New Statesman article on narrowboats.

[comfortably numb]

When we hired boats in the past, and latterly shared a boat, I always did most of the steering and my wife was happy to operate the locks. This was down to me being a bit selfish because with limited time on the boat I didn't want to give up the enjoyment of being at the tiller. The problem with that was that during the few spells that I would allow her to steer, I wasn't able to relax because I always had to be nearby to help her out or take over if she came across a difficult 'situation' such as meeting an oncoming boat in a tight spot.

 

Now we have our own boat so have unlimited time cruising on it I'm letting/encouraging her to steer a lot more so that she can become competent and confident enough to do more of it. The boat is suffering a few scrapes while she gets to grips with it, but at least now I can visit the toilet without being summoned when my trousers are round my ankles in the middle of a dump !

[Pykebird]

Unless I have a willing slave (crew) to help me I usually end up doing the driving and the locks! In fact when people comment on how good/lovely the kids are I usually reply, Yes but they are useless at doing the locks!

Star could you problem with the locks be anything to do with MB's maths?.......You know this is 6 inches

[nb Innisfree]

My missus always does the locks because she is intimidated by steering, it's as simple as that, I would love the physical activity of working locks but it's just the way she is, quite happy in her role.

[billS]

My wife's usual retort is "it's cheaper than a gym".

 

Luckily she finds it hard to get out of bed in the morning, so I usually get a few locks in single handing in the morning before she gets up, otherwise I would never get to do locks.

[greywolf]

I liked the article a lot .written with whimsey. By local authorities he presumably means the local parking wardens.

[keble]

I recognise a lot of 'truth' in that article.

[Weyland Yutani]

Pixie always does the locks when we're out and about because she's basically terrified of driving the boat into the lock and controlling it once it's in there...it's something that works fine for us and nothing for the feminists to get upset about

[dor]

I used to tell people that asked why women always seemed to do the locks that BW didn't allow men to do the locks as they were too rough with the delicate 200 year old equipment.

[Ronniesonic]

The point for me was the article was actually written & published. It ain't that bad & made me chuckle a bit & feel like a Leeds fan. All footie fans know they are not liked LOL.

 

MTB- Cooking your own tea tonight in silence I presume.......................... You tell him Starry!

 

BTW, I / we get married on Saturday & get our boat back in a few weeks. Yippee. Trying to tell the daft bint that white napkins are adequate got me a right ole ear bashing.................. Having voluvonts too as I have not seem them since about 1984! (spell check alert me thinks).

 

I am crapping it though for all my bravado. GULP!

[iamupforit]

a few years ago, as a hirer, we shares the locks from the tunnel down into braunston with a privately owned boat crewed by a middle aged couple,

now, they shared all the chores 50/50 and strict timewise, they had a travel alarm next to the tiller and did 1 hour stints, they actually changed places while leaving a lock so i was chatting to the man one minute and when we entered the next chamber the lady was at the tiller

[Starcoaster]

MTB- Cooking your own tea tonight in silence I presume.......................... You tell him Starry!

 

MB isn't here today. We don't live together- we'd kill each other.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Starcoaster

[PaddingtonBear]

I hope Julia is not reading this!

MB isn't here today. We don't live together- we'd kill each other.

Really? I have always thought that MtB, Moomin and the Sage of Tring are wonderfully sensible and easy going chaps.

[Starcoaster]

Nooo, if he was he'd just agree with everything I say and make life easier for himself!

[MoominPapa]

For the avoidance of doubt, I don't live with Starcoaster either. And who is the Sage of Tring?

 

MP.

[Starcoaster]

Yes, just to be clear. We're not Mormons, after all!

 

I am not sure on the "Sage of Tring" either.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Starcoaster

[tree]

Unless I have a willing slave (crew) to help me I usually end up doing the driving and the locks! In fact when people comment on how good/lovely the kids are I usually reply, Yes but they are useless at doing the locks!

Star could you problem with the locks be anything to do with MB's maths?.......You know this is 6 inches

moi doesnt mind steering or doing the locks ( well steering on the Trent was a rite of passage for me after a many moons incident lol).

moi is such a chatterbox I really prefer to work the locks as I can have a natter with anyone else who is there, or just have a quiet time to myself.

I recall being heavily pregnant and still working the locks for our 70ft boat and the comments and dirty looks my ex got from others was funny, even after he would say ' she likes doing the locks and I aint gonner tell her not to.. trust me ..no way lol.

[Neil2]

".... he nods a gruff acknowledgement. He doesnt like us. Were too young, and our card is marked by the fact were driving a hire boat rather than one we own."

 

A shed load of assumptions there methinks, and from a professional journalist too.

 

I'm not so sure about this. I thought it was lazy journalism - anyone who had spent one day on the canals could have written it.

 

What Mr White failed to do, it seems to me, is engage with any of the people he met. If he had made the effort he would have found something much more interesting about the people he just chose to stick a label on. The guy coming out of the lock was basically just concentrating, it could have been me...

 

As for the "deeply conservative retirees", I recognise the implication but I don't recognise the type. I've never met anyone on the canals who fell into that category, but then I tend to have a proper conversation with someone before I start making assumptions.

[DHutch]

... I felt that it summed it all up rather well.

Well, the article had some paragraphs of pure b*ll*cks, but the sociological analysis was fascinating.

Having just read it, while they are clearly taking boating very differently to how I boat, I thought it was fairly good.

 

Seems to have a go at everyone except hirers.

I dont know, I thought they did...?

 

 

Daniel