Setting of early in the day

[lexicon]

These suggestions are quite comical.

Why would anyone mind a engine running for a few minutes before getting under way?

If your on a boat I assume you like boating (shock horror).

And seriously most engines cant be heard a boat length away, and the majority of the ones that can are well worth hearing.

I have always made sure the engine would start before going anywhere (It often wouldn't lol).

 

It is spring boating time so engines go with the territory.

[dor]

I don't really see what the benefit is of pushing off before starting. Most engines make most noise when started as you usually have to open the throttle a bit to start. If you are that close to a boat that you think you need to move off without disturbing them, you could be alongside them when you start up - far more disturbing than starting on the towpath, untying then moving off at tickover.

[GUMPY]

Once at Northampton rally we had a boat outside us, I asked on the last day to change places so we were on the outside as we were leaving early owners said no as they liked the view.

In the bar late that night they said they were happy that they hadn't changed places as we obviously were not leaving early.

Different story at 0430 the next morning as I fired up the JP3.....

Edited February 28, 2015 by Loddon

[Top cat]

If you are moored near us and want an early start thats absolutely fine by us, it would be nice if you could be as quiet as possible. But do start your enine before casting off as I would get cheesed off if someone collided with us because they pushed off before starting the engine which then didn't. That advice from CaRt just shows how ignorant they are. Just pandering to the floating cottage people who resent passing traffic at any time.

 

T C

[Arthur Marshall]

Must admit I've been doing this for years if I'm moored up in a bunch of boats. I tend to start of about 5 or 6 in the morning and feel it's a bit unfriendly to wake everyone up with an air cooled Lister. It always starts first push so i tend to shove the nose out and then start the engine and go off on tickover till I get past everyone before winding it up to kick the alternator into action. I do have the rope to hand to leap off the back and pull the boat back if by some chance it doesn't start, but so far it always has...

[Loafer]

These suggestions are quite comical.

Why would anyone mind a engine running for a few minutes before getting under way?

If your on a boat I assume you like boating (shock horror).

And seriously most engines cant be heard a boat length away, and the majority of the ones that can are well worth hearing.

I have always made sure the engine would start before going anywhere (It often wouldn't lol).

 

It is spring boating time so engines go with the territory.

 

I DON'T mind anyone running it for a few minutes. It's the hire boats who run it for an hour, before they set off, that I hate!

[Timleech]

 

I DON'T mind anyone running it for a few minutes. It's the hire boats who run it for an hour, before they set off, that I hate!

 

They were probably told to do that at the hire base, so that they can run the microwave/toaster/kettle/central heating without flattening the batteries

 

Tim

[dmr]

As someone who sleeps in a backcabin and is not known for early rising..........

 

The noisy bit is usually the rush of water when the early risers engage drive and use a fair bit of power to get the boat moving. this can cause ore rudder to swing over with a bang. So my suggestion for early starting would be to start the engine and run for a short while to take the chill off it, then to push the boat out before engaging drive.

so CaRT where half right on a boating matter, they are making progress!!!!!!!

 

I don't like the idea of setting off before starting the engine, but setting off then realising you have forgot to put the tiller arm on is really embarrassing.

 

..............Dave

[Pie Eater]

As more and more new boats come on to the canals we will soon travelling 24/7 again just like the working boats of old.

 

Steve

[scrumpylurcher]

It does seem that CRT are getting advice from all and sundry and quoting it as that of experienced and skilled boaters. There are enough sources of genuine information for them to use but they do not appear to have anyone with the skills to sort the good from the bad.

[Emerald Fox]

I wish our boat had a clapped out Intercity 125 Valenta engine, the whine sounds great!

Funny that no-one has whinged about the swans banging their beaks up & down the hull at 4am.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Emerald Fox

[nicknorman]

What a bunch of clucking old women some of you are (with apologies to any actual old women reading...). You don't have to follow that suggestion so it is no big deal. What the item does achieve is to hopefully make people consider their actions and how they might affect other people - in other words, encouraging a considerate attitude when boating. This is a good thing..END OF.

[Liam]

Ive often hearliery starts, the earliest one being about 3.30am in the summer whilst travelling.

 

As I do about an 18 hour day this means stopping 'after hours'.

 

I am alconscientious in what I do. Ariel is powered by a noisy air cooled twin, so when stopping at night I always aim for the rnd of the line of visitors moorings where there are rings. In the morning its a case of tiller on, ropes off and pull the boat away from others. Once at a reasonable distance I then start the stone crusher! I have to rev the engine s fair bit to get the alternator to kick in so this is done a mile or so down the canal when the engine has warmed up a bit.

 

I always slow down and usually go along without the use of a headlight but when I do have it on I make sure it doesn't shine in through people's windows.

 

 

Posting on my phone so apologise for spelling mistakes!

[Sabcat]

A few weeks ago I had my first experience of being woken up by another boater that stressed me out. It started with a dream about an earthquake in my half awake state, moved onto being awake and thinking there was an earthquake to understanding that a boat was coming and there was 2+ inches of ice on the cut. I got my shit together enough to watch the boat come past on what couldn't have been much less than full throttle. A few minutes later a motorised butty in the same livery came past. It was impressive stuff, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn't nursing a hangover from hell.

 

As for the advice, I won't be following it. In the summer I like first light starts and my routine is get a brew on, get the engine started, drink the brew, untie and set off. Engine is running for ~15 minutes before I set off.

[mrsmelly]

Once at Northampton rally we had a boat outside us, I asked on the last day to change places so we were on the outside as we were leaving early owners said no as they liked the view.

In the bar late that night they said they were happy that they hadn't changed places as we obviously were not leaving early.

Different story at 0430 the next morning as I fired up the JP3.....

 

Spot on. That might make them a bit more courteous now.

 

Tim

[Naughty Cal]

 

I DON'T mind anyone running it for a few minutes. It's the hire boats who run it for an hour, before they set off, that I hate!

It isn't just hire boats.

 

We have had an early start from Grimsby. We knew the lock gates opened at 5am so had set the alarm for 4.30am so we had time to have a coffee before the off.

 

At 3.30am the first of the big twin diesel boats a bit further along the visitors moorings roared into life, quickly followed by their mates next door.

 

They sat their with the engines grumbling and smoking away for an hour and a half until the lock gates opened.

[Bettie Boo]

 

 

 

I don't like the idea of setting off before starting the engine, but setting off then realising you have forgot to put the tiller arm on is really embarrassing.

 

..............Dave

 

 

 

I've lost count of the times we've done just that...how many years do we need under our belts before this stops

[Delta9]

A few weeks ago I had my first experience of being woken up by another boater that stressed me out. It started with a dream about an earthquake in my half awake state, moved onto being awake and thinking there was an earthquake to understanding that a boat was coming and there was 2+ inches of ice on the cut. I got my shit together enough to watch the boat come past on what couldn't have been much less than full throttle. A few minutes later a motorised butty in the same livery came past. It was impressive stuff, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn't nursing a hangover from hell.

 

 

I had a similar experience recently, but there was no passing boat. I'm in a marina and woke up at 7am thinking there was an earthquake, ice breaking against the hull makes quite a noise. When I looked out there were no other boats moving about, it seems like all the ice in the marina de

 

Funny that no-one has whinged about the swans banging their beaks up & down the hull at 4am.

That noise is actually bilge pixies, not swans.

cided to shatter and move about of its own accord. I never figured out what caused it, 'tis a mystery.

[Sabcat]

 

 

 

I've lost count of the times we've done just that...how many years do we need under our belts before this stops

 

I've been known to be ranting about not being able to find anything at 5am looking for a tiller arm that's already on

[NickF]

There's something strangely satisfying about slipping a mooring as quietly as you can,.... putting the boat into gear at tickover and watching as you slowly start to creep forward to start your day on the canal as others sleep. ... and I have to admit that on a canal on a morning with no wind I do occasionally cast off before starting the engine, I have never been caught out yet but I reckon if the engine did fail in those circumstances I could get back to the mooring silently.

[system 4-50]

Can somebody remind me why demountable tillers are necessary? I have a wooden bit in the last foot which would break off if challenged though it never is, but what's the need for the rest to be removable?

[GUMPY]

Can somebody remind me why demountable tillers are necessary? I have a wooden bit in the last foot which would break off if challenged though it never is, but what's the need for the rest to be removable?

They are removable so they can be put in the cabin to stop some scumbag taking the brass bit down the scrapyard and weighing it in .

[Delta9]

They are removable so they can be put in the cabin to stop some scumbag taking the brass bit down the scrapyard and weighing it in .

Surely them not being removable would serve the same purpose?

[pete harrison]

Can somebody remind me why demountable tillers are necessary? I have a wooden bit in the last foot which would break off if challenged though it never is, but what's the need for the rest to be removable?

 

 

They are removable so they can be put in the cabin to stop some scumbag taking the brass bit down the scrapyard and weighing it in .

 

The purpose of a removable tiller goes back to working boat days where the cabin construction would now be described as a 'trad'. If the removable tiller is left in place then every time somebody comes out of the cabin they would have to move the tiller to the side or bang their head on it. The secondary purpose of a removable tiller is so that it can be removed when in a lock, just in case the turbulence causes the rudder to swing and the tiller to catch on the lock wall and get bent or broken. Both motors and buttys had removable tillers, and the vast majority of motors had a painted steel tiller rather than a brass one. It was a common practice for working boats to have a short piece of line (tiller string) attached to the cabin top or 'handrail' to secure the tiller in the central position when left unattended in a lock.

 

Clearly there is no point in having a removable tiller on a cruiser stern or 'semi-trad' modern boat.

 

[Sea Dog]

Surely them not being removable would serve the same purpose?

But then it would be a right faff to change over to your Sunday best one, or to your scumbled one or your ancient oak one, your pirate one, or between your summer and winter ones. Not to mention that the bottom would fall out of the tiller pin market.