Very NB....for narrowboaters on the Thames

[boatone]

I get the feeling there is a definite increase in the number of narrowboaters exploring the Thames this year and actually ran up to Teddington Lock a few weeks ago with a goodly number that had just exited the Grand Union at Brentford.

I have no axe to grind with them being on the river and they are generally a cheerful and friendly lot but there is one aspect of the increasing numbers that is proving rather irritating in so far as moorings are concerned. Many of them are signicantly longer than your average thames cruiser and can be up to 70 feet or so long. Half a dozen of them were moored up at Windsor a couple of weeks back and occupied space which would normally have accomodated 10 or 12 cruisers.

I would like to make a plea that they consider rafting wherever possible as a means of helping resolve this issue? In my experience narrow boats generally lie quite happily alongside each other and two are scarcely wider than many cruisers.
If any EA peeps read this how about an information note which could be issued to narrowboaters at the entry points locks suggesting that they cooperate in this way?

A really nice idea would be if a NB - or even a cruiser come to that - seeing a cruiser looking for a non existant mooring were to invite them to raft-up....../forums/images/icons/smile.gif


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[britemp]

If you raft up a typical cruiser against a rather low NB, wouldn't your grey water outlets tend to be directly in line with their windows? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif


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[boatone]

Amusing thought but doesnt seem to be a problem in practice as grey water outlets are usually not that far above the waterline......u can moor either side to you know /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

Joking aside, I have rafted to narrow boats occasionally and they make a very stable straight sided platform to lie against. The biggest problem is getting ashore and back cos they have such teensie weensie little decks at the front and back !!!

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[deborahann]

well well, cruisers that want to actually come close to a narrowboat !! having had a number of NB's before the boat i have now, we have laughed and laughed at the antics of the "tupperware" (no offence honest) boats upon our arrival into a lock with them. the gloves go on, fenders multiply, and boat hooks bristle, the impression we got is "don't let that nasty black hull anywhere near my prestine plastic boat, & horror of horrors some black might come off". which in the past might have been true.

narrowboat owners would have no problem with a cruiser mooring against them, it simply would not occur to them that you wanted to, if you asked i would bet you would be most welcome, after they had overcome their shock.

Although the protocol of getting off and on via round the front of the boat moored against the shore, would stagger a NB owner. I can see the sense in it, but it just wouldn't occur to them why you would do this, & of course its not practical to do this on a narrowboat, as you say most side decks are so narrow, they are for emergency use only, most get to the front via the inside of the boat, or the roof.

ALL NB owners know that Thames moorings are limited, the authority that looks after it (name escapes me) moan that boater numbers are down, but its simply the lack of moorings that put people off. Plus they never really tell you anything usefull, like they are going to put tons & tons of water down, that you never expect cos its not raining, that will make the river overnight like a raging torrent.




<hr width=100% size=1>deborah on delft.
Nothing to do with Mucky Farter or hlb in drag

 

[hlb]

Well you might have asked me. I think you will find that tonys boat is steel...../forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> Get Yer Flags ear</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[deborahann]

thank you hlb you PILLOCK

<hr width=100% size=1>deborah on delft.
Nothing to do with Mucky Farter or hlb in drag

 

[hlb]

Yer dinners in the dog!!!/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> Get Yer Flags ear</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[boatone]

Not sure I understand Pillock...is it a term of endearment?
He's quite right....my boat is a dutch steel cruiser.....but he's quite wrong to show you up like that cos I said cruisers in general and most of em are plastic.....
....some come on guys...kiss and make up....

Actually Deborah, many of us have good reason to be wary of narrow boats in thames locks...theres just as many idiots on narrow boats as there are on other type of craft and a heavy NB travelling too fast can cause a lot more damage than your average palstic cruiser.

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[deborahann]

yes idiots in all types of boats, most particulary him that drives mucky farter !

anyway his penance is cooking dinner ha ha.

never forget the idiot on a hire NB going faster & faster approaching a lock, with our hugely heavier NB he was towing behind, he was filming the occasion, i was running along side shouting "for gods sake SLOW DOWN" ! he did, just in time to avoid being flattened. shame really, would have made a good film.


<hr width=100% size=1>deborah on delft.
Nothing to do with Mucky Farter or hlb in drag

 

[britemp]

Pah - you're no fun! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

I've done a bit of ditch-crawling, it's boating for those who find the norfolk broads too exciting!

Not only are the decks narrow, you have to be careful not to trip over those little painted teapots all over the deck on the way back from the pub!


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