rant on POOR boat handling

[Athy]

6 minutes ago, IanM said:

They moor their boat in the marina so are often around.

They must have moved it quite recently - they used to moor at Sovereign Wharf in Banbury.

[IanM]

Just now, Athy said:

They must have moved it quite recently - they used to moor at Sovereign Wharf in Banbury.

Probably a year or two now.

[Horace42]

7 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

As my Grandad used to say:

"What's the difference between Joan of Arc and Noah's Ark?"

 

One's Maid of Orleans, t'other's made o'wood.

I like it. It appeals to my sense of humour. But I was told by my Dad that Joan was Noah's wife.

 

[Grassman]

I can't comment on the OP's situation in Rugby because I don't know the stretch, but generally if they could do more about cutting back offside vegetation there would be lots more places to moor up without boats hitting you. In my locality there are many stretches where there is armco only each side of bridges and people favour mooring at these so as not to have to use pins elsewhere.  

The problems arise because the excessive vegetation either side of the bridge approaches either prevents a boat 'tucking in' to allow the other boat through a bridge, or it makes it difficult to see the other side of the bridge as you approach it. 

Apart from by bridges there are many open stretches where you come across a line of moored boats but there is only room for one boat to get past at a time due to the overgrown vegetation. I realise that trimming offside vegetation is expensive for CRT to address, just like dredging is, but I do wish they would do more of it.

[Athy]

Absolutely - though they have been addressing this problem on parts of the Oxford in the last few months. Even the Fenny Compton Endless Moorings are a bit wider than they used to be, though there are still bits where one hopes not to meet an oncoming boat.

[blackrose]

Being single-handed on a big, heavy (30 tonne) boat, I'm often amazed at how many revs and obvious white water at the stern that some narrowboaters seem to use to get their boats where they want them to go - when using lower revs and moving the boat a tad slower would usually do the job just as well. 

If I push my boat too hard in confined spaces it'll build up too much momentum, so unless I'm on a big open river everything's got to be done gently. This gentler handing utilises wind and current (if available). I think some people on smaller boats tend not to learn about it because they'd rather just get the boat where they want it by thrashing the engine in forward or astern

[Grassman]

14 hours ago, Athy said:

Absolutely - though they have been addressing this problem on parts of the Oxford in the last few months. Even the Fenny Compton Endless Moorings are a bit wider than they used to be, though there are still bits where one hopes not to meet an oncoming boat.

Last year I assembled a group of willing persons to try and deal with the offside vegetation on a stretch of the Trent & Mersey local to me south of Rugeley. On several occasions I contacted the local CRT offering our services and the use of one of their boats plus one of their guys for a week anytime over the winter, and each time they appeared receptive to the idea but failed to come back to me. I've left messages recently as well, ready for this winter but so far no response. I thought they were crying out for volunteers?

 

[frahkn]

On 7/19/2017 at 10:15, Midnight said:

Being from oop norf were canals are 2 miles wide at the pinch points, I found the moorings at Rugby a bit tight too especially for the passing boats, seems CaRT have favoured the cyclists by moving the straight mooring to those bends beyond the bridge.

However I do think some boaters don't help these situations by mooring in some very awkward places - I found this especially so on the Oxford. I appreciate in some parts it's unavoidable but mooring on the outside of a tight bend with overhanging trees opposite and in a wind is inviting trouble for somebody. Having said that, on our recent safari in the south I only got hit once and had one scary almost head-on moment both times from hire boats. The manoeuvring skills of the vast majority of steerers was outstanding.

They say that the standard of 'maths' today is poor but I am always surprised that so many people are able to work out the exact apex of a bend and then moor on it.

[NickF]

7 hours ago, blackrose said:

Being single-handed on a big, heavy (30 tonne) boat, I'm often amazed at how many revs and obvious white water at the stern that some narrowboaters seem to use to get their boats where they want them to go - when using lower revs and moving the boat a tad slower would usually do the job just as well. 

If I push my boat too hard in confined spaces it'll build up too much momentum, so unless I'm on a big open river everything's got to be done gently. This gentler handing utilises wind and current (if available). I think some people on smaller boats tend not to learn about it because they'd rather just get the boat where they want it by thrashing the engine in forward or astern

A man after my own mind! I always try to use very low revs when maneuvering, there is nothing that shatters the peace more than someone revving the engine full ahead then full astern repeatedly when winding. As a hire boater I often spend a week being gentle with a boat only to let the hire base crew get on on my return and completely mis-treat it!

[BruceinSanity]

22 minutes ago, NickF said:

A man after my own mind! I always try to use very low revs when maneuvering, there is nothing that shatters the peace more than someone revving the engine full ahead then full astern repeatedly when winding. As a hire boater I often spend a week being gentle with a boat only to let the hire base crew get on on my return and completely mis-treat it!

Terry Robertson of TR Boathandling says the word most frequently on his lips whilst instructing is "gently".

[DeanS]

On 7/16/2017 at 14:33, Richard10002 said:

when passing through Lymm, with boats moored on both sides in the village,

I once came around that bend in Lymm, in high winds....so had to go fast enough to be able to compensate and stop my bow being blown over into moored boats...I remember the face of a man pressed up against the inside of his nice cosy moored boat screaming..."slow the ^%&^%^& dowwnnnnnnnnn".  

:)

[DeanS]

1 hour ago, NickF said:

 there is nothing that shatters the peace more than someone revving the engine full ahead then full astern repeatedly

I watched someone enter Castlefield basin once. His boat had 2 speeds. Full forward and full reverse.  It was a nightmare to watch, and his wife wasn't impressed either.

[Robbo]

7 minutes ago, DeanS said:

I watched someone enter Castlefield basin once. His boat had 2 speeds. Full forward and full reverse.  It was a nightmare to watch, and his wife wasn't impressed either.

Probably a retired bus driver.

[Athy]

14 minutes ago, Robbo said:

Probably a retired bus driver.

No, no. Buses have another speed setting: slow but unstoppable. This is used when you're running to the stop just as it is pulling away.

[WotEver]

8 hours ago, frahkn said:

They say that the standard of 'maths' today is poor but I am always surprised that so many people are able to work out the exact apex of a bend and then moor on it.

"Ooh look, it's nice and wide just here, let's moor up"

[Neil2]

On 7/20/2017 at 06:45, Grassman said:

I can't comment on the OP's situation in Rugby because I don't know the stretch, but generally if they could do more about cutting back offside vegetation there would be lots more places to moor up without boats hitting you. In my locality there are many stretches where there is armco only each side of bridges and people favour mooring at these so as not to have to use pins elsewhere.  

The problems arise because the excessive vegetation either side of the bridge approaches either prevents a boat 'tucking in' to allow the other boat through a bridge, or it makes it difficult to see the other side of the bridge as you approach it. 

Apart from by bridges there are many open stretches where you come across a line of moored boats but there is only room for one boat to get past at a time due to the overgrown vegetation. I realise that trimming offside vegetation is expensive for CRT to address, just like dredging is, but I do wish they would do more of it.

 

On 7/20/2017 at 07:38, Athy said:

Absolutely - though they have been addressing this problem on parts of the Oxford in the last few months. Even the Fenny Compton Endless Moorings are a bit wider than they used to be, though there are still bits where one hopes not to meet an oncoming boat.

I've just bought a scythe. 

[Athy]

To cut back undergrowth or to discourage oncoming boaters?