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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 21:32:33 GMT
I can't understand the mentality of someone who would actually describe someone else's boat in negative terms to the person who owns it. That seems very bizarre. Obviously having only ever owned incredibly cool and classy boats I have never experienced this problem but I would never wish to be seen to describe someone else's boat as crap. Well I suppose if it was an Ormelite I might have some rude words to say about it but I would still try to hold my tongue (not easy!). It must be admitted that my boat was designed and fitted out as a holiday craft - hence the reliance on diesel CH rather than a stove, and the compact but uncomfortable bench seating in the lounge. Such boats, although attracting positive comments from civilians, are anathema to the hard core tradster. But however dubious the design of my boat might be, it does seem singularly impractical (in a human social sense) for your second remark to be that all Liverpool boats are' basically rubbish'. Don't get me wrong- I'm yet to form a strong emotional attachment to her. I'm a grimly functional person in that respect. She is a floating- and thus mobile- accommodation. It is the mobility, and the waterways and the places that I feel are lovely and interesting and magical. It is not the machine that allows me to live and move upon them. Not yet, anyway. Although I must confess, standing beside her in the moonlit marina a little while ago, she looked so cosy and homely- I think I might be falling for her, at long last! But so far at least, it has seemed to me that our feelings about our boats are analogous to the way a travelling motorhomer feels about his vehicle. He doesn't romanticise it as much as boaters do, but he does form an attachment to his vehicle. But why should our attachment to our mobile homes be more romantic or meaningful than that of a motorhomer to his GRP bodied home? I dont know the answer to this of course, I'm just asking the question because in theory, boats are just floating vehicles powered by diesel engines (yes I know Peter- not all of them are diesel! ) - but I have to say, standing beside the boat earlier on, I did feel some of that romantic attachment. And I do feel boats pull at the heart strings more than motorhomes (motorhomers, please forgive me!). I just don't know why.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 21:34:32 GMT
Collingwood.
Ok.
I'm like "I missed this bit" isn't it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 21:37:50 GMT
Collingwood. Ok. I'm like "I missed this bit" isn't it. And I'm like, this dude is like quite literally oppressing my boat
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 21:39:21 GMT
Yeah yeah yeah
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Post by Trina on Nov 24, 2020 21:51:27 GMT
I'm doooooooooomed,our boat is a Liverpool boat !We've had her from new(16 yrs)& she's been bloody good value for money.If someone said something so smugly rude to me about Liverpool boats,they'd regret it.I may not be physically violent,but verbally I'm Olympic gold medal standard...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 21:58:50 GMT
The point is, Mr M, as you mentioned earlier- you might think someone's boat is a POS, but you just think it, you dont say it out loud. You especially dont make it the third comment you utter in your conversation with the owner of said boat. It happens in other areas, not just boats. In another life, he might well have been the annoying guy who slags off the cars of people he's just met. I have to be fair, I haven't met another trad boat owner as rude as this gentleman. Its probably just a one off, and not a trad-owner thing in general. But I find it hard to even get into the mindset of a person who thinks that a conversation is going to proceed positively if he slags off your boat in his opening few remarks. Who could be that socially stupid? I can only take it as a sign of toxicity in the person's character- he knew he was being offensive, but wanted to make that impression. My guess would be that he does not have a lot of people in his life who have positive feelings about him.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 22:07:10 GMT
I haven't come across anyone like that at any time while boating* and while I may think someone's boat is horrible I would always seek to make positive rather than negative remarks if commenting.
I suppose it's a bit "dishonest" but even really horrible boats like a "<word removed>" boat can have some redeeming features and it's definitely better to concentrate on the good things.
Is this actually a real person you are referring to or a theoretical one ?
*That I can recall.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 22:25:41 GMT
I haven't come across anyone like that at any time while boating* and while I may think someone's boat is horrible I would always seek to make positive rather than negative remarks if commenting. I suppose it's a bit "dishonest" but even really horrible boats like a "<word removed>" boat can have some redeeming features and it's definitely better to concentrate on the good things. Is this actually a real person you are referring to or a theoretical one ? *That I can recall. This was indeed a real person Mr M, whom I met at the water point in Nantwich on Saturday. His comment about Liverpool boats all being rubbish came about a minute into our chat, when I turned and remarked how nicely a passing boat had reversed, and added that my own boat would not behave consistently when reversing. His first remark after that was about Liverpool boats being rubbish, terrible company, bankrupt three times, what else could you expect, etc. That was a tad irritating, but I think what annoyed me more was the glowingly proud tone he then adopted a few seconds later, when he explained how superbly his own boat could reverse, and how it was built on a 1930s Hawkins design. Even had he not insulted my boat beforehand, I would have had no time whatsoever for discussions about the marvels of 1930s narrowboat designs. I just absolutely do not care about any of that. I live in a floating home, it is cute and I quite like it- but that does not mean I am mandated to take an interest in historical designs and their benefits- and especially when the lecturer's main objective seems to be to demonstrate how much better their boat is than mine. Its just one of those interesting and unusual encounters that you put down to experience. I think I give off a 'beginner' vibe. A few weeks earlier I had a guy literally yelling at me because I was using the large hole in the windlass instead of the small hole. I did get a bit shirty that time, but it ended amicably....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 22:29:41 GMT
Ok so it was a Barry Hawkins narrow boat owner.
Got it.
ETA where is my vomit bag.
About as 1930s as a Range Rover Evoque.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 22:35:07 GMT
Ok so it was a Barry Hawkins narrow boat owner. Got it. I thin he said it was built in 2000 and something, but on a Hawkins design. But to be honest. who cares? They all float, they all have diesel engines, and one day they will all be scrap metal. I dont get the whole fetish about ancient narrowboats, it feels similar to those guys who run vintage steam engines. By all means knock yourself out- have fun, and tinker away at your machine till the cows come home. But do have some manners, for Heavens sake....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 22:39:56 GMT
Yes but this is one of those awful replicas which are well known for possessing a certain type of owner.
Not wishing to be judgemental but it is not that surprising to me that your encounter in this instance involved discussion of a narrow boat the builder of which has gone to considerable effort to cover with welded on washers in an attempt to imitate an old boat which would have originally have been riveted.
These things happen and as you so rightly point out it will all be scrap one day anyway.
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Post by JohnV on Nov 24, 2020 22:43:37 GMT
Ok so it was a Barry Hawkins narrow boat owner. Got it. I thin he said it was built in 2000 and something, but on a Hawkins design. OMG it was a modern copy !!! that is dreadful ..... speaking as the owner of a genuine historic vessell (1929) Pah !!! a copy and he tries to look down on someone else .... ridiculous
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2020 22:56:02 GMT
I thin he said it was built in 2000 and something, but on a Hawkins design. OMG it was a modern copy !!! that is dreadful ..... speaking as the owner of a genuine historic vessell (1929) Pah !!! a copy and he tries to look down on someone else .... ridiculous I was too busy trying to politely extricate myself from this dismal exchange to worry about fashioning a sharp riposte, and to be honest I couldn't be bothered getting steamed up about it anyway. But at least my boat is a genuine thing, and everything on it is made for a functional purpose. It is not an imitation of something else, with 'false' rivets, etc. To use a car analogy, his would be one of those kit cars that looks like a ferrari but has the chassis and engine from a mondeo. But it's just one of those interesting little encounters that I seem to have so many of these days! I'm not complaining too much- yes he was an odd chap, and a bit arrogant, but he has his own place in the food chain. Its all part of the UK waterways ecosystem- sometimes annoying, often lovely, but almost always interesting and noteworthy.
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Post by quaysider on Nov 25, 2020 8:45:06 GMT
If you add "I'm a self build hotel boat" into the mix, I promise you their comments can often be even more derisory... although not always to my face - but I DO hear them chuntering to the good lady bosun things like "oh god it's a hotel boat - they think they own the canals'"or "Mary - it's another half wit self builder ... it won't even be fitted out inside yet I bet"...
They often like to tell me my knot won't hold too... that's a particular favourite. Thing is, it's not always the historic boat brigade that do that... quite often it's the chain smoking navi looking types with a can of stella in one hand, 5 days stubble, 5weeks trouser wear and a filthy layer of something on the inside of their windows...
I'm usually able to smile politely and say nothing about the collection of "things that might be useful" on their roofs - cause quite often I look at some of the paraphernalia and think "ooo that might be useful" and I'm envious.... However when I pull alongside and see the state of a washing up bowl with a 1cm ring of GREESE 3/4 of the way up it (ignoring the state of the draining board/surrounding areas) I have been known offer a bowl of hot soapy water seeing as they don't seem to have any.... childish I know but it does take the wind out of their blustery sails.
The above said, I still love the encounters - oddly enough, the stoned grp folks are often the most friendly sorts and despite being demonized by the "I've been boating for 40 years" still manage to bring life (and an element of fun) to the water ways... whilst mr and mrs Patrena bonkers boaters stand in a lock shouting at each other and clearly not enjoying their journey out of the marina for fear of knocking a bit of blacking off a rubbing strake or (heaven forbid) another boat touching them.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2020 9:13:40 GMT
@tonyc two words to remember next time someone with stick on rivets starts sounding forth,
Washer Josher
Just refer to their boat as a WJ and ask how many washers have been knocked off. This will have added resonance with a Hawkins owner as their boat is not based on a Josher 😷
With one or two exceptions they are the worst in the snobbery brigade.
Anyone got a link to the my boats better than his meme?
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