Bit of a Rant

[Bettie Boo]

So here we sit, watching some telly with the Saloon lite on, as well as 4 ceiling lights in the galley, and 3 solar lights on in the front well deck...and some GIT has just rammed into us on the front side of the boat with the front side of his boat.

 

He had no lights on, didn't bother to stop, just hollered to Dave as he tried to open the side hatch (it's on the canal side of the boat at present) "opps, sorry about that mate" as he carried on up the canal

 

And no we're not moored on a skinny bit of canal, we've had a fair few wide beams pass us with ease, as well as two narrow boats going in opposite directions go past us with no problems. He managed to miss the wide beam moored two lenghts ahead of us and they are a couple feet wider than us!!

 

We've had 2/3 of the Wyvern fleet pass in the last couple of days without incident or accident.

 

I would suggest if private owners are going to cruise after dark they either turn on their flippin lights or make a trip to Spec Savers!!

 

Rant over mostly...

 

Actually I'm more p***ed off that the prat didn't bother to stop than actually running into us as I'd like to think he didn't hit us on purpose, but just couldn't be asked to see if he had done any damage and apologize properly

 

There - Rant over

[MtB]

 

Rant over mostly...

 

Actually I'm more p***ed off that the prat didn't bother to stop than actually running into us as I'd like to think he didn't hit us on purpose, but just couldn't be asked to see if he had done any damage and apologize properly

 

There - Rant over

 

Commiserations Bettie. He was probably deeply embarrassed and dead keen to get the hell out of there. Or pished. Or both. or just a bus hole.

 

And the term here in Ingerland is "couldn't be arsed", not asked!!

[Bettie Boo]

 

Commiserations Bettie. He was probably deeply embarrassed and dead keen to get the hell out of there. Or pished. Or both. or just a bus hole.

 

And the term here in Ingerland is "couldn't be arsed", not asked!!

 

I know what I'd like to do with his arse!!!

 

 

 

 

First off, teach him so bloody manners

[Phil Ambrose]

Sorry to hear that Bettie but just remember Karma, be assured he will get his sometime.

Phil

[patty-ann]

Whats this about no lights? If he'd have bin in a car he would have been in trouble...huh..Men..can be so..............(fill in your own word here)

 

never mind Betty you've had a rant..rants are good..

Patty

[X Alan W]

Whats this about no lights? If he'd have bin in a car he would have been in trouble...huh..Men..can be so..............(fill in your own word here)

 

never mind Betty you've had a rant..rants are good..

Patty

Is there now a requirement display lights when moving after dark? common sense says yes but there was no requirement to do so. just asking

[Tam & Di]

Whats this about no lights? If he'd have bin in a car he would have been in trouble...huh..Men..can be so..............(fill in your own word here)

 

never mind Betty you've had a rant..rants are good..

Patty

 

On canals there is no requirement for lights on a narrow boat other than a tunnel light. However boats can only move at about walking speed, and how often do you carry a torch when you go for a walk at night? He is obviously totally in the wrong and should have been able to see you - he sounds totally incompetent to be cruising close enough to the bank to hit anything anyway as he should have been more or less in the middle. Hope he did not do any damage to your boat.

 

Tam

[mark99]

Any damage?

 

Personally I would have followed him and got his boat name just in case.

[mayalld]

Is there now a requirement display lights when moving after dark? common sense says yes but there was no requirement to do so. just asking

 

Yes, it is a bye-law requirement [bW Canal Byelaws 1965 10(2)] to have a visible white light at the front when travelling at night.

[alan_fincher]

 

Yes, it is a bye-law requirement [bW Canal Byelaws 1965 10(2)] to have a visible white light at the front when travelling at night.

 

Yes, but to be pedantic, just a visible white light, or unspecified power or type. There is no requirement to have any kind of "headlight" or "spotlight" that actually illuminates ahead of the boat, only a light that makes the boat visible to others.

[patty-ann]

Betty says he had no lights...so I take that to mean..well...no lights...

[alan_fincher]

Betty says he had no lights...so I take that to mean..well...no lights...

 

Yep,

 

Not questioning Betty's dilemma, but pointing out that (rightly or wrongly), there is no requirement in the bye-laws to have any light that actually aids you seeing where you are going.

 

Those familiar with boating at night will know that often you can see perfectly well with no headlight, and often turning one on makes life harder rather than easier. (Clearly it depends on the state of the moon and weather conditions how easily you can see without).

 

It is all kind of irrelevant though - if you can't navigate at night without hitting someone else's boat, you clearly shouldn't be doing it, with or without a headlight.

 

Mind you you could say if you can't navigate by daytime without hitting someone else's boat, you clearly shouldn't be doing it", and clearly lots of people can't manage that either!

[Bettie Boo]

Any damage?

 

Personally I would have followed him and got his boat name just in case.

 

Doesn't appear to be much Mark, other than some more scratches in the black stuff; Dave's hung out over the bow to have a look this morning and can't see much, will be able to see better when we get to the next lock or once we turn around and the starboard side is on the bank rather than being on the canal side.

 

Couldn't really follow him as I had a load of washing out on the rotary line that is set up over the tiller, never mind the fact that we are facing south and he was heading north And as we were both in our pj's, running up the towpath after him wasn't really an option either of us relished

 

Just to clarify - I should say he had no lights illuminated on the front of his boat,, I shouldn't have said he didn't have lights as I don't know for sure if he actually had a tunnel light or not, I just know if he did have one it wasn't turned on, nor were his red/green lights at the back, nor any internal lights lit.

 

I know lots of evenings the moon is really bright, last night wasn't one of them

 

But like I said in my rant...we were lite up like a bloomin Christmas tree and being a WB, I can't imagine how he didn't see us. But really, it wasn't him hitting us, if was the fact he didn't stop to see if he caused any damage & to apologize that annoyed me most

 

Mind you you could say if you can't navigate by daytime without hitting someone else's boat, you clearly shouldn't be doing it", and clearly lots of people can't manage that either!

 

LOL - thanx Alan, that ^ put a back on my face

[bizzard]

He was probably on the phone, or doing the dreaded facebook on it. The main reason for many accidents on the water these days, in my opinion.

[8 Hairy Feet]

He was probably on the phone, or doing the dreaded facebook on it. The main reason for many accidents on the water these days, in my opinion.

and on land too!

[MtB]

Cruising in the dark with NO lights on at all sounds faintly suspicious to me.

 

Even if my tunnel lamp was broken (in which case I wouldn't night cruise anyway) I'd have had front cabin lights on and front doors open to assist with seeing, along with waving around at least one torch...

[bizzard]

and on land too!

Indeed, nearly getting run over. The most dangerous antics are performed by the ones who march and wander about all over the shop like a demented Polar bear whilst on the phone instead of quietly sitting down to do it. or maybe they're dying for a wee or done something in their pants and can't keep still. If they're on a roaming add on they may think they have to keep roaming whilst ''at it''.

[patty-ann]

Indeed, nearly getting run over. The most dangerous antics are performed by the ones who march and wander about all over the shop like a demented Polar bear whilst on the phone instead of quietly sitting down to do it. or maybe they're dying for a wee or done something in their pants and can't keep still. If they're on a roaming add on they may think they have to keep roaming whilst ''at it''.

Ave u ever tried apologising to Mr Ear Phones Man?(other gender equally at fault)...aint worth the bother as robotic style they continue on their way wif my "so sorry etc" just words in the air...we are really turning into a ignorant race...Ban em I say.

[bizzard]

Ave u ever tried apologising to Mr Ear Phones Man?(other gender equally at fault)...aint worth the bother as robotic style they continue on their way wif my "so sorry etc" just words in the air...we are really turning into a ignorant race...Ban em I say.

I don't bother to, they can't hear anyway. Isn't it awful though. A bloke here who was stomping around shouting into a phone just suddenly disappeared, plop, gone, just like a trap door had opened and swallowing him up, He just went silent and then there was a big splash, he'd stomped his way into Southmill lock. He got out minus his phone. And what about Snooker tournaments, half the time is spent with the referee telling folk to turn their wretched phones off. I believe in China phones are not allow in snooker venues, everyone gets searched on entry.

[PeterG]

Yes I saw someone walk straight into the cut near the mail box in Brum last year whilst looking intently at her phone. She was rescued still hanging on to said phone, not sure if it was still working though.

[Ray T]

Yes I saw someone walk straight into the cut near the mail box in Brum last year whilst looking intently at her phone. She was rescued still hanging on to said phone, not sure if it was still working though.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9825625/Woman-busy-texting-walks-straight-into-freezing-cold-canal-in-Birmingham.html

[Tom766]

Hadnt even considered that folk may be navigating in the dark/at night. Is this common practice?

[nicknorman]

43 minutes ago, Tom766 said:

Hadnt even considered that folk may be navigating in the dark/at night. Is this common practice?

Not particularly common but it certainly happens:

Short days in winter - it's dark at 5pm, too early to stop

Long distance to be covered on a schedule by boat mover/fuel boat etc

BCN 24 hr challenge

And in fact night cruising can be very pleasant. Give it a try sometime ( not in a hire boat)!

[Naughty Cal]

9 hours ago, Tom766 said:

Hadnt even considered that folk may be navigating in the dark/at night. Is this common practice?

Yes.

Sometimes you don't have a choice, for instance if you have to catch a tide.

Sometimes it is just nice to cruise at night when the waterways are quiet.

[cuthound]

10 hours ago, Tom766 said:

Hadnt even considered that folk may be navigating in the dark/at night. Is this common practice?

We live canalside on the Coventry Canal. We get about one boat per month, summer or winter cruising past in the dark.

Had one go past at 03:00 a couple of weeks back. He set our dog barking which alerted us to his presence.