Now that Brussels have given us permission to carry on using Imperial, I wonder if the dopes at ENVAG will revert back to the correct world-wide nautical measurements and put speeds in Knots.
Funny how the PLA have always stuck with knots. The EA is run by a bunch of suits who know nothing about boating. If you notice they have also decided not to adopt the CEVNI standard for warning notices etc.
On a slightly related point has anyone ever wondered why foreign boaters never come up the Thames? I was speaking to a belgian boater last month and he wasn't aware you could go up the non tidal thames. Do the EA not do any publicity abroad? He also mentioned that he and many of his fellow boaters didn't cross the channel because it was too expensive in marinas etc
Yeah, great idea, but that'll happen as soon as the dopes who apply vehicle driving techniques and style to their boats actually swat up on nautical terms.
There was a poll on the mobo forum about speed limits etc... and the vast majority of peeps were in favour of just introducing "No Wake" zones, like they have in the states. It seems to work well over there, "no wake" just means "no wake" regardless of speed and boat type, so why not just declare the the whole river a no wake zone. You would need an upper limit of say 8knts for collision safety, but otherwise if your wash is not "breaking" and is smooth topped, no problem.
Moored at Hampton Court overnight last Saturday. Around 1900 hours a small fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships swept past on their way downriver to collect the Veterans on Sunday morning.
Thye were all going too fast IMHO but their collective wash as a 'convoy' also made it much worse. They really should have known better. Poor couple on a Norman 24 in front of me got really shaken up and my 7ton of steel rocked and rolled quite unpleasantly too.
Seems to me its not a speed limit thats needed but a bye-law enforced code of practice for behaviour on the river. The idea of slowing down when passing moored boats would be completely alien to many boaters but it should be an automatic act of courtesy.
Oh yes, and a Broom in Molsey lock could do with educating re order of exit as well !
"7 tons of steel"
Blurry heck knew were careful with money an yer wallet was armour plated but really.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif,no wonder your boat draws so much water and you spend more time aground than floating............