Overtaking

[Ange]

"If I was in a hurry I would not have bought a boat I would have bought a Ferrari" is my attitude about boating.

 

If I am dawdling I wave people past at the first opportunity, BUT, and there is always a "but" if I am travelling at a goodly pace and the boat behind is wreathed in blue smoke with a bow wave that would do credit to a speed boat and there is a flight of locks half a mile away, then I am sorry they stay behind (because I know what is in their mind) .

 

5th

 

<sigh> as I said:-

 

 

We have all the time in the world to get from A to B and are never in a hurry but it made it hard work for Dave to maintain a polite distance, which is a different issue altogether.

 

There are no locks on the Lancaster Canal by the way. (Apart from on the Glasson Branch, we're on the main line)

 

Edited before a pedant points out that there are some locks on the Lancy

Edited October 5, 2010 by Ange

[soldthehouse]

<sigh> as I said:-

 

 

 

There are no locks on the Lancaster Canal by the way. (Apart from on the Glasson Branch, we're on the main line)

 

Edited before a pedant points out that there are some locks on the Lancy

T

there are some locks on the Lancy

[Guest]

T

there are some locks on the Lancy

 

Do you mean the abandoned ones at Tewitfield (SP)???

[soldthehouse]

Do you mean the abandoned ones at Tewitfield (SP)???

Dont know I was just being pedantic, [For which I will suffer in the future],and playing the diplomatic immunity card.

[Guest]

Dont know I was just being pedantic, [For which I will suffer in the future],and playing the diplomatic immunity card.

 

Whatever - it's a nice walk though that section and interesting to see how the M6 and the A road (Can't recall the number) just slice through the canal and rendered it cut off.

[Smelly]

Sorry Graham but this "why go quickly" motif spouted by some p*sses me off; sometimes it's necessary. I learned my boating with a boat that needed to get back on a shoestring so we often did 14 or 16 hour days; it was not my agenda but the boats had deadlines to work to.

 

Last year on our way back from Luff we were pushing it anyway but had written in a day off, then some poor bugger broke down in an inconvenient place, so we lost that day in towing him to a boatyard which was 2 and a bit days away; we lost a lot of time & we needed to rush home. Even getting a move on 14 hour days were the norm. you might say "bad planning" and fair enough but the alternative was leaving fella in an unmoving boat with little hope of a tow to a safe mooring for what turned out to be 2 days, and even then would they have towed him? It was a "hippy boat" that a lot of the shiny boat brigade would've sneered at.

 

We worked bloody hard to make the time up and were fettered at the time by, frankly ignorant people, especially at Braunston (I suspect a prominent forum member) making rules up as they went along...

 

Some people do have deadlines and occasionally they are there for a good reason and if they are working hard to meet them, if that is not destructive (read my "notes on speed" thread from 2009) then fair play; maybe boaters shouldn't be inventing rules which serve only their convenience.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Smelly

[GRPCruiserman]

Do you mean the abandoned ones at Tewitfield (SP)???

 

There are the abandoned ones at Tewitfield, but also if you tuirn left (going North) just before Galgate, there are six locks down to Glasson Dock (plus the sea lock) which is a lovely stretch of canal in itself and takes you to the wonderful village of Glasson, worth a couple of days stay on its own, mooring in Glasson Basin with all the sea going boats. You can access Morecambe Bay from here too if your boat is up to it (and you!!)

 

Cracking few days excursion, the locks are pretty hard ones though as they are not used that much.

 

There are also seven (or some say eight) locks on The Ribble Link section of The Lancaster giving access to The Ribble and the rest of the main canal system and Preston Dock (and the sea past Lytham).

 

The main line, however, is 46 miles with only one working swing bridge to interupt your travel, and if you pass there at weekends there are always kids there who will work you through it for a pound.

 

Cracking canal.

[carpetbloke]

Some seem to forget or just have no idea how difficult it is to steer a cruiser at slow speeds.

Most narrowboat owners wave you by but some seem to delight in seeing you struggle hogging the entire cut.

I`ve had a few amateur photo snappers too, possibly trying to get a pic of the skiier on the back (joke).

Must admit we`re always on a mission as we don`t have the luxury of unlimited time, but slowing for bends and pinch points is often not an option in a cruiser with outboard.

[granddad]

its not rocket science just common sense and good manners. If a boat approaches you and you believe they wish to pass, wave them on, slow down, pull in to generally the right, beware of the pressure waves pulling your bows into their stern as they are nearly past you, dont speed up to regain steerage way, and a friendly wave to help them on their way. Then forget them.

ken

[Naughty Cal]

We struggle to get NC to cruise along at any less than 3mph which does lead to us catching narrowboat owners up on a regular basis. It isnt generally a problem where we cruise most often as the waters are deep and wide, however when we catch them in a shallow spot or where the channel is narrow we find that the anchor aiming for them at about shoulder or head height is often enough to get them to move over and let us through.

[WJM]

I once got stuck for miles on the South Oxford behind a prat going about 1mph who refused to let me past. On tick-over I actually crashed into the back of him. I don't regret it, and he instantly changed his mind about blocking me. I didn't even apologise as I passed. He deserved it, the arrogant git. I hope his cupboards were emptied all over the floor!

[Naughty Cal]

I once got stuck for miles on the South Oxford behind a prat going about 1mph who refused to let me past. On tick-over I actually crashed into the back of him. I don't regret it, and he instantly changed his mind about blocking me. I didn't even apologise as I passed. He deserved it, the arrogant git. I hope his cupboards were emptied all over the floor!

 

That really isnt the attitude to take. Even if someone is going slowly in front of you, you are still responsible for the safe and proper navigation odf your vessel. Ramming someone for going slowly isnt safe.

[Sarah and Ian]

Very similar happened to us the other week but we were in front.

 

We had dropped down dallows lock on the T&M there was a boat waiting to come up and another behind us waiting to come down. By the time we had come to the aquaduct over the dove he had caught us up. Now even if was not doing 4mph I timed myself against a mile marker and was not that far off taking moored boats and fishermen into consideration. I must of had a 15mins head start on him. So he must have been going a fair old pace. Sarah said she had asked the woman at the previous lock and asked where they were heading to and she said as far as they can.

 

Well they didn't try and pass although I thought they got to close at some points. Low and behold when we went into the Marina they followed us in and moored up.

[WJM]

"Ramming someone for going slowly isnt safe."

 

 

I would not describe it as ramming - I would describe it as a collision due to their stupid and unthoughtful navigation. They were being utterly arrogant and inconsiderate by refusing to let me past and I responded by being almost as ignorant. I could see by their strutting, puffed-chest demeanour that they saw themselves as self-appointed regulators of the canal. A bit of smashed crockery might cause them to reassess.

 

And Phylis, this is the kind of fun you can only have with steel boats! ;-)

[Naughty Cal]

"Ramming someone for going slowly isnt safe."

 

 

I would not describe it as ramming - I would describe it as a collision due to their stupid and unthoughtful navigation. They were being utterly arrogant and inconsiderate by refusing to let me past and I responded by being almost as ignorant. I could see by their strutting, puffed-chest demeanour that they saw themselves as self-appointed regulators of the canal. A bit of smashed crockery might cause them to reassess.

 

And Phylis, this is the kind of fun you can only have with steel boats! ;-)

 

The only arrogant behaviour was yours for attempting to force your way through and overtake. The collision was of your doing and as such your behaviour was arrogant and dangerous. If a car is going slowly in front of you do you ram that.

 

Having a steel boat does not give you the right to ram every other boat on the water nor does it make your behaviour fun. Do you think it was fun for the boat you hit?

[Tam & Di]

The only arrogant behaviour was yours for attempting to force your way through and overtake. The collision was of your doing and as such your behaviour was arrogant and dangerous. If a car is going slowly in front of you do you ram that.

 

Having a steel boat does not give you the right to ram every other boat on the water nor does it make your behaviour fun. Do you think it was fun for the boat you hit?

 

But on the other hand did I not just read:

 

Posted Today, 08:58 AM

....... when we catch them in a shallow spot or where the channel is narrow we find that the anchor aiming for them at about shoulder or head height is often enough to get them to move over and let us through.

 

Now who was it posted that one? I must check it out.

[Naughty Cal]

But on the other hand did I not just read:

 

Posted Today, 08:58 AM

....... when we catch them in a shallow spot or where the channel is narrow we find that the anchor aiming for them at about shoulder or head height is often enough to get them to move over and let us through.

 

Now who was it posted that one? I must check it out.

 

Would you like me to remove the anchor from its home on the bow so as not to be quite so intimidating when we approach narrowboaters or other slow boaters?

 

We have never and would never ram another boat to make it move out of our way. Our anchor just happens to be positioned at the same height as your average narrowboaters head/shoulder when they are stood on the stern of their boats. That tends to be enough for slower boats to moveaside. We dont use the anchor as a method of forcing our way through, other boaters probably dont like the sight of it sat over their shoulder and move accordingly.

 

There is a differnce between ramming a boat to make it move, which is down right dangerous behaviour and shouldnt be condoned, and sitting at an appropriate distance from the rear of a boat until it moves over.

[Tam & Di]

Sorry Graham but this "why go quickly" motif spouted by some p*sses me off; sometimes it's necessary.

 

 

Exactly. If I go to the supermarket it is generally to buy something, so people chatting in groups in the aisle who make no effort to move to let me by pyss me off. If I am going somewhere on my boat - which is most usually what I am doing, rather than going for a gentle stroll in it - then again someone dawdling along has every right to do so, but I have every right to go by them. It's all a matter of not regarding yourself as the only person in the world, and accommodating other participants (insofar as one can).

 

I must say though that the OP should really have made his desire to get by more obvious - by closing up when it was appropriate to pass, making sound or hand signals of some kind if necessary. The guy in front could not be expected to second guess him.

[5thHorseman]

<sigh> as I said:-

 

 

 

There are no locks on the Lancaster Canal by the way. (Apart from on the Glasson Branch, we're on the main line)

 

Edited before a pedant points out that there are some locks on the Lancy

 

So sorry, thought the thread was general. Should it have been better titled "overtaking on the Lancaster canal"?

 

<sigh>

 

If you were not in a hurry, why didn't you moor up for half an hour and make yourselves a nice cup of tea, instead of getting in a lather about it?

 

 

5th

[canaldrifter]

 

The main line, however, is 46 miles with only one working swing bridge to interupt your travel, and if you pass there at weekends there are always kids there who will work you through it for a pound.

 

OW MOOCH????????

 

(Sorry.... I've been in Yorkshire too long! It is said that a Yorkshireman has the same attitude towards money as a Scotsman, but without the generosity!)

 

When I was on the Lancy two years ago I waited for a suitable dog walker and politely asked him to work the one and only swing bridge for me. I was solo and disabled at that time.

 

Two week's later, on the way back, that very same dog walker was there, and did the honours for me again. Quite a coinkidinky.

 

I wuz on my way to the Lancy again this year cos I luv it up there, but the lock closure at Barrowford, then the water shortage at Wigan made me turn around. Just in time as it happened. I went to Sheffield and then on to the Chesterfield instead.

 

(Back on topic) Now there is a canal where I'd like to see anyone try to overtake! No chance!

 

Tone

[Tam & Di]

Would you like me to remove the anchor from its home on the bow so as not to be quite so intimidating when we approach narrowboaters or other slow boaters?

 

We have never and would never ram another boat to make it move out of our way. Our anchor just happens to be positioned at the same height as your average narrowboaters head/shoulder when they are stood on the stern of their boats. That tends to be enough for slower boats to moveaside. We dont use the anchor as a method of forcing our way through, other boaters probably dont like the sight of it sat over their shoulder and move accordingly.

 

There is a differnce between ramming a boat to make it move, which is down right dangerous behaviour and shouldnt be condoned, and sitting at an appropriate distance from the rear of a boat until it moves over.

 

The implication of your post was that you find it works quite well to intimidate a narrowboater when you come up on him in a narrow/shallow spot, as he moves over. You don't seem to mention the difficulties he might have trying to do that in this narrow/shallow spot. "..... don't like the sight of it sat over their shoulder" sounds all the world to me like a bullying attitude, though it does allow you to say piously that you would never ram anyone. I don't think many 4x4 drivers who make tailgating a habit actually plan to ram the car ahead, but it does not make them nicer people.

[magpie patrick]

Would you like me to remove the anchor from its home on the bow so as not to be quite so intimidating when we approach narrowboaters or other slow boaters?

 

We have never and would never ram another boat to make it move out of our way. Our anchor just happens to be positioned at the same height as your average narrowboaters head/shoulder when they are stood on the stern of their boats. That tends to be enough for slower boats to moveaside. We dont use the anchor as a method of forcing our way through, other boaters probably dont like the sight of it sat over their shoulder and move accordingly.

 

There is a differnce between ramming a boat to make it move, which is down right dangerous behaviour and shouldnt be condoned, and sitting at an appropriate distance from the rear of a boat until it moves over.

 

The appropriate distance being about 3 feet away presumably

 

Whosit (I can't remember who confessed to ramming, and can't be arsed to look) has confessed to doing this deliberatly but in practice on problem with a narrow boat is you can't always see where the front is. You can see the front of the cabin, but on Ripple there is another 8 feet of boat in front of that. I've never hit another boat while moving but I have occasionally poked Ripples hooter into things when manoeuvring.

 

While I don't condone ramming I can understand the frustration, there are pratts out there who are the canal equivalent of colonel blimp. Slightly but when we went to Diglis we ended up having to breast up. We asked a crew of 8 women if they were okay and they said yes but pointed out they might be back late from the pub. They asked the next boat, a 62 foot hire boat (better as we are also 62 feet) and the popmpous bloke gae us all a lecture on why mooring breasting up nose to tail was not a good idea. He then said yes but gave so many reasons why it was awkward that the girls finally "oh sod it, tie up to us". He then "helped" by advising their ropes were too short "I'm surprised the lock keeper let you on the river with these" (clue mate, there isn't a lock keeper). He was about to have a go at our ropes and pipe fenders when I just said, "look mate, it's not a hire boat, and my parents, who you can see over there, started boating in 1959". That was all I said but it resulted in a snort of wounded pride and a retreat into his cabin without saying anything more. He coldy ignored us all in the morning as the four of us and the eight girls had a shared al-fresco breakfast. Doubtless having fun was also an offence in his book

 

Some people really shouldn't be on the waterways...

[Naughty Cal]

The implication of your post was that you find it works quite well to intimidate a narrowboater when you come up on him in a narrow/shallow spot, as he moves over. You don't seem to mention the difficulties he might have trying to do that in this narrow/shallow spot. "..... don't like the sight of it sat over their shoulder" sounds all the world to me like a bullying attitude, though it does allow you to say piously that you would never ram anyone. I don't think many 4x4 drivers who make tailgating a habit actually plan to ram the car ahead, but it does not make them nicer people.

 

I also made no mention of the difficulties we have in passing in narrow or shallow places which invariable end up with us doing BW's dredging job for them or trimming the trees but hey ho.

 

Maintaining slow speeds in a cruiser is not easy, they are light so any wind catches them, they need some power on to maintain steerage which is always too much as you catch the boat in front and constantly knocking the engine in and out of gear puts undue stresses through the gearbox especially if you have a higher powered boat. Overtaking is the sensible course of action to take.

 

PS: It isnt generally 4x4 drivers tailgating. It tends to be reps in their BMW's or Audi's.

[magpie patrick]

I'm with you on the can't go that slow. On the K and A we sometimes are following a boat and have to drop out of gear, at which point we lose all steerage, not that we've much anyway at low speeds. So we go broadside. When you take the power off Juno, she always seems to turn to the right. The K and A is also so busy that we can't just hold back, because chancesare there is someone behind us.

 

Looking forward to letting her loose on the Avon next year.

[carlt]

I don't think many 4x4 drivers who make tailgating a habit actually plan to ram the car ahead, but it does not make them nicer people.

My 4x4s have always been series 2 Land-Rovers (apart from a brief affair with a Stage 1 V8).

 

Tailgating cars is but a dream, though I have intimidated a few milk float drivers.