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Keeping Dry


aceware

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I am contemplating hiring a NB for two weeks at the beginning of Sept 2016, just after school goes back.

My wife is not madly keen and I am having to coax her in to it.

She is saying "How do you keep dry operating the tiller out in the open if it rains for the whole trip ?"

Probably in the UK you are used to wet summers and cope with it without thinking but in Western Australia - in summer and even Autumn it barely rains and we don't really know the gear for it.

 

Is there any standard gear that everyone uses when standing out in the rain, does the hire company usually provide, or do we need to buy it on arrival ?

 

We are contemplating doing one of the circles but turning a one week trip in to a two week trip to allow more time to sit in pubs and coffee shops and look around towns.

 

I did a NB on the Grand Union back in 1984, it rained but I was OK with that.

We did Canale De Midi in 2012 - it rained on the last 2 days but we were in a closed cockpit - so no problem.

Personally I would prefer more rain and less other people :-) - so approaching Autumn is not a problem for me.

 

Many thanks

Tony

 

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The secret is lots of layers and light waterproof coat with waterproof trousers or over trousers accompanied by a good pair of shoes. The layers can be reduced dependent upon the prevailing weather. Oh, and a few pairs of gloves with at least one waterproof pair. September is a great time to boat as the schools will have their lively children back and the system will be less busy. You may even find it quite dry and warm! Check with the hire company re waterproofs.

Edited by NB Lola
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I've hired from I think 5 different companies, only one of which provided waterproofs on the boat as standard. Your hire company may well have these at their base that can be requested.

 

Early September is not usually a particularly rainy time of year, and in recent years is only realy distinct from August by slightly shorter daylight hours. I hope I'm not cursing your luck by saying this but you're unlikely to get a complete washout, and can probably tweak your itinerary to avoid the worst of any weather.

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It's warm rain in September! The last Australian I met on a boat holiday was not best pleased by the very hot brilliant weather we were having at the time. He was an expat who said that it was hot every day at home and he was hoping for some real weather for a change.

  • Greenie 1
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I agree that September should not see continuous rain and that waterproof jacket and trousers is the way to go for the OP. But since the topic's been raised, I thought I should mention that we have started using these: http://www.dickiesstore.co.uk/product/WP7004-dickies-dartmouth-coverall

 

They've kept us dry in seriously wet conditions and have the advantage of no gap in the middle when working locks. Dickies kit in general is hard wearing and good value, we find.

 

No connection to the firm, just satisfied customers.

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It's amazing how short a time it rains for, if you are inside you feel it is raining all day but in practice when you are outside it is rarely continuous but just the odd hour here and there. My personal tip would be to wear light weight wellies and put your waterproof trousers outside them so the water doesn't soak your shoes as it runs off your waterproofs. (take car not to slip on the wet deck). In warm weather I am afraid it is the dreaded crocs and just have wet feet.

 

My only other tip as a glasses wearer is to wear a hat with a peak or a brim to keep the rain off your glasses, I go for the a base ball cap under my waterproof hood. The whole affect is not too glamorous but it keeps me dry so I don't really care!

Edited by NickF
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I agree that September should not see continuous rain and that waterproof jacket and trousers is the way to go for the OP. But since the topic's been raised, I thought I should mention that we have started using these: http://www.dickiesstore.co.uk/product/WP7004-dickies-dartmouth-coverall

They've kept us dry in seriously wet conditions and have the advantage of no gap in the middle when working locks. Dickies kit in general is hard wearing and good value, we find.

No connection to the firm, just satisfied customers.

For some years now I have been using Dickies padded Coverall's in the winter. They keep you warm and dry without being cumbersome (at least until you want to take them off).

 

The only downside is the vast number of pockets they have. It can take ages to find something you put in one of them!

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I am contemplating hiring a NB for two weeks at the beginning of Sept 2016, just after school goes back.

My wife is not madly keen and I am having to coax her in to it.

She is saying "How do you keep dry operating the tiller out in the open if it rains for the whole trip ?"e.

 

Many thanks

Tony

 

 

This is excellent planning and will more or less guarantee a blisteringly hot week

 

Richard

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My favourite method of keeping dry is to stay moored up with the fire going and plenty of food and drink onboard, while watching the occasional damp boater out the window.

 

Mine is to don waterproofs, boots and hat. The best bit of boating in the rain is no-one bothers you. Cabin crew stay inside with the doors shut and you have the canal to yourself

 

A big thunderstorm is even better, one I experienced at Thrupp is one of my best boating memories

 

Richard

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Mine is to don waterproofs, boots and hat. The best bit of boating in the rain is no-one bothers you. Cabin crew stay inside with the doors shut and you have the canal to yourself

 

A big thunderstorm is even better, one I experienced at Thrupp is one of my best boating memories

 

Richard

More than one boater has been struck by lightning and killed, the steerer being the highest part of the boat and well connected to earth.

 

 

If you keep doing it, it could well be your last memory!

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More than one boater has been struck by lightning and killed, the steerer being the highest part of the boat and well connected to earth.

 

 

If you keep doing it, it could well be your last memory!

 

Frankly, I don't care. The risk is extremely small and the enjoyment great

 

It's not like standing in a wide open space waving a golf club over your head

 

Richard

 

Richard

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More than one boater has been struck by lightning and killed, the steerer being the highest part of the boat and well connected to earth.

 

 

If you keep doing it, it could well be your last memory!

 

How many non-boaters have been killed by lightening strikes ?

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We are contemplating doing one of the circles but turning a one week trip in to a two week trip to allow more time to sit in pubs and coffee shops and look around towns.

 

In which case, it should be easy enough just to sit out anything worse than a light shower. After all...

 

It's amazing how short a time it rains for, if you are inside you feel it is raining all day but in practice when you are outside it is rarely continuous but just the odd hour here and there.

 

...this is so true. It's only when we got a dog, then a boat, and started leading slightly more outdoorsy lives, that we realised how rare it is (especially outside the winter months) to face sustained, heavy rain rather than a bit of drizzle or a shower here and there.

 

My dad was a postman for his whole working life, and reckons he only used to get properly wet two or three days a year - which tells you everything about the accuracy of this image of Britain as a country where it's constantly pouring with rain.

 

Having said all that, getting caught in a heavy shower while needing to make progress through locks etc. can be no fun at all, so waterproofs (including gloves for handling cold tillers and soggy ropes) are certainly a good idea!

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I am contemplating hiring a NB for two weeks at the beginning of Sept 2016, just after school goes back.

My wife is not madly keen and I am having to coax her in to it.

She is saying "How do you keep dry operating the tiller out in the open if it rains for the whole trip ?"

Probably in the UK you are used to wet summers and cope with it without thinking but in Western Australia - in summer and even Autumn it barely rains and we don't really know the gear for it.

 

Is there any standard gear that everyone uses when standing out in the rain, does the hire company usually provide, or do we need to buy it on arrival ?

 

We are contemplating doing one of the circles but turning a one week trip in to a two week trip to allow more time to sit in pubs and coffee shops and look around towns.

 

I did a NB on the Grand Union back in 1984, it rained but I was OK with that.

We did Canale De Midi in 2012 - it rained on the last 2 days but we were in a closed cockpit - so no problem.

Personally I would prefer more rain and less other people :-) - so approaching Autumn is not a problem for me.

 

Many thanks

Tony

 

If you are worried about getting wet while at the tiller, then a trad or semi-trad sterned boat can be good, as you can close the stern doors behind you and at least your lower half is protected against the elements.

On a cruiser-sterned boat you are a bit more exposed.

 

I generally favour the use of a large golf umbrella, and then if you are just steering the boat, there is often no need for waterproofs at all, unless it's a serious downpour.

 

For obvious reasons, umbrellas are widely available in the UK...

 

The downside is that umbrellas are easily destroyed by strong winds, and the description of "windproof" that is applied to some models seems to reflect ambition rather than actual performance, so I tend to view my umbrella as a disposable item.

Edited by PaulG
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t. The best bit of boating in the rain is no-one bothers you. Cabin crew stay inside with the doors shut and you have the canal to yourself

 

 

Richard

Me too, stood out the back by yourself and every now and again the hatch opens three inches and you are passed a cup of coffee! Just brilliant and the coffee never goes down as the mug fills with rain as fast as you drink it!

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Me too, stood out the back by yourself and every now and again the hatch opens three inches and you are passed a cup of coffee! Just brilliant and the coffee never goes down as the mug fills with rain as fast as you drink it!

That does lead on to another problem, of course, especially if the waterproofs are hard to take off in a hurry...

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Frankly, I don't care. The risk is extremely small and the enjoyment great

 

It's not like standing in a wide open space waving a golf club over your head

 

Richard

 

Richard

Dont you have your brolly up. Which by the way helps to keep you dry in rain

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If you wear overtrousers be careful that they are properly secured. Trying to jump across lock gates can be awkward if you discover that you can't separate your legs because your trousers have descended slightly. DAMHIK.

 

Over the head as opposed to zip-front stuff can be a pain.

 

I wear a boilersuit with a windproof jacket & trousers over the top with a waterproof top & trousers over that, removing layers as the weather changes. You can be hot, cold, wet and dry, easily within a single hour, and even quicker if you have to work locks.

The boilersuit is excellent for those of us of a hernia age, the trouser belt is the invention of the devil and is specially designed to force parts of your body into places they are not meant to go.

A sunhat ie broad brimmed is good for when the sun is low, and sunglasses are sometimes essential.

I have never had to get my wellies out yet, if the towpath is boggy I just wash my trainers later.

 

I use two pairs of gloves, one inside the other, with the inner pair being waterproof.

 

I am thinking about a hat that protects me from the clouds of insects that dive into your nose, ears and eyes, at certain times of the year, ie now, but I haven't made any progress on that.

 

I think I will just add the word "Religion" to this post to see if I can get it locked. Anything for a bit of fun.

 

"Religion"

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