Jump to content

I despair, I really do

NMEA

By NMEA
in Boat Building & Maintenance

 Share

Featured Posts

NMEA Rising Star

NMEA

Posted
Posted

Just had our usual walk from NMEA towers along the Regent's Canal towpath to the Hemingway for our Sunday Beef Wellington, a distance of about 800m, one petrol generator inside a boat with cratch cover and one in a deep well leading straight into the accommodation, that's about 7% of the boats we passed. Will the message ever get through via education or we just leave it to Darwin to take them out of the gene pool? I really wanted to have a word but is it really my place to do so?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chewbacka Veteran

Chewbacka

Posted
Posted

It's a difficult question. Do nothing and next day you hear one died from CO you would feel terrible. On the other hand you say something and will probably get 'no thanks' at best and a lot of abuse at worst. I would only say something if there was a very high risk, and start off with something like 'don't you get headaches with all those fumes blowing into the boat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

Always hard to know what to do in such circumstances. For some reason I tend to see a lot of idiotic use of chainsaws, both canal and home related. Puts you in a very bad position. If you intervene there is always a chance you will get banjo-ed, and if you don't and something happens to the user....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tim Lewis Veteran

Tim Lewis

Posted
Posted

How about getting someone to mention it on the London Boaters FB page?

 

there was a post on the LB FB page only today linking to this document:

 

https://word.office.live.com/wv/WordView.aspx?FBsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fattachments%2Ffile_preview.php%3Fid%3D543905839094380%26time%3D1447623517%26metadata&access_token=716697340%3AAVLNAcf8Fb9NwuFBD73eD0rStkFPNN5rMcDIY2FI-7syQQ&title=BOATSAFE.doc.docx

​

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mark99 Veteran II

mark99

Posted
Posted

Sober reading. Cart should distribute that too rather than the lightweight rubbish sent out by emails.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PaulG Experienced

PaulG

Posted
Posted (edited)

I'd just print this off and leave them a copy.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/man-denies-killing-partner-daughter-6592898

 

Perhaps an actual case would make more impression than all the safety warnings. There are so many of these nowadays that some people have been desensitised to them.

 

If they still can't understand the implications of what they are doing, then you are probably right. There is no hope for them.

 

(Edtied dew to triping errir)

Edited by PaulG
Link to comment
Share on other sites
MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

 

On clicking this link I get:

error.png
Service Unavailable
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties.
Please try again later.

 

 

 

 

 

What does the document say??!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PaulG Experienced

PaulG

Posted
Posted

 

On clicking this link I get:

error.png
Service Unavailable
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties.
Please try again later.

 

 

 

 

 

What does the document say??!

There's a pdf copy of it here, Mike:

 

Maybe it will work better for you.

 

http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/274427/nr008-15_bss-warns-of-the-dangers-of-using-generators-aboard_web-final_nov.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted

Just had our usual walk from NMEA towers along the Regent's Canal towpath to the Hemingway for our Sunday Beef Wellington, a distance of about 800m, one petrol generator inside a boat with cratch cover and one in a deep well leading straight into the accommodation, that's about 7% of the boats we passed. Will the message ever get through via education or we just leave it to Darwin to take them out of the gene pool? I really wanted to have a word but is it really my place to do so?

Yes, I would, I have in the past. I've got no shame when it comes to this stuff. My friend dragged a young girl out of a boat last week (she was cycling past and heard the CO alarm going). This girl had gone to bed with the burner door open (as it wasn't drawing) and was overcome by CO fumes. I went down there later, to make sure the burner was still out (it was thankfully). I took my chimney brush, read her the riot act. I made her go to hospital where she was given oxygen. She had absolutely no idea about CO, it wasn't her boat and the owner clearly had no idea that you're not supposed to run the burner with the door open either.

Thing is, there are still 5 ish new boats/boaters in the capital a week (so we are told) so we have to keep going on and on like a broken record.

What frightens me too (and is my pet subject captain.gif ​), is the people who buy new, flash boats, are totally new to boating and then rent them out on airbnb to strangers. We've had no end of issues with these boats. The owners sometimes don't even meet their guests. They don't leave any instructions. They don't know anything about boats as they are novices themselves. On airbnb right now, one is advertised with all the kindling and logs stuffed around the edges of the burner, another is advertising with a photo of the burner running with the door open, two have no hearth in front of the burner, to speak of. On another a guest is complaining that he was left no instructions as to how anything worked. There was one last year rented with a hole in the flue and water over bare wires in the bilge. There was another where the landlord allowed tenants to run the genny so they ran it all night. On the back deck. What could possibly go wrong?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PaulG Experienced

PaulG

Posted
Posted

Yes, I would, I have in the past. I've got no shame when it comes to this stuff. My friend dragged a young girl out of a boat last week (she was cycling past and heard the CO alarm going). This girl had gone to bed with the burner door open (as it wasn't drawing) and was overcome by CO fumes. I went down there later, to make sure the burner was still out (it was thankfully). I took my chimney brush, read her the riot act. I made her go to hospital where she was given oxygen. She had absolutely no idea about CO, it wasn't her boat and the owner clearly had no idea that you're not supposed to run the burner with the door open either.

Thing is, there are still 5 ish new boats/boaters in the capital a week (so we are told) so we have to keep going on and on like a broken record.

What frightens me too (and is my pet subject captain.gif ​), is the people who buy new, flash boats, are totally new to boating and then rent them out on airbnb to strangers. We've had no end of issues with these boats. The owners sometimes don't even meet their guests. They don't leave any instructions. They don't know anything about boats as they are novices themselves. On airbnb right now, one is advertised with all the kindling and logs stuffed around the edges of the burner, another is advertising with a photo of the burner running with the door open, two have no hearth in front of the burner, to speak of. On another a guest is complaining that he was left no instructions as to how anything worked. There was one last year rented with a hole in the flue and water over bare wires in the bilge. There was another where the landlord allowed tenants to run the genny so they ran it all night. On the back deck. What could possibly go wrong?

So I think that these are technically hireboats, and should be inspected accordingly for BSS purposes.

 

Why not just email links of the adverts to the BSS office?

 

If I knew about these dangerous boats, I'd "dob them in" without a second thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted

So I think that these are technically hireboats, and should be inspected accordingly for BSS purposes.

 

Why not just email links of the adverts to the BSS office?

 

If I knew about these dangerous boats, I'd "dob them in" without a second thought.

And if you're onboard with your guests, then its a hotel boat and you should hold a boatmasters, have had fire safety training, lifesaving training blah blah blah. CRT are well aware of them. They get reported all the time. But there are more than ever on the site. As it seems to be starry eyed newbies running these once they've refused to renew the license for one, another pops up. It's obvious they are newbies as they aren't even cruising out of zone 1

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Paul C Veteran II

Paul C

Posted
Posted

And if you're onboard with your guests, then its a hotel boat and you should hold a boatmasters, have had fire safety training, lifesaving training blah blah blah. CRT are well aware of them. They get reported all the time. But there are more than ever on the site. As it seems to be starry eyed newbies running these once they've refused to renew the license for one, another pops up. It's obvious they are newbies as they aren't even cruising out of zone 1

 

What pragmatically do they do, or can they do, though?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PaulG Experienced

PaulG

Posted
Posted

And if you're onboard with your guests, then its a hotel boat and you should hold a boatmasters, have had fire safety training, lifesaving training blah blah blah. CRT are well aware of them. They get reported all the time. But there are more than ever on the site. As it seems to be starry eyed newbies running these once they've refused to renew the license for one, another pops up. It's obvious they are newbies as they aren't even cruising out of zone 1

Given CRT's current enthusiasm for "enforcement" over other issues, I fail to see why they are turning a blind eye to the serious issues that you have raised.

 

It would seem to me that CRT (and the EA) have a duty of care, and if these abuses of basic H&S requirements for are commonplace, they could be held to be negligent in the event of an accident.

 

If these dangerous boats are advertised on Airbnb, it would not seem to be too difficult to identify the individual boats and check out their status.

 

Much easier than detecting mooring overstayers, anyway. :-)

 

What pragmatically do they do, or can they do, though?

I would imagine that these boats do not technically have a valid CRT licence.

Neither do they have a valid BSS certificate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

Posted
Posted

 

What pragmatically do they do, or can they do, though?

 

Refuse their license renewal when the time comes around. This has definitely happened to a couple of boaters I know of. Although I reckon it's the cruising distance that does for them, they all want to stay in zone 1, where the tourists are. You're not gonna get your license renewed if you do that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 5 months later...
Scholar Gypsy Veteran

Scholar Gypsy

Posted
Posted

Maybe we should have a Darwin Thread or failed Darwin thread, I hope these two were failed Darwin Award winners. Diana had warnd them about bridges on the Caldon yesterday when they were sat on the roof.

 

maybe they are going to practice legging.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ricco1 Rising Star

Ricco1

Posted
Posted

It's not clear from your post whether the generators were running or not?

 

If they were that's hideous, very dangerous.

 

If not it may not be a problem. My (2) generators are currently living under my bed. Tanks empty, carbs drained. I only use them in the winter, on the. I always run them dry then either chain them up outside if it's dry or inside under the bed if it's raining. Can't see a problem with that, as long as they are dry, no fuel in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mark99 Veteran II

mark99

Posted
Posted

Maybe we should have a Darwin Thread or failed Darwin thread, I hope these two were failed Darwin Award winners. Diana had warnd them about bridges on the Caldon yesterday when they were sat on the roof.

Could have been very nasty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.