill traffic."

 

I expect things became standardised after the war, one of which was pass on the right - remember that the GU boats, especially, operated in Limehouse with the seagoing craft so it was probably to make sure there were no nasty accidents.

 

Many thanks. The uphill/downhill rule might be amusing in Braunston (typo: not Branston ...) tunnel....

Edited December 30, 2014 by Scholar Gypsy

[zenataomm]

..... that would probably end in a bit of a pickle.

[Suzie_q]

Always thought it was because you pass the dutchy on the left hand side. To quote musical youth.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Suzie_q

[Athy]

Always thought it was because you pass the dutchy on the left had side. To quote musical youth.

The original lyrics had "Pass the kouchy on the left hand side", a kouchy being a marijuana pipe, which would surely lead to yet more interesting driving.

[BruceinSanity]

Sciency bit: the gene dealing with red/green sight is on the X chromosome. Men have only one X chromosome, so if it is defective then they will be red/green colour blind. Women have two X chromosomes, so if one is defective, then they have another one to give the 'instructions' for red/green cones in the eye. It is possible for women to have two defective X chromosomes, but statistically much rarer.

This is getting well OT, but it's also why women have more sensitive colour vision than men. In any one cone receptor, either one set of genes or the other is working, so they have two sets of slightly differently tuned receptors and can perceive twice the number of shades than men.

[mattlad]

Why do narrowboats pass on the right?

Because they can?