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March of the Widebeams


cuthound

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I mostly moor up a good walk from the nearest pub and bridge, despite it adding a ~ 5 minute walk to me drive to work every day. I like the piece and quiet and views. 

 

Currently I’m moored up nearly a 10 minute walk from the pub / bridge and yet still, people see a boat moored up all alone and think “look a moored boat, i’ll stop here then”

 

imagine my delight when this pulled up on Friday afternoon, I sacked off the planned BBQ on the front deck. Looks like they had a lovely time on their roof deck looking out at the view though!

 

@Mike the Boilerman this made me think of your complaints about them being damned tall too

DB0287C8-8231-4E0E-A5E4-0203161C241D.jpeg

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7 hours ago, sirweste said:

I mostly moor up a good walk from the nearest pub and bridge, despite it adding a ~ 5 minute walk to me drive to work every day. I like the piece and quiet and views. 

 

Currently I’m moored up nearly a 10 minute walk from the pub / bridge and yet still, people see a boat moored up all alone and think “look a moored boat, i’ll stop here then”

 

imagine my delight when this pulled up on Friday afternoon, I sacked off the planned BBQ on the front deck. Looks like they had a lovely time on their roof deck looking out at the view though!

 

@Mike the Boilerman this made me think of your complaints about them being damned tall too

DB0287C8-8231-4E0E-A5E4-0203161C241D.jpeg

It's a good job it wasn't me in front of you, because I would have shared your ring and closed the gap!

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18 hours ago, jakk said:

Why is it only people with narrow boats complaining about difficulty passing widebeams? Do widebeams never pass each other? If so how do they manage it without having to post on forums? Asking for a friend ?

 

 

I have passed quite a few widebeams on my travels both on the K&A, Reding – Bristol, and the G U, Brentford – Camps Hill Locks, never had any troubles passing them with my widebeam, you just take it as it comes.

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14 hours ago, rgreg said:

It's a good job it wasn't me in front of you, because I would have shared your ring and closed the gap!

Would have been maddening if you did (though on pins not rings) as there's a good 400m of free mooring behind me so illogical to moor up right next to someone.  

That said when they pulled up there, out of what I can only assume is laziness, they used the last lock landing bollard.

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22 hours ago, sirweste said:

 

 

Currently I’m moored up nearly a 10 minute walk from the pub / bridge and yet still, people see a boat moored up all alone and think “look a moored boat, i’ll stop here then”

 

 

 

Take it as a compliment to your good taste: you thought that it was a pleasant mooring, and a fellow boater obviously shares your opinion.

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1 hour ago, sirweste said:

 

That said when they pulled up there, out of what I can only assume is laziness, they used the last lock landing bollard.

 

What's wrong with using the last lock landing bollard? As long as the actual lock mooring length is clear that is fine in my book.

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47 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

What's wrong with using the last lock landing bollard? As long as the actual lock mooring length is clear that is fine in my book.

I disagree. If there a busy patch of mooring then yes I think it's fine. In this instance, plonking a wide boat on the last bollard when there's several hundred meters of free mooring in front is a selfish inconvenience to other boaters IMO. 

 

Obviously it's not an insurmountable challenge, but it does make life that little bit more difficult if you're singlehanding. An inconvenience as I said, but t made the moorers life much easier - they could just pull long the landing and then only needed to batter one pin in.

 

Personally I chose my current mooring position as it was a good 100ft from the landing and a decent distance from the lock house so I don't disturb them with the occasional genny use. Next to a spot on the towpath that's wide to that walkers/riders have plenty of space to get past without increasing risk of tripping on the pins

Edited by sirweste
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On 16/09/2019 at 11:55, sirweste said:

I mostly moor up a good walk from the nearest pub and bridge, despite it adding a ~ 5 minute walk to me drive to work every day. I like the piece and quiet and views. 

 

Currently I’m moored up nearly a 10 minute walk from the pub / bridge and yet still, people see a boat moored up all alone and think “look a moored boat, i’ll stop here then”

 

imagine my delight when this pulled up on Friday afternoon, I sacked off the planned BBQ on the front deck. Looks like they had a lovely time on their roof deck looking out at the view though!

 

@Mike the Boilerman this made me think of your complaints about them being damned tall too

DB0287C8-8231-4E0E-A5E4-0203161C241D.jpeg

 

Is he still there?

 

I've been waiting for you to move on because you're moored on exactly the spot I always stop at there. I did think about coming down and mooring up anyway, but I figured I'd leave you in peace. If he's doing a full fortnight, I'll probably shoot through to Cooks and endure the longer walk to the Red.

 

Or maybe I'll just moor there anyway...

 

I wonder if he likes barking dogs?

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41 minutes ago, Kernunnos said:

 

Is he still there?

 

I've been waiting for you to move on because you're moored on exactly the spot I always stop at there. I did think about coming down and mooring up anyway, but I figured I'd leave you in peace. If he's doing a full fortnight, I'll probably shoot through to Cooks and endure the longer walk to the Red.

 

Or maybe I'll just moor there anyway...

 

I wonder if he likes barking dogs?

It's a hotel boat!

?

 

Keith

On 02/09/2019 at 21:09, frangar said:

May I suggest you send this in to CRT...the more that do possibly something might hit home....

Yes you might get something done about those trees that for some reason you are totally unconcerned about.

 

Keith

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On 02/09/2019 at 21:28, johnmck said:

Reported to CRT.  I have nothing against broad craft, on suitable navigation...

But they are spreading onto narrow canals and as in this instance , impeding navigation.

No the trees are doing that!

 

Keith

On 02/09/2019 at 21:36, johnmck said:

I have also mentioned this one in my email to CRT.  

I bet you didn't even mention the trees though.

 

Keith

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On 11/09/2019 at 23:06, johnmck said:

Since we last saw this behemoth ten days or so ago

, just onto the South Oxford,  it has reversed and is now heading towards Braunston. The canal is wider, but  it still illustrates just how unsuitable these craft are for most British canals, even those deigned to be wide.

IMG_20190911_121036.jpg

IMG_20190911_121130.jpg

No it doesn't.

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On 12/09/2019 at 19:16, blackrose said:

 

How is it illustrating that exactly? It looks like you've got plenty of room to get through. Have you not got the hang of steering yet? Even a pair of narrow boats brested up could get through that gap.

 

If someone had moored a pair of narrow boats there would you be complaining? I see plenty brested up boats moored in similar places. 

 

If widebeams don't move from their moorings you lot complain, if they do move you complain. In truth most people aren't inconvenienced by widebeams, they  just don't like them because they're not narrowboats! I used to get slagged off by narrow minded narrow boaters 15 years ago, not for getting in anyone's way, but just for having a widebeam. Back then there were far fewer widebeams, which indicates to me it's nothing to do with causing any obstruction. Some narrow boaters on this forum are just moaners and then there are others who feel encouraged to join in. It's a miserable mob mentality. Their favourite pastime isn't really boating, it's moaning. 

 

Carry on everyone! ? I'll stay on the rivers.

They just show themselves up as poor boatmen.

Anyone worth their salt just gets on with it and prides themselves on their ability to get around any difficulty.

 

Keith

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26 minutes ago, frangar said:

So you haven’t acknowledged it’s a widebeam on a narrow canal......I think that’s a bit more pertinent than the tree growth. 

Considering CRT are legally required to maintain this particular stretch to wide beam dimensions - Bridge 104 is between Braunston and Napton - the tree growth is pertinent.

 

JP

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1 minute ago, Captain Pegg said:

Considering CRT are legally required to maintain this particular stretch to wide beam dimensions - Bridge 104 is between Braunston and Napton - the tree growth is pertinent.

 

JP

The maximum published beam is 10ft from Berko to camp hill....that looks wider than that to me....and whilst I agree that the offside growth needs trimming maybe some common sense....which widebeam owners seem to lack in particular....would be useful in choosing a mooring location. 

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16 minutes ago, frangar said:

The maximum published beam is 10ft from Berko to camp hill....that looks wider than that to me....and whilst I agree that the offside growth needs trimming maybe some common sense....which widebeam owners seem to lack in particular....would be useful in choosing a mooring location. 

Where is 10’ published? CRT say 12’ 7” for Braunston to Napton.

 

JP

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3 minutes ago, frangar said:

Sorry. Yes. 10ft is Leicester to Harborough! What beam is that boat then? 

No idea and I’m not overly concerned given I regularly boat on craft that are slightly larger than the published dimensions on the canals concerned. I don’t much care for being forced to mingle with overhanging vegetation for any reason though. I may have passed this boat while it was on the move between Braunston and Napton a couple of weeks ago. It could have been a different but similar boat though. It didn’t cause me any problems.

 

JP

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