IFF I RULED THE WURLD...Part the 40th.......

[alanch]

We had someone in the other day for some fenders. We have racks of nice shiny white Anchor fenders.

Do you have any blue ones ?

Me. Blue ones tend to indicate that the boat is a hireboat, no one wants them really, so we don't keep them.

Ah ....

Wish I'd known that before I bought mine!

 

[Actionmat]

Don't worry, no one will think you're in a hire boat unless you have 100ft of chunky black D channel attached to your hull.
The other giveaway is driving on the left!

 

[Murv]

What yu need is one of those new fangled bow thruster thingies, so you can look professional with a screaming electric motor while wiggling a joystick. It's much better than learning to use your engines and everyone else in the lock will be really impressed

I do have one of those new-fangled thruster thingies! But, I try not to use it as I'm still learning the boat.
Quite surprising how many people seemed to consider that the engines were for fore and aft movement only, anything else was electronically assisted.
Maybe they'd lost an engine or had a fouled prop though.
One of our club members lost an engine and his thruster on the way back done the Thames. That must have been fun in a 40' planing boat!

 

[oldgit]

Wish I'd known that before I bought mine!

Ooops,wonder if the shop will exchange mine ?

 

[capnfishy]

Ironically, all the EA patrol boats have 8 blue fenders and black D rubbers all round but they are working boats. Anyone seen a patrol boat on the move lately?

 

[boatone]

Back off the aggro re bow thrusters please. Nowt wrong with ém at all if they are used 'proper'. I have a single engine on shaft and therefore do not have the manoeuvrability of twin shafts or out drives so the BT comes in very handy in tight berthing situations and , as I've got it, I'll bloody well use it if I need to - which is not often if I can avoid it.

Seems this forum has become a place to take a tilt at whoever and whatever - would be nice to see some positive threads - I've met and know some very nice boaters on the river who have different types and styles of boat to mine.

 

[capnfishy]

Agree with B1, will start a + thread now.

 

[alanch]

Don't worry, no one will think you're in a hire boat unless you have 100ft of chunky black D channel attached to your hull.
The other giveaway is driving on the left!

I do have about 100ft of chunky black D channel. No it is not an ex hire boat, although there are 2 on the Thames. No I do not drive on the left - in the middle.

 

[normskib]

My wish would be that when I go into a lock it would be nice for a change to find the lock keeper not chatting on his mobile and as I'm on my own giving me a hand with my ropes occasionally rather than watching me struggle! Still that's probably the only entertainment they get ! Of course That's if you can find a Lockie in the first place ?

 

[bumperdump]

....and if the entire crew are all dressed in the sort of technical gear normally required for winter crossings of the North Atlantic, in a very worrying shade of Pastel,for a trip between Harleyford and Henley ?

A trophy for the boat that then does the most laps from the folly under the bridge
Then turning round at the islands down by Marsh lock in a day.

 

[bumperdump]

Ironically, all the EA patrol boats have 8 blue fenders and black D rubbers all round but they are working boats. Anyone seen a patrol boat on the move lately?

Yep going through goring lock towards Cleeve yesterday afternoon