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Research into boating alone


JohnCox

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2 hours ago, Bee said:

Just have a go and don't worry, have a look at an empty lock, that big concrete ledge that the top gates close on is the cill, don't get the back of the boat on it as the lock empties. That'll do for now, all the rest of the stuff will follow. Single handed boating is tiring but that doesn't matter, we all have to do it from time to time. The lonely part is in the evening but its not so bad if you have a big useless dog to talk to and its surprising how many people will stop and talk about their dogs to you if you have a dog. Good luck.

Agreed, but minus the dog. You don't need your own dog, everybody you pass will have one and all you need to do is fawn over the revolting thing. Biased, moi?

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2 hours ago, Bee said:

 The lonely part is in the evening but its not so bad if you have a big useless dog to talk to and its surprising how many people will stop and talk about their dogs to you if you have a dog. Good luck.

 

OR.....

 

FInd an internet forum to chat with people who share a common interest. 

 

Then talk about politics. ?

 

 

  • Haha 1
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I started out single-handed, Reading to Braunston.  Lock-keepers on the Thames helpful.  ( Don't ever blow your horn if he is not there ).  Oxford Canal easy apart from the lift bridges - never trust them to stay open, use a Banbury Stick.  Then I met my wife-to-be.  problem solved.  

Best advice - watch your boat in the locks and if something goes wrong - drop the paddles, quickly.

Go for it.

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21 minutes ago, Chris Williams said:

Best advice - watch your boat in the locks and if something goes wrong - drop the paddles, quickly.

Go for it.

 

Totally agree, especially the last bit. It really isn't difficult.

 

If it seems difficult, you're trying to go too fast, so go slower and think about it more carefully.

 

If you feel pressured by someone coming up behind you, pull in and wave them past. Do this as many times as necessary to get some peace and quiet and time to think.

 

 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Mike Adams said:

Why not buy a small boat in France - all the locks are worked for you or you get a remote control for automatic lock? Much cheaper btw.

Absolutely, don't have to close the gates behind you either, definitely cheaper, the fishermen are (reasonably) friendly and other boaters don't shout at you.

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As I age and get less stable I have given serious thought to having a kill cord attached to my wrist in case I fall off the deck whilst boating.

It would not be usable of course when working locks or bridges when I would be most likely to fall in but then the boat would not be moving much at such times.

The thought of being in the water watching the boat disappear  into the distance is a bit unnerving.

Easy to fit a socket wired to the fuel solenoid on a BMC 1.8D and have a shorting plug on a lanyard.

Thinking it through though the boat would still move a good distance when not under power.

Perhaps its just easier to drown.

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7 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

As I age and get less stable I have given serious thought to having a kill cord attached to my wrist in case I fall off the deck whilst boating.

 

I have my doubts about the effectiveness of such a kill cord arrangement.

 

To kill you, I'd suggest the cord needs to be around your neck rather than your wrist. 

 

 

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42 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I have my doubts about the effectiveness of such a kill cord arrangement.

 

To kill you, I'd suggest the cord needs to be around your neck rather than your wrist. 

 

 

We saw a kill-cord in action on the Llangollen a few years ago.

 

We were waiting to go down the Monty when a boat came past, I noticed a lot of splashing about 6 feet behind the boat.

It was a dog, fighting for its life and seemingly knowing not to get to close to the prop - shouted and shouted but the steering must have thought it was the usual 'slow-down', waved and carried on.

I had to run along side the boat and tell him what had happened.

 

The dog was virtually dead - but it did seem to have recovered a bit by the time we locked down.

 

Tip - if you must have your dog on a lead - make sure it is short enough to keep the dog on the boat if he should slip or try and jump off to chase rabbits (other things are available to chase).

We had to do that with out No1 Son when he was a toddler - harness and short rope that gave him a limited radius to wander about in (pre-empting the smart comments - yes he was always chasing rabbits !!!)

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3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I have my doubts about the effectiveness of such a kill cord arrangement.

 

To kill you, I'd suggest the cord needs to be around your neck rather than your wrist. 

 

 

Can you personally demonstrate that method please? As soon as possible.

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  • 1 month later...

As this is a thread about single handed boating, my questions seems to belong here rather than start yet another new thread.

 

So whats a good size for a solo person - don't just want to get the smallest boat as it will be easy to handle. I want to enjoy the boat and whatever space I end up with but I assume theres a size (and weight?) where things become unmanageable ?

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5 minutes ago, NewCanalBoy said:

So whats a good size for a solo person - don't just want to get the smallest boat as it will be easy to handle. I want to enjoy the boat and whatever space I end up with but I assume theres a size (and weight?) where things become unmanageable ?

 

 

Mine are 45ft, 57ft and 68ft narrowboats. All are easily manageable single handing.

 

Not sure I'd find a widebeam quite as easy to single hand though.

 

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Folks managed with a 70 footer in the past.

 

Seriously, there is no recommended length, depends upon your age / fitness, experience and confidence.

 

Personally I wouldn't want anything more than a 50ft boat if I were single handing, others are different.

 

Mr Cole Hebe.jpg

Edited by Ray T
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My 60ft NB suits me. I am in the seventy first year of my age. I am comfortable with cruising on my own and can even cope with a few crew members on the rare occasions they can prize themselves out of the rat race.

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1 hour ago, system 4-50 said:

My 60ft NB suits me. I am in the seventy first year of my age. I am comfortable with cruising on my own and can even cope with a few crew members on the rare occasions they can prize themselves out of the rat race.

 

The jury seems to be in agreement that any length NB is fine singled handed, but what about widebeams? 

 

Blackrose single hands his 12ft wide x 60ft (my guess) boat but I think that would be a challenge to a newbie.

 

 

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I have frequently single handed our boats for years and i dont prefer it.

what i do do quite frequently as does my wife is single work the boat just to keep her or my hand in. Simply do all the boat related tasks with the other present but not participating. 

That includes all pre flight checks, prop oil diesel gearbox charging etc. ( our boat is very hands on) with our current electronic engine commencement device either of us can bring forth smoke and fury. 

I remember once cycling off to work having initiated the four stroke cycle, to get a phone call admitting stalling the engine and it still being too heavy for her to crank , and riding back to restart the engine.

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I agree with the view that it’s not a big issue. Single handing a short boat has it’s own issues as well such as ensuring alignment to lock ladders and the ability to get pushed or pulled into gates at speed by fierce paddles or needing to be well restrained in wide locks. They also tend not to hold position as well as a longer boat when in reverse.

 

JP

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6 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

too heavy for her to crank

Yes, one downside to single handing, cranking and working the Decompression taps.  Just don't let the battery get flat.

On the Thames one time, assistant lockie insists I turn off the engine,  took a looong time to re-start it.

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13 minutes ago, Chris Williams said:

Yes, one downside to single handing, cranking and working the Decompression taps.  Just don't let the battery get flat.

On the Thames one time, assistant lockie insists I turn off the engine,  took a looong time to re-start it.

 

When I had the hot bulb semi diesel, no Thames lockie ever asked me to turn it off!

 

 

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7 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

The jury seems to be in agreement that any length NB is fine singled handed, but what about widebeams? 

 

Blackrose single hands his 12ft wide x 60ft (my guess) boat but I think that would be a challenge to a newbie.

 

 

12' x 57'.

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10 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I agree with the view that it’s not a big issue. Single handing a short boat has it’s own issues as well such as ensuring alignment to lock ladders and the ability to get pushed or pulled into gates at speed by fierce paddles or needing to be well restrained in wide locks. They also tend not to hold position as well as a longer boat when in reverse.

 

JP

 

These points exactly.  They are the only singlehandling disadvantages of a short boat that I have found.

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16 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

When I had the hot bulb semi diesel, no Thames lockie ever asked me to turn it off!

 

 

This one was a Summer Assistant.  I heard the real lockie tell him "Don't ever ask a Monkey to stop his engine".  I suspect they have all had the 'Bang, black smoke, Bang' treatment.

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At reading lock he insisted I stopped the engine. Told him it was hard to start but didn’t listen. Being a pd 2 I left the rack half out and took nearly 10 minutes trying to start. Everybody very impatient waiting to come in. Reading lock never brought coal anyway.

in france a Brit with a 38m worked it single handed for years. He had a remote control box that he plugged in at the bows so he could manage the ropes whilst controlling steering and engine. Totally illegal but all the lock keepers knew him and knew he was save.

 

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