IT SEEMS to me some will read and decide what they think I said rather than understand what I actually wrote, writes Maffi Oxford.
I did not write that ice does not damage blacking, but that having seen mine, which I thought surprisingly had escaped unscathed, I wrote: 'Based on this I am at a loss to understand what it is about ice breaking that that upsets people'.
True statement
This is a 100% true statement. I am sorry Keith Gudgin's blacking was stripped of, but in his rebuttal of my email, he fails to come to a conclusion as to why mine didn't after several miles of breaking thick ice and his, after only a couple of miles of thin ice, did! Please let me offer one. Looking at his picture in close up it could be that blacking doesn't stick to red paint?
Keith continues saying there is no reason to travel in bad conditions, then gives a very good reason why he did when he encountered bad conditions (ice). He writes: 'I have never had to move in bad weather, I plan my trips. I am a continuous cruiser and stay on the Cut in all weathers and stay-put when the weather dictates I should'.
Well isn't he the lucky one. Unfortunately not every one is a continuous cruiser. Their boating trips have to fit in with the rest of their lives.
Ignore good advice
If it were at all possible to make people stop in bad conditions I would vote for that, but irrespective of our thoughts on the matter people will ignore good advice and continue on their way (citing such things as time constraints, poor banks etc). Under these circumstances I will always advise not to throttle back passing boats as I said, to avoid hitting other boats.
No this is not the best situation, but preferable to hitting every other boat broadside. I am a great one for having people obey the rules, but sometimes the rules interfere with needs. You can't have it both ways. If boats are going to move (and they will) they can obey the slow down rule and crash into boats or they can ignore the rules and keep control. If I am travelling in windy conditions I increase my speed from my often slow amble.
Proper control
What page 38 of the handbook says about slowing down is secondary to keeping proper control of the vessel. Yes it would be nice if everyone had the time and the money to just stop until the bad weather passes but not everyone can afford to potter along the canals with out deadlines. To suggest that hire companies can afford the staff and time to go around collecting abandoned boats is myopic to say the least.
It would be nice if the world all had the time to take things slowly as we continuous cruiser do, but the reality is very different. People have to get back to the yard, to family, for school, for work and we just have to accept that. And offer, if asked, what advice we can.
I feel very privileged that I am able to potter around the canals with out a care in the world, but I am acutely aware that others can't and must make the best of it they can.