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Do Owners of ex-working boats have special priveleges?


George Kennedy

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Having just watched nb Corona which has the name Trevor Maggs painted on the side of the cabin, smash into the bottom gate of Buckby top lock and then be told by the volunteer lock keeper that it's how the working boats used to do things, I am wondering if ex-working boats are allowed to smash there way around the system. If so, it seems to me that that for those on this forum who complain about the poor state of the infrastructure and blame CaRT for lack of maintenance, they are wasting their time and pointing their fingers in the wrong direction. Maintaining the infrastructure is important but we all have a responsibility to look after the waterways too and I think that most boaters do feel the same but I also get the impression  that some owners of ex-working boats forget that their boats are just leisure boats and believe that they can basically do what they like and have some priority over everyone else using the canals. CaRT have a responsibility to maintain the waterways but surely they can't be held accountable for the actions of every idiot that they have had the misfortune to issue a licence to.

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There are good and bad boat handlers in all walks of life. I have seen some abysmal old boat owners driving boats and some lousy modern design boat handlers. You are absolutely right that someone who owns what was once a working boat now actualy owns an older leisure boat unless of course he/she is one of the very few working boats remaining. It takes all kinds even bowthrusters cant help some but hey ho its all good fun, I remember how crap I was when I started and some of the owners of old working boats are actualy newbies so will make mistakes.

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1 minute ago, RLWP said:

Can you describe 'smash into the bottom gate of Buckby top lock' a bit please? I don't know if my definition of 'smash' is the same as yours

Richard

Quite. My guess is he either touched the bottom gates fairly gently, or something went wrong.

Was he going up or down?

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2 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Quite. My guess is he either touched the bottom gates fairly gently, or something went wrong.

Was he going up or down?

Down Buckby. Corona passed me at Braunston bottom lock, he was going up

I was fighting an engine

Richard

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Assuming it was the owner steering (which I doubt), then that'll be one of the very few things he's "smashed" into in the 55 years he's owned the boat.

Edit to add, Trevor's also very careful who he lets steer his boat too.

Edited by Rose Narrowboats
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24 minutes ago, George Kennedy said:

Having just watched nb Corona which has the name Trevor Maggs painted on the side of the cabin, smash into the bottom gate of Buckby top lock and then be told by the volunteer lock keeper that it's how the working boats used to do things, I am wondering if ex-working boats are allowed to smash there way around the system. If so, it seems to me that that for those on this forum who complain about the poor state of the infrastructure and blame CaRT for lack of maintenance, they are wasting their time and pointing their fingers in the wrong direction. Maintaining the infrastructure is important but we all have a responsibility to look after the waterways too and I think that most boaters do feel the same but I also get the impression  that some owners of ex-working boats forget that their boats are just leisure boats and believe that they can basically do what they like and have some priority over everyone else using the canals. CaRT have a responsibility to maintain the waterways but surely they can't be held accountable for the actions of every idiot that they have had the misfortune to issue a licence to.

Boaters are no different to any other part of society ... theres them that think if they are on a ex working boat they are in some way extra special, just as some of those with shiny narrowboats look down on people with not so shiny ones ... then theres those who look down on hire boaters or look down on people in tupperware boats, but thankfully there are some of us who dont give a monkeys what you have or indeed even if you dont have a boat but love the canal system and like you abhor those who purposely damage that same system.

Edited to add ... none of us are perfect and anyone can make a simple mistake, 

Rick

Edited by dccruiser
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6 minutes ago, RLWP said:

Down Buckby. Corona passed me at Braunston bottom lock, he was going up

I was fighting an engine

Richard

Quite correct, down Buckby. My definition of "Smash" would be that it moved the gate, lifted the bow and caught the attention of those inside and outside the pub. A number of those inside came outside to see what was happening. There didn't seem to be any mechanical problems with the boat.

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23 minutes ago, George Kennedy said:

Having just watched nb Corona which has the name Trevor Maggs painted on the side of the cabin, smash into the bottom gate of Buckby top lock and then be told by the volunteer lock keeper that it's how the working boats used to do things, I am wondering if ex-working boats are allowed to smash there way around the system. If so, it seems to me that that for those on this forum who complain about the poor state of the infrastructure and blame CaRT for lack of maintenance, they are wasting their time and pointing their fingers in the wrong direction. Maintaining the infrastructure is important but we all have a responsibility to look after the waterways too and I think that most boaters do feel the same but I also get the impression  that some owners of ex-working boats forget that their boats are just leisure boats and believe that they can basically do what they like and have some priority over everyone else using the canals. CaRT have a responsibility to maintain the waterways but surely they can't be held accountable for the actions of every idiot that they have had the misfortune to issue a licence to.

I was there at the time and all I will say is that this is a gross exaggeration.

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1 minute ago, George Kennedy said:

Quite correct, down Buckby. My definition of "Smash" would be that it moved the gate, lifted the bow and caught the attention of those inside and outside the pub. A number of those inside came outside to see what was happening. There didn't seem to be any mechanical problems with the boat.

And your assumption is that this is how this boat is always worked?

Richard

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3 minutes ago, RLWP said:

And your assumption is that this is how this boat is always worked?

Richard

No, that is not my assumption, I can only comment on what I saw today.

5 minutes ago, archie57 said:

I was there at the time and all I will say is that this is a gross exaggeration.

Perhaps you would like to describe what you saw?

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6 minutes ago, archie57 said:

I was there at the time and all I will say is that this is a gross exaggeration.

I agree, anyone inside the New Inn is queuing for a bloody drink and wonders why the landlord hasn't bothered to have enough staff behind the bar.

Answer, he makes his money on the food so stuff the drinkers.

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There may have been a last minute fouling of the blades preventing the boat from stopping, this can easily happen especially on a deeper draughted boat. Or someone lift a paddle before the approaching steerer has stopped the boat which draws the boat faster in to the gates, I've added this happen to me in the past when someone raises a paddle as you are just nearing the gates.

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Just now, Rob-M said:

There may have been a last minute fouling of the blades preventing the boat from stopping, this can easily happen especially on a deeper draughted boat. Or someone lift a paddle before the approaching steerer has stopped the boat which draws the boat faster in to the gates, I've added this happen to me in the past when someone raises a paddle as you are just nearing the gates.

So it's you smashing up the system!

Richard

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Just now, Rob-M said:

I have special privileges as not only on ex working boats but they are owned by CRT so we must be allowed to do anything.

Typical. In my ex-revenue earning boat I only ever hit the gates by accident

Richard

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