How not to use a narrowboat
Discussion
CanAm said:
The camera boat appears to be facing downstream; he should be facing upstream when mooring!! (Hard to tell on my small phone screen, but the cruiser already moored is facing the opposite way)
In my experience boaters come in either way - if anything decides it for me, it's wind not current as landing with a tailwind is harder.eldar said:
And add the current on the Thames just for a bit of complications. Narrow boats aren’t exactly responsive, compared to fibre glass cruisers.
Very true (having wrestled a 70-footer through Braunston etc), but the goon had plenty of time to see the cruiser had got the space, and turn away. It's clear to me he rammed the cruiser in a fit of pique, knowing that his boat wouldn't be damaged. Worse, he then lied that it was an accident and he couldn't help it.Apparently he has a column in some boating magazine, maybe that gives him special rights.
I had a wonderful 'Yes there is a god!' moment a few years ago.. I'd planned to moor in my favourite spot for lunch, but there were a couple of other boats there which meant I had to stop closer to a corner than I'd normally have done. Anyway, this pocket Admiral comes along in a 70' narrowboat (on a narrow river with lots of bends in it) and shouts across the water at me for mooring in the wrong place. His wife looks embarrassed.
Anyway, he goes past in a huff and we settle down for lunch. An hour later we're done and set off. After 10 minutes a familiar-looking narrowboat hoves into view - except it's stopped 1/3 of the way across the river. The pompous git has cut the corner and run aground
I have some time to choose the words as the range closes. He's on the stern; he sees me and hides inside. 'I say' says me, 'that's not a very good place to moor is it!'
Had he not been an asshole I'd have offered him a tow. So I left him there.
It gets better. An hour later we're moored in the middle of a line of boats at an official mooring. We're standing on the bank admiring the view when Admiral Cock comes chugging round the corner having finally got himself off the mud. As he passes my boat, just for those few yards, he revs his engine up...
Anyway, he goes past in a huff and we settle down for lunch. An hour later we're done and set off. After 10 minutes a familiar-looking narrowboat hoves into view - except it's stopped 1/3 of the way across the river. The pompous git has cut the corner and run aground
I have some time to choose the words as the range closes. He's on the stern; he sees me and hides inside. 'I say' says me, 'that's not a very good place to moor is it!'Had he not been an asshole I'd have offered him a tow. So I left him there.
It gets better. An hour later we're moored in the middle of a line of boats at an official mooring. We're standing on the bank admiring the view when Admiral Cock comes chugging round the corner having finally got himself off the mud. As he passes my boat, just for those few yards, he revs his engine up...
mikeiow said:
No real words to say what a self-righteous little pr!ck he clearly shows himself to be.
@Cutdreamer on twitter....
The irony of his article, https://www.canalboat.co.uk/canal-boats/steve-hayw... is just breathtaking!
The comments underneath cut him to pieces @Cutdreamer on twitter....
The irony of his article, https://www.canalboat.co.uk/canal-boats/steve-hayw... is just breathtaking!
Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 15th October 11:12
wolfracesonic said:
I’m not a boatist but a massive barge like that hitting a fibreglass cruiser could easily have holed and sunk it, no? Some of the forums I linked to wondered whether the guy would mention this in his next column
That might be why he engaged a little reverse at the last moment. 'I want to damage his boat to teach him a lesson but not sink it' would be the mindset.One can only imagine his response had the positions been reversed...
badgerade said:
Had a rather embarrassing moment there a few years ago. Peak summer season, we'd hired a day boat from Henley with some friends. One of them had been on a boat once, somewhere, so promoted himself to captain.
As we approached Marsh lock, there was a narrowboat already in there, but the lock keeper was gesturing that we could fit in behind.. as we're approaching at a fair speed, the Captain's genius way of slowing down was to turn off the ignition, followed by lots of shouting from the guy on the back of the narrowboat, a crunch, and lots of laughter from the people on the banks!
Day boats have the highest percentage of tossers (badgerade excepted of course!). Saw one zooming about in circles and going up an down past moored boats at 3x the speed limit thinking it was jolly good fun. I saw the boatyard's name on the side and rang them. The first thing they said was 'Are you calling about the boat?' Seems they'd been lighting up every mobile for a while.As we approached Marsh lock, there was a narrowboat already in there, but the lock keeper was gesturing that we could fit in behind.. as we're approaching at a fair speed, the Captain's genius way of slowing down was to turn off the ignition, followed by lots of shouting from the guy on the back of the narrowboat, a crunch, and lots of laughter from the people on the banks!
IforB said:
Even if the camera boat had done something wrong (they hadn't really other than maybe been a bit cheeky in going for a mooring someone else was going for, which I will say you can see from the video, but he was the stand-on vessel and the narrow boat was the give-way one) there is still no excuse whatsoever for ramming another vessel.
I think the camera boat was not only closer to the mooring spot (it must have been because he was tying up before the narrowboat hit him) but it was on his side of the river (if that counts for anything). Either way the ramming is inexcusable; the narrowboat skipper had red mist, ego and stupidity all combined together.IforB said:
Digger said:
Anyone have a link to that boat and / or the technology that allows it to do that?
It is simply a powerful engine allied to a jet drive. Come in fast and drop the reverser buckets and give it the beans.KrazyIvan said:
If I may place myself in the cruiser, 'cos (a) I have one, and (b) I'd never deliberately ram another boat, I think the only thing I'd have done differently was anticipate the collision - no time to move my boat, but get round to the front sharpish and see if I could fend off Captain Asshole aboard the narrowboat Nautilus. Doubt I'd have stopped the impact but perhaps with a human body in the way he might have hit reverse a bit sooner.
Motto is - just like the roads, you have to be constantly aware. Even at 4mph.
john2443 said:
I've seen plenty of people steering narrowboats (they aren't barges! PH, pedantry matters!)
It's not even pedantry, it's a simple matter of right and wrong. There's a series on C5 called 'Building Britain's Canals' which would be very good were it not for the fact that (for some reason I fail to fathom but it must be deliberate) insists on calling every narrowboat a 'barge'. So easy to get right. It's infuriating!Smollet said:
True, but apart from that I thought it was a good series and not the usual dumbed-down tripe we get.
It was. But the way they studiously avoided the term 'narrowboat' (if not by crushing ignorance which seems unlikely given the rest of the detail), makes me think it must have been done deliberately. Probably by the producer, though I can't think why. And what it means is that everyone who watches the programme to learn about canals will go away, see a narrowboat and say 'Gurr, barge!' - and also tell their children it's a barge. It's more than a name because if they hire an actual barge and try to get it through a narrow canal they will get a nasty shock! 'Ah you should have got a narrowboat' says the lock-keeper. 'What's a narrowboat?' they say...paul_y3k said:
slightly off topic, but living near to Lechlade, the wife and i have hired a few day boats / weekenders over the last cpl of years. Enough times to be thinking about buying our first boat..
however it's this sort of thing that really makes us question are doing it .....
I've just come back from a great day on mine.however it's this sort of thing that really makes us question are doing it .....
A friend has a big Freeman on the Thames (just upgraded from a small one) and absolutely loves it (the boat and the river). Every sport or pastime will have the occasional dick in it so as said, get one
(a boat not a dick)paul_y3k said:
Thanks for the replies, for us we're not looking to spend a vast amount the first time around and have a budget of around 15K - 20K. I know it's not going to buy a gin palace, but hopefully something with a cabin (and mrs has stipulated a decent toilet! / shower).
Is there a pistonheads for boats ?
You're on it Is there a pistonheads for boats ?
That's a healthy budget for a first boat. Browse some brokers' websites, get an idea of what's available and go to see some. My first thoughts would be a Fairline Mirage 29, Freeman 27 or Ocean 30. They are older boats but that means they'll hold their value, and many will have been refitted. The other option is 'sports cruisers' (the pointy ones) - look sexier but less room inside as a result. This is good time to get some money off. PM me if you want more info.
ETA Actually you might have to add a few more K to get one of those but it wasn't doing anything in the bank anyway was it
Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 20th October 10:06
FiF said:
Looking at that canalworld forum thread, interesting that they're focussing on the NB driver being a Canal and Riverboat columnist with a bit of a rep as a bolshie arse.
People hate hypocrites... if his articles promoted ramming and behaving like a dick there wouldn't be a problem!GliderRider said:
The New Inn at Roydon is the place to be for what should prove an entertaining evening on 11 November!
An Audience with Steve Haywood
The meeting has been cancelled... An Audience with Steve Haywood
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