March of the Widebeams

[frangar]

17 minutes ago, George and Dragon said:

Received this afternoon:

Notice Alert

Grand Union Canal
Location: Braunston Tunnel
Starts At: Braunston Tunnel
Ends At: Braunston Tunnel

Thursday 4 November 2021 until further notice

Type: Booking Information 

---

 

Original message:

 

Please remember that wide beam boats wishing to travel through the tunnel must book passage.

Please ensure you use our online booking system.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/boating/planning-your-boat-trip/booking-your-passage-online

Passage needs to be booked 48 hours in advance, and can be booked Monday - Friday (Exc bank holiday and weekends).  Wide beams need to be ready at the entrance of the tunnel for 7:45am. 

 

Did someone transit the tunnel without booking? What happens when you enter the tunnel and meet a widebeam midway through? Who reverses out?

The widebeam!! Possibly with injured skipper if they got arsey…..

[peterboat]

2 minutes ago, frangar said:

The widebeam!! Possibly with injured skipper if they got arsey…..

Alternatively big sinks little boat or big boats skipper hard as nails rips off little boats skippers head!

[frangar]

11 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Alternatively big sinks little boat or big boats skipper hard as nails rips off little boats skippers head!

Fancy trying your theory out?….typical arrogant wide boat I see. 

[JamesWoolcock]

12 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Alternatively big sinks little boat or big boats skipper hard as nails rips off little boats skippers head!

Richard Cox once told me that he'd met one in Blisworth while skippering a trip boat.

He said he pushed it back out to the immense delight of his passengers. 

[David Mack]

After the link to the your rebuild thread was posted earlier I reread the whole thread. I too would like to see more updates on the progress of Progress. As others have said, a historic boat built for the Grand Union Canal as a continuation of a longstanding boatbuilding tradition is a completely different kettle of fish to a square steel box with more resemblance to a brick than a boat.

[peterboat]

10 hours ago, frangar said:

Fancy trying your theory out?….typical arrogant wide boat I see. 

I was replying to your arrogant post! 

[frangar]

1 minute ago, peterboat said:

I was replying to your arrogant post! 

The answer is quite simple…don’t take a wide boat on a waterway that’s not suitable.

I do wonder if the CRT boat was triggered by the same boat that got stuck in Warwick….maybe they thought that the fact they were outside of the gauge of the waterway didn’t apply to them. 

[peterboat]

10 hours ago, JamesWoolcock said:

Richard Cox once told me that he'd met one in Blisworth while skippering a trip boat.

He said he pushed it back out to the immense delight of his passengers. 

So he endangered the life of his passengers to do what? It could easily have been a 90 hp engine in the widebeam, he opens it up rides over the bows of the narrowboat and drowns them! Sounds like the widebeam steerer was the one with sense

[GUMPY]

 

When I had Parglena I was going through  Islington tunnel,  after a few minutes a narrow boat entered from the opposite end, strangely he had to reverse out.  😉

That was fun.

 

 

[matty40s]

36 minutes ago, frangar said:

The answer is quite simple…don’t take a wide boat on a waterway that’s not suitable.

I do wonder if the CRT boat was triggered by the same boat that got stuck in Warwick….maybe they thought that the fact they were outside of the gauge of the waterway didn’t apply to them. 

When it was lifted in, they werent aware they had to book passage, but it was made clear to them. The timings match.

[frangar]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

When it was lifted in, they werent aware they had to book passage, but it was made clear to them. The timings match.

The fact they weren't aware is very worrying in itself...It shows how little people research before buying such a boat and just thinking it fits in a lock so I will be fine....

43 minutes ago, peterboat said:

So he endangered the life of his passengers to do what? It could easily have been a 90 hp engine in the widebeam, he opens it up rides over the bows of the narrowboat and drowns them! Sounds like the widebeam steerer was the one with sense

Given the poor swims and bow design of most wide beams I doubt that very much!....those bluff bows give a good purchase to push against!

 

[Bee]

Actually after the arguments had died down I think I would prefer to be pushed out than try to reverse out, trying to reverse out in our boat in a straight line would take several days.

[JamesWoolcock]

2 hours ago, peterboat said:

So he endangered the life of his passengers to do what? It could easily have been a 90 hp engine in the widebeam, he opens it up rides over the bows of the narrowboat and drowns them! Sounds like the widebeam steerer was the one with sense

I think you can be assured that the two skippers had discussed this first!

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, frangar said:

The fact they weren't aware is very worrying in itself...It shows how little people research before buying ANY boat .

 

 

..finally moving off  from Stowe Hill yesterday at about 12.30 after weeks of filling their new boat full of things, they asked,..."Do you think we will be at North Kilworth marina before it goes dark?"....

[frangar]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

 

..finally moving off  from Stowe Hill yesterday at about 12.30 after weeks of filling their new boat full of things, they asked,..."Do you think we will be at North Kilworth marina before it goes dark?"....

If that’s a widebeam then Watford might come as a shock…..

[matty40s]

3 minutes ago, frangar said:

If that’s a widebeam then Watford might come as a shock…..

No, this was a narrowboat....so not all bad...

[Guest]

14 hours ago, frangar said:

The widebeam!! Possibly with injured skipper if they got arsey…..

 

And if the skipper of the other boat did refuse, what are you saying you would do? Resort to violence?

 

Or just more talk/internet BS as usual?

[MtB]

15 minutes ago, matty40s said:

No, this was a narrowboat....so not all bad...

 

What? A new narrowboat being launched?

 

Is that the first this year? Whatever next! 

[frangar]

1 minute ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

And if the skipper of the other boat did refuse, what are you saying you would do? Resort to violence?

 

Or just more talk/internet BS as usual?

I think an earnest discussion would ensue….make of that what you will. What would you do if the other party was in the wrong? I guess wave a white flag and give in…..

4 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

What? A new narrowboat being launched?

 

Is that the first this year? Whatever next! 

One wonders why it was put in at Stowe hill when NKM has a hoist….

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, frangar said:

I think an earnest discussion would ensue….make of that what you will. What would you do if the other party was in the wrong? I guess wave a white flag and give in…..

 

You said the other skipper would 'possibly be injured', how do injuries result from an 'earnest discussion' 

 

Our boat didn't have a white flag.

 

As to what I would do -  I would record the conversation and if forced to my reversing out of the tunnel and when back in daylight film his boat carefully capturing his boat name and index number and images of the skipper and plaster it all over the internet including on here.

 

The video would have a commentary as to why the other skipper was completely in the wrong.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by The Happy Nomad

[frangar]

3 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

You said the other skipper would 'possibly be injured', how do injuries result from an 'earnest discussion' 

I guess it depends on how earnest the discussion gets….

[Alan de Enfield]

Sad to say but there are some people are just thugs.

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, frangar said:

I guess it depends on how earnest the discussion gets….

 

Or how able you are to refrain from resorting to actual violence.

 

Of course if the other skipper gets the first punch in I guess you are going to have to defend yourself but then what happens when fisty cuffs kick off in a dark runnel? Likely to end badly for one or both parties, and that could be you unless you can guarantee you will come out on top which I doubt.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by The Happy Nomad

[frangar]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

Sad to say but there are some people are just thugs.

Says the man that’s happy to support hunting & the associated goons that go with it! 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, frangar said:

Says the man that’s happy to support hunting & the associated goons that go with it! 

 

You never dissapoint, but I did consider (for one moment) that you might take the trouble to look up the definition of "Thug" before replying, but, if it helps you :

 

 

a violent person, 

"he was attacked by a gang of thugs"

 

 

What makes a thug a thug?

A thug is a bad guy or a bully, especially a violent one. A thug might break into someone's house, push its owners around, and steal their TV. It's hard to reason with thugs, since they'd rather intimidate and physically hurt people than talk.