Doing the Trent

[Naughty Cal]

2 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

No they don’t they call them Narrowboats. Yes pretty inconsequential unless your trying to be a bit clever.

As you seem to be?

 

Sewer tube is a term coined by "Metal Mickey " who used to work Boston Lock. He also referred to them as skips, but Sewer tubes is the term that stuck locally and is widely used in the area.

23 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Now I know why a lot of Narrowboater’s on the stretch from Torksey to Lincoln know you or knew you. Are you trying to be clever by calling narrowboats “Sewer Tubes” or is that how your little gang are?

The ones who know us are likely the ones we knew.

 

The ones who "know of us" are likely the ones who don't and refer to the fabled "twin engined super yacht" incident 🤣🤣🤣

 

[Jon57]

48 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Yes and I call them Narrowboaters and GRPs, some have VHF set to 74, but since no commercials it’s mainly mobile they use and most don’t want to chit chat on VHF like the GRPs seam to do. 

We on sewer tubes are a miserable lot.🤣🤣

[Naughty Cal]

1 minute ago, Jon57 said:

We on sewer tubes are a miserable lot.🤣🤣

Agreed 👍 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

Its only banter between boaters . Met some lovely people on yoghurt pots.😜

 

Similar goes on between motorhomers and caravanners. We caravanners are often refered to as wobble boxes or tin tenters. Only somebody a bit wound up would be seriously annoyed by it or in fact if anybody other than a motorhomer did, which they often do!

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

We on sewer tubes are a miserable lot.🤣🤣

 

As I'm sure you know, you are not allowed to 'chit-chat' on VHF. You pass you message and sign off.

[Naughty Cal]

3 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Similar goes on between motorhomers and caravanners. We caravanners are often refered to as wobble boxes or tin tenters. Only somebody a bit wound up would be seriously annoyed by it or in fact if anybody other than a motorhomer did, which they often do!

 

 

No. Tin tenters are the VW transporter lot who arrive on site and then erect their tent on the side of the van. Thus eliminating any benefit of arriving in a van🤣🤣🤣

[Guest]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

No. Tin tenters are the VW transporter lot who arrive on site and then erect their tent on the side of the van. Thus eliminating any benefit of arriving in a van🤣🤣🤣

 

Not heard that term used that way before TBH.

 

Anyway hows the Ice Cream Van doing?

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

12 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Similar goes on between motorhomers and caravanners. We caravanners are often refered to as wobble boxes or tin tenters. Only somebody a bit wound up would be seriously annoyed by it or in fact if anybody other than a motorhomer did, which they often do!

 

 

Yes agreed, jovial banter between friends and no harm just banter face to face, but it’s not too hard just to call them Narrowboats and GRP’s on here.

 It often makes me laugh when someone on a Narrowboat slags off a GRP calling it a “Yogurt Pot” and “speeding idiot” when passing on their boats slow speed. A quick Google shows the GRP’s used price to be £300k plus, while the person slagging it off is on a £25K old Narrowboat😂

Edited July 23, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Naughty Cal]

3 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Not heard that term used that way before TBH.

 

Anyway hows the Ice Cream Van doing?

It's doing alright thanks. Very easy and comfortable to live with. 

 

Been out this weekend to a little CS just the other side of Sheffield. Despite the pretty much constant rain we had a lovely weekend. 

 

On the countdown to heading across to France now. Just letting the school holidays finish first!!

 

 

[Guest]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

It's doing alright thanks. Very easy and comfortable to live with. 

 

Been out this weekend to a little CS just the other side of Sheffield. Despite the pretty much constant rain we had a lovely weekend. 

 

On the countdown to heading across to France now. Just letting the school holidays finish first!!

 

 

 

France is made for motorhoming you'll love it.

 

Who are you crossing with? Are you taking the pooch?

[Naughty Cal]

3 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

France is made for motorhoming you'll love it.

 

Who are you crossing with? Are you taking the pooch?

We are going on Eurotunnel. Travel on September 1st. 

 

Of course Syd is coming with us. He's family. 😀

[LadyG]

I believe that vhf is mandatory in certain areas, for boats over a certain size.

A handheld is fine for casual use, but ships always have a professional standard comes. The aerial will be mounted high up, because vhf is line of site.

A handheld is fine for local use, but will not transmit as far as a bridgehead mounted aerial.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

I wanted to be at W Stockwith as you say, at slack. That Is logical but one slack may last a very short time, so it's not easy to arrive dead on time.

In a barge it is not that easy to decide what is going on under the counter:  at times I could feel quite a lot of activity through the rudder. I envisage the salt water tide incoming is under the freshwater, which is outgoing, and they don't mix, (temperature and salinity differences)

The main problem I find with a barge compared to a proper boat with a keel, is that you are skimming along the surface. Yes you can see that you are making progress relative to the bank, but how much of that is from boat speed, and how much from movement of water. I tend to keep the boat punching forwards to diminish effects from currents.

Its years since I went up the Chesterfield, but us and the boat we were traveling with got there early so tied up and had a cup of tea 

[Momac]

1 hour ago, noddyboater said:

 

VHF is handy, but hardly essential. 

There is a bylaw which applies below the road bridge at Gainsborough 

vhf is specifically mentioned in the bylaw as a means of communication

A mobile phone may be used but really that's an emergency back up.

 

 

 

 

https://www.humber.com/admin/content/files/Estuary Information/ha byelwas.PDF

 

 

 

[noddyboater]

9 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Its years since I went up the Chesterfield, but us and the boat we were traveling with got there early so tied up and had a cup of tea 

As do I.  I once caught a lovely eel from the front deck while waiting for high water. 

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, Naughty Cal said:

But you are not on the river on your own. Other boaters around you may well want to know what your intentions are. 

 

The one time we broke down on the Trent it was quite handy to tell the ski speed boat that was approaching at speed than we were immobile and unable to move out of his way. We didn't have his mobile number to let him know.

 

Same with hitching a tow back home. As it happens we did have the approaching boats mobile number but it was a damn sight easier to hail them on the vhf then start searching through hundreds of phone numbers saved on a sim card!

 

Equally we have aided other boats broken down or in trouble on the Trentand we wouldn't leave anyone through choice in trouble on a tidal stretch of water. You can't have everyone's phone number!

I'm not sure I understand what you feel the vhf is used for, there are a set of International Collision Regs which set out protocols.

For example the other day I was approaching a swing bridge, centre of fairway, it opened in front of me, so I continued, only to meet another boat whose crew had opened it for him, he was unsighted, having been behind the bridge abutments.

Now it did not occur to either of us to give a long blast, but I went into astern and signalled my action. Maybe next time I would blast my horn, and he would hang  back, or vice versa.

Today, manoeuvring the NB at the lock entrance, two cruisers came upstream, there was no question that I would broadcast on vhf, they just kept over to the other side.

There is a standard hand signal for a boat  needing assistance, (waving two arms vertically), it's the standard distress signal.

 

 

[Mike Hurley]

41 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

We are going on Eurotunnel. Travel on September 1st. 

 

Of course Syd is coming with us. He's family. 😀

Dont forget to check the rules when coming back, something about getting the dog wormed 24/48 hours before?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Mike Hurley said:

Dont forget to check the rules when coming back, something about getting the dog wormed 24/48 hours before?

 

120 hours to 24 hours before.

 

Pretty sure NC will be on the case with the rules for going out and coming back.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by M_JG

[Naughty Cal]

9 minutes ago, Mike Hurley said:

Dont forget to check the rules when coming back, something about getting the dog wormed 24/48 hours before?

All sorted. 😀

 

As MJG says its 24-120 hours prior to coming back for the worming tablet.

 

Also need an Animal Health Certificate on the way out now instead of a pet passport. Again all in hand. We pick that up from the vets on the 29th August.

[Momac]

16 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

All sorted. 😀

.

 

Maybe you should have a clean air sticker for the motorhome?

 

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/law-change-for-uk-drivers-in-french-cities/

 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, MartynG said:

 

Maybe you should have a clean air sticker for the motorhome?

 

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/law-change-for-uk-drivers-in-french-cities/

 

 

Depends where you are going.

 

But as they are so cheap we just got one.

 

I would get a toll tag for the Autoroutes though, depending on how much one plans to use them. Saves queuing at the booths.

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by M_JG

[Naughty Cal]

38 minutes ago, MartynG said:

 

Maybe you should have a clean air sticker for the motorhome?

 

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/law-change-for-uk-drivers-in-french-cities/

 

Already sorted although we don't expect we will need it.

 

But for €4 (including postage from France!) it's not worth not getting one and then finding out we could have done with it.

 

Ours falls under Crit Air 2 category. 

 

We don't need the angles morts stickers but the friends we travel over with and spend a few days with do as their van is heavier.

36 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Depends where you are going.

 

But as they are so cheap we just got one.

 

I would get a toll tag for the Autoroutes though, depending on how much one plans to use them. Saves queuing at the booths.

 

We won't be using the toll roads in theory. So have not got a tag.

[LadyG]

5 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Its years since I went up the Chesterfield, but us and the boat we were traveling with got there early so tied up and had a cup of tea 

I'm looking forward to a bit of gentle boating, pottering and so on. 

When it bloody well stops raining!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrr.....

 

[Naughty Cal]

6 hours ago, LadyG said:

I'm looking forward to a bit of gentle boating, pottering and so on. 

When it bloody well stops raining!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrr.....

 

 

It won't stop raining. Better go somewhere else if you want that.

 

I suggest further south.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

9 hours ago, LadyG said:

I'm looking forward to a bit of gentle boating, pottering and so on. 

When it bloody well stops raining!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrr.....

 

 

As I remember last time on the Chesterfield you had a mattress wrapped around your prop and were there for months. I take it this is going to be your winter mooring location this year?