That cautionary tale

I HAVE been banging on about not standing on the counter for years, I tell all my Helmsman training students, and tell them not to get behind the tiller even on a cruiser stern, writes Linda Andrews of Cheshire Cat Training.

There was a fatality on a Canaltime boat a few years ago. I also tell them about the stupidity of sitting on 'suicide seats' on the back of a trad stern—yet still boat builders put them on—they should be banned.

Go hurtling astern

There is another scenario where a breaking gear cable can be a serious matter and that is when steerers hold the boat in reverse to keep it off the bottom gates while descending a lock—if the gear cable chooses that moment to break, they will go hurtling astern into the cill—only a very quick-witted person on the paddles could stop a cilling accident from happening.

In a narrow lock a safer way is to position the boat near the bottom gates, and get the person operating the paddles to hold the boat off with his hand. This is surprisingly easy to do, and once the boat has dropped a few feet it is usually safe to let go and the boat will gently come to the gates and slide down harmlessly. In a wide lock, the steerer should in any case have the centre line round a bollard and keep the boat in position with pressure on the line.