Warning Idiots at large

boatone said:
8kph = approx 5mph = approx 4.2 knots

Guess you must crawl along if you kick up one hell of a wash at that speed? :D
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We have no choice when we pass and approach moored boats, unless we want to put them on the bank or spill their G&T.

Guessing we were doing about 5mph in this shot taken on the Witham over the weekend.

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Typical wake of a sports cruiser really.

I sold mine, it made too many people unhappy.

Once i bought a proper boat, I saw the light, and was saved.

Sadly, you still live in your world :D
 
No Regrets said:
Typical wake of a sports cruiser really.

I sold mine, it made too many people unhappy.

Once i bought a proper boat, I saw the light, and was saved.

Sadly, you still live in your world :D
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If you made too many people unhappy then you were not driving it right.

There is no reason why you can not keep a sports cruiser on a river and still pass people who are moored up without spilling their drinks.

Maybe we are just too laid back about these things but for christ sake we are on boats and they will move around. We just moor up and expect that we are going to get moved around by passing boats. We also dont expect that every boat will slow down to what we think is an acceptable level. That way you dont get dissapointed :D
 
CX54WEK said:
Maybe we are just too laid back about these things but for christ sake we are on boats and they will move around. We just moor up and expect that we are going to get moved around by passing boats. We also dont expect that every boat will slow down to what we think is an acceptable level. That way you dont get dissapointed :D
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There is a lot of truth in this. Boats do move around and the real issue is tolerance and people behaving reasonably. Most speeding incidents are unlikely to result in prosecution or even a word of warning from the River Inspectors - they just aren't likely to be around when you need them!

What we really need to do is to raise the bar in terms of self regulation, and naming and shaming can, in some instances, be a very effective way of getting the message across.

The TMBA published a River Etiquette earlier this year as a contribution to raising standards and the clubs can also do a lot to get the message across.

Also, its not just about upsetting boaters. Severe wash can do untold damage to banks and wildlife. Travelling upstream against the recent strong flows could well mean boats doing 6 or 7 knots or more through the water and, although they may only be doing 3 or 4 knots over the ground, the consequent wash would be a real issue for moored boats and wildlife.
 
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Bankside vessels frequently suffer from the wash of passing boats. When this is of the order quoted by Lady Hamilton damage resulting in insurance claims of many thousands are sometimes necessary. I wonder what the response would be to boaters speeding around in marinas a couple of feet from moored vessels ? Also, probable swamping waterfowl nests and bankside damage in general are not inconsiderate effects.
 
Chris_d said:
Ahem..... Sports Cruisers are practical, I seem to remember about 10 of us sitting in my cockpit last year enjoying the sun and some wine, your good lady thought it was a very nice boat;) the NB's cockpit was a bit too cosy:D
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"Sun"........are you sure about this ? :)
 
534l4rk said:
Bankside vessels frequently suffer from the wash of passing boats. When this is of the order quoted by Lady Hamilton damage resulting in insurance claims of many thousands are sometimes necessary. I wonder what the response would be to boaters speeding around in marinas a couple of feet from moored vessels ? Also, probable swamping waterfowl nests and bankside damage in general are not inconsiderate effects.
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"I wonder what the response would be to boaters speeding around in marinas a couple of feet from moored vessels"

I invite you to come and spend a sunny saturday afternoon on our boat and you can have a look if you wish. :D

Our home mooring is in a very busy part if the marina with all boats coming into and out of the marina passing it. It is also in a fairly wide open part of the marina so we get waves and boat wake with every passing vessel. Most of which can not comply with the speed limit on the canal (4mph) never mind the speed limit in the marina.

You just get used to it and life goes on.

If you were so concerned about damage to wildfowl nests and bank damage then you wouldnt use your boat in the first instance. All boats create some wash and wake which all contirubutes towards damage to river banks.
 
On the non tidal Thames the speed limit is approx 4.2 Knots. Below Teddington it is 8 knots to Punney bridge. It then increases to 12 knots and this is a recommended limit going thru' London. Occasionally we have boats doing over 20 ktnots on the non tidal Thames where as previously stated there are many alongside vessels. Additionally, vessels are sometimes rafted out particularly at boat yards. The damage caused by these speeding vessels can as also stated result in expensive insurance claims. I am not talking about small vessels. We have seen substantial flybridge vessels making huge washes. This just totally wrecks nests of water fowl which may have young or eggs. If boats were to make these kind of speeds in marinas I would have thought there might be comment.
 
Well, I'm pretty sure I know where one of the guys (the one on the bow) in the picture on the original post lives - Downing Street. You are the chancellor of the exchequer and I claim my £5!

Seems the Bullingdon Club has taken up boating.
 
534l4rk said:
On the non tidal Thames the speed limit is approx 4.2 Knots. Below Teddington it is 8 knots to Punney bridge. It then increases to 12 knots and this is a recommended limit going thru' London. Occasionally we have boats doing over 20 ktnots on the non tidal Thames where as previously stated there are many alongside vessels. Additionally, vessels are sometimes rafted out particularly at boat yards. The damage caused by these speeding vessels can as also stated result in expensive insurance claims. I am not talking about small vessels. We have seen substantial flybridge vessels making huge washes. This just totally wrecks nests of water fowl which may have young or eggs. If boats were to make these kind of speeds in marinas I would have thought there might be comment.
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DO you actually have any details of insurance claims made and settled.
It would help any discussions with EA if there was any substance in yours and others' asertions.

Not wishing to distract anyone from discussing the issues but so often they are "vapour" and cant be followed up.
 
Working beside this great river by the Tate Modern I can honestly say the only boats that consistently kick up a hoofing great wash are the Police Targas...

I also never knew the good folk of this forum were so into their wildlife.....
 
RichardShead said:
I also never knew the good folk of this forum were so into their wildlife.....
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Whether we are "into wildlife" or not we would do well to make sure we do not upset the tree huggers and ornifollowgists if we want to keep public opinion on our side.

You only need to attend a local meeting or two to quickly become aware of just how formidable some of the 'middle england' of the river can be ! :D
 
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