Saturday Entertainment

[ianc1200]

There's a short thread on the YM Scuttlebutt forum, to which I added the post below. It made me remember back when most of the boats moving were hire boats, often full of youngsters or extended families, and how much fun (in an evil sort of way) it was watching them on their first morning of locking, either at Sheppterton (we used to lay up at Duntons, now Nauticalia) or Bell Weir (our normal moorings being at Nicholls). Part of the fun what's missing now, or perhaps am getting old and jaded!

It's quite true, it isn't as much fun. Can remember in late 60's & early 70's looking forward to entertainment at Bell Weir or Shepperton locks on a Saturday, when hire boats had their first dreaded go at locks. My parents would never take Straight Across out on a Saturday regarding it as being too dangerous for our paintwork, and much preferred to see Star Craft from Chertsey, or Maid Boats from Thames Ditton bashing into each other and the lock walls, if they could actually steer into the locks.

Now realise the river isn't the same without hire boats full of younger hirers, also even only 10 years ago you could be certain of getting a mooring at any of the popular moorings at 10am when they all got going, now you find the narrowboats sitting in one spot for weeks on end.

IanC

 

[Gavi]

I live just below Bell Wier lock and must admit to having had a few challenging moments there myself while learning last year.

Hire boats still come through and I rather enjoy the sense of fun that eminates from them. I have helped a couple out, as I have been helped during my embarrassing moments, and I find that to be one of the joys of inland cruising.

Roll on spring!

 

[nickcred]

I remember so well our very first boating holiday on the Thames when I was a kid. We set off from Walton On Thames if I remember correctly, after 10 mins of tuition. It was pooring with rain and the first thing in front of my poor old Dad were a bunch of sailing Dinghys - None of us had ever been on a boat before. Having no idea what to do next he just kept going through the middle of the Dinghy's weaving around and receiving torrents of abuse /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Having navigated through that small disaster we then saw the lock gates looming ahead of us. They looked like the gates of hell to my poor dad. At this stage my mum, older brother and I decided that the safest place to be was down in the main cabin and promptly disappeared leaving my terrified Dad alone in the Cockpit shouting at us to come back. If only he could see me now.

Being moored nr Datchet we get to see and experience all the Kris Crusier hire boats as they hit their first lock at Romney (often hit being the right word) and then appear to return in convey a week later.

I remember chatting to one of the Hireboats last season as they waited behind us to enter the lock and telling them how best to go into the lock and what to expect. Then made a complete fool of myself as we bumped the lock walls and missed with both lines as they came in behind us perfectly in control and hit the spot with both lines. How my wife laughed at me then.

 

[Cliveshep]

It's called Murphy's Law, it's where you carefully teach the winsome young lady on the boat behind how to tie up her end of the boat, then when the lock gates open and you proudly shove her in gear and go nowhere 'cos the crew left the stern made fast while they go off to get an ice-cream, or it's when you take off with the crowd and 200 yards later turn round and go back because you've left youngest daughter behind standing in tears on the lock-side.

I find the more I so very generously impart my years of wisdom to the inexperienced, the more cock-ups I subsequently make. A sort of inverse law takes over. But then, without the hire-boats, we've got to step in and provide some sort of spectacle for the onlookers, haven't we?

 

[Ramage]

We watched the largest of the Kris cruisers come tearing up the Desborough Cut, and their wake dumped a lady sculler in for an early bath.....


But we did not laugh.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[SimonA]

We still get that here on the Great Ouse, mostly from the day boats that people hire. Some of them don't even bother with ropes in the lock and just bump from one side to another. Not to mention those who slow down by hitting the concrete walls entering the locks.

 

[nickcred]

Dam lol - you mean thats not what those nice walls are for? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ADLS]

I now let the novice hire boat crews enter locks ahead of me as I once had one try and climb over my stern. Luckily the boat had a raked stem and so slid up without doing any damage to my stern or decking. The only damage that was done was that the Ensign socket pulled out.

Later moored at Marlow a group off people gathered on the tow path, later a hire boat appeared down river and came to within 2m of the river side. Instructions were shouted between crew and boarders, the then made a circle a young lad jumped aboard as the boat slowly pasted the pleasure boat boarding jetty, this happened twice more.
My thoughts were that they were getting more experienced crew aboard, moor up and then take the more elderly and children onboard.
But no they made another circle while a mother with a child in her arms made her way along the jetty.
Thats where I stepped in and shouted at all ashore to stay where they were and I'd help them. We let go our lines and motored outside of the hire boat, instructed them on how to get safely moored, work fore and aft lines etc and jently nudged them to the bank.
Over a cup of tea we gave them lots more boating tips and one of my crew did a head count there were 17 of them! with 12 person allowed on board I suggested some come aboard Lazy Days we then travelled up river through a few locks and shared their lovely picnic.
The day turned out great the hire boaters learnt something, we made some new friends, and most important of all nobody got hurt or even wet.

 

[ianc1200]

Has Lazy Days still got the American beauty painted on her transom (or the reputed nudes painted inside) and the concrete sheathing up to just above her waterline? Used to know a former owner (Tony McGrail) well but haven't seen him for many years. Also was it Lazy Days I saw in Limehouse Basin this week when we went through for the protest rally?

IanC

 

[ADLS]

ARCMarineEveryman

"Has Lazy Days still got the American beauty painted on her transom", No I painted her out when I bought Lazy Days off Tony in 1995 tried cutting round her first but as she was fading anyway decided she had to go, I didn't like her very much along with a lot of other. Entering Old Windsor lock after the repaint the lock keeper thanked me for getting rid of the Broad."(or the reputed nudes painted inside)" the nude is still lazing in the head though.

"(Tony McGrail) well but haven't seen him for many years." He is now living in Parkstone near Poole and is involved in refitting a classic sailing yacht that the Queen and Prince Philip owned. Check out www.yachtinguniverse.com 'New owner sought for The Racing Yacht 'BloodHound' 10th Oct 2005.
The concrete has bean removed and Lazy Days is much the better for it, she smells a lot sweeter without all that black gunge that kept creeping into the boat.

Lazy days is on the Medway 'I hope' and hasn't been in Limehouse since 1996 when we had an ADLS return there.

 

[Gavi]

[ QUOTE ]
We watched the largest of the Kris cruisers come tearing up the Desborough Cut, and their wake dumped a lady sculler in for an early bath.....


But we did not laugh.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Was this the vessel that was on display at LIBS? We went on board and had a chat with the KC chaps, who were good humoured. I was impressed by the secification of the boat.

 

[Ramage]

The very same. Very nice boat, lovely spec as you say.

Hirers are hirers... I expect I did the same sort of thing when I hired "Kingston Musketeer" from Turks back in the 1980's.

We had never boated before, 15 minute briefing and off you go! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif