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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 8:21:02 GMT
Reading that Trina and 'P' recently crossed the Wash in their narrow boat home prompted a train of thought about 'noddy-boaters' and their genuine experience. Thinking about it there is a vast amount of boating experience within the membership here ... and not just on 'so-called narrow boats. @gazza has been boating since a kid, and not only cruising on them but virtually re-building them ... and faffer is no slouch at nut and bolt work either and neither on narrow boats. JohnV has more than a bit of experience of boats and boating without ever having owned a 'so-called' narrow boat. Telemachus has been leisure boating for decades on cruisers and narrow boats ... and metanoia has been living aboard and largely single handing for many years. Mr Stabby another live-aboard solo boater has completed the Ribble Link and the Liverpool Link amongst his travels, as well as bouncing off Thames bridges. @jj has owned a variety of boats and currently lives on a wide beam. I could go on and apologies for not mentioning everybody, but suffice to say that as a collective we do have a vast experience over a very broad spectrum of boating. It would be interesting to hear accounts of members boats and boating history , especially some of the newer members. Rog |
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Post by bills on Aug 1, 2022 8:30:03 GMT
OK - which of us has had a boat sink from under them, and why? (I haven't - I thought my boat was sinking but a connection on the water tank had failed).
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Post by Telemachus on Aug 1, 2022 8:56:08 GMT
In terms of non-canal boating my dad had an Enterprise sailing dinghy, little wooden thing that he varnished in the garage most years. One of my early memories was going on holiday to St Mawes, Cornwall for summer holiday with said dinghy. I was 5, not sure if we went out in it quite that young but we went back every year for over a decade and I learnt to sail on the sea, although the Fal estuary / Percuil river is pretty sheltered for “the sea”. We also hired a bigger motor sailer so all the family could go out together.
As I’ve said, canal boating started with the “Fancy Nancy” when I was maybe 10, a little day cruiser belonging to a school mate’s dad, but I’d already done a fair bit of sailing by then
When my dad retired he took us on our only family foreign holiday, flotilla sailing in the Greek Islands, that was a great trip and well organised. You had a day or two alone to sail around an island, then we all met up in a flotilla for a longer sea passage out of sight of land, to the next island or group of islands.
In the 1980s my sister and a friend of hers wanted me to come along on a bare boat yacht hire in the Caribbean (BVI) - they just wanted my money of course! But it was a good holiday in an 18 metre very fast Italian yacht. My abiding memory was that at the various bars etc you could have as much rum as you liked, but they were much stricter about the fruit juice!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 9:20:27 GMT
OK - which of us has had a boat sink from under them, and why? (I haven't - I thought my boat was sinking but a connection on the water tank had failed).
I had a dinghy sink under me a few days after the Marchioness. I was 15 and the 5 girls in the boat with me were 12 (sisters friends) with no lifejackets.
I saved a life that afternoon. Fortunately I was able to swim and knew how to get someone to the side.
Because of the timing all the blue lights in the borough ended up in front of the house owned by the National Car Parks man. Mr Gosling. We ended up in his garden.
The lucky thing was the dink went right upside down so I was able to recover it. No built in buoyancy and a Suzuki 3.5 outboard so it would have been lost had this not happened.
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Post by JohnV on Aug 1, 2022 9:29:31 GMT
Not quite as young starting as rusty69 
but earliest trips would have been on one of my uncle Arnie's boats. There used to be a familly tradition of summer picnicsnear the head of navigation of the Tyne,
canoeing, rafting, sailing, at school and during school holidays followed by sailing on the Thames estuary and Essex coast then a couple of trips on a training ship based on the Thames.
Then Merchant Navy for 11 years after leaving just occasional sailing either crewing for friends or with my cousin in his Heron.
Then I met a young lady with .... interesting attributes  ...... who liked narrowboating
that was the final nail in the coffin of trying to avoid boating.
the young ladies changed as did the boats but there was no disguising the fact I was trapped  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 9:34:03 GMT
The old man had a dinghy with a seagull we occasionally used but not often. My first dinghy was age 6 on our pond at our country house then when we moved to a house by the Thames age 11 I was given a dinghy and a kayak then a year later a Broom Scorpio speedboat. Also had various other small craft. Aged 20 finally got first boat to live on, extensive canal touring and lived on various boats ever since (28 years). Only time my boats see salty water is when the potatoes boil over.
My favourite place in the world is the Thames. Any season any weather I love it.
Plenty of relatives had boats but mostly salty.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 10:24:38 GMT
I had the use of a PBK when I was about 8 or 9
Then the husband of my dad's lady friend used to take me boating in his inflatable with trusty seagull on the back. Learnt to sail whilst at school (GP14) then when that was over bought myself a 14ft marine ply cruiser. In 75 it spent most time based at ACS until it was sunk by vandals above lock 15 by what is now Tesco.
Bought a 23ft ply cruiser based at Cosgrove that sank in a storm.
Resurrected my first boat in 77 and trailered that as far away as Salcombe and the Broads as well as local canals.
1980 Family got in the way.
92 bought a Springer sold that in 93 and bought Idleness left the wife and kids. 97-2002 also ran a 33ft NB which travelled most of the connected waterways at the time.
2002 sold those and got Parglena spent most of the time on the Thames, Medway and East Coast.
During this time also had a Freeman on the Gt Ouse, and a Snapdragon 747 based at Bradwell on the Blackwater.
2012 sold the lot and got Loddon now based up on the Nene.
So there is a year or two of experience under my belt 🤔
ETA I wasn't on board when either of my boats sank.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 10:36:18 GMT
I've never sailed so the acronyms and initials are lost on me .. care to expand ?
Rog
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Post by naughtyfox on Aug 1, 2022 12:01:40 GMT
My dad had some experience of messing about in boats:  Fleet Air Arm, somewhere near Ceylon  Fleet Air Arm  Ceylon  Fleet Air Arm (4th row from front, 5th from left, with glasses)   |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 13:01:24 GMT
I've never sailed so the acronyms and initials are lost on me .. care to expand ? Rog PBK = Percy Blandford* Kayak GP14 = name of a 14ft sailing dinghy ACS = Aylesbury Canal Society NB = Narrow Boat *Well worth a look he was an incredible person designed all sorts of boats and things |
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Post by ianali on Aug 1, 2022 13:12:16 GMT
Not much experience of boating compared to many here. Brought our first boat 11 years ago, have only been on canals and rivers. Luckily, being young we have time to explore other waters in the future.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 13:25:57 GMT
Not much experience of boating compared to many here. Brought our first boat 11 years ago, have only been on canals and rivers. Luckily, being young we have time to explore other waters in the future. You are on one of the better parts of the inland waterways, enjoy it. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 13:36:38 GMT
I have also been boating since I was a babe. There is a photo of me,aged 1 wearing lifejacket and oilies stood next to the family mirror dinghy (I will spare you the experience). My childhood was spent sailing dinghies (mainly an old fireball) and trips on the river Blackwater/Orwell/Deben and other east coast rivers. The Blackwater being where dad first had a Hurley 22, and the later a Sadler 26 which he fitted out in our back garden. My first narrowboat experience was in 95, which is where I met the future Mrs Rusty. We hired a viking afloat boat at Whitchurch and went up to LLangollen. A few years later (99) we bought our 69ft Les Allen, Mr Rusty, fitting it out and have lived aboard ever since. It doesn't move much these days, but we have done the majority of the system that is accessible in our time Most boating these days is done in our various kayaks, or our 28ft sailing boat, which has been up and down the coast a few times. I am in the market for another sailing dinghy, as I sold my Europe last year, and sailing will always be my first love. selling my Wayfarer |
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Post by JohnV on Aug 1, 2022 14:27:03 GMT
PBK = Percy Blandford* Kayak GP14 = name of a 14ft sailing dinghy ACS = Aylesbury Canal Society NB = Narrow Boat *Well worth a look he was an incredible person designed all sorts of boats and things The 'GP' bit referring to General Purpose as it could be sailed, rowed and easily fitted with an outboard motor. You still see them changing hands today along with other Jack Holt designed boats. Jack Holt was a prolific small boat designer. He also designed the Enterprise (not the starship) & the Mirror (along with Barry Bucknell, who I am too young to remember)ETA. The other big name in sailing dinghy design was Ian Proctor, who designed even more boats than Jack Holt. unfortunately I'm not ..... I remember watching a program on my mums television, when he was demonstrating copper wire stitching and taping plywood panels together for a boat .... damned if I can remember what the program was, but I clearly remember the technique being demonstrated......... I would guess early to mid 60's, couldn't have been much later as I was off to sea shortly after. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 14:55:29 GMT
I've never sailed despite the old man being a Laser and Byte sailer and both grandfathers being keen and competitive yachtsmen.
Propellers are my bag not flappy bits on sticks.
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...... who liked narrowboating
