Commercial operators and red boards

boatone

boatone

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Joined
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Just a few cables from Boulters Lock
www.tmba.org.uk
Reported to me that this morning that a well known ‘hotel boat’ was seen navigating with some difficulty in the vicinity of Pangbourne - possibly with passengers on board. Red boards almost river wide and the river reportedly on verge of breaking its banks in that area.

Left wondering if this is responsible seamanship?
 
A 45ft cruiser turned up at Boveney when the river was on red boards and many of the weirs were fully drawn. The lock keeper gave him the advice and was told he was used to ploughing through strong tides at sea. The keeper asked him what would happen if he suffered engine failure or got something wrapped round the prop at sea. The master said he'd just bob about for a while so the keeper told him that on the river he'd end up on a weir within a short time. The hotel boat master is putting himself and others at risk.
 
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He may have been trying to get to a safer mooring in case the river continues to rise, Pangbourne wouldn't be a good place to get caught in a flood.
 
Old Crusty said:
A 45ft cruiser turned up at Boveney when the river was on red boards and many of the weirs were fully drawn. The lock keeper gave him the advice and was told he was used to ploughing through strong tides at sea. The keeper asked him what would happen if he suffered engine failure or got something wrapped round the prop at sea. The master said he'd just bob about for a while so the keeper told him that on the river he'd end up on a weir within a short time. The hotel boat master is putting himself and others at risk.
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Yeah i remember that lockie, although he was right in this instance he was a right miserable old git...

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boatone said:
Reported to me that this morning that a well known ‘hotel boat’ was seen navigating with some difficulty in the vicinity of Pangbourne - possibly with passengers on board. Red boards almost river wide and the river reportedly on verge of breaking its banks in that area.

Left wondering if this is responsible seamanship?
Click to expand...

If its the hotel boat I'm thinking of, its usually seen "navigating with some difficulty", so business as usual :)
 
I watched him moor up at Wallingford in a space that was too small for a narrow boat. Front tied on, stern swung out across the river. It can't be easy when you have paying guests and a schedule, but you wouldn't catch the skipper of the Magna Carta doing it.
 
All joking aside, hats off to them for making a living on the river, doing what they enjoyed and grafting while they were at it. I owned a restaurant once and that was hard work. Add a small hotel to the mix and a floating one at that and the workload must be horrendous.
 
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