Heard on the cut

[Ray T]

Sorry if there is already a topic on this, but I cannot find it.

 

Scene: Braunston Bottom Lock this morning.

 

Participants: two retired couples. Of these one lady is steering one boat a man the other.

 

Boats: one an ex Challenger, the other a highly polished boat.

 

On starting to exit the lock, man on polished boat to lady steering the ex Challenger: "Would you like to go into the next lock first as I have a 16mm base plate on my boat and it is easier to steer into a lock with a boat already in it."

 

on leaving the lock: Lady on ex Challenger to other lady "You ought to have a go at steering as well." Lady from highly polished boat "No thank you, I wouldn't want to scratch his precious boat."

Edited October 11, 2016 by Ray T

[Stilllearning]

Lovely, it goes to show the value of gongoozling.

 

Many years ago I was sharing locks going down the Stairway to Heaven, alongside a very shiny narrowboat. My slightly scruffy old n/b had a wet exhaust that was spraying (washing) the side of their hull with tepid water. As we left one lock the woman on the shiny boat asked if we could swap sides in the next lock, to stop my exhaust dirtying their hull.

Since I was single handing and her crew was doing all the lockwheeling I didn't argue. I have been laughing about it ever since though.

[IanM]

Coming up Braunston locks with a pair of boats earlier this year approaching the second lock from the top.

 

The lock down was full and the lower gates were just opening on the top lock with 2 boats having just come down.

 

I opened the top gates of the 2nd lock as one boat emerged from the top.

 

As the 2nd boat left the top lock he stopped and started to close the gates. I ran up to let him know that we were coming up and to leave them. I turned around to and saw the first boat closing the gates of the 2nd lock and winding the lower paddles up going down on their own. When I dashed back to ask them why they didn't wait for the other boat, the response was...

 

 

..."Oh, we thought he was stopping to shelter under the bridge out of the rain"

 

Apparently it was their first wide locks and they didn't know what the etiquette was!

 

 

[WJM]

The alpha male captain at the helm and his little woman doing all the running. I am usually on the bank talking to her - and pushing the gates that are too heavy for her - and my general impression is that she is either frightened of him or just no longer has the will to deal with him.

[Bewildered]

Earlier this year we headed up the Macclesfield Canal we were last through the tunnel so by the time we got to the stop lock we were at the back of a queue. My girlfriend went up to the lock to help out and heard the guy on the boat in front of us asking "why can't we just open the gates at both ends and let everyone through?"

Could maybe understand if it was a hire boater who didn't have a clue, but this guy owned his own boat and must have encountered a lock before.

[Jim Riley]

Earlier this year we headed up the Macclesfield Canal we were last through the tunnel so by the time we got to the stop lock we were at the back of a queue. My girlfriend went up to the lock to help out and heard the guy on the boat in front of us asking "why can't we just open the gates at both ends and let everyone through?"

Could maybe understand if it was a hire boater who didn't have a clue, but this guy owned his own boat and must have encountered a lock before.

Should have said " go on then, you open the gates" and stood back to watch!

[Chewbacka]

Sat on the boat at Saul Junction (G&S canal) having a beer when a large ocean going gin palace came slowly by, shrill voice from small boy to his dad whilst look down on the line of moored narrowboats "are these the poor peoples boats?"

[Boat&Bikes]

The alpha male captain at the helm and his little woman doing all the running. I am usually on the bank talking to her - and pushing the gates that are too heavy for her - and my general impression is that she is either frightened of him or just no longer has the will to deal with him.

 

Very sexist. Quite likely wrong as well.

 

Ian.

[ValandPete]

I am accustomed to being ushered into wide locks first, usually by male steerers.

 

Of course it is easier to go into the lock last!

 

Val

[IanM]

Very sexist. Quite likely wrong as well.

 

Ian.

Was going to say the same. Becky does the locks for us because she doesn't want to steer.

[cuthound]

Was going to say the same. Becky does the locks for us because she doesn't want to steer.

Same here, Mrs Hound had a bad experience in a lock caused by "helpers" ratcheting the paddles openbefore she was ready. Frightened her and she has refused to be on the boat in a lock since.

[X Alan W]

Just musing the difference it would have on a boat "tween" a 16mm plate & a 3" elm bottom

[Sea Dog]

Earlier this year we headed up the Macclesfield Canal we were last through the tunnel so by the time we got to the stop lock we were at the back of a queue. My girlfriend went up to the lock to help out and heard the guy on the boat in front of us asking "why can't we just open the gates at both ends and let everyone through?"

Could maybe understand if it was a hire boater who didn't have a clue, but this guy owned his own boat and must have encountered a lock before.

You don't think it was perhaps his sense of humour, delivered with an expert dryness which went right over your head then?

[Chertsey]

Very sexist. Quite likely wrong as well.

 

Ian.

I dunno, I suspect it's often - although of course not always - at least part of the case, and I don't think it's sexist to remark on it.

 

Yes, often the woman 'doesn't want to steer' - but you have to ask why that is. It's very, very rare for it to be the other way round. It's more than possible that it's because she hasn't been encouraged, hasn't been allowed to develop the experience and confidence, or her confidence has taken a knock and hasn't been given the chance or encouragement to recover.

 

I was once that woman, and it took a long time, a lot of willpower, actually going out and getting training and practice on another boat, and an obsessive love of boats, for me to get over it. I've also spoken to very many other women at locks who say things like 'he doesn't trust me not to scratch his pride and joy', 'he's better at it than me' (well of course he is if he's had all the practice), 'I wouldn't dare', etc etc.

 

If a bloke has a bad experience in a lock with someone opening the paddles too fast, would we expect him to refuse ever to steer again?

 

So don't dismiss it out of hand.

[Boat&Bikes]

The little woman scared of her husband? My wife enjoys working the locks. She isn't afraid of me, i know this as i just asked her...

 

Ian.

[john6767]

The little woman scared of her husband? My wife enjoys working the locks. She isn't afraid of me, i know this as i just asked her...

 

Ian.

But did she give you permission to post this.

[Ray T]

I have always encouraged Mrs T to steer the boat.

 

It makes any journey more interesting for her, also I quite like lock work. Although I could steer a boat for hours it is good to have a break.

 

Having two on the boat able and not afraid to steer also is good sense. Many years ago when "doing" the Stourport Ring, on a hire boat Mrs T put her foot in a hidden hole when getting off the boat at the top of the Tardebbge Flight and twisted her ankle. If Mrs T had not the ability to steer that would have made the flight an onerous exercise for me and as we were on a schedule to get the boat back to base, single handing the flight was not a pleasant prospect.

 

Mrs T sat on a stool and steered while I lock wheeled.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Ray T

[pete harrison]

My (ex)wife regularly used to steer our boats, both the pair I worked in my early 20's and later on our large Woolwich pair.

 

In fact in 1988 we picked our empty large Woolwich pair from Brentford and five days later we tied them up at Sherborne Street Wharf, Birmingham. Normally this timing was nothing special but she was very slightly built and 4'11 (and still is), 6 months pregnant and there was just the two of us. Our method was I steered the long pounds so she could take a rest, then I worked the locks whilst she steered the boats.

 

It is very easy if you let the boats and the water do the hard work for you

[Ray T]

The late Jeannie Hambridge, 21 at the time.

 

 

 

At the risk of wrath I'd say the women worked harder than the men in those days.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Ray T

[Barry]

When Lemontoes and I are out together I generally work the locks because.....it is her boat and we have a dog who needs exercise and running up or down a flight with some disciplined waiting at the locks themselves is good for him in many ways.

 

Having said that Lemontoes likes working the locks as much as I do so more and more often now we share the pleasure because the dog is learning to respond to, and obey, Lemontoes as well as he does me

[pete harrison]

edit = deleted as not relevant

Edited October 11, 2016 by pete harrison

[PaddingtonBear]

I dunno, I suspect it's often - although of course not always - at least part of the case, and I don't think it's sexist to remark on it.

 

Yes, often the woman 'doesn't want to steer' - but you have to ask why that is. It's very, very rare for it to be the other way round. It's more than possible that it's because she hasn't been encouraged, hasn't been allowed to develop the experience and confidence, or her confidence has taken a knock and hasn't been given the chance or encouragement to recover.

 

I was once that woman, and it took a long time, a lot of willpower, actually going out and getting training and practice on another boat, and an obsessive love of boats, for me to get over it. I've also spoken to very many other women at locks who say things like 'he doesn't trust me not to scratch his pride and joy', 'he's better at it than me' (well of course he is if he's had all the practice), 'I wouldn't dare', etc etc.

 

If a bloke has a bad experience in a lock with someone opening the paddles too fast, would we expect him to refuse ever to steer again?

 

So don't dismiss it out of hand.

And the patient help of a faithful, old Dobbin

[Fu Manchu]

The first time we hired a narrow boat (in 1972) was from "Boats Warwick", now Kate Boats. I steered into the first of the Cape Locks and my wife found that she was not strong enough to open and close the gates. So she was told that she would have to steer and the next day she steered the boat up the 21 locks of the Hatton flight (on a Sunday with a couple of low pounds). By the time we got to the top she was quite good at it, and has steered into locks ever since.

[Chertsey]

The first time we hired a narrow boat (in 1972) was from "Boats Warwick", now Kate Boats. I steered into the first of the Cape Locks and my wife found that she was not strong enough to open and close the gates. So she was told that she would have to steer and the next day she steered the boat up the 21 locks of the Hatton flight (on a Sunday with a couple of low pounds). By the time we got to the top she was quite good at it, and has steered into locks ever since.

I hate to admit it, but there are some gates I can't shift. What do the non-steering wifies do then?

[Ray T]

I hate to admit it, but there are some gates I can't shift. What do the non-steering wifies do then?

 

Do what ladies have always done, puts their heads to one side, flash their eyes and smile sweetly. i.e. use their feminine charms at any passing bloke.

Edited October 11, 2016 by Ray T