B****y rude or normal practice?

rosssavage said:
Pretty much with Mondays wind, yes, that's what I'm saying!
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I'm glad the point about conditions sometimes requiring higher speeds has come up. As well as wind, strong eddies or cross currents spring to mind as reasons a particular boat may well find it necessary or prudent to maintain such a speed while approaching a lock that she has to overtake a boat which for one reason or another is making a slower approach.

But in a flat clam with peaceful water I would regard the particular type of overtaking described by the OP as inappropriate and unnecessary.

In open water, incidentally, I am often a crawler - because I'm not going very far, and I'm not in a hurry - and then I always try to actively assist overtakers by moving towards the bank.
 
Going down river, toward Old Windsor lock there is a blind corner with a weir on port at the entrance to New Cut. Not a good place to encounter a narrow boat. Even worse is some idiot taking a brand new Sealine for a test drive. He has been stuck behind the barge for 10 mins and is zooming ahead at this first opportunity to overtake. I have to go full power reverse to miss him. Then I get caught up in the flow to the weir and one of my engines stays in reverse. There is chunk out of my bow when I hit the bank. It partly my fault for not approaching on the wrong side, where I would see round the corner, and also for nor having a massive anchor that sticks out at the front.

No, I joke, my bigger anchor will be tucked under. Let's just give a friendly wave to all passing boats and keep it chilled on the river.
 
apollo said:
Sorry, I agree with much of what you say but this snippet is not going to win you many friends.
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I know, and I'm sorry, but this is a result of experience, not a pre-existing prejudice. I guess all I'm trying to say is that boats that can't be controlled unless they're doing half the speed limit or above are not really suitable for rivers. Either that, or the boats are suitable & controllable, and the owners are twats.
 
maxcampbell said:
I know, and I'm sorry, but this is a result of experience, not a pre-existing prejudice. I guess all I'm trying to say is that boats that can't be controlled unless they're doing half the speed limit or above are not really suitable for rivers. Either that, or the boats are suitable & controllable, and the owners are twats.
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With beer bellies !
 
maxcampbell said:
I know, and I'm sorry, but this is a result of experience, not a pre-existing prejudice. I guess all I'm trying to say is that boats that can't be controlled unless they're doing half the speed limit or above are not really suitable for rivers. Either that, or the boats are suitable & controllable, and the owners are twats.
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A more measured reply thank you... I wouldn't disagree that probably half the boats on the Thames are far from ideal river boats, but it would be a very empty and boring river without them. Unfortunately the less suitable boats tend to be skippered by more inexperienced boaters too, but I would argue this does make for more entertainment generally as well :D
 
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Whilst there are certainly some boaters on the river who do not appear to understand the rules and etiquette and others that can be just plain rude, I would suggest that they are in the minority and I don't think I have ever seen anyone overtake in a lock cut on the approach to a lock as you describe. I wonder whether they misunderstood your intentions or were having a problem with the wind which was really difficult on Monday.



As to overtaking generally, I really do not see the problem. I overtake slower boats, particularly if they are going at a speed which will have my engines at around tickover which makes them rattle like crazy. I recognise that there are other boats with bigger engines than mine which probably have the same problem keeping to the speed which I like to tick along at and I will always try and assist them to get past if I can.

The manners of the road have no place on the river, whether it is a faster vehicle wanting to push its way through or an apparently aggrieved party leaning on their horn in anger
 
Dawdling on lock approaches is reprehensible and just as bad manners as inconsiderate overtaking. No one has queried where this incident(s) took place. i.e. in a lock cut above Boulters then it would be a definite no no whereas above Mapledurham there is no lock cut to speak of.
A larger boat wishes to get in and tied up. Maybe the Skipper needs a tiddle, who knows. If single handed (as I always was) then I relied on getting my almost 45' boat alongside at a lock to make a quick cuppa. In all circumstances I didn't want to be swanning about midstream because some boater decided they would block up the entrance to a lock cut.
 
"Maybe the Skipper needs a tiddle"

Looks like I got caught short half way through the last paragraph of my post. What I was trying to say is that there needs to be a bit of understanding and patience on both sides. Boating is supposed to be fun after all.

"Even worse is some idiot taking a brand new Sealine for a test drive" Taking that sort of approach to other boaters does nobody any credit.
 
DWT said:
"Maybe the Skipper needs a tiddle"

Looks like I got caught short half way through the last paragraph of my post. What I was trying to say is that there needs to be a bit of understanding and patience on both sides. Boating is supposed to be fun after all.

"Even worse is some idiot taking a brand new Sealine for a test drive" Taking that sort of approach to other boaters does nobody any credit.
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No such thing as "Brand New" Sealine... ;)It was proabbly my brother...

Whilst I am here I also went out that weekend in a small dory with a 50hp on the back which is our family fun boat.

Naturally everyone assumed that I was some sort of yoof with a new toy despite the fact I have sailed round the world single handed with both feet tied together and blindfolded...

Anyhow lets just say the engine was not in the best of health and I had to give it continual CPR via the fuel bulb to keep it running...some might say a foolish move others may understand I had two people with me who would have been VERY disappointed if we had not gone out with the picnic I lovingly made earlier in the day and it was to be the first trip of the year.

Anyhow again I did the math and decided it was worth the risk given there was no stream or wind.

The down side is it would not tick over so I have to go at a walking pace (no wash) or nothing at all which of course made things interesting. I did overtake two craft not a million miles from the lock however I made sure I tied up where there was space, often ahead of craft that had not moved along BUT made sure I always waited my turn.

Anyhow in a round about way people use the river for many different reasons and not just for pootling along at 1 mph so as long as they wait their turn at the lock and don't make a wash then it really does not matter a hoot...

And on a different note just because you see a young chap in a sports day boat (well young ish) don't assume they are some sort of jack the lad without a clue...

Have a good weekend chaps..
 
Blimey.... I go to Northumberland for a week of tranquility, beer and walks and come back to chaos!

Ross has buggered up a BA aircraft and it looks like people from the Lounge have taken over the river! Overtaking at locks?... Pahh...
 
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