Guessing your current speed (Hire Boat)

[Cruising Mike]

How can someone guess your approximate cruising speed using the RPM dial?

 

Last time out, we used the RPM dial to approximate our current speed. Eg: 2000 RPM, aprox. 2-2.5mph. No idea if this is a good guess or not and im interested to hear your thoughts. If we were way off the mark, then it may explain why we occasionally arrived at places ahead of schedule.

[cotswoldsman]

Easiest to down load one of the speed apps if you have a smart phone

[Paul C]

You can't, simply off of revs, unless you know 1) the boat very well 2) the depth of the canal. But you don't need to guess. If you have an Android phone then an app such as MyTracks gives an accurate speed. Note that many speedo apps are designed for car-like speeds so are hopelessly inaccurate at low speeds, I'm sure there's speedo apps out there which are more accurate but I use MyTracks and it does handy other stuff too. Uses data for the mapping but I think the speedo doesn't need a datalink, or you can configure settings to save on data usage.

[IanM]

Speed is dependent on more factors than what the engine is doing so 2000 rpm on one stretch of canal will propel the boat at a different speed to that on another stretch.

[Athy]

How can someone guess your approximate cruising speed using the RPM dial?

 

Last time out, we used the RPM dial to approximate our current speed. Eg: 2000 RPM, aprox. 2-2.5mph. No idea if this is a good guess or not and im interested to hear your thoughts. If we were way off the mark, then it may explain why we occasionally arrived at places ahead of schedule.

....and perhaps the rows of moored boaters shaking their fists in friendly greeting.

 

Our boat has no RPM dial. I assess (all right, guess) our speed by looking at the towpath and imagining a man walking along it beside the boat. If he appears to be walking briskly, that's about 4 mph. If he suddenly draws ahead of us, we have probably hit a bridge hole or an oncoming boat because I wasn't looking where I was going.

 

If, of course, there are real people walking along the towpath in the same direction as me, that makes the guesstimation far easier.

[Boat&Bikes]

I would have thought that 2000 RPM is going to move you along a fair bit faster than 2MPH. Will add probably before I get shot down by anyone about prop size etc.

 

Ian.

[Paul C]

No complaints off of miserable git at Black Prince (Acton) base = 0mph

No complaints off of most boaters except miserable gits = 1mph

Equal number of complaints and happy waving moored boaters = 2mph

Mostly complaints = 3mph

Small breaking wash just forming = 3.5mph

Breaking wash you could surf on = 4.5mph

[Markinaboat]

I just use the GPS on my iPhone.

[Athy]

No complaints off of miserable git at Black Prince (Acton) base = 0mph

No complaints off of most boaters except miserable gits = 1mph

Equal number of complaints and happy waving moored boaters = 2mph

Mostly complaints = 3mph

Small breaking wash just forming = 3.5mph

Breaking wash you could surf on = 4.5mph

Based on your personal experience, I trust? You're pretty close to the truth there I think, Paul.

[Paul C]

Based on your personal experience, I trust? You're pretty close to the truth there I think, Paul.

 

My personal experience is that hirers get more complaints for passing too quick, than private boats - or more accurately, boats which look like private boats. This was borne out when we hired a boat which was unliveried and was always mistaken for a private boat unless you knew it, or looked at the licence disc.

[Boat&Bikes]

 

My personal experience is that hirers get more complaints for passing too quick, than private boats - or more accurately, boats which look like private boats. This was borne out when we hired a boat which was unliveried and was always mistaken for a private boat unless you knew it, or looked at the licence disc.

I think hirers in general get more stick for everything. I find this odd as privately owned boats cause me far more hassle than hirers in general.

 

Ian.

[Dave Payne]

I opened up an app on my phone at the weekend and got an idea of how fast i was going, 3mph felt right, no big wash at the rear or waves on the banks.

 

I actually noticed a lot more private boats going faster then hire boats, also the fact more private boats tend not to move over enough than hire boats.

[GUMPY]

2000rpm is just under 7mph on Loddon!

Best rule of thumb:

When no moored boats travel as fast as you can with no breaking wash.

When passing moored boats back it down as far as you can.

[Athy]

Best rule of thumb:

When no moored boats travel as fast as you can with no breaking wash.

When passing moored boats back it down as far as you can.

Yep.

[ditchcrawler]

 

My personal experience is that hirers get more complaints for passing too quick, than private boats - or more accurately, boats which look like private boats. This was borne out when we hired a boat which was unliveried and was always mistaken for a private boat unless you knew it, or looked at the licence disc.

That is very true. I followed one along the N Oxford just south of Rose Narrowboats and a moored boater there was moaning like a drain that the boat ahead of me was going to quick, but then maybe he thought I was going to quick as well and just didn't say as we were doing the same speed.

I use to look at the bank and imagine someone walking along to guess my speed. I would suggest you drop back to the point where the gear leaver is just in gear , no more when passing boats as a general rule and drop back to that a good 5-6 boat lengths before you get there, it hajes quite a while to slow down if you are not rubbing the bottom.

[BargeeSpud]

You can't, simply off of revs, unless you know 1) the boat very well 2) the depth of the canal. But you don't need to guess. If you have an Android phone then an app such as MyTracks gives an accurate speed. Note that many speedo apps are designed for car-like speeds so are hopelessly inaccurate at low speeds, I'm sure there's speedo apps out there which are more accurate but I use MyTracks and it does handy other stuff too. Uses data for the mapping but I think the speedo doesn't need a datalink, or you can configure settings to save on data usage.

Which particular My Tracks app? Playstore has 2 or 3 of the same name.

Edited April 23, 2015 by BargeeSpud

[furnessvale]

How can someone guess your approximate cruising speed using the RPM dial?

 

Last time out, we used the RPM dial to approximate our current speed. Eg: 2000 RPM, aprox. 2-2.5mph. No idea if this is a good guess or not and im interested to hear your thoughts. If we were way off the mark, then it may explain why we occasionally arrived at places ahead of schedule.

Speed over the land or water is meaningless on its own.

 

4mph with a breaking wash is too fast.

 

5mph with no breaking wash is OK.

 

In both cases we are not passing moored boats, when a degree of backing off iscalled for.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Athy]

Speed over the land or water is meaningless on its own.

 

4mph with a breaking wash is too fast.

 

5mph with no breaking wash is OK.

 

 

Yes indeed George, as suggested in an earlier post I think.

 

Then again, when the offside is very shallow, especially if it's stony, you can make a breaking wash even when you're going very slowly. There's nothing much you can do about that unless you come to a complete halt!

[Paul C]

Which particular My Tracks app? Playstore has 2 or 3 of the same name.

 

I didn't realise there were more than one - its the Google one, if it makes the difference? Try this, might have worked as a link:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.maps.mytracks

[john6767]

If you have an iPhone this app works well at canal speeds

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speedometerview/id534094001?mt=8

[nicknorman]

Just time yourself between 2mile markers on nicholson's (etc) map. You'll soon get the idea of what speed looks like what.

[Cruising Mike]

Some amusing posts here! Chuckle.

 

May i point out that i DO slow down to tick over passing moored boats, (terminology used delicately in case a debate sparks up) as i would want the same from others if it was the other way round.

 

I thought, at least until now, that narrow boats didn't go fast enough to make worth of using any form of electronic speedometer.

 

One of the reasons i asked was because last time we hired, we found if we stayed on 3000 RPM for prolonged periods (yes, slowing down occasionally as needed) the engine got too hot. Hence me thinking perhaps we were going too fast at some points.That coupled with the fact that we took far less time than expected on some days.

 

It is a shame that hire boats in general get more flak than private boats, because like me, some of us hirers have a lifetime of experience.

[bottle]

2,000 rpm what the **************************

 

I never get that fast even on the river Severn and at that rpm on a canal I would expect you to be dragging bottom and so go even slower.

 

Sometimes less rpm = greater speed, depends on boat draught and depth of the canal.

 

You are having a laugh, now you are saying 3,000 rpm.

 

I take you are talking about a normal hire boat (narrowboat) on the canals of England and Wales.

 

My boat has a similar engine/gearbox to all hire boats and 1300 rpm is about 3mph.

 

I would suggest you try a maximum of 1600 rpm on open canal and dropping to 850 rpm three boat lengths before passing any moored boats.

 

You will halve your fuel consumption and get there just as fast.

[gazza]

Garmin etrex, excellent bit of kit.

 

Records tracks, distance covered, hours moving, hours stopped. moving average Total distance. Height above sea level that goes to -7' between whittlesea and Outwell on the middle levels

You can add waypoints - giving ETA between points. and many many more functions that are OTT for canal use.

 

Works as a speedo too!

[IanD]

3000 RPM, wow that's going some unless your prop was the size of an egg whisk. Most hire boats I've had cruised at around half that (no breaking wash etc etc)