Slow Down?????

[furnessvale]

Not moored but experienced the surge in quite a big way on my last outing

 

had been watching a trip boat (71 foot ex working boat full of primary school children) steadily gaining on me for about 20 minutes (I was in no hurry but they were obviously on a schedule), at a suitable wide point I slowed to tickover and waved them past.

 

as they started to draw alongside it stopped my boat absolutely dead and actually pushed / pulled me backwards (weird feeling to be moving forwards through water forwards but going backwards in relation to land)

once their stern passed my bow I was drawn along behind them (at almost 3 times the speed I should have been)

You don't mention any contact between the boats so I presume there was none.

 

In which case I can only suggest it was a perfectly executed overtaking manoeuvre by both parties.

 

Well done.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Neil2]

I have sometimes thought of doing that. One day perhaps I will, though I'm a bit shy so I'm not sure if I would dare.

 

I can't remember ever being stridently requested to slow down, though. On a couple of occasions I have pre-empted such a comment, for example on a very windy day when I had to keep going quite fast to avoid being blown on to moored boats, I explained this to someone on one of the boats, who seemed to accept it.

 

Athy - IIRC you have a big thumper of an engine do you not?

 

I have a theory that when people hear a boat with a "vintage" engine, the slow revving implies that the boat is going slow, so they don't take offence. OTOH I have had real issues this year because my boat is now whisper quiet, from the starboard side you literally cannot hear it coming. It's a problem with anglers for a start but it also takes moored boats by surprise and I think the knee jerk reaction is he must be shifting to have sneaked up on me like that. I seem to recall when Watrerways World trailed a very quiet diesel elecric narrowboat some years ago they had the same problem, folk expect to be able to hear a narrowboat from a long way away.

 

We also used to have problems with our little Springer with its outboard, I'm sure people would hear the food mixer noise and assume we were trying to get on the plane. I tried to explain a few times that the Waterbug only displaces a mere three tons so it's not likely to trouble stationary boats but I gave up in the end.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Neil2

[Jess--]

You don't mention any contact between the boats so I presume there was none.

 

In which case I can only suggest it was a perfectly executed overtaking manoeuvre by both parties.

 

Well done.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

zero contact between boats.

 

met later and had a natter before he went back, he said most people lose it when he overtakes as his boat has quite a deep draught.

 

I couldn't tell you what I did on the tiller to counteract what my boat wanted to do as he passed and just after... autopilot... I tend to just do what's needed without thinking about it (it's when I think about it that things go wrong)

[Wanderer Vagabond]

Passing a long line of moored boats on the way back from Skipton, a fella popped his head out of the boat. Here we go i thought. He shouted across that it was great to see someone who knew how to slow down going passed moored boats........

 

4 boats down (and no change of speed) I had a doorhandle head come screaming out of the boat yelling at me to slow down before he conducted some unspeakable act on me. I dont think he expected the torrent of abuse I threw at him because he did what I told him - he wound his neck in and got back in the boat without taking up my suggestion of me assisting him with winding his neck in......

 

Blow me, about 10 boats down an elderly lady thanked me for taking it easy.

 

Some days you just cant win..... I did enjoy the look on the doorhandles face when he worked out that I wasnt joking - because I started going astern!!! ---- Classic moment, for everything else theres Master Card!

I'm intrigued as to whether my shouting bozo was the same muppet as your doorhandle head! I tangled with mine at a line of boats just beyond Thornhill Bridge (Bridge 214b) near to Calverley Wood going towards Leeds, where was your doorhandle head (description sounds similar!)

[WarringtonWhite]

I'm intrigued as to whether my shouting bozo was the same muppet as your doorhandle head! I tangled with mine at a line of boats just beyond Thornhill Bridge (Bridge 214b) near to Calverley Wood going towards Leeds, where was your doorhandle head (description sounds similar!)

 

This was a busy day near Lower Park Marina (Br 153-152). Got to say it was on the tow path side I had the problem and on the non towpath side I had the thanks.

[MisterDave]

We have an outboard and the pitch makes it sound like we are going faster than we actually are. So often get people moaning about our speed based purely on the sound.

 

I'd figured the same, became very obvious after a 270 mile journey in a boat with a BMC1800 and an eroded prop which tried to do an unsteerable 0.3mph on tickover and drew complaints at 1.4mph, people are complaining based on engine pitch and nothing else. I'm in the middle of converting my little Springer to Electric drive, I plan on playing a recording of an old Bolinder or similar everywhere I go for a year as an experiment to see if that reduces the whiners.

 

Sheila was once steering SA through Tatenhill bridge, the seriously narrow one on the T&M by the quarry. She likes to take it dead slow so was quite surprised by the fisherman hidden on the offside telling her to slow down and that he was going to report her to BW. Since she had the Garmin on the slide she was able to tell him that she was doing 1.5 mph and how much slower did he want?

 

After the first few slow-downers on my last journey I adopted this as standard technique, GPS lives on a patch of velcro on the hatch, anyone shouting slow-down gets my actual speed as a reply.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

 

This was a busy day near Lower Park Marina (Br 153-152). Got to say it was on the tow path side I had the problem and on the non towpath side I had the thanks.

Ah, obviously not the same muppet then. Interestingly I moored on that section just beyond the Marina and it was one of the moorings we had with no problem over depth so there shouldn't have been any difference in the experience of those moored on the towpath and those moored on the Marina.

[KenK]

The funniest two we have had are

 

1) Crawling along past a line of moored boats coming up to a bridge hole, spotted another boat coming the other way also going slowly because of boats on the other side of the bridge, decided other boat was closer so put lever in reverse and quick blast to stop the boat. Bloke storms out of the boat we were stopped alongside shouting the odds about going too fast, I turned and said if I was going any slower I'd be going backwards and then noticed I actually was albeit very slowly. He did apologise when I explained why the engine note had changed.

 

2) Again very slowly along a line of moored boats, hire boat coming the other way flat out, hire boat passed and rocked me and the boat on my inside, lady emerged from cabin calling me all kinds of names, I just pointed to the carnage being created by the hire boat as it passed the boats behind us. Again she did apologise.

 

Ken

[cuthound]

It isn't the wash that bothers moored boaters. It's the 'draw' or 'surge' as you pass them. Where your blade sucks tonnes of water out from under your boat (and theirs) and pushes it out behind you. Their boat will move forwards if their lines are slack as you approach, then stop dead as the lines tighten. Then they will surge backwards as you actually come level with them, and their boat will be jerked to a halt again as their lines tighten the other way. Watch carefully as you pass loosely moored boats to see this effect, it isn't obvious while you are moving yourself too.

 

The tiny amount of wash you make is of little consequence compared to the surge you create by going 'too fast'.

Absolutely right. Last year I was cruising on the rather shallow Ashby Canal when we met a Hudson boat approaching at high speed. As he passed us we came to a complete standstill because his prop sucked all of the water we had been floating in from under my boat.

[spadefoot]

 

 

It isn't the wash that bothers moored boaters. It's the 'draw' or 'surge' as you pass them. Where your blade sucks tonnes of water out from under your boat (and theirs) and pushes it out behind you. Their boat will move forwards if their lines are slack as you approach, then stop dead as the lines tighten. Then they will surge backwards as you actually come level with them, and their boat will be jerked to a halt again as their lines tighten the other way. Watch carefully as you pass loosely moored boats to see this effect, it isn't obvious while you are moving yourself too.

 

The tiny amount of wash you make is of little consequence compared to the surge you create by going 'too fast'.

That was my understanding MtB, I hadn't even reached his boat & as I say was only just out the lock tail. It was near Bedwyn, plenty wide enough but somewhat shallow near the edges as I expect you know. Still, no harm done.

[mayalld]

 

As a self confessed petrolhead i could not entertain the thought of a Baby On Board siign in our cars.

 

I have heard that about the Emergency Services before but dont buy into it, Maybe in the days when you plonked a travel cot on the back seat, but child car seats are fairly bulky bits of kit and not easy missed. I would have thought all crews are trained to check for little ones, Its fairly hard to lose them in the footwell under modern seats anyway!

 

It isn't small children still IN the car that are the issue.

 

Rather, small children can be (and I HAVE seen it happen) thrown some considerable distance from the car in an accident.

[GUMPY]

I have always thought that the BoB stickers realy said "look at me im so clever I can procreate"

They first appeared in Scandinavia in the early 70s well thats the first time I saw them

[MtB]

I have always thought that the BoB stickers realy said "look at me im so clever I can procreate"

They first appeared in Scandinavia in the early 70s well thats the first time I saw them

 

 

That's interesting. I don't see the message as that at all.

 

The unwritten message I perceive is "I have a baby on board so I'm demanding more care and consideration from you the ordinary road user with no baby on board than you would normally give another vehicle."

 

Or something like that.

[GUMPY]

 

 

That's interesting. I don't see the message as that at all.

 

The unwritten message I perceive is "I have a baby on board so I'm demanding more care and consideration from you the ordinary road user with no baby on board than you would normally give another vehicle."

 

Or something like that.

I give all other road users care and consideration as most cant drive to a decent standard.

I might be inclined to agree with you if the numptys took them out when their little darlings were not in the car but they dont..

 

 

Oh and the emergency services missing a child is a myth check snopes...

 

 

You might guess I dont like those stickers

Edited July 1, 2015 by Loddon

[gazza]

 

 

That's interesting. I don't see the message as that at all.

 

The unwritten message I perceive is "I have a baby on board so I'm demanding more care and consideration from you the ordinary road user with no baby on board than you would normally give another vehicle."

 

Or something like that.

Amen to that!

 

Saved me a load of typing....

 

Like Loddon I hate the things too

 

It isn't small children still IN the car that are the issue.

 

Rather, small children can be (and I HAVE seen it happen) thrown some considerable distance from the car in an accident.

Nah,I still don't buy it.

 

Loddon mentions its been busted on snopes, I haven't the inclination to look myself and am more than happy to take his word for it.

 

The presence of a baby seat (a legal requirement) should be hint enough an infant may have been in the car, not a self righteous sticker in the rear window (thankfully not currently a legal requirement)

[Emerald Fox]

No other boaters on the Huddersfield Narrow so we can go flat out and have thrown many ducks straight out of the water onto the bank. And a pike!

[Athy]

. And a pike!

Don't tell them.

[sirweste]

I plan to make a sign that reads: "Don't slow down, life's too short"

[nicknorman]

Having just become a proud grand dad for the first time, I just thought a quick comment on the baby on board sticker thing. Apparantly they were invented after an older couple were involved in a car crash and the emergency crews missed the baby in the back because they didn't expect to be looking for one. So whilst I too am not impressed with 'little princess' stickers etc. I think I might be putting a sticker in the back window for a couple of years and I will just have to suffer the derision of my fellow human beings.

But it is only OK if you don't display the sticker unless the little pooper actually IS on board. Otherwise you are recklessly endangering the firemen lives, who will be searching your burning vehicle for a non-existent brat.

[MisterDave]

 

It isn't small children still IN the car that are the issue.

 

Rather, small children can be (and I HAVE seen it happen) thrown some considerable distance from the car in an accident.

 

Small children don't have a monopoly on that, unfortunately. A few years ago, an acquaintance of mine's car was in a major collision and the Police believed he had left the scene of the accident and absconded, they even put a piece in the local newspaper looking for him. Weeks later they found his remains where he'd been thrown hundreds of yards in the collision and died in a ditch.

 

Emergency services should not even be looking for stickers, they should assume that casualties exist until they've made sure one way or the other.

[alan_fincher]

Am I the only one who finds those "Tickover" stickers as irritating as the "Baby on Board" notices you see in the back of cars?

Absolutely not!

 

As has been said, it is amazing how many boats pass you with those things attached, which are clearly not at tick-over.

 

One rule for me, a different one for you?

 

I'm very happy to demonstrate what tick-over looks on both my boats to anybody who cares to watch. If you are on a narrow shallow stretch, and poorly tied up, I think that whilst you might accept me passing on tick-over on Flamingo, you might be rather less tolerant if I did the same on Sickle.

 

Sickle already has its tick over adjusted down to the point where the engine can end up stalling, but still needs knocking out of gear in some situations to minimise wash - but I'm happy to keep it in gear for those that have signs that insist I do!

Having just become a proud grand dad for the first time, I just thought a quick comment on the baby on board sticker thing. Apparantly they were invented after an older couple were involved in a car crash and the emergency crews missed the baby in the back because they didn't expect to be looking for one. So whilst I too am not impressed with 'little princess' stickers etc. I think I might be putting a sticker in the back window for a couple of years and I will just have to suffer the derision of my fellow human beings.

 

Another urban myth I'm afraid.

 

Snopes says it isn't true.

 

Linky.

[alan_fincher]

Well I think the standard response is "Tie your boat up properly you <insert insulting expletive of choice>". Or "Get a house, they don't move around as much". Or maybe hit reverse, reverse back up the cut a bit and then pass at flat out and say "now THAT is certainly too fast!"

 

Wouldn't this qualify you as one of those "nob" (or is it "knob") boaters you are always telling us about.....

 

..... Wait no - that is those with ex-working boats isn't it - it could never apply to a Hudson owner, could it?

[Guest]

Absolutely not!

 

As has been said, it is amazing how many boats pass you with those things attached, which are clearly not at tick-over.

 

One rule for me, a different one for you?

 

I'm very happy to demonstrate what tick-over looks on both my boats to anybody who cares to watch. If you are on a narrow shallow stretch, and poorly tied up, I think that whilst you might accept me passing on tick-over on Flamingo, you might be rather less tolerant if I did the same on Sickle.

 

Sickle already has its tick over adjusted down to the point where the engine can end up stalling, but still needs knocking out of gear in some situations to minimise wash - but I'm happy to keep it in gear for those that have signs that insist I do!

 

Another urban myth I'm afraid.

 

Snopes says it isn't true.

 

Linky.

Whilst I am happy tp believe the Snope's explanation in this instance, how can we always know that Snope's is accurate? Just a thought.

[Bee]

Some boats slip through the water with barely a ripple, some, small dinghys with outboards, and inflateables make an awful wash, the worst in many years was earlier this year when we were tied properly in deep water (6`) and a 30 ` cruiser came past almost on the plane, couldn't stand up in the boat for 5 minutes till the wash died down. Usually though if a boat is tied reasonably well the only problem is in really shallow places and you get dropped on the bottom, can't do much about that except look for deeper places. (If there are any)

[Guest]

Some boats slip through the water with barely a ripple, some, small dinghys with outboards, and inflateables make an awful wash, the worst in many years was earlier this year when we were tied properly in deep water (6`) and a 30 ` cruiser came past almost on the plane, couldn't stand up in the boat for 5 minutes till the wash died down. Usually though if a boat is tied reasonably well the only problem is in really shallow places and you get dropped on the bottom, can't do much about that except look for deeper places. (If there are any)

Our Avon dinghy with seagull outboard can make a fair wash. I got told off by the serial moaner on our marina once for rocking his boat.

Also our previous 32ft Nb despite having a tiny engine could make a fair wash, greater than our present 57 footer, which can travel faster.

Canoes can fair rock a moored boat i notice too.

Anyone noticed that a boat rocks more in some waters than others? Ours does.