Ohh gawd, might have to do one of my summers on the coast, will the EA give us a discount for the same period?
Actualy last time it was quite a spectacle with several hundred odd narrowboats all rafted up and various other boat clubs in attendance, just don't expect to able to moor anywhere for at least 2 weeks either side [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
They stack well though.... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
__________________
BCC's Boat handling Champions 2009
BCC's Top Family entrants 2009
BCC's Best Crew 2009
BCC's Top Newcomers 2009
YBW Forum Mouth'n Trousers award 2007-9
We have No Regrets!
I'll be watching out for ya! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
__________________
BCC's Boat handling Champions 2009
BCC's Top Family entrants 2009
BCC's Best Crew 2009
BCC's Top Newcomers 2009
YBW Forum Mouth'n Trousers award 2007-9
We have No Regrets!
We have guests on board who want to see HC, but depending on the tide, we may pop 'em down to Richmond before nightfall, and show them a good time!
I hope you get the place cleaned up a bit first [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
__________________
BCC's Boat handling Champions 2009
BCC's Top Family entrants 2009
BCC's Best Crew 2009
BCC's Top Newcomers 2009
YBW Forum Mouth'n Trousers award 2007-9
We have No Regrets!
We booked a mooring for the last festival and I have to say we had a great time. Part of the site was open in the evening for boaters only and the atmosphere was terrific.
It did seem to be almost entirely geared towards narrow boats though which was a bit odd because the publicity material had a photo of cruisers on it. We were stuck on a mooring at the very end of the site where there was barely enough depth. I recal though that the Seamaters owners club had several boats there all looking very shiny.
Perhaps we should put on a show of strength and book some moorings for the forum members to try and make it a proper river event rather than avoiding it like the plague.
I agree though that having so many NBs around for weeks before and after the event was a real pain
[ QUOTE ]
We booked a mooring for the last festival and I have to say we had a great time. Part of the site was open in the evening for boaters only and the atmosphere was terrific.
It did seem to be almost entirely geared towards narrow boats though which was a bit odd because the publicity material had a photo of cruisers on it. We were stuck on a mooring at the very end of the site where there was barely enough depth. I recall though that the Seamaters owners club had several boats there all looking very shiny.
Perhaps we should put on a show of strength and book some moorings for the forum members to try and make it a proper river event rather than avoiding it like the plague.
I agree though that having so many NBs around for weeks before and after the event was a real pain
[/ QUOTE ]
Nice to see something positive regarding NBs for a change.
The IWA is focused principally on canals (both narrow and broad), and there are more NBs on them than any other type of craft; also NB owners are more active in long distance travel and other matters than the rest, and that is why you see such hordes of 'em.
IWA is aware of the Thames, and yes, it's worthwhile making an approach to it (www.Waterways.org.uk) and make a case for a group mooring. Having said that it's more difficult to do six abreast with a mix of craft than it is with NBs
Beale Park must be the best site for a large inland boaty non professional do. A mile or more of moorings, huge land site, good access by car, bus?, train?
Dear oh, dear, I'm seeming to be enthusiastic, but whatever your view of who should/should not be on the River, it's great to see the water being USED.
I wonder if it would be too much to expect the IWA to make a real effort to communicate to the NB fraternity the strains they will place on moooring space up and down the river for several weeks.
In return for the EA's generous gesture of a 33% discount on their visitors licence perhaps they would help the rest of us by rafting up as a matter of course?
I would actually support the idea of a Forum presence but they'd need to give us a spot with reasonable depth !
__________________
Yet another gem from an old fart with attitude .........
'IWA is equally delighted to announce that to support the festival the Environment Agency have kindly agreed to discount the two week or monthly Thames Licence by 33% for boaters making the journey to the festival'.
I suspect there will be an awful lot of visiting boats 'travelling to the festival' during those two weeks ...
Giant Princesses / Fairlines / Sealines / Brooms from the coast
Dutch barges
Sailing boats
Etc
How will we deduce who is actually going to the festival ? will people have to have a letter confirming a mooring ?
[ QUOTE ]
Without being too cynical ....
How will we deduce who is actually going to the festival ? will people have to have a letter confirming a mooring ?
[/ QUOTE ]
Usually you have to book your licence at the same time as your festival booking so you cant get one without the other.
Personally I would love to see many more Thames craft at the national, there is a feeling that you guys all ignore it because you feel that the IWA doesn't represent you, having a barge I sometimes feel the same however the IWA does claim to look after the interest of all waterways users not just narrow boats on narrow canals.
It is a good event and as said before the evenings can be very good, when we were there last as a club we were right at the end and it was just to far to walk so we made our own entertainment.................
Not all I'm afraid, not strictly owned by me, but we have the 'family sewer tube' based not far from you [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Nene through the big onion and eventually we hit the Thames, just prefer not to mention it in case people start to think I've got money [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
__________________
Eat recycled food, it's good for the environment and not too bad for you
Sorry Howard,
'twas not intended to be information for you (not for me, a mere boater, to assume better knowledge than the River's Premier Lock), but we see lots of requests about the Tideway from forum members and I thought BW's booklets deserved a wider audience.
After all if you were a cruiser owner, would you look on BW's site for information - seeing that for most folks "BW" is synonymous for "nasty long thin tin things"...
Ah! That must be another of the Thames forums "only joking" anti narrowboat comments that you lot keep telling me about?
I suppose if you keep at it, you will make sure that narrowboaters don't use your forum, and then you wont get an earful for spouting forth your unpleasant prejudices?
I started boating as a kid on the canals so dont really have an opinion either way.
There are p.i.t.a's from all camps.
I do read canal clubs websites and regularly check on http://www.narrowboatworld.com/ as they seem to get the word on whats going on before anyone else does.
I personally think the BW [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] are doing a better job at the moment than the EA [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] and I wish we had all voted to have the Thames run by them when we had the chance....
There are some narrowboaters who are very good at what they do.
However, especially in summer, you get people on the wrong side of the river, or getting blown all over the shop because they have no keel and are unused to the river conditions. 60ft of steel narrowboat incompetently driven into a lock full of grp boats is a very scary thing.
Then there are the water pikies who will use a 24 hour mooring for months. And the ones who pinch garden furniture (ask Byron).
Now, as you say, there are some a**holes in grp cruisers too. We avoid people flying a certain club burgee as they are famous for their lack of boat handling skills!
Now, as you say, there are some a**holes in grp cruisers too. We avoid people flying a certain club burgee as they are famous for their lack of boat handling skills!
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]
[/ QUOTE ]
Oooh now I wonder which club that is then! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
[ QUOTE ]
Ooooops! Have I made a boo-boo? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Still, the question still remains, as I have seen the comments so often, what gives? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
[/ QUOTE ]
Chrusty, you are quite right that there have been adverse comments on here in the past regarding narrow boats but I think its unfair to say there is a prevalent attitude against them and I would hope the majority support this view.
I think its important to understand the background to the ill feeling that has arisen and which, in general, is not intended to tar all with the same brush.
A few years ago, in an effort to increase the use of the river, the Environment Agency started a positive encouragement programme designed to bring NB's onto the Thames as visitors and also co-operated with BW in introducing the Gold Licence. The IWA festival at Beale Park in 2003 (I think the first there?) encouraged many of them to visit the Thames for the first time and in their hundreds.
This 'invasion' had a significant impact on the traditional Thames users. Already suffering from a shortage of mooring space, suddenly 60 and 70 feet long NB's were taking up what few there were with a vengeance ie 1 NB space = 2 Cruiser spaces!
That year and for several since, we have certainly been unable to ignore this problem. The IWA was at Beal Park again in 2006 and now we hear will be again in 2010.
What would have a massive impact on dealing with this problem would be the NB's being prepared to raft up alongside each other instead of, as seems to be mainly the case, end to end (and often with a good few feet in between).
There are other issues - familiarity with a wider waterway with currents, behaviour in locks, some rogue liveaboards etc but I think the impact on mooring space is the most annoying one for those of us that pay a full annual licence fee to use the Thames.
__________________
Yet another gem from an old fart with attitude .........
I will sit back a little while in the hope that others will have a say as well before I reply with my take on things. Apologies to the OP, if you feel I am hi-jacking your thread, but I feel that it might be a the time to see if some middle ground can't be found?? We can all mutter and moan about NBs or cruisers or whoever on this forum, but it doesn't make for very pleasant reading does it? I do have an idea or two that I would like to put forward, but before I do I will stand back a while. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I think you'll find the issue of rafting up comes down to habit forced on us by the fact that a lot of the rivers we cruise on are too narrow to raft up any more than two boats at any point, without blocking the river for others. So maybe a letter to the organisers would deal with this without causing any resentment ?. Repeated unpleasant remarks on here do nothing but agravate things, so no help to anyone.
We have thought about bringing the NB to the Thames in the past, but it's a long journey and to be honest, the attitude towards 'sewer tube' owners is well known at our club, and does tend to put a lot of people off, so maybe the attitude is having the right affect after all ?.
Oh, and ours is only 50ft, but we do know how to handle her, thanks, as does everyone at the club. These things are far from cheap to buy, so if someone arrives that seems to be unable to do anything without damaging something, they get some very polite and helpful words first. Followed by some less than polite if they don't listen. The club has plastic and steel boats of all shape and size, may even have a wooden one for all I know, but everyone just gets on with it in a relaxed way, and enjoys the river together. Seems such a shame other parts of the river system can't be the same, IMHO of course
Yours
Closet narrow boater
__________________
Eat recycled food, it's good for the environment and not too bad for you
Forgot to add the smiley to my last post to indicate I wasn't being unpleasant [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
But just to add, this is where we're moored, but at the wider point, not our actual mooring. It gets a lot narrower in places [img]/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]
__________________
Eat recycled food, it's good for the environment and not too bad for you
"There are some narrowboaters who are very good at what
they do.
However, especially in summer, you get people on the wrong side of the river, or getting blown all over the shop because they have no keel and are unused to the river conditions. 60ft of steel narrowboat incompetently driven into a lock full of grp boats is a very scary thing."
I would say that it has nothing to do with not having a keel as such, as the whole of the narrowboats hull is in effect a keel because of it's underwater shape, it is more probably due to having a fair amount of top hamper over maybe 60 or 70foot length that causes it. I do take your other points on board though.
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"Then there are the water pikies who will use a 24 hour mooring for months. And the ones who pinch garden furniture (ask Byron)."
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I am afraid the there are "water pikies" as you call them all over the place, they are on the narrow canals in great profusion, and are a constant headache for BW, who incidentally are, or have been trying to do something about them, particularly the unlicenced ones. Yes, some of them are an eyesore, but you know, not all live aboards fall into that category, some are on recognised residential moorings, some are continuous cruisers, and behave in a responsible and respectable manner. By the way, refering to people as pikies does you no favours really. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
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"Now, as you say, there are some a**holes in grp cruisers too. We avoid people flying a certain club burgee as they are famous for their lack of boat handling skills![img]/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]"
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Nope I didn't say that there are some a**holes in GRP cruisers, and I know nothing of Thames clubs or their politics [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
"Chrusty, you are quite right that there have been adverse comments on here in the past regarding narrow boats but I think its unfair to say there is a prevalent attitude against them and I would hope the majority support this view."
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Well the adverse comments are fairly understandable even if I don't find them acceptable, and I am sure that not everybody feels the same, and I am also sure that tarbrushing is not the intention, even if sometimes it sounds that way.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"I think its important to understand the background to the ill feeling that has arisen and which, in general, is not intended to tar all with the same brush.
A few years ago, in an effort to increase the use of the river, the Environment Agency started a positive encouragement programme designed to bring NB's onto the Thames as visitors and also co-operated with BW in introducing the Gold Licence. The IWA festival at Beale Park in 2003 (I think the first there?) encouraged many of them to visit the Thames for the first time and in their hundreds.
This 'invasion' had a significant impact on the traditional Thames users. Already suffering from a shortage of mooring space, suddenly 60 and 70 feet long NB's were taking up what few there were with a vengeance ie 1 NB space = 2 Cruiser spaces!
That year and for several since, we have certainly been unable to ignore this problem. The IWA was at Beal Park again in 2006 and now we hear will be again in 2010.
What would have a massive impact on dealing with this problem would be the NB's being prepared to raft up alongside each other instead of, as seems to be mainly the case, end to end (and often with a good few feet in between)."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes I can see that moorings would be a contentious issue, and has Dave (sixpence) has already said, it probably comes about through ignorance of the situation. On narrow canals and waterways, rafting up is not common practice, in fact on most narrow waterways it would cause considerable difficulty, in that it would narrow the waterway to such an extent as to make it very difficult for two boats going in opposite direction to pass each other. Also it could due to displacement of water, put the bankside boats aground, albeit temporarily.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"There are other issues - familiarity with a wider waterway with currents, behaviour in locks, some rogue liveaboards etc but I think the impact on mooring space is the most annoying one for those of us that pay a full annual licence fee to use the Thames."
---------------------------------------------------
I take your points on board and have answered them in my previous post, so what to do about it??
Well, I would suggest that really it's a matter of communication and education isn't it? Now you Thames folk will know better than I what is achievable in that direction, but it seems to me that an approach to the IWA, BW and the EA, through your clubs or as individuals, outlining your concerns and asking them to perhaps produce a small handout explaining how the narrowboaters could limit the negative impact on other Thames users could be achieved?
A question, do you cruiser owners raft up to narrowboats ? Is it something you do or not?
One other thing, It's my view that changing the name of this forum to make it more inclusive to would be members might be a good thing, for instance, why not just call it the Inland Waterways Forum, it could then happily cater for boaters from the canals the rivers, lakes and the Broads etc?
All the above is just IMHO of course. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I too have many narrowboat friends active of this and other forums, the TNC etc. We've had many discussions along the lines stated here. I'd say the biggest bugbears is the mooring issue noted above (worth reiterating a lot of the facilities were based on boats being 22'-30' long), the issue of the sanitary stations (again boats like mine having 35 gallon water tanks stuck behind narrowboats having, in comparison, huge tanks, at the sanitary station waiting for the hose; not really the NB's fault, the EA encouraged them to come without expanding the facilities), and a very noticable lack of boating knowledge; being on wrong side of river, sitting in the middle when boats trying to get past, not observing the rule about who goes out first in locks etc.
Cruisers as a rule don't raft up to narrowboats because they blot out all the light , or break the windows with their fenders that are usually about the same height.
The EA did ( last year i think ) produce a 'Raft Up' leaflet , with inclusive sticker ' Welcome to Moor Alongside' , but there were very few takers , we still have a big stack of stickers at the lock if anyone would like one [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
I must say though that the vast majority of narrowboaters i have come across are a good natured bunch , you will always get the occasional pain , but by and large they are a pretty friendly easygoing lot. They are happy to raft up in our cut when we get really busy ( had them three deep [img]/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] ) ...
I can see however , how cruiser owners would get annoyed though , i have been past the HC Palace moorings ( the golden gates ) and seen NB's end to end along the whole length.
I do suspect that a lot of the narrowboat bashing that goes on on here is just good natured jesting.
[ QUOTE ]
Cruisers as a rule don't raft up to narrowboats because they blot out all the light , or break the windows with their fenders that are usually about the same height.
The EA did ( last year i think ) produce a 'Raft Up' leaflet , with inclusive sticker ' Welcome to Moor Alongside' , but there were very few takers , we still have a big stack of stickers at the lock if anyone would like one [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
I must say though that the vast majority of narrowboaters i have come across are a good natured bunch , you will always get the occasional pain , but by and large they are a pretty friendly easygoing lot. They are happy to raft up in our cut when we get really busy ( had them three deep [img]/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] ) ...
I can see however , how cruiser owners would get annoyed though , i have been past the HC Palace moorings ( the golden gates ) and seen NB's end to end along the whole length.
I do suspect that a lot of the narrowboat bashing that goes on on here is just good natured jesting.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes I can see that the height difference might cause problems, I am far from sure that the adverse comments are all in jest though.
Chrusty.....when you finished getting the www.thameslynchmob.org to be nice to narrowboaters,why not see what you do about promoting www.givearowerahugday.oar. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif[/img]
Yes, Yes, I am a narrowboater and proud of it (I "came out" last year to some amusement, having lurked around these fora for some time)
I also wear a Blue with pride as well (haven't had a ding-dong about Ensigns on this forum for a while...).
This week as it's Henley, I'll be wearing something naughty with a bit of White in it - but will take it down when I approach Byron's, (you may put whatever construction on that as you like), but it ain't quite what folks think it is...
My reference to LTTT is also tongue in cheek as many senior residents here know me.
They have much to commend them, fr'instance we can go from Godalming in the Sarf to Rippon in the North, if one has the time all on inland waters, and would if SWMBO would let me out for the time.
Particular problems with them, however are:-
Impossible to steer without any way-on in a crosswind, not so much lack of keel, more superstructure acting as a sail. Proper NBers don't have thrusters.
Length at moorings (as mentioned). I've given up and find a convenient tree out in the country. Bit of a pain as we can't conveniently get to some of the pubs, but then SWMBO does a mean Gin and It'.
Lack of speed means you can't get out of the way quickly, and one's length makes it difficult for overtaking boats in narrower / winding parts of the River. I'll ignore comments about wrong side of the river - I've seen a lot of other types of craft doing that!
Cruisers don't (really) lend themselves to Liveaboarding (unless they're very large), but NBs are attracting more and more folk who cannot afford house prices. The problem here is that to avoid being classed as residential they have to sally forth from time to time. Many of them have no real interest in the River and navigate accordingly.
As I've banged on in other posts, methinks the main objective is to get more and more folk using this wonderful River (hopefully not just at weekends...). Perhaps increased traffic will scour the riverbed [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
More craft means more registrations,
more registrations means more money for EA to spend on improvements (Tree cutting, dredging, et al),
perhaps more movements will bring the River alive again and fun for all.
Enough for now, I must go and pack for my epic journey up-River.
Yes, Yes, I am a narrowboater and proud of it (I "came out" last year to some amusement, having lurked around these fora for some time)"
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Good on yer mate! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
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"I also wear a Blue with pride as well (haven't had a ding-dong about Ensigns on this forum for a while...)."
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You wear an ensign on a narrowboat!??? That is bordering on sacrilege!..........You should flogged at the gratings!!......Ah, no, NBs don't have them do they [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
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"This week as it's Henley, I'll be wearing something naughty with a bit of White in it - but will take it down when I approach Byron's, (you may put whatever construction on that as you like), but it ain't quite what folks think it is..."
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Listen luvvy, if yer want to wear your wifes knickers, it's alright by me, boating is a very broad church! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
---------------------------------------------
"My reference to LTTT is also tongue in cheek as many senior residents here know me.
They have much to commend them, fr'instance we can go from Godalming in the Sarf to Rippon in the North, if one has the time all on inland waters, and would if SWMBO would let me out for the time."
------------------------------------
You don't need to convince me, I am converted already!
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"Particular problems with them, however are:-
Impossible to steer without any way-on in a crosswind, not so much lack of keel, more superstructure acting as a sail. Proper NBers don't have thrusters."
----------------------------------------
Yes I said about the top hamper in one of previous posts, I steered a 70 footer up the Staffs & Worcester not long ago, and was very greatful for the thrusters. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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Length at moorings (as mentioned). I've given up and find a convenient tree out in the country. Bit of a pain as we can't conveniently get to some of the pubs, but then SWMBO does a mean Gin and It'.
Lack of speed means you can't get out of the way quickly, and one's length makes it difficult for overtaking boats in narrower / winding parts of the River. I'll ignore comments about wrong side of the river - I've seen a lot of other types of craft doing that!
Cruisers don't (really) lend themselves to Liveaboarding (unless they're very large), but NBs are attracting more and more folk who cannot afford house prices. The problem here is that to avoid being classed as residential they have to sally forth from time to time. Many of them have no real interest in the River and navigate accordingly.
As I've banged on in other posts, methinks the main objective is to get more and more folk using this wonderful River (hopefully not just at weekends...). Perhaps increased traffic will scour the riverbed [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
More craft means more registrations,
more registrations means more money for EA to spend on improvements (Tree cutting, dredging, et al),
perhaps more movements will bring the River alive again and fun for all.
Enough for now, I must go and pack for my epic journey up-River.
[/ QUOTE ]
--------------------------
Agree with all of that, mind the Toffs at Henley, I hear that they are prone to behavioral disfunction when they've had a few! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
[ QUOTE ]
More craft means more registrations,
more registrations means more money for EA to spend on improvements (Tree cutting, dredging, et al),
perhaps more movements will bring the River alive again and fun for all.
[/ QUOTE ]
Would be nice to thnk so but reality is that whatever is done will only marginally affect the situation. Said it before and I'll say it again (boring I know). The EA needs much more money than they will get from us boaters. Chances are that any increase in income will immediately be negated by a decrease in grant aid from government - and with the huge national debt crisis that now hovers over us there will be more competition than ever for funding - fat chance a few rich boaty types on the river will come very far up the priority list.
Chrusty, be a pet and let it drop now. We have become quite good at dealing with the hot-heads that try to stir it up and, in a perverse way, your intervention perpetuates the problem. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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Yet another gem from an old fart with attitude .........
I wouldn't raft up to a narrow boat any more without some way of getting the tar/bitumen off my fenders (experience here as I've done this quite a bit in the past). I've done a lot of cruising with a IWA Council member/narrow boat owner on board hence the discussions of the issues I've noted above.
Anybody else got frustrated in trying to get water from Abingdon Lock when there's three narrowboats in front?
"Chrusty, be a pet and let it drop now. We have become quite good at dealing with the hot-heads that try to stir it up and, in a perverse way, your intervention perpetuates the problem. "
Let it drop?? hot head??? Think you have got the wrong end of the stick me old luv!
I am not trying to stir anything up, just fed up with some of the attitudes on this forum from people that make disparaging remarks about NBs, I actually thought that it might be nice to get a bit of constructive dialogue going. I even went as far as offering a couple of ideas that some of you could take up if you were aminds to, but if you would just sooner slag off other boaters instead of seeking a solution to a few problems??? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I think what Tony meant to say was 'Chrusty, p!ss off now while the goings good eh?' [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
You see, we have a very nice peaceful time on this forum, and never unfairly deride other boat owners unless they deserved it.
You're heading that way at the moment, are you not? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
__________________
BCC's Boat handling Champions 2009
BCC's Top Family entrants 2009
BCC's Best Crew 2009
BCC's Top Newcomers 2009
YBW Forum Mouth'n Trousers award 2007-9
We have No Regrets!
I think what Tony meant to say was 'Chrusty, p!ss off now while the goings good eh?' [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
You see, we have a very nice peaceful time on this forum, and never unfairly deride other boat owners unless they deserved it.
You're heading that way at the moment, are you not? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
[/ QUOTE ]
No I am not, and who are you or he to tell me to piss off?
My posts were offered in a friendly way, not too antaganise but in the hope that some of you might decide that there is a better way of dealing with your problems than slagging off other boaters.
If you don't see that as a sensible option, that's fine by me, I will use the Thames as and when I see fit, and if you prefer to be antagonistic, don't be surprised if others respond in the same way. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Do me a small favour though, please explain to me what you find so unacceptable about my posts?
You are a devisive little weasel Chrusty, one who enjoys causing frictional posts and then standing back innocently while the fireworks kick off after your initial 'suggestions'
Thats a fact well known on the forum as a whole, but as a few doors have been closed in your face in other ones, you seem to want to destroy the peace and harmony over here.
Well, unlike the coastal fora, we Mobo's enjoy a peaceful existance, and the few gentle prods at our fellow Mobo'ers.
I can see exactly what you're trying to do, and the perverse feeling of power you get from it. Thats because you are, in Internet terms, a Troll.
Now, to answer your question 'Who do you (Or Tony) think you are....'
Well, this Thames forum was Tony's idea, and I'm his friend [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Neither of us appreciated this little gem from you:
[ QUOTE ]
why not just call it the Inland Waterways Forum, it could then happily cater for boaters from the canals the rivers, lakes and the Broads etc?
__________________
BCC's Boat handling Champions 2009
BCC's Top Family entrants 2009
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We have No Regrets!
I was not telling anyone to piss off. Anyone who knows me or has been on this forum for any length of time will know how much effort I have put into trying to get these issues raised and considered by all involved in a friendly and constructive way.
I even put the Motor Boaters point of view to the NB fraternity in an MBM 'great debate' a couple of years back and was happy to point out that I personally thought NB's should be welcome on the Thames, but that they would need to adjust and make allowances for the cruiser users, just as cruisers would need to adjust to the increasing numbers of NB's. It was, IMHO, unfortunate that the person speaking for the NB's chose to pass us off as the Gin Palace brigade and use the opportunity to take the piss rather than help to build the bridges which I tried to do.
My reason for asking Chrusty to let it drop was simple - the longer the 'discussion' goes on the more polarised and abrasive the contributions get.
Frankly, Chrusty, its a bit rich for you to ride over the horizon and decide that none of us here have the intelligence and foresight to realise that some give and take is needed to solve the problem. It was me that asked YBW to start this forum, it was me that asked them to add 'and other inland waterways' to its title. It was me that spoke to a friendly NB owner/visitor from the Midlands when we moored one night at Marlow and inspired him to write an article for his club magazine expressing understanding for our concerns and urging them to recognise the need for them to be co-operative in enjoying our river - and he sent me a copy!
I could go on, but as I said earlier I would prefer to let the topic drop. I personally would like to see the EA be much much more proactive in encouraging rafting by ALL boaters when it is busy and I keep telling them so.
Lets agree that petty sniping is juvenile and unhelpful. But lets not agree that the only solution is to put up with the problem.
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Yet another gem from an old fart with attitude .........
Naugh...the purile anti narrowboat stance of some Thames boaters gets quite serious, doesn't in Ian C? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
If it was not for narrowboats, the Thames above Oxford would have good as died. Thames boaters should be glad that at least one part of the UK boating industry is still vibrant.
What you lot need is a good bash of Irish boating, where there are so few boats and multude of moorings, then you are glad to see another boat, even a plastic Emerald Star Line hire boat, suck on some rocks, after going the wrong side of a marker!
Here are some busy moorings on the Shannon-Erne Waterway last week: http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/St...s/Img_1345.jpg
Even Enniskillen on the River Erne was quiet:
(The new Round O moorings) http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/St...s/Img_2384.jpg
Of course in Ireland all this wonderfull boating is as good as free (Free Waterways Ireland registration, the 5 main Shnannon locks are 1.5 Euro), so us Irish boaters don't sit and whinge about all the lack of facilities and moorings and other kind of craft...
No on the other hand... you lot stay over here and leave the peaceful Shannon backwaters to us, where you may not see another living soul for days, yet alone another boat.
Don't forget you suckers pay 15% towards Waterways Ireland, through the NI Assembly
[img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]
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Neil Arlidge
NB Earnest
Wildernii Mini Me, now back to being wheely good fun.
Follow the travels of TNC, now in Ireland: http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/tour.html
I was not telling anyone to piss off. Anyone who knows me or has been on this forum for any length of time will know how much effort I have put into trying to get these issues raised and considered by all involved in a friendly and constructive way.
I even put the Motor Boaters point of view to the NB fraternity in an MBM 'great debate' a couple of years back and was happy to point out that I personally thought NB's should be welcome on the Thames, but that they would need to adjust and make allowances for the cruiser users, just as cruisers would need to adjust to the increasing numbers of NB's. It was, IMHO, unfortunate that the person speaking for the NB's chose to pass us off as the Gin Palace brigade and use the opportunity to take the piss rather than help to build the bridges which I tried to do."
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Apologies for leaving so long to reply to your post, Hmmm, now I have to confess to feeling a bit of a prat!.....Ah well aint the first time, and I dare say it wont be the last. I am really sorry that you were treated like that by a narrowboater, it was made doubly worse in my opinion as you were trying to build bridges.
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"My reason for asking Chrusty to let it drop was simple - the longer the 'discussion' goes on the more polarised and abrasive the contributions get.
Frankly, Chrusty, its a bit rich for you to ride over the horizon and decide that none of us here have the intelligence and foresight to realise that some give and take is needed to solve the problem. It was me that asked YBW to start this forum, it was me that asked them to add 'and other inland waterways' to its title. It was me that spoke to a friendly NB owner/visitor from the Midlands when we moored one night at Marlow and inspired him to write an article for his club magazine expressing understanding for our concerns and urging them to recognise the need for them to be co-operative in enjoying our river - and he sent me a copy! "
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Sorry mate, I didn't know any of that, so once again apologies.
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I could go on, but as I said earlier I would prefer to let the topic drop. I personally would like to see the EA be much much more proactive in encouraging rafting by ALL boaters when it is busy and I keep telling them so.
Lets agree that petty sniping is juvenile and unhelpful. But lets not agree that the only solution is to put up with the problem."
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Yes I agree wholeheartedly with that, sniping is not the way to go on, maybe my objections were coloured a bit from disrupted sleep, I am on 24 hour callout this week, might be suffering from grumpyitis?
Once again, sorry if I have offended anyone, it wasn't my intention really, just would like to see an end to the anti NB comments.
You know what, I don't think I have ever yelled at a NB to slow down or mind their wash!
Helped a couple of Flexi-Club hired NB's during the flood, one of which made a stately progress up the bank, so much so I could see daylight underneath! I've never had any complaints either when I have had to go alongside so the kids can alight for their school bus.
Stand by........
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