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Pointless features on boats


Dave_P

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2 hours ago, Flyboy said:

Boats which have  "Registered at ............." emblazoned on the sides.  Who needs to know where it was registered ?

Who knows where it is, in fact, registered? On a computer somewhere.

I'd extend the 'pointless' description to the words "Registered no." too. If there is a 6-digit number painted on the side, what else could it be? I had a bit of a fight with the signwriter at our last repaint: name, number, nothing else!

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1 hour ago, Dave Payne said:

Always wondered what exactly it meant, when you register a boat, do you not just inform crt via letter/email ?

It's a throwback to when boats had to be registered with the local authority as dwellings with a limit on how many occupants each cabin could have.  Means absolutely nothing these days.

Edited by IanM
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39 minutes ago, David Mack said:

What about fender guitars?

They make socks for Strats and Telecasters?

Pointless features? How about half of a motorcycle in the bow deck against the door, four mismatched toilet cassettes on the roof, a pile of 2x4s on the gunwales, two rusty Workmates, a collection of empty milk crates ... and a partridge in a pear tree.

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3 hours ago, IanM said:

It's a throwback to when boats had to be registered with the local authority as dwellings with a limit on how many occupants each cabin could have.  Means absolutely nothing these days.

Is it? I thought it was a throwback to when boats had to be registered for load carrying capability, including the correspondence between mass of cargo and freeboard, so that the tolls could be correctly calculated?

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5 hours ago, Dave Payne said:

Always wondered what exactly it meant, when you register a boat, do you not just inform crt via letter/email ?

The older commercial boat that had registered at xxxxx # xxxxx was a health registry for so many adults & so many children it was a 19th century law by some guy to stop boat families living in squalor

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5 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

Who knows where it is, in fact, registered? On a computer somewhere.

I'd extend the 'pointless' description to the words "Registered no." too. If there is a 6-digit number painted on the side, what else could it be? I had a bit of a fight with the signwriter at our last repaint: name, number, nothing else!

Well bearing in mind we have "registered at Tamworth" which is another way of saying "it's a Hudson", could you explain the point of paying someone to paint the boat's name on it? The only requirement is for the number.

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Just now, nicknorman said:

Is it? I thought it was a throwback to when boats had to be registered for load carrying capability, including the correspondence between mass of cargo and freeboard, so that the tolls could be correctly calculated?

Not the "Registered At" bit.  That's the health registration.

You're thinking of the guaging numbers.

I'll try to find a better picture but you can just make out a number preceded by 'GU' at the top of the cabin side at the back, that was its Grand Union Canal guaging number.

9202572750_a241fc8e0a_c.jpgStanton - Braunston Historic Boats 2013 by Ian, on Flickr

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2 minutes ago, IanM said:

Not the "Registered At" bit.  That's the health registration.

You're thinking of the guaging numbers.

I'll try to find a better picture but you can just make out a number preceded by 'GU' at the top of the cabin side at the back, that was its Grand Union Canal guaging number.

9202572750_a241fc8e0a_c.jpgStanton - Braunston Historic Boats 2013 by Ian, on Flickr

Ok, thanks for the clarification.

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3 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Is it? I thought it was a throwback to when boats had to be registered for load carrying capability, including the correspondence between mass of cargo and freeboard, so that the tolls could be correctly calculated?

The toll keepers at various points & on other canals had gauging sheets & rods the boat was measured with set amounts of weight early on in it's life & the free board noted & logged,the sheets being issued to all the toll stations being required to pay tolls the free board was noted with the rod & the chart was consulted for the weight & what the load was Ie coal at X amount per ton so the amount of inches of dry side related to the weight carried The "Josher I had lost one inch of dry side per ton of loaded weight the double narrows on the BCN were originally gauging stops making it easier to measure both sides

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On 2017-7-5 at 13:28, Dave_P said:

Ahh, tug decks!  Don't start me off on that one.  Surely the most pointless thing ever found on a boat used for leisure purposes.

The best place for a tug deck for lounging on is at the stern. Just the place to locate the engine underneath rather then trying to find something useful to locate under the foredeck. Here under the lounging deck the engine is accessable and does not compromise the people space in the main cabin. It should be called a cruiser stern. Sorry that brilliant idea is decades old but still really great.

Don

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8 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

Who knows where it is, in fact, registered? On a computer somewhere.

I'd extend the 'pointless' description to the words "Registered no." too. If there is a 6-digit number painted on the side, what else could it be? I had a bit of a fight with the signwriter at our last repaint: name, number, nothing else!

Me suspects the sign writer charges by the letter and your were doing him out of 12 letters worth of work and one full stop

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The other element of registration is registration as a British Ship. This is,rather amusingly,the same process as registering the Queen Mary. It used to be a requirement if you needed a marine mortgage,even for a small yacht.(Not sure if you can still get a marine mortgage on a narrow boat.) The other reg.which may seem pointless to some,is a Small Ship Registration number(SSR).However,it is a legal requirement under some maritime law.

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11 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

No. In fact by the time the fender socks have picked up some grit they actually make scratches and marks in the gel coat as they swing around!

Work of the devil are fender socks.

Fender flutes on the other hand are a very useful tool.

Totally disagree:  fender socks really sharpen up tired old white plastic fenders, obviously they need to be washed weekly in non bio, but hey, what else are you going to do with the three minutes saved by using fender flutes?

1 hour ago, DandV said:

The best place for a tug deck for lounging on is at the stern. Just the place to locate the engine underneath rather then trying to find something useful to locate under the foredeck. Here under the lounging deck the engine is accessable and does not compromise the people space in the main cabin. It should be called a cruiser stern. Sorry that brilliant idea is decades old but still really great.

Don

Sorry, I thought they were there to allow the older boater to get on board in a dignified manner, and I think they look quite "decadent", nothing wrong with a bit of "decadence", good name for a boat too............

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On 7/7/2017 at 19:37, chubby said:

Barrels on the roof . Pretty , painted barrels full of bugger all . What are they all about ? 

I suppose you could add empty water cans, mops, Roses and castles paint work etc... Why not just paint a boat all blue, black, green etc. don't need all the silly coach lines?

I have an avid interest in the history of our canals and to me these items are a "nod" to our rich history and heritage in which interest is rapidly declining as nowadays it seems many just want their floating cottage. The barrel actually has been the catalyst for many an interesting conversation. Usually begins with "What (select your own brew) you got in there then?" 

Foxton March 2011 024.jpg

Edited by Ray T
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Its very pretty, and I like both accoutrements, but have to say they are exceptional :)

PS that mop is a tad OTT, but if it makes you smile.

Edited by LadyG
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23 minutes ago, Ray T said:

I suppose you could add empty water cans, mops, Roses and castles paint work etc... Why not just paint a boat all blue, black, green etc. don't need all the silly coach lines?

I have an avid interest in the history of our canals and to me these items are a "nod" to our rich history and heritage in which interest is rapidly declining as nowadays it seems many just want their floating cottage. The barrel actually has been the catalyst for many an interesting conversation. Usually begins with "What (select your own brew) you got in there then?" 

Foxton March 2011 024.jpg

I would admit to finding them just on the wrong side of " twee " . Same for cans and mops but to a lesser extent and can entirely see how they would be appropriate on the right  sort of boat . Roses and Castles , i love to bits and a very attractive " nod " to the canals heritage . 

BUT . I just don t get those barrels . To me ( opinion !) theyre a bit much . 

So , genuine question : Were they common on working boats ? 

Despite my dislike of them , i very much admire folk who own such boats as might display them & very much admire the boats themselves & ive found myself hankering after a boat with old engine & back cabin , though not an ex working boat ,  but now is not the time for me to sort that situation out just yet . 

My original comments weren t meant as offensive , i just don t get what theyre about . 

cheers

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1 hour ago, chubby said:

I would admit to finding them just on the wrong side of " twee " . Same for cans and mops but to a lesser extent and can entirely see how they would be appropriate on the right  sort of boat . Roses and Castles , i love to bits and a very attractive " nod " to the canals heritage . 

BUT . I just don t get those barrels . To me ( opinion !) theyre a bit much . 

So , genuine question : Were they common on working boats ? 

Despite my dislike of them , i very much admire folk who own such boats as might display them & very much admire the boats themselves & ive found myself hankering after a boat with old engine & back cabin , though not an ex working boat ,  but now is not the time for me to sort that situation out just yet . 

My original comments weren t meant as offensive , i just don t get what theyre about . 

cheers

Didn't take offence at all. :)

Water cans, or if they were made at the old shop at Buckby top lock "Buckby Cans", were usually used by Midland and Southern Boats. Those "oop North" did use water cans to store the water for daily use, but also some used barrels.

The picture is of a L & L wide boat but narrow boats had them too. I can't find a picture at the moment. *

Much as I would like to own a ex working boat for me it would be impractical so I adorn my "noddy" boat with artifacts of the past. 

On a slightly different vein today's hire boats are the successors to the working boat, there for one reason only - to earn money.

water barrel.jpg

Photo from "Brightwork" by Mike Clarke & Sam Yates.

* From "Colours of the Cut" by EPT

water barrel 2.jpg

Yes I know, Chas. Nelson operated from Stockton, Warwickshire.

Edited by Ray T
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Perhaps I should get my stainless steel water tank painted with roses? :giggles:

Seriously, I'm with Ray T on this one, we should preserve the last vestiges of tradition, providing the boat looks the part, historic or replica.

Edited by cuthound
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