What chance have the hirers got!

[Graham Davis]

3 hours ago, notts_alan said:

The whole boat did not leave the water , lol , the front end went through the fence and the boat tilted along the side .

A Plastic cruiser does not stand much of a chance against a 60 foot metal boat.

 

Yeah, and pigs fly!

[Horace42]

4 hours ago, Rose Narrowboats said:

I talk to lots of people 10-15 years younger than that who are thinking of giving up because "it's too difficult now we're older", when I suspect if they knew how to let the boat and the structures do a lot of the work for them they'd get a lot more enjoyment from boating and carry on. Locks, swing and lift bridges - even mooring up - are clearly stressful experiences for quite a few private boaters.

In our case we are not giving up because we are old. As you say let the boat and structures do the work - and this comes with experience.

I am an engineer so I know most the fundamentals of the sciences involved in boating. But you don't need to be an engineer to know you are not strong enough to open a lock paddle, or to swing a heavy lock gate - where in one case with us on the K&A we were held up by a swing bridge that jammed against the brickwork and would not budge -  we sat there until a crowd of towpath walkers happened to pass. So half a dozen of them managed to shift it for us. Another problem with the wide K &A locks was the gates were not properly balanced and would shut or open of their own accord so a lot of running around. The science to cope (open the paddles to help shut the gate) (or push them open with the boat) conflicts with recommended practice.

Anyway giving up because of age is not the reason, per say, it is the associated physical ailments and weaknesses that come with age - and regretfully it is something that has to be recognised before you become a danger to yourself or others - or as likely become a nuisance to others for taking things slow at busy locks.

 

 

[Wanderer Vagabond]

1 hour ago, Horace42 said:

In our case we are not giving up because we are old. As you say let the boat and structures do the work - and this comes with experience.

I am an engineer so I know most the fundamentals of the sciences involved in boating. But you don't need to be an engineer to know you are not strong enough to open a lock paddle, or to swing a heavy lock gate - where in one case with us on the K&A we were held up by a swing bridge that jammed against the brickwork and would not budge -  we sat there until a crowd of towpath walkers happened to pass. So half a dozen of them managed to shift it for us. Another problem with the wide K &A locks was the gates were not properly balanced and would shut or open of their own accord so a lot of running around. The science to cope (open the paddles to help shut the gate) (or push them open with the boat) conflicts with recommended practice.

Anyway giving up because of age is not the reason, per say, it is the associated physical ailments and weaknesses that come with age - and regretfully it is something that has to be recognised before you become a danger to yourself or others - or as likely become a nuisance to others for taking things slow at busy locks.

 

 

I can sort of see where you are coming from in some respects but I don't really see a problem about taking things slowly anywhere. If I want to take things slowly I will do, if I were in a rush I'd go by car. By the same token if the boat behind me is in a rush I'm quite content to move over and let him/her past. If they want me to go through a set of locks quickly they are quite welcome to come and to help to speed things up if necessary but the last thing that you are going to be is a nuisance to others for taking things slowly, that is basically what cruising the cut is all about.

It is probably all very well for me with only 60 odd years under my belt, but I do tend to believe that accepting physical ailments and weaknesses is the first step to succumbing to them. A guy that I sail with has considerable problems with his knees but that wont stop him going off sailing every year, last year it was around the UK then from Shetland to Norway (racing)and on to the Baltic and this year it will be down to the west coast of France to go racing again, he is now 71. One of the best dinghy sailors in the Class association that I belong to is well into his 80's and the b*stard still keeps beating everyone, we keep trying to tell him that he's too old for it but he wont listen.

[Mr Norman]

After reading through these posts I am somewhat concerned at the absence of the word "safety"! There are so many things that can go wrong and I would have been reassured to see the word at least once!

I am not suggesting that anyone posting would ever be less than safe so maybe I should assume that safe practice is an unsaid given!