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Pulling/Towing a boat


Pennie

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One rope at the front, one at the back, pull the one at the front to make it come in and the one at the back to make it go out (and to make it go forward).

 

Best strategy is to get the boat as far from the bank as you can to give you wriggling room.

Using this set up but attaching the forward rope approx 1/4 to 1/3 back from the bow but on the boats centre line generally seems to work better

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Personally I want to do it for 'fun' as well fitness (determined to shift some of my excess weight doing boat stuff this year) and then there is the short distances we sometimes do that its probably kinder on the engine to not run it for a short little jaunt. When I pulled the boat for a mile or so backwards down the Erewash last year because of intermittent ability to reverse and no turning point when a lock was unexpectedly closed off, I really did enjoy hauling it even if I did spend more time pushing it out of the silt than actually moving in the direction I wanted :-)

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Or tie your bow and stern ropes together (possibly with an additional rope if you have one), to make a continuous rope from bow stud to stern dolly. Place the loop around your waist, and as you pull you can adjust where you are in the loop to keep the boat going in the right direction. You usually want the bow to be just a little further out from the towpath than the stern. With a little practice you will find you can keep on adjusting the position while continuing to pull, so you can steer the boat as necessary around bends and through bridges. Once you have the boat moving it takes surprisingly little effort to keep it going at a moderate speed.

 

You will get dirt from the towpath and water from the cut on your clothes though, so dress appropriately.

 

 

sounds pretty straight forward...would be worried about passing a moored boat, especially if they have their washing up / TV antenna etc etc

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sounds pretty straight forward...would be worried about passing a moored boat, especially if they have their washing up / TV antenna etc etc

 

However you bowhaul, passing boats moored on the towpath is a PAIN. And especially so if there is lots of stuff on the roof.

 

I once saw someone bow hauling past a centre cockpit cruiser with a raised wood/glass wheelhouse. He tried unsuccessfully several times to toss the towrope over the wheelhouse, as the towed boat continued to drift forwards. Eventually the rope snagged on part of the wheelhouse roof, the rope went taunt and the entire wheelhouse collapsed! Oops!

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However you bowhaul, passing boats moored on the towpath is a PAIN. And especially so if there is lots of stuff on the roof.

 

I once saw someone bow hauling past a centre cockpit cruiser with a raised wood/glass wheelhouse. He tried unsuccessfully several times to toss the towrope over the wheelhouse, as the towed boat continued to drift forwards. Eventually the rope snagged on part of the wheelhouse roof, the rope went taunt and the entire wheelhouse collapsed! Oops!

 

Hmm! I'm afraid my attitude would be.....it's a towpath.....tough!

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Classic old humour. That book is brilliant, as is the next one, who's name I forget.

Was it 'Three Men On A Bummel'? Ein Bummel is a ramble or wander in German, leading to the rather delicious word 'Bummelzug', a slow branch-line train.

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  • 1 month later...

I /we move with our boat and butty all year round,most of the advise given is right,you have to see what work's for you. The thing that most people forget is its not towing or steering thats the problem,Its Stopping! I'm 16 stone so have a bit body weight to help,It will put you on your bum at sometime.

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Going down the Farmers Bridge flight on Monday with the NBT's butty Brighton, I was learning how it's done by bow hauling (as opposed to long lining which the NBT sometimes use). Based on that I'd say the best way to stop the boat is to judge when to cease pulling a little while before you want to stop, and just wait for the water to slow it down. Some adjustment by pulling forward or back is possible, and also when coming into a lock the bow line can be strapped around a bollard to stop the boat ramming the gates.

 

As has been said, if pulling by a single line, a long line attached about a third of the way back from the bow is ideal. We had three men moving the butty while a fourth moved the motor single handed; one steering and looking after the ellum in each lock, this being important because Brighton only just fits in. That left two of us to operate the paddles and gates and pull on the rope; we got into a pretty good rhythm in the end, setting the next lock while the current one emptied and making sure the line was correctly placed ready for pulling the butty out after opening the bottom gate.

 

Bow hauling a full length narrow boat for any longer distance than between two locks close together in a flight is hard work, something best done only when necessary or by a horse.

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Weren't you towing from the mast?

We were using the mast when bow hauling, not quite a third of the way back but close enough; the bow tended to come in a bit towards the towpath but with help from the steerer it stayed out quite well.

When towing we used cross straps as the butty was unladen.

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After hauling a mile last month I bet it would be far more comfortable using a chest harness. 12tons is okay but rope over the shoulder begins to dig in. A short pole seemed to offer help. A pulling rope just astern of the centre and bow rope to guide it back in worked well enough but didn't need to negotiate any moored boats. Was fun but when the rain came it was time to go back to the engine.

Edited by BilgePump
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After hauling a mile last month I bet it would be far more comfortable using a chest harness. 12tons is okay but rope over the shoulder begins to dig in. A short pole seemed to offer help. A pulling rope just astern of the centre and bow rope to guide it back in worked well enough but didn't need to negotiate any moored boats. Was fun but when the rain came it was time to go back to the engine.

A donkey jacket with stiff leather shoulders or a jacket or similar folded and placed between the shoulder and the rope is a big help.

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  • 10 months later...
On 14/04/2016 at 00:42, zenataomm said:

According to Jerome K Jerome's best seller "Three Men In a Boat" There is nothing more exciting than being towed by girls.

Quote............

 

Of all experiences in connection with towing, the most exciting is being towed by girls. It is a sensation that nobody ought to miss. It takes three girls to tow always; two hold the rope, and the other one runs round and round, and giggles. They generally begin by getting themselves tied up. They get the line round their legs, and have to sit down on the path and undo each other, and then they twist it round their necks, and are nearly strangled. They fix it straight, however, at last, and start off at a run, pulling the boat along at quite a dangerous pace. At the end of a hundred yards they are naturally breathless, and suddenly stop, and all sit down on the grass and laugh, and your boat drifts out to mid- stream and turns round, before you know what has happened, or can get hold of a scull. Then they stand up, and are surprised.

"Oh, look!" they say; "he's gone right out into the middle."

They pull on pretty steadily for a bit, after this, and then it all at once occurs to one of them that she will pin up her frock, and they ease up for the purpose, and the boat runs aground.

You jump up, and push it off, and you shout to them not to stop.

"Yes. What's the matter?" they shout back.

"Don't stop," you roar.

"Don't what?"

"Don't stop — go on — go on!"

"Go back, Emily, and see what it is they want," says one; and Emily comes back, and asks what it is.

"What do you want?" she says; "anything happened?"

" No," you reply, "it's all right; only go on, you know — don't stop."

"Why not?"

"Why, we can't steer, if you keep stopping. You must keep some way on the boat."

"Keep some what?"

"Some way — you must keep the boat moving."

"Oh, all right, I'll tell `em. Are we doing it all right?"

"Oh, yes, very nicely, indeed, only don't stop."

"It doesn't seem difficult at all. I thought it was so hard."

"Oh, no, it's simple enough. You want to keep on steady at it, that's all."

"I see. Give me out my red shawl, it's under the cushion."

You find the shawl, and hand it out, and by this time another one has come back and thinks she will have hers too, and they take Mary's on chance, and Mary does not want it, so they bring it back and have a pocket-comb instead. It is about twenty minutes before they get off again, and, at the next corner, they see a cow, and you have to leave the boat to chivy the cow out of their way.

There is never a dull moment in the boat while girls are towing it.

You got me all steamed up imagining a bevy of birds pulling my boat. Black bikini clad complete with studdied harness and horse brasses, bits and bridles. Ee by eck, grand as owt that ! 

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2014 first year of owning and operating a 60' boat and singled handed having a short cruise rugby to braunston and back on a drizzily day. I,m approaching braunston A45 bridge and heres a young guy coming towards me pulling his grp cruiser, its a wreck. I,m surprised and a ask him how far he,s pulling it?  " coventry " was the reply !!!!!. Thats a two day cruise from braunston. I felt so sorry for him. My plan was to have a beer at the boatsman in braunston, turn around and head back to rugby. I knew i would pass him on the return. What should i do? I,m a newby myself just then and no idea how to tow. My good samaritan mode clicked in and i skipped the beer, winded at the marina and headed back. Maybe 30 minutes or so had passed but after i cleared braunston on the return he had disappeared so i assumed he,d fixed his motor or gotten a tow, but no boats had passed me. Then up ahead i saw him. He had made a really good distance in 30 minutes, i was surprised. Pulled past him and offered him a tow as far as Barby Straight. He seemed to know his towing stuff and pulled his high bow close on to my stern button with short crossed lines to my stern cleats. I made two mugs of coffee, he was soaking wet, then we set off with him riding his bow just a yard behind me so we could chat. The grp cruiser was as docile as a lamb and no pushing weight when i had to steer or slow down. He told me he had bought the wreck in banbury intending to do it up at his home in coventry only to find the engine failed just north of banbury,  he,d already been walking two days and dossing down in the wreck overnight with nothing at all. Brave hardey soul i was impressed. Anyway i dropped him an hour n half later at barby straight as i headed into barby marina and he seemed content to continue his journey on foot. I hope he got some more tows.

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Good work.

Sounds like keen bloke with some work ahead of him!

Putting a boat on cross straps as you detail is the best way of towing a boat light in the bow and grp cruiser will rairly bully an narrowboat around under tow.

If towing a Lauren/heavy bow boat you need a longer single line to keep it away from your prop wash. But then the boat under tow needs to get steering hard and at the right time.

 

Daniel

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 13/04/2016 at 18:46, Tiggs said:

 

The 3 posts (howaerdand, ditchcrawler, MJG)tell you where to fasten the line. To find the balance point just push the boat away from the bank a few times until you find the point where the front a back go out evenly. You want the centre of your pulling arrangement to be about a foot in front of this.

 

You need at least 50 foot of rope, the more the better.

 

Ideally you need a steerer, but if you have not got one then to you can set the tiller to steer a few degrees from the towpath. Pull on the whole length of the rope to make it go out, shorten the rope to pull the boat into the bank, letting the boat pass you. It's a lot easier if you have a mast to tie to though.

 

Locks are not usually a problem. Just pull the boat in. By-washes can be tricky though. There are some locks where we would always pull the butty in with the motor on a long line, or at least have that option. Going up or going down, always pull the boat right in until the bow touches and tie the pulling rope to the lock gate - wrap it round the beam - not on the metalwork. Going up, tighten this as the boat comes up, going down loosen as it goes down to keep the boat off the cill.

 

Tie a monkey's fist on the end of the rope so you can swing it under foot path bridges.

 

Passing moving boats, wave them to the offside.

 

Passing moored boats - difficult especially with all the crap some people have on their roofs, but you an toss the rope over a bit at a time or use a stick to hold it high.

All as above said the  things I would add is a 70ft rope is the most useful length & don't try to pull the boat,place the tow iine over your shoulder (the one away from the cut)take up the slack & then lean into the line to get the boat moving once underway keep tension on the line & the boat so long as it's afloat/not grounded it will keep going, to stop let the boat get level & shorten the line to around 20f & hold back it will slow & pull the fore end to the bank.

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On ‎12‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 14:55, Irob said:

You got me all steamed up imagining a bevy of birds pulling my boat. Black bikini clad complete with studdied harness and horse brasses, bits and bridles. Ee by eck, grand as owt that ! 

That would certainly give the Horseboating Society some competition...

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The ideal mechanism to bow haul a boat past moored boats is by the use of a pantograph. A pantograph such as Tramcars used to have, ''contact the Crich Tramcar museum for one''. They swivel around all points of the compass and are spring loaded upwards.  One of these fixed to the boats roof with the tow rope attached to the top would follow every movement of the hauler. When passing moored boats simply let the rope go slack and the spring loaded pantograph will pop up to an erection of about 10ft easily allowing the tow line to clear the highest boat or obstacle.. When clear of moored boats start pulling on the rope again, the pantograph will descend, swivel and follow you implicitly, like a dog sniffing after aniseed.  With a little caster wheel fixed to the top of the pantograph in place of the electrical contactor it will roll its way under bridges and through tunnels with the greatest of ease.  What a panto.   Hope this helps.

Note-  The pantograph trolley on this Liverpool corporation Green Goddess tramcar.   And another displaying the pantograph more clearly. This pic is of another Liverpool corporation tram of the smaller 4 wheeled Baby Grand type.

010721_20 Green Goddess - Copy.jpg

tramcar-245-conserved-birkenhead.jpg

Edited by bizzard
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On ‎28‎/‎04‎/‎2016 at 17:37, Athy said:

Was it 'Three Men On A Bummel'? Ein Bummel is a ramble or wander in German, leading to the rather delicious word 'Bummelzug', a slow branch-line train.

That's pretty close to what these trains were called in Dutch "Boemeltrein".

 

Peter.

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1 minute ago, bargemast said:

That's pretty close to what these trains were called in Dutch "Boemeltrein".

 

Peter.

Thank you Peter - and on the exact anniversary of my post, that's style!

I have read that those old steam trams which used to run in some European cities were called in Dutch "Tramtrein" which is a good word for railway enthusiasts who were not sure if they were trams or trains.

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4 minutes ago, Athy said:

Thank you Peter - and on the exact anniversary of my post, that's style!

I have read that those old steam trams which used to run in some European cities were called in Dutch "Tramtrein" which is a good word for railway enthusiasts who were not sure if they were trams or trains.

Well Athy, I knew that you are a well educated man, but never expected you to know so much about the Dutch Train- and Tram history.

 

As a child we used to go from Amsterdam (were we were living) to visit the grandparents that were living in Enkhuizen, a very picturesque old fishing town on the IJsselmeer, formerly the Zuiderzee where my grandfather (mums dad) used to be a professional fisherman.

 

We used to go there with this Steamtram:   http://www.stoomtram.nl/en   which is still occasionally running for the tourists.

 

Peter.

  • Greenie 1
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9 hours ago, bizzard said:

The ideal mechanism to bow haul a boat past moored boats is by the use of a pantograph. A pantograph such as Tramcars used to have, ''contact the Crich Tramcar museum for one''. They swivel around all points of the compass and are spring loaded upwards.  One of these fixed to the boats roof with the tow rope attached to the top would follow every movement of the hauler. When passing moored boats simply let the rope go slack and the spring loaded pantograph will pop up to an erection of about 10ft easily allowing the tow line to clear the highest boat or obstacle.. When clear of moored boats start pulling on the rope again, the pantograph will descend, swivel and follow you implicitly, like a dog sniffing after aniseed.  With a little caster wheel fixed to the top of the pantograph in place of the electrical contactor it will roll its way under bridges and through tunnels with the greatest of ease.  What a panto.   Hope this helps.

Note-  The pantograph trolley on this Liverpool corporation Green Goddess tramcar.   And another displaying the pantograph more clearly. This pic is of another Liverpool corporation tram of the smaller 4 wheeled Baby Grand type.

010721_20 Green Goddess - Copy.jpg

tramcar-245-conserved-birkenhead.jpg

Come on Bizz Thats a trolley pole, a pantograph is a thing on the roof of a west coastline power car cranked in the centre with a bar flat at right angle to the live wire cranked down at the ends various types fitted to all "leccy" train power cars

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I have a 90 foot line, pull from the mast box pulling from here tends to keep the boat out better without pulling the back in if i pull from the cabin rings the bow will stay out but back end pulls in, i also have soneone on the tiller.

 

Getting past other moving boats is fine i tend to pass the wrong side to avoid the rope being picked up on the blades.

Passing moored boats is more difficult i try to knock on boats as ask to walk down the gunwels to save throwing the rope ovee the top, this also stops it getting cought on things on there roof.

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