First experience of canal rage.

[Ian Mac]

<Rant>

Well, on the day before I had owner our boat for 45 years I was on the receiving end of a piece of canal rage. We were chugging past a line of moored boats on the off side of T&M south of Rugeley when we met another boat coming the other way. We pulled over towards to towpath and the edge of the channel, this isn;t far when your boat draws 3ft 4inches as we currently do at the back end. The bane of owning a hogging wooden boat! It either hogs or you well ballast her down, we choose the latter.

So there is a gap between us and the moored boats of about 10ft and us and the bank of about 6ft, the other boat passes correctly between us and the moored boats, nice and close to us and a bigger gap to the moored boats. I'm sat on the deck and congratulate him on getting it right ie a 6inch gap between the two moving boats, this causes him to loses his rag and start shouting at us and my mate who is steering the boat, he has only owned her for 42 yrs - a comer in! anyway mate says something to the effect that the other boater should know how to pass a historic craft. The level of shouting increased, not that you could hear much next to a bolinder, basically what I think he was saying was that we should have moved over for him. How? The whole of the length from Fradley to Great Heywood is not the best bit of dredged canal, although I do have to say its hundreds of times better than it was in the 70's & 80's when we would have to winch through various places, especially the bridge holes in Rugeley town. We were at the edge of the channel and although it would have been nice to give a bigger gap to the moored boats neither of us were rushing by, that was the best we could do, with out us stemming up and the causing a load of other problems.

 

I was taught to boat by people who really knew how to boat, people like Charlie Atkins Snr, Johnny Jinks, Alf Tooley to name but three off narrowboaters, also people like Derek Bent on Short boats and the way to pass when meeting another boat on a canal was to move over to your side, half a channels width and then have a 6inch gap between the boats, this enables you to help turn each other back into the channel, and you don't need to slow down. Its almost impossible to hit each other due to the basic rules of fluid dynamics, as there is 20 tons of water attempting to get down the gap between the two craft. This is different if your going in the same direction, so the rules for overtaking are very different - a different discussion.

 

Most people these days seem to think you should pass as far apart as you can, which is a shame as you then get muttered at for not moving over, once we have moved over to our half of the channel that's it, unless you want our bows swinging across in front of the oncoming boat. Basically you don't need to. If your on a hire boat, some boater owners really go to town on telling you to move over - which is wrong on two counts, a) its wrong and just because its a hire boat doesn't mean they don't know what they are doing, some hirers have been boating significantly longer than I have! It is great to pass wide if your on a wide deep waterway or river. but most narrow canals are dredged to a standard 6m wide profile, except at special places, and the old boatmen had it correct, 200 years of collective experience taught them a thing or two. We are not driving cars these are boats and water behaves differently to nice black tarmac surface. And there is never a need to shout on a canal, well other than to be heard over a bolinder ;-)

</rant>

 

Other than that had a great trip out and met a load of ready nice people, from first time hirers to seasoned boats. Also a load of really helpful people, so mainly the friendship and companionship I so like about canals is mainly still alive and well.

--

cheers Ian Mac

[Opener]

It's last year now but I was tootling along the canal on a pleasant weekday morning, her indoors downstairs doing the ??.... Boat coming the other way so I pulled over and gave a cheery greeting as we passed, steerer to steerer. The response was a steely stare and silence. Hmmpfh! though I, be like that!

Got 200 yards down the cut when I suddenly thought, OMG! I pulled to the left to pass - why the Hell did I do that! I haven't even been in the car for ages.

Not exactly canal rage but a well deserved cold shoulder!

[Cheshire cat]

Most canal users have no idea how much water an old work boats need. It's just a bit of unawareness really. I can remember a couple of occasions when I experienced a workboat bearing down on me and hogging the main channel. I thought it was pretty arrogant at the time.

 

It's only from reading threads on here that I learned the reason. I now try to give them as much water as I dare.

 

I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to learn nuances like this.

[dave moore]

Ian, I've every sympathy for your grief. You are not alone, I've had similar reactions from other boaters who seem to think that tree and bush hugging, way out of the channel, is the right thing to do. Passing properly is even called " the dance " by some, lord knows why.

I have many conversations with other long time boaters and the reactions are the same...the knowledge is lost and many modern boaters show no interest in learning efficient practice. I don't think there's an easy answer, I'm just grateful to have learned and boated in earlier times, taught by working boaters and enthusiasts who strove to emulate them. I still boat, though with diminished enthusiasm.

I suspect that only other old timers will have understanding or sympathy. As my friend Graham Edgson said as we emptied a bottle of wine....." Kid...they doe know! "

 

Dave

[Captain Pegg]

They should have been thankful. Last time I met Spey it was blocking the entire channel ?

Edited September 7, 2016 by Captain Pegg

[Ray T]

Although Mike H isn't in a position to tutor me on a boat he, from his vast knowlege and experience, has talked me through many of the fascets of boating and boat handling. When I take him to boat shows I can see his experienced eyes summing up situations, which he will then talk me through.

 

All I have to do is put it into practice.

 

I think an ever increasing problem, if that if the right word, some who come on the cut nowadays are voluntarily blissfully ignorant of the ways of the cut. What I see as "motorway manners" are seeping in.

 

Yours,

 

A Noddy Boater. ( I am proud to be called this by Mike.)

Edited September 7, 2016 by Ray T

[Machpoint005]

Although Mike H isn't in a position to tutor me on a boat he, from his vast knowlege and experience, has talked me through many of the fascets of boating and boat handling. When I take him to boat shows I can see his experienced eyes summing up situations, which he wil then talk me through.

 

All I have to do is put it into practise.

 

I think an ever increasing problem, if that if the right word, some who come on the cut nowadays are voluntarily blissfully ignorant of the ways of the cut. What I see as "motorway manners" are seeping in.

 

Smile sweetly, say nothing, move on. This will likely provoke additional insults from the other party. Continue to smile.

 

When the motorway (or highway) bully honks his/her horn at you, regard it as a mere acknowledgement that you have won the encounter.

[Jambo]

and the way to pass when meeting another boat on a canal was to move over to your side, half a channels width and then have a 6inch gap between the boats, this enables you to help turn each other back into the channel, and you don't need to slow down. Its almost impossible to hit each other due to the basic rules of fluid dynamics, as there is 20 tons of water attempting to get down the gap between the two craft. This is different if your going in the same direction, so the rules for overtaking are very different - a different discussion.

 

That's werid. I thought that objects passing each other with a small gap sucked together e.g. when two trains pass each other there's a slight lurch towards the other train. Maybe it's the difference between a compressible and incompressible fluid?

Edited September 7, 2016 by Jambo

[Machpoint005]

Nothing to do with (incompressible) water, but there is perhaps a small difference in water velocities locally to each boat?

[nicknorman]

All this is of course true, however I don't think it is particularly helpful to dwell on what is wrong with everything boat, better to concentrate on what is still to be enjoyed on the waterways, of which there is plenty. Times move on, for better or worse, and one just has to get used to it. We have occasionally been on the receiving end of "canal rage" for ludicrous things like passing a boat with 3' of slack in its lines, and tied primarily on the roof centre line, too fast (having been on tickover and passed numerous other boats satisfactorily), helping to open a lock gate without begging for permission to do so first, failing to give way to an oncoming boat at a bridge hole when we were way nearer than the oncoming boat, and lots of other stupid stuff. But as I said, best not to dwell on it and rather, bear in mind how miserable these folk must be with their lives!

[mayalld]

Ian, I've every sympathy for your grief. You are not alone, I've had similar reactions from other boaters who seem to think that tree and bush hugging, way out of the channel, is the right thing to do. Passing properly is even called " the dance " by some, lord knows why.

 

 

I am certainly prone to call it "the dance" because to my mind it conveys what happens.

 

The two boats approach each other apparently destined to collide, and execute identical movements to "dance around each other", and when executed well it looks like a dance.

[MissMax]

I only just learned that I shoul keep right.

Belated apologies to all

[captain birdseye]

We had the pleasure of sharing locks with Spey on the Soar the other week and the Gent steering was a most helpful and polite man.

[dogless]

In a boat ! You were lucky.

 

We only had a card board box

 

Rog

[MtB]

Surely this was a missed golden opportunity to glance at your wrist and yell "HALF PAST TWO"...

[Woodsy]

The 'dance' is due to 'interaction' MGN 199 (M) gives guidance on the dangers of interaction and is interesting reading.

link below (hopefully):

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-199-dangers-of-interaction

Edited September 7, 2016 by Woodsy

[dave moore]

I'm inclined to suspect that the working boat population, many born and bred on the boats, had a much better idea of what to do in the confined channel of a canal than some government bowler hat who had never been near one. It's a sad day when government bumph supersedes common sense IMHO. I've seen far too many hapless souls bouncing over shallows, ploughing through trees just to put unnecessary distance between themselves and an oncoming boat. Pah!

 

Dave

[Neil Walker]

Surely this was a missed golden opportunity to glance at your wrist and yell "HALF PAST TWO"...

Have you come on holiday by mistake?!

[David Mack]

We've had similar experiences a few times on Fulbourne, including once being pushed aground by a boat proudly announcing that the owner provided narrowboat handling courses.

 

I wasn't taught by working boatmen, but I soon learn't that even in a small outboard powered cruiser, approaching nearly head to head and then 'doing the dance' was generaly the easiest way to pass an oncoming boat.

[NB Lola]

You know, I know, that whatever you do you cannot please all. I pass everyone at my engine tickover. One guy complained about my speed and then called me a fat bastard. Now I resemble part of the remark! Life is too short. I like the dance as the tiller control is easier. Many are afraid to get too close to me, is it my deodorant? I tend to accept this thought even though it's not.

[Dharl]

I'm inclined to suspect that the working boat population, many born and bred on the boats, had a much better idea of what to do in the confined channel of a canal than some government bowler hat who had never been near one. It's a sad day when government bumph supersedes common sense IMHO. I've seen far too many hapless souls bouncing over shallows, ploughing through trees just to put unnecessary distance between themselves and an oncoming boat. Pah!

 

Dave

 

 

yes what does the Maritime Coastguard Agency know about ship handling...... Take it you didn't READ the Marine Guidance Notice since it takes into account the depth of water as well as giving each other sufficient room? Having manoeuvred and passed other ships on the MSC and Kiel Canal where you actually do perform the "dance" on a much larger scale. Trust me what is fairly routine on the inland waterway gets positively interesting with two 20,000 dwt ships approaching each other. However same principles apply, adjust speed so you have more RPM to manoeuvre with, edge over towards edge of channel, the bows of each ship are pushed aside so you have then steer in towards the other ship with a bit of extra speed and as the sterns pass, put the opposite helm on with a further increase on the RPM to swing clear. Exactly the same as I have been doing for the last couple of weeks on canals....

[Captain Pegg]

I'm inclined to suspect that the working boat population, many born and bred on the boats, had a much better idea of what to do in the confined channel of a canal than some government bowler hat who had never been near one. It's a sad day when government bumph supersedes common sense IMHO. I've seen far too many hapless souls bouncing over shallows, ploughing through trees just to put unnecessary distance between themselves and an oncoming boat. Pah!

Dave

Yes Dave but the working boat folk needed a hedumacated man from the Ministry to write it down because they couldn't!

 

Actually the document refers to shipping and explains some of the reasons why certain phenomena occur and it was seemingly produced as guidance in response to incidents and accidents and includes the findings of modeling scenarios. That's all par for the course in the professional world and I am sure if canal carrying companies existed today they would write down guidance on handling working boats.

 

JP

[GUMPY]

We had the pleasure of sharing locks with Spey on the Soar the other week and the Gent steering was a most helpful and polite man.

Twenty years ago on the Soar a friend of mine slept in one of the tar tanks on Spey, he never did quite workout why he didn't have a hangover the next morning.

Spey passed us last Saturday afternoon on the T&M was to lethargic to get out and say hello.

Edited September 7, 2016 by Loddon

[Guest]

Although Mike H isn't in a position to tutor me on a boat he, from his vast knowlege and experience, has talked me through many of the fascets of boating and boat handling. When I take him to boat shows I can see his experienced eyes summing up situations, which he will then talk me through.

 

All I have to do is put it into practice.

 

I think an ever increasing problem, if that if the right word, some who come on the cut nowadays are voluntarily blissfully ignorant of the ways of the cut. What I see as "motorway manners" are seeping in.

 

Yours,

 

A Noddy Boater. ( I am proud to be called this by Mike.)

Exactly that.

[MissMax]

You know, I know, that whatever you do you cannot please all. I pass everyone at my engine tickover. One guy complained about my speed and then called me a fat bastard. Now I resemble part of the remark! Life is too short. I like the dance as the tiller control is easier. Many are afraid to get too close to me, is it my deodorant? I tend to accept this thought even though it's not.

So your a fast man who wants to get close and smells of Lynx Africa

 

Be still my beating heart