Etiquette!

[Ashs85]

I don't own or live on a boat but I do possess a helmsman license (I'm a scout leader and take them out for a weekend once or twice a year which I and they thoroughly enjoy). My apartment is on the canal, no more than 6 meters away from the waters edge. I live here because of the same reasons you do. Watching the boats go up and down gives me a lot of pleasure. My question relates to etiquette though and I'm not having a go, just want to get your opinion.

After living here for 2 years with no problems whatsoever I have been awoken between 6-7 am everyday for at least the last 10 days now. It's the same boat going back and forth extremely early in the morning. I overlook the lock and feel privalidged to do so, but the boat in question is extremely loud! It's a very very very slow chug, almost sounds like someone hitting a sledge hammer every couple of seconds. A faster/consistent idle speed would be much less distracting! 

As I say, I choose to live her for a reason, but I do work extremely long hours late into the morning. I get up at 8 everyday but 15-20 minutes of this everyday pre 7 am has been having a serious effect. Is there anything you would suggest that I could possibly do to try and alleviate the situation? 

 

[rasputin]

Patience, it will pass 

[Peter Reed]

Ear plugs?

[Ashs85]

10 minutes ago, Peter Reed said:

Ear plugs?

Heavy sleeper, can't miss the alarm!

[roland elsdon]

Now I've retired I find all the selfish noisy people driving past on the road at 630 going to work wake me up. Can't they move somewhere else. 

[Chipmunk]

Where were boating we were always very conscious of householders and/or boat owners we might disturb. Unfortunately others aren't so considerate.

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Ashs85 said:

 I overlook the lock and feel privalidged to do so, but the boat in question is extremely loud! It's a very very very slow chug, almost sounds like someone hitting a sledge hammer every couple of seconds.

 

This is most curious There are no narrowboat engines that run so slowly or so loud as to make a sledge-hammer bang as infrequently as every two seconds.

Therefore the noise must be something other than the engine. Is it actually a narrowboat or some other sort of vessel? Which waterway is it? 

it is also very odd behaviour for a boat to go back and forth through a lock. How is it turning around? How many times does it pass through the lock between 6am and 7am each morning? 

There is no 'etiquette' as you put it. Only common courtesy not to make a racket early in the morning in any walk of life. Could you perhaps go out and engage them in conversation as they pass the lock one morning? Ask casually whey they go back and forth for no apparent reason? Ask them to pick another lock perhaps as it wakes you up?!

[Dave_P]

2 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

This is most curious There are no narrowboat engines that run so slowly or so loud as to make a sledge-hammer bang as infrequently as every two seconds.

Therefore the noise must be something other than the engine. Is it actually a narrowboat or some other sort of vessel? Which waterway is it? 

it is also very odd behaviour for a boat to go back and forth through a lock. How is it turning around? How many times does it pass through the lock between 6am and 7am each morning? 

There is no 'etiquette' as you put it. Only common courtesy not to make a racket early in the morning in any walk of life. Could you perhaps go out and engage them in conversation as they pass the lock one morning? Ask casually whey they go back and forth for no apparent reason? Ask them to pick another lock perhaps as it wakes you up?!

I suspect the OP just means a vintage slow revving engine RN, Kelvin, National. 

[roland elsdon]

Commute to work by boat according to continuous cruising regs? Taking kids to school Complaints that they are moving providing evidence continuous cruising?  No water tank ?keeping batteries charged?  May have oars and the banging noise is stroke drum ..Strange behaviour but there is probably a reason.

[Athy]

I suggest going to bed earlier, so that you have already had sufficient sleep by the time the boat goes by.

[Sea Dog]

I think we should give the OP a bit of a break here. It does seem unusual behaviour and the same thing from the same boat at 6 every morning isn't really the usual waterborne traffic or the normality of living by the canal and could get a bit tedious.  If it's anything to do with maintaining CC regs as suggested, it's not going to cut it with CRT. If it's taking kids to school it's as quick, and better for them, to walk as to boat and with a lock involved, it's slower. Perhaps it's battery charging and they're moving in order to comply with the 8am - 8pm engine running restrictions?  I dunno, but it does seem odd to me and a bit unsociable. It's this sort of conflict which ends up with no mooring signs going up by recently built or converted properties - those flats around an empty basin with purpose-built empty moorings in Stourport spring to mind. 

The only silver lining I can see is that these things often stop as quickly as they started. Otherwise, perhaps the OP can be on standby with the Scout boat and, at approx 0605, move onto the mooring so recently vacated! 

Edited December 21, 2017 by Sea Dog
Missing words

[Naughty Cal]

There is no time limit on when you can cruise a boat.

If you really can't put up with it move. You have chosen to live by the water. You can't really complain when boats move on it.

This is almost like those who move to a house near a church and then complain when the bells ring 

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

This is almost like those who move to a house near a church and then complain when the bells ring 

 

One could reasonably accept the bells ringing for the Friday evening practice, and Sunday Services, but to be rung EVERY morning at 6:00am would become a bit wearing.

[Naughty Cal]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

One could reasonably accept the bells ringing for the Friday evening practice, and Sunday Services, but to be rung EVERY morning at 6:00am would become a bit wearing.

On the other hand if there are no limits on when the bells can be rung and you move next door knowing that can you really complain if they are rung at 6am in the morning?

Perhaps I should ask the owner of the really loud transit van on the next street from ours to not start his van and go to work at 5.30am every week day morning?

[mrsmelly]

7 hours ago, Ashs85 said:

I don't own or live on a boat but I do possess a helmsman license (I'm a scout leader and take them out for a weekend once or twice a year which I and they thoroughly enjoy). My apartment is on the canal, no more than 6 meters away from the waters edge. I live here because of the same reasons you do. Watching the boats go up and down gives me a lot of pleasure. My question relates to etiquette though and I'm not having a go, just want to get your opinion.

After living here for 2 years with no problems whatsoever I have been awoken between 6-7 am everyday for at least the last 10 days now. It's the same boat going back and forth extremely early in the morning. I overlook the lock and feel privalidged to do so, but the boat in question is extremely loud! It's a very very very slow chug, almost sounds like someone hitting a sledge hammer every couple of seconds. A faster/consistent idle speed would be much less distracting! 

As I say, I choose to live her for a reason, but I do work extremely long hours late into the morning. I get up at 8 everyday but 15-20 minutes of this everyday pre 7 am has been having a serious effect. Is there anything you would suggest that I could possibly do to try and alleviate the situation? 

 

Move.You sound like those who buy a house backing on to the cut then moan about boats charging their batteries or stoking their fires. Other locations are available.

[colinwilks]

From your description I thought you were experiencing the privilege of being coaxed from sleep by a Bolinder or Kromhout.

As far as your etiquette is concerned, the hour is not unreasonable by most standards, so I would go and talk to the steerer. Helping them through the lock would be a good way to initiate conversation, and understanding why the boat was moving at that hour might just make it more acceptable to you. If your question implies a breach of etiquette by the boater, I'm afraid it's you who's being unreasonable by expecting boats to move only when it's conducive to your sleep pattern!

[nicknorman]

Well I support the OP. There no need for boats to be very loud, though or course many are. It is just as selfish as boy racers with loud exhausts, people driving by with the windows down and car stereo on full volume etc. There must be a lot of boaters with tiny genitals who are compensating.

As suggested try to engage in conversation, since understanding why someone is doing that may help. Hopefully the boater will move on at some point.

[alan_fincher]

I would love to know what this is actually about.

There surely can be very few places on our canals or rivers where the same boat passes through the same lock every single day for 10 days or more, and before 7:00 am.

Where is this, and what type of boat is it?

(At least it will not get complaints about being a "continuous moorer"!......)

[Boat&Bikes]

I have Some sympathy with the OP. I find the loud, vintage type engines irritating but at least its only something I have to put up with for a few minutes as our boats pass. I feel the same about my other passion in life, motorbikes. Why so loud? Put a silencer on them! 

Ian.

[noddyboater]

I was also thinking this must surely be a big hot bulb engine if it has an "irregular idle" and sounds like a sledgehammer. 

Mrs Noddyboater and I were lucky enough to move into a canal side cottage recently that we'd had our eye on for years. I can't think of anything finer than a passing Bolinder in the night, or a JP, RN etc etc for that matter. Funny thing was the people we bought the house from talked of a boat that passed, usually late at night, and even shone a torch at the house to get a better look.. 

We said "Yes, that's us our our boat" but they didn't believe us! 

[Jerra]

3 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

I was also thinking this must surely be a big hot bulb engine if it has an "irregular idle" and sounds like a sledgehammer. 

Mrs Noddyboater and I were lucky enough to move into a canal side cottage recently that we'd had our eye on for years. I can't think of anything finer than a passing Bolinder in the night, or a JP, RN etc etc for that matter. Funny thing was the people we bought the house from talked of a boat that passed, usually late at night, and even shone a torch at the house to get a better look.. 

We said "Yes, that's us our our boat" but they didn't believe us! 

Personally I would be more than a little annoyed if passersby (on boat or on foot) examined my house by torch in the dark.   What strange behaviour.

[colinwilks]

19 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

I would love to know what this is actually about.

There surely can be very few places on our canals or rivers where the same boat passes through the same lock every single day for 10 days or more, and before 7:00 am.

Where is this, and what type of boat is it?

(At least it will not get complaints about being a "continuous moorer"!......)

Considering the possible engine type, and the particular time of year, is this perhaps "The ghost of Cactus passed"?

[dmr]

It sounds like an interesting engine, maybe you could find out what it is?, though I suspect its not quite as slow as you estimate. If it goes past every morning then I reckon that its a work boat and that there is some dredging or similar going on somewhere nearby, in this case it might last a few days or a few weeks.

The canals are open 24hours a day and the only etiquette (rule) is not to make unnecessary noise such as loud radios or shouting.

My guess on the engine is an air cooled Lister in a work boat, CaRT and their contractors do still possess and use a few proper workboats.

.............Dave

[Ray T]

Just now, colinwilks said:

Considering the possible engine type, and the particular time of year, is this perhaps "The ghost of Cactus passed"?

I thought it may have been The Rosemary.

On dark stormy nights round the fall of the year, If the beat of a Bolinder distant you hear, It's not Clayton's Stour, the Youmea or Tay; It's the ghost of the boatman and the old Rosemary. http://www.waterwaysongs.co.uk/rosemary.htm

[MtB]

8 hours ago, Ashs85 said:

It's the same boat going back and forth extremely early in the morning.

 

I think I misinterpreted this in my middle-of-the-night reply.  I took you to mean the boat turns up and goes repeatedly back and forth through the lock for an hour each morning, between 6am and 7am. Most odd behaviour if this is what you mean.

On reflection I think you probably mean it transits the lock going one way at 6am, then goes back through the other way at 7am. Is that right? This is normal use of the canal, if this is the correct interpretation and nothing to complain about.