Blind corners

[Tam & Di]

Long lining - by this I guess you mean towing the butter on a snubber which can be over 100 ft long.

 

Apart from Barry's fingers (or predictive text thingy) turning the butty into butter I would agree. We used a 90' snubber, and we did once have a cruiser who passed us in the tunnel who went out of gear as I passed on the motor. The consequence of this of course is that he got drawn around behind the motor's stern and over the snubber which had come slack at that point. As it came taut again the cruiser got thrown fiercely to the other wall and bounced about a bit. Hopefully he learnt that you do not go out of gear when you pass a deep drafted vessel (also that it is a good idea to pack all your cups and saucers away if you are not a very good steerer).

 

Tam

[David Mack]

Julia and Richard can often be seen working Towcester with Bideford on a pretty long line as well - they just don't make such a big thing of it.

 

Fairly brave, frankly on the Southern GU, and I feel sure some idiots coming the other way must on occasions try to enter a bridge after the motor has passed it, but with the (loaded and brake-less) butty still approaching it! I bet there is a story or two in their recent archive!

 

Some years ago I was towing an engineless boat on a long line (it steered better that way). A cruiser coming the other way tried to pass one side of the motor and the other side of the 'butty', having apparently completely failed to see the (bright orange) line between the two!

[RLWP]

If we are doing boating war stories, I had a boat try to pass between me and another boat on Hatton. We were brested up together

 

Richard

[NickF]

I am amazed no one has mentioned using sound signals! They are in the boaters handbook and can be used to good effect, its about time some steerer's learnt the rules of the road.

I have tried this ... I gave three blasts to indicate that I was going astern to let the other boat through first .... the other boat didn't understand the sound signal and thought I was sounding the horn out of anger and frustration! You can't win sometimes!

[David Mack]

 

This is me, i always slow and move over, most do the same, but we have gone past a few boats that see this as an invite to keep going down the center at full speed, like you say, takes a while get back out the shallow and up to speed if you go too far over.

 

When we hired the man showing us round the boat suggested we never slow down and keep going as the other boat will more than likely do the same.

 

But the easiest way to pass another boat coming the other way is NOT to scurry into the shallows as soon as it comes into view, but keep near the middle of the channel until the boats are about a length apart. If both steerers then put their tillers over, the two boats dance around each other with perhaps a foot between them, and as the sterns pass the suction pulls both boats back into the middle of the channel, and nobody goes aground, even with deep drafted boats in a relatively shallow channel.

 

At one time the majority of boaters seemed to understand this. Sadly now, most don't and many seem to panic, especially if confronted by the high bows of an unloaded working boat. It is hardly surprising if the one boat heads right over to the bank, that the other just keeps going down the middle of the cut.

[RLWP]

 

If both steerers then put their tillers over, the two boats dance around each other with perhaps a foot between them, and as the sterns pass the suction pulls both boats back into the middle of the channel, and nobody goes aground, even with deep drafted boats in a relatively shallow channel.

 

It's delightful when you find a boater that knows how to do this. Usually it's a nice sweep past followed by a big grin when you find one

 

Richard

[Machpoint005]

I have tried this ... I gave three blasts to indicate that I was going astern to let the other boat through first .... the other boat didn't understand the sound signal and thought I was sounding the horn out of anger and frustration! You can't win sometimes!

 

It may not be "as it should be" but the reality is that you can't expect anyone to react to a horn signal predictably. In a blind bridge hole it effectively means "here I am", and if you are very lucky you'll get one back meaning the same thing. Then you can both work from there.

[Dave Payne]

I don't pull over as soon as seeing a boat approaching, i usually wait till we are 100ft say, then move over, being a new boater maybe i should hold fire a little.

 

We are always happy on the canals, always willing to smile and wave at people, problem is the grumpy sods who just blast past and struggle to give any signs of a smile...

[Machpoint005]

 

It's delightful when you find a boater that knows how to do this. Usually it's a nice sweep past followed by a big grin when you find one

 

Richard

 

Agreed. It seems to help if both boats are doing the same speed, so that the effect isn't biased.

I don't pull over as soon as seeing a boat approaching, i usually wait till we are 100ft say, then move over, being a new boater maybe i should hold fire a little.

 

We are always happy on the canals, always willing to smile and wave at people, problem is the grumpy sods who just blast past and struggle to give any signs of a smile...

 

My sotto voce response to that is "well bugger you then, I am happy!". Sometimes it's not that sotto.

[RLWP]

I don't pull over as soon as seeing a boat approaching, i usually wait till we are 100ft say, then move over, being a new boater maybe i should hold fire a little.

 

You are being too nice.

 

Richard

[rrt2]

Whilst I realise that many of these old working boats don't have a fridge, surely there are easier ways of keeping dairy products cool and fresh?

oops now corrected

[Athy]

oops now corrected

Spoilsport!