All winter to prepare tuition

FROM my own experiences and obviously that of others from what I read in your columns, it is time something was done with regard to the proper tuition of hire boaters, writes James Henry.

With all the people now involved with Canal & River Trust there must be someone who is capable of creating a practical, well thought out system of instructing not only new hirers but even new private boaters, and making it compulsory. They have all winter to prepare proper tuition.

Not good enough

The present system of self policing by the hire companies in the main is not good enough, as with some the only interest is in the welfare and workings of the boat, with the newcomer left to his or her own devices.  Of course I realise that many hire time after time and are most proficient.

I am not writing about simply good manners, but about the danger to themselves, their craft and what to my mind is worse, to others, brought about by people not knowing what they are doing.  Purely as they have not be properly instructed.

Let me tell you of my own experiences with newcomers during eight weeks cruising during the season this year.

Attitude worsened

I must point out that after 18 years of intensive boating, I agree with the many others who point out how the attitude of some boaters has worsened from what it was in the past.  An unkind word was virtually unknown in the past, but now the attitude of many is to say the least deplorable.  At locks particularly you really have to be careful, and twice I was literally stopped from entering a broad lock by the closing of the gates so that my rather well travelled boat would not contaminate theirs.  And once it was on the Grand Union Summit Pound when the water shortage was on.

Of course that is not dangerous, just selfishness and bad manners, but what is dangerous is the way locks are worked by newcomers, and here I must stress again, not just hirers, who on the whole welcome a little sensible tuition.

Not knowing

Seeing the many pictures of sunken boats in narrowboatworld it is obvious that it was lack of knowledge that was the cause, with the boats obviously being caught on the cill or front gate and sinking, with the person working the paddles not realising and not knowing what to do.

Three times this year I have had to shout at people not realising a boat is caught and could sink.  With one hirer at Shardlow Lock on the Trent & Mersey Canal not being able to lower her paddle as she didn't even realise the ratchet had to be lifted off the cog wheel.  It was my own crew that came to the rescue.  But even then the one steering could not comprehend that his boat was on the cill, even though it was tipping, and was annoyed that water was let into the lock to float it off, thus delaying him.

Huddersfield Narrow

And the number of boats caught on Lock 1 on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal must be legion now, and often it is closed to lift yet another out that had its bow stuck in the gate and sank.  But at least I notice wood is being placed in the apertures to prevent bows getting caught, both on narrow and broad locks.

Then there are the boaters who have to stick together, that cause such queues on the narrow Trent & Mersey Canal locks.  One taking a boat through a lock then waiting there until a friend brings his boat out, instead of going on and keeping the queue going.  At one time there were two such pairs that caused havoc with their slow progress.  The waiting boat crew don't even help the following one through the lock.

Explained

All of this should be explained to newcomers whether hirers or not, with some sort of examination in place held by an independent body, then perhaps the waterways would be a safer place, without the interminable hold-ups waiting for a sunk boat being lifted out of a lock.

And as to mooring in awkward places, I don't have to tell any who follow the rules.  This too could be explained, particularly the habit of staying overnight on lock moorings, usually well into the following morning, causing other boaters such difficulty.

Really, something has to be done.