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A near miss


Rob-M

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The thing that gives me the horrors about stepping over the gates is the possibility of something about my person getting snagged just after I've committed to the step-over.

If this happens, one never makes it across the gap. The jacket pocket (say) snagged on the winding gear holds you back from stepping over the whole way, so you miss the gate and fall down the gap.

Simplest example is to trying to step over with a shoelace undone on your leading foot. Imagine if the other foot is standing on the loose shoelace end. 

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26 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

The thing that gives me the horrors about stepping over the gates is the possibility of something about my person getting snagged just after I've committed to the step-over.

If this happens, one never makes it across the gap. The jacket pocket (say) snagged on the winding gear holds you back from stepping over the whole way, so you miss the gate and fall down the gap.

Simplest example is to trying to step over with a shoelace undone on your leading foot. Imagine if the other foot is standing on the loose shoelace end. 

We do always step over the mitre gates on narrow locks. It is something I've always done since I started boating in the 60s and of folk were less risk averse then. I think the main enemy is complacency, and so I try to force myself to pause momentarily each time and say to myself "If you fall, you will at least be very badly injured, and possibly killed".

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34 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

The thing that gives me the horrors about stepping over the gates is the possibility of something about my person getting snagged just after I've committed to the step-over.

If this happens, one never makes it across the gap. The jacket pocket (say) snagged on the winding gear holds you back from stepping over the whole way, so you miss the gate and fall down the gap.

Simplest example is to trying to step over with a shoelace undone on your leading foot. Imagine if the other foot is standing on the loose shoelace end. 

Reminds me if when I had just learned to drive.

A mate had an original Mini.

Got his undone shoelace ttspoed in the door. It was just long enough to alkow his footbto reach the accelerstor pedal...

Guess what happened when he needed to brake...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, luckily the shoelace broke.

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Boating can result in the occasional accident but I don't consider it to be a dangerous hobby. My main hobby away from boats is motorcycling. That, touch wood, hasn't killed me yet , but if I had to choose the most likely cause of a premature death , it wouldn't be my boat!  Ian.

2 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Reminds me if when I had just learned to drive.

A mate had an original Mini.

Got his undone shoelace ttspoed in the door. It was just long enough to alkow his footbto reach the accelerstor pedal...

Guess what happened when he needed to brake...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, luckily the shoelace broke.

Funnily enough I watched a guy pull up on a big overweight Harley a couple of weeks ago. Pub carpark full of people bike spotting. His bootlace was caught on the gear lever and down he went.. Rather embarrassing but no real damage...

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I drove my Land Rover right through a reinforced concrete wall that surrounded St Marys church cemetary, turned around a tombstone and drove out again through the same hole. I had an old water pump on the floor which I was taking to exchange at a motor factors. In their road is a sharp 90% L bend behind the cemetary, I applied the brake to slow up for it, when I did so the pump rolled under the pedal, next time I applied the brake for the bend, it wouldn't.

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1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

We do always step over the mitre gates on narrow locks. It is something I've always done since I started boating in the 60s and of folk were less risk averse then. 

I haven't met Jeff, but in your case you probably see less of a risk because you're 6'4", so gate-to-gate is but a wee steppette for you.

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3 minutes ago, Athy said:

I haven't met Jeff, but in your case you probably see less of a risk because you're 6'4", so gate-to-gate is but a wee steppette for you.

 

I often wonder how difficult it can be to jump the full width of a narrow lock. They are usually only about 8ft wide and with a short run up I'm sure that must be an easy leap. 

Trouble is, any misjudgment probably means landing really awkwardly right on the edge of the opposite side of the lock. 

On checking, the world record for long jump is 29ft+. 

 

I would imagine Nick can step over a lock without needing to jump...

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3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

often wonder how difficult it can be to jump the full width of a narrow lock. They are usually only about 8ft wide and with a short run up I'm sure that must be an easy leap. 

You could always use your pole,in a quantpole leap type action. 

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7 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I often wonder how difficult it can be to jump the full width of a narrow lock. They are usually only about 8ft wide and with a short run up I'm sure that must be an easy leap. 

Trouble is, any misjudgment probably means landing really awkwardly right on the edge of the opposite side of the lock. 

On checking, the world record for long jump is 29ft+. 

 

I would imagine Nick can step over a lock without needing to jump...

I've seen teenagers successfully jump locks in Birmingham on several occasions.

I always ask them to defrain  whilst I get the boat in though. Mind you if they misjudge it almost certainly means broken legs and at the least a soaking, possibly drowning.

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42 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I often wonder how difficult it can be to jump the full width of a narrow lock. They are usually only about 8ft wide and with a short run up I'm sure that must be an easy leap. 

Trouble is, any misjudgment probably means landing really awkwardly right on the edge of the opposite side of the lock. 

On checking, the world record for long jump is 29ft+. 

 

I would imagine Nick can step over a lock without needing to jump...

Long jump is I think the one sport I can't really get my head around. Top athletes can jump the length of my lounge!  Half a 58 foot boat! It astounds me. 

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1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I often wonder how difficult it can be to jump the full width of a narrow lock. They are usually only about 8ft wide and with a short run up I'm sure that must be an easy leap. 

Trouble is, any misjudgment probably means landing really awkwardly right on the edge of the opposite side of the lock. 

On checking, the world record for long jump is 29ft+. 

 

I would imagine Nick can step over a lock without needing to jump...

Www.narrowboatworld.com/3886

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Congrats to Rob-M on surviving what could have been a really nasty accident.

Whilst most of the time boating isn't that high risk, it does have the potential to give rise to accidents that are real horrors, even in the case of people who know what they are doing.

It's a pity that some recent TV series have given the impression to the uninitiated that it's all a bit of a boozy lark!

On the subject of footwear, for most of the working days of the canals, it must have been the normal thing for working people to wear hob-nailed boots which would give good grip in the wet, and on wood, but must have been lethal on steel decks (and pretty hard on the paintwork!).

10 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Okay, I'll give you that, but it's not as bad as eating Marmite. 

That's a huge relief; I quite like Marmite.

And being chronologically closer than many to the other thing , your reply has given me new hope.

Edited by DRP
merging of replies
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1 hour ago, cuthound said:

I've seen teenagers successfully jump locks in Birmingham on several occasions.

I always ask them to defrain  whilst I get the boat in though. Mind you if they misjudge it almost certainly means broken legs and at the least a soaking, possibly drowning.

If you look at the first few minutes of this ancient video of our family holiday in 1975 (Super 8 to VHS to digital hence crap quality) you will see a local yoof jumping the poncycyllte aqueduct shortly before we pass over it. It's at 38 seconds in.

 

Edited by nicknorman
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19 hours ago, midsmatt said:

Eek! :o 

That really is an eye opener... I'm fairly confident in the ability of my work/walking boots to provide a lot of grip. I wonder what would be considered the best footwear for both working locks and time on the back of the boat in all weathers? 

....going back to the question on footware.......I find my Dubarry sailing boots are really good. Any aspiring lumpy boat racer (or ocean cruiser) will be wearing these as they are ideal (and designed) for jumping over wet, slippy GRP decks on the high seas. They really do work.

Now I've given up the lumpy stuff, I wear them when its wet and there are locks to do. They do seem a bit oot for the cut. I am not suggesting anyone here actually buys a pair - at the prices they charge - but it answers the question Midsmatt asked! Worth every penny when racing lumpy boats though.

http://www.dubarryboots.com/mens-footwear/sailing-boots

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2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I often wonder how difficult it can be to jump the full width of a narrow lock. They are usually only about 8ft wide and with a short run up I'm sure that must be an easy leap. 

Trouble is, any misjudgment probably means landing really awkwardly right on the edge of the opposite side of the lock. 

On checking, the world record for long jump is 29ft+. 

 

I would imagine Nick can step over a lock without needing to jump...

I remember in the 60's as kids my mates and I used to jump the guillotine lock at Kings Norton in Birmingham. Most times we made it but occasionally we'd get bruised or grazed shins.

Kings Norton was a nice area when I grew up there not rough like it is nowadays.

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35 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

....going back to the question on footware.......I find my Dubarry sailing boots are really good. Any aspiring lumpy boat racer (or ocean cruiser) will be wearing these as they are ideal (and designed) for jumping over wet, slippy GRP decks on the high seas. They really do work.

Now I've given up the lumpy stuff, I wear them when its wet and there are locks to do. They do seem a bit oot for the cut. I am not suggesting anyone here actually buys a pair - at the prices they charge - but it answers the question Midsmatt asked! Worth every penny when racing lumpy boats though.

http://www.dubarryboots.com/mens-footwear/sailing-boots

Thanks for the interesting reply. Looking at the price I agree they're not the cheapest set of boots on the market but if they last a good few years and keep your feet warm dry and most importantly well planted then the relative cost is negligible all said and done! 

I suppose that makes the following a bit of a bargain then...

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