River Boating Forum

One thing I do like about boating.......the freedom.

On a trip along the Witham you can wander along, either on the right bank, the left bank, or the middle........and if you do encounter another boat, well you can select neutral, stop the engine in mid stream and have a chat.

If you care to venture onto tidal waters, well there is even more freedom. You can go whereever you like, and almost whenever you like......pure bliss, in a world where you're every movement is monitored (cameras and mobiles).

Very true. although there are afew out the who will try and spoil it for you. we have afew who ignore speed limits and speed past moored boats with no consideration for the toddler or the wife with the hot kettle! if you shout all you get is a rude salute!
Theres a definite air of road rage coming on to the rivers in some areas.

Very true. although there are afew out the who will try and spoil it for you. we have afew who ignore speed limits and speed past moored boats with no consideration for the toddler or the wife with the hot kettle! if you shout all you get is a rude salute!
Theres a definite air of road rage coming on to the rivers in some areas.

This is something I noticed last year on the Avon. The big cruisers seem to have no regard to the amount of wash they make. N.Bs. can be as bad.
It is not always excesive speed, it can be down to the shape of the hull and the displacement in the water.
Having now checked the speed with a Sat Nav I know that to break the 4 mph speed limit up stream I will have to give it a lot of throttle.
However I still like to keep an eye on the bow wave and the wash behind, even at 4 mph I will knock the revs back when passing boats.

I remember last year I was on the way back to Tewks and had just passed the Rectory Moorings at Bredon.
A N.B. was coming up stream at full chat.. the boat didn't stop rocking in the wash it had created until I had gone under the M5 bridge. A good 1/4 mile further on.

Then again last Sept I stayed overnight at Pershore Rec. Ground moorings.
A 'LANT' Tug went passed up stream pushing a tidal wave in front of it.
He did throttle back when he had got half way along the moorings, then it was too late.

Steve

The LANT boat should have known better and my dad has shouted at them on a number of occasionsm even though they have protested that they werent speeding... but no you were pushing a bow wave the Titanic would have been proud of!

Some of the narrow boats dont look where they are going when they come out of locks... looking where they have been and then get very offended when we start shouting at them, they then push tiller hard over.... and of course their stern follows suit!

One hire NB scraped all down the side of my dads boat, refused to stop and shouted various abusem so dad cast off and followed then to Nafford!! they were a bit sheepish!

Also quite funny when they speed past us going down stream give us abuse and then see.... a Lock!!!! whoops nowhere to go lol!

will take the video camera this year!

The worst boaters I have come across are those who turn their heads away from you when they pass you and pretend you don't exist !
Whats wrong with giving a friendly wave and a hello like the rest of us do ?

I usually find shouting " YOUR ROPES ROUND YOUR PROP" as you pass them normally gets their attention

(Biggest culprits : Dutch Barges and Challengers {real shame what happened to them})

Is it just us "PLASTIC" boats ?

norman18grp wrote:Is it just us "PLASTIC" boats ?

No.

I have been boating for fourty years and what you say is correct there is a lot of snobbery around coupled with bad manners. I try to shrug if off but it gets to you.Boating is sadly not what it was.CKP

Norman,
here's one Dutch Barge owner who will ALWAYS give you a "How do" and a wave. Not a wave on the water though, as I will be on tickover, I always do when passing moored boats.

Andy.

Most people have now got to know me, and there are not that many boats from Bardney to Boston, so I know most owners. Also, when at Bardney I usually walk up and say hello to passing boats, that do of course have to stop for the lock .......... so I have 'a captive audience'

There are a few at Burton Waters, who go to Torksey, as they can't get under the Glory Hole, and one or two who come from the 'posh' marinas at Newark, and around Nottingham, but in the main, most are friendly, and welcome my offer of help.

I did meet one of the 'others' though last year........not in the best place. Here's what happened, I've copied from my site.

On a trip from Bardney to Southrey I had the only small incident of the year. Probably the worst place to meet a boat is on the second of the Bardney factory bends coming downstream. Quite a tight bend, it is often full of weed on the shallow inside, lessening the navigable width of the river to that of many canals.

Approaching the bend I saw a largish smart cruiser coming quite fast from the opposite direction. Knowing that part of the river as well as any, and better than most, I kept to the middle of the bend, on the right of the deep channel as I was supposed to. He however had other ideas, misjudging my speed and competence. Waving me over furiously as he approached did nothing but make me 'stand my ground' even more. I have met this slightly arrogant man a few times now, and I'm sorry but you don't bulldoze me out of the way quite so easily. I left him just enough space, which he didn't approve of.....Tough.

A short while later while dog walking around Stamp End, who should I see in the lock but the said gent, in company of his younger friend in his own posh boat. Well I went up for a 'chat'. After threatening to report me, then throw me in at which I took no notice, stubbornly standing there. He said he wouldn't talk to me, so I said I would talk to his friend, who was grinning at all this. He doesn't want to talk to you either he said. However after offering to help by exchanging BW keys to send them on their way, he relented, and after I apologised, he shook hands and said thanks. Maybe not best buddies, but sociable again. Wonder if he'll buy me a drink next year?