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Longer Boats Towing Each Other Back And Forth


Andrew Denny

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Is there an accepted shorthand term for narrowboats that tow one another back and forth in narrow channels, to avoid having to reverse?

 

I'm thinking, for example, of venturing in narrow Fens drains, where one boat will tow another in, and then the second boat will tow the first one out again. Occurs to me that I've never heard it described in a single term. I call it 'pushme-pullyu', as in the 'both-ways' animal Doctor Doolittle, but there must be a term already, surely.

 

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I've always planned a cruise to include the ability to turn round at an end, or a ring to return to the same place in the opposite direction. There would need to be something special to justify exploring a "dead end" with no turning opportunity. I think I'd reverse out of it if needs be. Of course it varies somewhat, but the longer the boat the better it reverses.

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Is there an accepted shorthand term for narrowboats that tow one another back and forth in narrow channels, to avoid having to reverse?

 

I'm thinking, for example, of venturing in narrow Fens drains, where one boat will tow another in, and then the second boat will tow the first one out again. Occurs to me that I've never heard it described in a single term. I call it 'pushme-pullyu', as in the 'both-ways' animal Doctor Doolittle, but there must be a term already, surely.

 

 

Used to do it a lot on the Wey to get from Byfleet Boat Club back to the winding point and Woodham Junction rather than go 1H:20M round trip to wind at Pyrford - we always called it 'Breasting up to go back to the Basingstoke'; there would, invariably, be at least one boat going down to Coxes Mill that was facing the right way to enable the breasting up - the distance to Woodham Junction was about half a mile.

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Oh, it often happens - perhaps the most recent event was this year's IWA's Easter campaign cruise on Vermuyden's Drain, up to Horseway Lock.

I think six boats were involved - three 'pairs'. But not strapped together, since the channel is too narrow for that.

 

My question is, is there a handy shorthand term. If they were strapped together, I'd say 'breasted up', but that normally means going in the same direction.

And since they could either be strapped together, or towing each other back/forth, those would ideally be separate terms.

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Oh, it often happens - perhaps the most recent event was this year's IWA's Easter campaign cruise on Vermuyden's Drain, up to Horseway Lock.

I think six boats were involved - three 'pairs'. But not strapped together, since the channel is too narrow for that.

 

My question is, is there a handy shorthand term. If they were strapped together, I'd say 'breasted up', but that normally means going in the same direction.

And since they could either be strapped together, or towing each other back/forth, those would ideally be separate terms.

I think you are stuck with the long explanation each time, or maybe you could invent a name like they did with, Heartbreak Hill and Gongoozalers or however you spell it.

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We did it on the Severn attempting to get to Bewdley, made it as far as Ribbersford, just a safe way of boating.

On the broads we would often see signs saying "Boats over 35ft cannot turn" or similar, everyone of the broads with that type of sign could wind a 71ft boat!!

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Is there an accepted shorthand term for narrowboats that tow one another back and forth in narrow channels, to avoid having to reverse?

 

I'm thinking, for example, of venturing in narrow Fens drains, where one boat will tow another in, and then the second boat will tow the first one out again. Occurs to me that I've never heard it described in a single term. I call it 'pushme-pullyu', as in the 'both-ways' animal Doctor Doolittle, but there must be a term already, surely.

 

I was unable to find a generally accepted term when I wanted to describe how a couple of boats from my club 'forced' the Saltisford Arm many years ago.

I finally pinched a term from Dr Doolittle - push-me-pull-you!

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