Telephone Call with CRT Enforcement

[junior]

 

Any chance of leaving that bloody swing bridge open and only closing it when somebody needs to cross?

[Rose Narrowboats]

I am sure you can fit through in the other 167 hours in a week that will be free to protect Doris.

Why do you think the canal is 14 feet wide and not 7??

The canal is actually a lot more than 14 feet wide. The locks on the northern GJC were built at 14' to permit pairs of narrowboats, not widebeams, which is why the tunnels are 14' not 28' wide...

[matty40s]

The canal is actually a lot more than 14 feet wide. The locks on the northern GJC were built at 14' to permit pairs of narrowboats, not widebeams, which is why the tunnels are 14' not 28' wide...

another silly comment quoted just so it doesn't disappear when Rose sobers up.

Any chance of leaving that bloody swing bridge open and only closing it when somebody needs to cross?

The bridge should be open at all times (see Rose Narrowboats comments on keeping navigations open for moving boats)

[The Pipe]

Any chance of leaving that bloody swing bridge open and only closing it when somebody needs to cross?

Why? It's been there as long as I can remember which is many years more than you have been on the canals.

[Rose Narrowboats]

Any chance of leaving that bloody swing bridge open and only closing it when somebody needs to cross?

In a dream world yes and I tried it when I took over - but far more people cross it than boats pass through it. Some boaters leave it open - and were fine with that (it helps if they open it the right way though) and if we see a boat coming it's rare that we don't swing open if we are going over.

 

"Shakes head" *******************

Why - I've got opinions based on very nearly 40 years of boating, the benefit of being taught by ex-boatmen and two generations of my family and 25 years working in the trade - I'm sorry if they are not to your liking, but they come from my experience. It doesn't mean that Rose Narrowboats isn't capable of doing a good job - the opposite in fact.

 

I'm still confused about your comment about number 3 - but I'm thinking that you weren't making an "in" joke and you don't know I grew up at 5 The locks, my best friend in 4, my mother lived at 16 and 18, and then moved into Number 3 when she married my stepfather, who bought the place in 1958 - so I have been in there many, many times.

another silly comment quoted just so it doesn't disappear when Rose sobers up.

The bridge should be open at all times (see Rose Narrowboats comments on keeping navigations open for moving boats)

Do enlighten me as to my silliness? Stone cold sober here I'm afraid.

 

By that logic, we should be leaving all gates open as well - that'll help no end.

Edited April 15, 2015 by DeanS

[Rose Narrowboats]

I'm just wondering whether the hire boaters will have problems finding VM's now many of the CM'ers (who moored away from VM's) are on the move now.

 

Having travelled around much of the country over the last few years I've never heard any hire boater complain about the attitude of any live aboard. This is a very surprising statement. I'd hate to think this has influenced Mr Parry in any way.

VM's are VM's - everyone has an equal right to use them in accordance with the rules. Hirer's tend to stop in the "obvious" spots - Newbold, Braunston, Fenny, Cropredy for ours - which are already busy anyway. If that 600 berth marina at Onley ever gets built on the other hand, that will be the end of Braunston as a stopping point for our boats as they'll never get in.

 

I doubt any hirer's opinions have unfairly swayed Mr Parry - I know mine haven't as I've never spoken to him other than from the floor at a meeting shortly after he took over. It is an opinion we are seeing more often (from nil a few years ago) and not from customers that you might suspect would have done something to cause a negative reaction.

[frangar]

I am sure you can fit through in the other 167 hours in a week that will be free to protect Doris.

Why do you think the canal is 14 feet wide and not 7??

If I have to explain that then you really don't have any idea of the history of the cut.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Dave_P]

In what way? Do you mean derisive or divisive, by the way? Either could apply. But how is stating a fact ridiculous?

Others responded for me so I didn't feel the need. It was divisive because the poster was making the argument that non-cc'ers shouldn't be commenting on cc'ing issues. He claimed the the reason most posters on here were against the YouTube video was because they have home moorings.

 

Dividing forum posters up into categories like this is divisive.

 

BTW - I have a mooring. I used to cc.

[bassplayer]

Others responded for me so I didn't feel the need. It was divisive because the poster was making the argument that non-cc'ers shouldn't be commenting on cc'ing issues. He claimed the the reason most posters on here were against the YouTube video was because they have home moorings.

 

Dividing forum posters up into categories like this is divisive.

 

BTW - I have a mooring. I used to cc.

Err no! I just pointed out that there will be more forum members who have a home mooring here than those who haven't.

 

Personally I think It is more likely that a home moorer might contest the views of someone without a home mooring as I can't see a CC'er moaning so often about other CC'ers movement patterns. Could be wrong though.

 

The us and them issue is not a problem for most of us but like any member of a class thee are always the few which let their class down. They are the piss takers. I certainly believe we should all work together so we can all enjoy boating.

[Guest]

Any chance of leaving that bloody swing bridge open and only closing it when somebody needs to cross?

Or just not shutting it as you approach would be nice as they once did to me. Looking past me as if I was ruddy invisible.

[Athy]

Any chance of leaving that bloody swing bridge open and only closing it when somebody needs to cross?

Greeno for that! We too once had the bridge closed against us when we were clearly approaching it and quite close to it (no, I did not take measurements).

But to be fair to the Roses, one of their staff found us an overnight mooring in what was supposed to be their private fleet area the year before last, that was beyond the call of duty and much appreciated.

[matty40s]

If I have to explain that then you really don't have any idea of the history of the cut.

Cheers

Gareth

Fully aware of the history, but this is 2015, leisure boating now rules, and some people like to take fat boats through tunnels occasionally.

[Bettie Boo]

Fully aware of the history, but this is 2015, leisure boating now rules, and some people like to take fat boats through tunnels occasionally.

 

Oi...less of the "fat" if you please

 

besides Matty, I don't reckon many of us wide beam owners, take much notice of Gareth's (frangar's) small minded, singular, opinionated posts with regards to wide beams on the GU any more. He bangs on about it every chance he gets. I personally try to give him the benefit of doubt and just put it down to a bad case of penis envy.

 

And to be fair to him, I'm quite happy to share the left over 3+ foot of tunnel width with Doris any time he'd like to give it a go

 

 

 

(am I allowed to say penis on the forum? if not could a MOD change it to purple or red or something that's less offensive but still retains the meaning)

[gazza]

Fully aware of the history, but this is 2015, leisure boating now rules, and some people like to take fat boats through tunnels occasionally.

I bet Chris Collins may be keen on getting Progress thru the odd tunnel when shes finished, wee bit of history with that boat...

[Timleech]

I bet Chris Collins may be keen on getting Progress thru the odd tunnel when shes finished, wee bit of history with that boat...

 

Ah, but it was part of an experiment which was not pursued....

 

(AIUI)

[gazza]

 

Ah, but it was part of an experiment which was not pursued....

 

(AIUI)

 

Yes, but wasnt the 30's improvments to the mainline done with a view to boats like Progres taking over alot of the traffic?

 

I have a feeling there were a couple of wide horseboats pre-dating Progress but can not for the life of me recall their names.

[Ray T]

"Wide boats were much used in the sand and gravel trade on the lower part of the Grand Junction Canal from as far out as Leighton Buzzard to the London Wharves. H.Sabey & Co Ltd of Paddington were well known carriers and this their Southwold at Marylebone. Wide boats were built like narrow boats, to the same lenghth but 10 or 11 ft wide on the gunwhale, the bottom width being 7th only, for the sides were rounded in to lessen the water resistance."

 

Marylebone

Edited April 15, 2015 by Ray T

[FadeToScarlet]

Plus the number of barges and lighters on the Regents and around London, up the GU a bit too.

[Bettie Boo]

I have two perspectives - one as a boater and one as a business owner. On the one hand I miss the good old days when you could run from Braunston to Brinklow and only see a few boats (moored or moving), but on the other hand I probably wouldn't have a job!

 

Getting boats to move more is a good thing for our hirers even though most of them will have no idea whether a boat has been on a mooring for a day or 6 months. It's fascinating to read the feedback we get. Many of these are nice people who have never been boating before, so arrive free of preconceptions and independently conclude over the course of the week that some "boaters" are not interested in the canal or their surroundings and that they as holiday makers are resented by some (note, SOME) liveaboards.

 

The new T&Cs - just another attempt to clarify their position, but I still don't understand how they let themsleves (as BWB) get in the mess in the first place. Friends I knew who lived aboard in the 70s and 80s did so with great respect for the then rules and no-one pushed their luck, but I guess that's just the way the world has changed.

 

Trade influencing CRT - ask anyone on the Macc what they know about the winding hole at Bollington that is now a mooring.

So you'd recommend boating on a boat with nowhere safe to stand to steer, no safe way of getting on and off, poor visibility and lines that are difficult/dangerous to reach? Not to mention cycle racks and generator exhausts sticking out in places likely to hang you up in a lock?

 

It's nothing to do with unsightly to me - it's about being fit for purpose.

 

As for me needing to do more boating I've covered the Ashby, Leicester section, Oxford to Nell Bridge, and the GU down to MK last winter and round to Warwick last winter - not bad considering I'm supposed to be behind a desk.

 

This bit made me chuckle a little.

 

I don't profess to know much about narrowboating and am still very much a novice; but I have picked up on the forum just how unsafe it can be to stand within the arch of the tiller - you may want to revisit some of the pics on your web site before giving much more advice in relation to ealth & safety...but then being so experienced you'd probably know much better me.

 

As far as top boxes go; we quite easily made it under Osney Bridge in Oxford with about 7 inches to spare and all the bridges between Brentford & Wigrams turn. Please advise is there something lower on either the GU up to Warwick or the non-tidal Thames? or for that matter the K&A?

 

Oh and the back button fender sticks out further than the bike rack welded to the stern, so I guess it would be the fender that we'd need to worry about before the bike rack getting caught up in a lock.

 

I do feel the need to clarify my understanding of your post to be fair - was it said in jest or do you just have a general negative outlook on live aboard boaters?

[James Owen]

By that logic, we should be leaving all gates open as well - that'll help no end.

Logically, yes we should. ;-)

 

Unfortunately, logic is clearly at a premium in this day and age.

[Rose Narrowboats]

 

This bit made me chuckle a little.

 

I don't profess to know much about narrowboating and am still very much a novice; but I have picked up on the forum just how unsafe it can be to stand within the arch of the tiller - you may want to revisit some of the pics on your web site before giving much more advice in relation to ealth & safety...but then being so experienced you'd probably know much better me.

 

As far as top boxes go; we quite easily made it under Osney Bridge in Oxford with about 7 inches to spare and all the bridges between Brentford & Wigrams turn. Please advise is there something lower on either the GU up to Warwick or the non-tidal Thames? or for that matter the K&A?

 

Oh and the back button fender sticks out further than the bike rack welded to the stern, so I guess it would be the fender that we'd need to worry about before the bike rack getting caught up in a lock.

 

I do feel the need to clarify my understanding of your post to be fair - was it said in jest or do you just have a general negative outlook on live aboard boaters?

Please read back further - I have many friends who live aboard (probably most of them, thinking about it), I have lived aboard myself and my better half was living aboard when I met her.

 

Your bike rack sounds like one of the better thought ones - I saw one the other day where the bike was mounted longitudinally, complete with walkways and hand rails either side which could pivot to either side to allow the bike to be wheeled straight on from the bank which, projecting over 6 feet, just looked like a disaster waiting to happen. I don't personally like roof boxes as I'm not tall enough to see over them (my problem!) but I was thinking more of loose items on the roof - the sort that then end up against the handrail and then suddenly there's nothing to hold onto when you need it.

 

I observe a lot of boats set up in a way that I personally wouldn't as they are either dangerous (gas bottles stored above engine holes for example), or just make life harder than it needs to be for boating - and I worry about the potential consequences for those people because I suspect at least some of them don't understand the dangers, but as your sig says each to their own.

 

I'd be genuinely grateful if you wouldn't mind (email or PM) pointing which images you think are dangerous because that is oversight on my part and I'll change them if so.

[Guest]

I'd be genuinely grateful if you wouldn't mind (email or PM) pointing which images you think are dangerous because that is oversight on my part and I'll change them if so.

 

 

 

 

[Bettie Boo]

 

 

 

 

I'd be genuinely grateful if you wouldn't mind (email or PM) pointing which images you think are dangerous because that is oversight on my part and I'll change them if so.

 

Sorry I don't remember which page of your site it was on, I'm sure you must have an admin type person that could do this for you.

 

But there's one with a guy sitting on the back rail well within the arch of the tiller, and the other one I noticed was of a young lady operating a ground paddle in flip flops (not exactly sensible footwear to be promoting for what potentially could be first time hire's)

 

Don't get me wrong, if that's something that you wish to promote as good practice, it's really none of my business. It's just that you seemed to take quite a very high handed view of the dangers some of us live aboards practice - you understand kettle & black and all

 

 

ETA - well done MJG - you've saved his admin a little work

Edited April 15, 2015 by Bettie Boo

[Guest]

ETA - well done MJG - you've saved his admin a little work

 

There could be more but those were the ones I found pretty quickly.

 

The last one with everybody on the cruiser stern is particularly frightening to me. That boat has a huge front well deck according to the plan so gawd knows what everybody is doing piled up there.

[gazza]

"Wide boats were much used in the sand and gravel trade on the lower part of the Grand Junction Canal from as far out as Leighton Buzzard to the London Wharves. H.Sabey & Co Ltd of Paddington were well known carriers and this their Southwold at Marylebone. Wide boats were built like narrow boats, to the same lenghth but 10 or 11 ft wide on the gunwhale, the bottom width being 7th only, for the sides were rounded in to lessen the water resistance."

 

Marylebone

 

 

Thanks Ray :-)