one for muddyjames

[bilge rat]

was down our boat today , went out for a little trundle .moored up and thought id get me little dingy out for the kids. had to try it out as you do, so me and the mrs went down the cut. we met a woman on a narrow boat coming straight for us beeping her horn . saying pass on the right you dont know thre rules. thing is there was loads of room and on the right side was a load of brambles which dont go with inflateables, after a few words and here telling us to .... off. i suddenly thought that you were ment to give way to un powered craft ?. i think i know where shes moored up for the night so might be up early tomorrow. all the years ive been messing on the cut ive never come across anyone a rude and nasty as she was, hope she sinks  :lol:. alan....

[Wireless]

She don't know the rules, doe's she expect a narrowboat being towed by a horse to do the same?  If two horse drawn boats meet then the keep right rule might be observed, but still depends on circumstances, but as a general rule powered leisure craft give way to everything else, including commercial craft and anyone fishing from the bank.

Maybe she forgot that you don't rush anywhere on the cut, that's the whole point of leisure use of inland waterways with a speed limit of 4mph, and a water draft that proably only allows 2mph at best.

The World is unfortunately full of idiots, and with the IQ of the planet at 90 and predicted to fall, the problem can only get worse.

[Llanigraham]

Stupid woman probably drives a Chelsea tractor!!!!

She should have given way to you, since you were unpowered.

This "superior" attitude seems to be growing on the canals. We are off on Thursday morning from Alvecote in a hire boat, following problems with our normal timeshare boat, so will expect the usual comments about "bloody hire boats" from some people!
Funny how it never happens in our normal boat that doesn't have a comapny name on the side!!

[Wireless]

Never did buy a timeshare, always hire boats, but before my children disappeared off to Uni and College we went two or three times a year, in all weathers.  We've done Tardebigge Flight in less than 3 hours, there's not many commercial boats could do that, and we've been to places like Sharpness and cooked the gearbox at 6mph (couldn't take the thing out of gear, it was alright, just needed to cool down).  Interesting conversation with the Hire Company Mechanic though, who never expected 'Hire Boaters' to go as far as that.

Last trip we did was the Caledonian in October 2006, interesting when there's a two to three foot swell, or when the fog comes down and you lose sight of the bank a mile away.  I suppose the French Canals are our target next, must get a passport.

But...still a damned 'Hire Boater'...

[piggysteve]

We've had our boat on the canals for 20 years.
We have had a lot more trouble with private boaters, especially the ones who go out once or twice a year in their polished palaces to the local show, than the hire boats.
Last year I had a classic, we had a plastic bag round the prop and rudder losing all steerage way. We were drifting along when a boat blasted round a corner nearly hitting us, the owner went mad it was hilarious. Apparently I'm a useless weekend boater who should'nt be allowed out of the marina. I cant repeat my response  :D

Steve

[muddyjames]

I wandered along the canal last week and had a lift back to the car as I helped some people through a lock. I was supprised as he was on the last but 1 day of his week holiday and was asking ME how fast he should be going past boats and if he was getting it right and if the guy who went the other way wearing a captains hat who dropped the paddle gear was right to do that. It made me smile

[bilge rat]

tis a lovelly place the cut , i actually worked out roughly how far they could have got and found the boat so got its index no and name reported it to bw , funny thing is it looked like it had been abandoned where it was left . i am thinking they might not have a place of mooring , so iff it dont move in the future think it might be them that have to abide the rules  ;). alan,,,,