"Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells"

[Guest]

Re: It was me behind you!

Reasonable rowers! Which planet have you fallen off.

Points to remember.
1. The PLA have special amendments for rowers to cross the river in certain areas allowing them to use the wrong side of the river at certain times of the tide.
2. All vessels navigating must keep a proper watch and take such measures as are required to avoid collision.
3. Should oarsmen use abusive language or navigate dangerously, the answer is to photograph the offender or take a good description including the blade colours and file a complaint with the Amature Rowing Association with copies to the RYA and The Association Of Thames Yacht Clubs. Complaints are followed up and the penalties can include having their club excluded from future events. How popular will that make the offender?
You usually find that just pointing the camera will be enough to invoke submissive silence.
Just Remember that your boat has a large name on it that can easily be passed to the PLA with his side of the complaint and the PLA will, in line with their policy of harrasing the private boat owner. Take great delight in making your life a misery for the rest of your tidal trip.

 

[Guest]

Re: hear hear! (nm)

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[paulineb]

Re: \"Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells\"

ROWERS - an acronym for Rude Oarsmen Without Eny River Sense
PaulineB

Pauline B

 

[Guest]

That was precisely the smug 'up yours' type response that inflames the situation here! We have all been trying to understand this situation from the rowers [your] point of view and dougbarker attempts to 'debate' the subject with you and that is how you respond?

May I bring the 'Rules of the Road' to your attention? Overriding all other rules regarding power & sail is 'Small vessels must give way to large vessel in what is to them a narrow channel' - so if a motorboat does 'accidently' hit you in what is to them a narrow channel then I'm afraid old chap that you are in the wrong - run up your mobile bill as high as you like!

BTW - why is so difficult for rowers to 'practise' in quiet, wide stretches of river? As I have mentioned before we have these 'people' on the River Itchen and they have about 2 miles of river [from their club] until they get to the busier parts where big commercial ships navigate and there they are in the middle of the channel, oars out of the water gauping at hundreds of tons expecting the ship to get out of the way? Actually, at the end of last year a crew went too far out into the docks/Southampton Water area and somehow the boat was swamped and they all had to climb out of the water into the support boat [8 oars, a cox, support boat driver + loudhailer - overloading?] and I think that had an engine failure and the whole lot had to be rescued by coastguard as the tide was going out and they were going out to sea!!

I have searched and found the 'Amateur Rowing Association' website [www.ara-rowing.org] and they 'appear' to be quite hot on safety and Section 2.4 on Water Safety states "Showing consideration for other water users is very much the responsibility of the coach, both in regard to the coaching launch and to the boats being coached." it also states that the coaching launch should avoid making a wash !!!!!

Also in there is the following "Be constantly aware of the rights of others to the free use of the water and extend to them at all times the courtesy they would similarly wish to receive. It is recommended that active members should learn and practice capsize and accident drills." It is perhaps not by accident that the second sentence follows the first?

 

[PhilF]

Re: \"Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells\"

I was that unfortunate Sealine. As I could not hear, but guessed what was going on, I asked the rowers to sort it out and move so that I could proceed throo the bridge where I had been waiting for some time. They then proceeded to hurl verbal at me finisheing with "I bet its great fun riding around in plastic" . I said it was and then told then I was moving whether they were there or not. I revved, they moved - what plonkers.

 

[Guest]

Re: \"Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells\"

"Riding around in plastic"!? What are they riding about in then. They might as well be paddling little plastic baking trays with "Janousek Racing" felt-tipped on the side.

Remember - Confucius he say, "man with twin diesels and 10 ton boat make halfwits with no engine and no sense shift when he knocks the throttles."

Actually, I said that. But I am sure that Confucius would have said it had he been around today.