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The Waterworld Generation

Neil TNC

By Neil TNC
in General Boating

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Neil TNC Rising Star

Neil TNC

Posted
Posted

There are more than one of my boating friends that think the Waterworld series has a lot to answer for.

Before this series there was very little media attention directed towards the waterways.

Was this new attention good or bad for the waterways and/or boaters (of all persuasions)?...discuss :rolleyes:

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

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When it all turns pear-shaped there'll be plenty of cheap second hand boats to choose from as the masses flee from leaky lock gates and overgrown tow paths.

 

We may even see disused arms filling up with abandoned, forgotten boats, ftgh, just like the old days, intrepid die-hards clambering over the rusting hulks, looking for a good 'un.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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I'm wondering if this is where the 'theme park attitude comes from.' People moan. It especially winds me up when people complain about locks being heavy to work.

 

GYAC they were designed for industrial use by workers, so of course they are heavy, if you want a Disneyland style experience them go and drive a little plastic boat around in a theme park. :angry:

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Semitrad Collaborator

Semitrad

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I'm wondering if this is where the 'theme park attitude comes from.' People moan. It especially winds me up when people complain about locks being heavy to work.

 

GYAC they were designed for industrial use by workers, so of course they are heavy, if you want a Disneyland style experience them go and drive a little plastic boat around in a theme park. :angry:

 

I would suggest that most locks were designed to be easily and quickly worked, and that age and poor maintenance has a lot to do with the difficulty of operation. Perhaps when Lady Muck has a few more years under her belt she might have a different outlook.

Things have moved on a bit, today's cruisers don't want to finish a holiday with a hernia or worse.

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canaldrifter Experienced

canaldrifter

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It does make me wonder sometimes, what folks expect when they book a canal 'barge' holiday.

 

A recent friend of mine took her girls on a hired boat for a week a few years ago. She says she was totally bored with it all. The boat was too narrow, too slow, and you had to keep getting off to go through locks!

 

Also other boaters kept shouting at her for going too fast!

 

(I think I have my work cut out there this year. She's also a retired tax inspector!)

 

Tone

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nigel carton Rising Star

nigel carton

Posted
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When it all turns pear-shaped there'll be plenty of cheap second hand boats to choose from as the masses flee from leaky lock gates and overgrown tow paths.

 

We may even see disused arms filling up with abandoned, forgotten boats, ftgh, just like the old days, intrepid die-hards clambering over the rusting hulks, looking for a good 'un.

 

What I've been doing for the last 11 years B)

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Idunhoe Community Regular

Idunhoe

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It presents a very rose-tinted middle class view of boating.

 

Tone

 

I completely agree, whilst the programme may have had some merit as straightforward entertainment it never showed anyone trying to look cheerful while steering in a howling gale with horizontal rain (great fun and an experience not to be missed :closedeyes:

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canaldrifter Experienced

canaldrifter

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Maybe we should get together and make our own series of Water World, showing it like it really is? The object should be to put any would-be boater off buying one, before the LLangollen goes into summer grid-lock. We could call it Canal Underworld, hosted by Tim Spall. He tells it from a wimp's point of view!

 

I'll offer these two, the second one is to put Neil Arlidge's beautiful images of Irish waters back into perspective....

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/ToneForever#p/a/u/2/Fxx2Z3Sds6I

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g6GVVjxZCg

 

Tone

Edited by canaldrifter
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bottle Veteran II

bottle

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In the second one

 

You could see the film makers crutches, that's why it appears that the barge was rolling about so much.;)

 

 

 

 

Edit: please take this in the manner to which it was posted, it is not meant to offend.

Edited by bottle
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canaldrifter Experienced

canaldrifter

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In the second one

 

You could see the film makers crutches, that's why it appears that the barge was rolling about so much.;)

 

 

 

 

Edit: please take this in the manner to which it was posted, it is not meant to offend.

 

Yes, good point.... the leg - acy of too many weekends spent digging out the Basingstoke, too many locks, and too many bloody swing bridges!

 

(Not to mention morris dancing... and playing rugby.... )

 

Tone

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Chertsey Veteran

Chertsey

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Then we will have to agree to disagree - this is industrial architecture we are talking about. We are playing at boats on canals that weren't designed for leisure. I think it's great that we're allowed to do so, we can't all go and drive trains around for instance.

Hear hear. There are limited opportunities these days to do things that are both difficult and dangerous.

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Neil TNC Rising Star

Neil TNC

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Then we will have to agree to disagree - this is industrial architecture we are talking about. We are playing at boats on canals that weren't designed for leisure. I think it's great that we're allowed to do so, we can't all go and drive trains around for instance.

 

Many do, I decided to concentrate on boating rather than "my" steam engine....I am starting to wonder if I made a mistake....

GWR 4247 linky

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Biggles Veteran

Biggles

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Sounds to me that that engine is really having it guts thrashed out!

 

I love the idea of Water Underworld though.

 

Defiantly NOT presented by the Welsh girl even if she can say the name of the Welsh water bridge.

 

Biggles

  • Greenie 1
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