Using Sat Nav Not Speeding

[Andrewcook]

Hi all as to my experience going with Griff on the Ladd's week last year they used a Mobile Sat Nav for Speed on the Broads limits the we observed instead of the Engine Rev Counter as a funny thing happen was a Patrol Rancher on the River telling of the Ladd's Boat a head of us to slow down a bit as yet we knew we were with in theses Limits he was in my view a bit over the top on this as I was not amused by his actions. So by using this devices would that help in resolving people Speeding including at How Hill on the River Ant. where it's a bit narrow upon when Cruisers  mooring up there.

Yours 

Andrew Cook  

[Wussername]

We all find speeding an issue. Only two days ago I witnessed Judith 5 an iconic woody speeding, yes speeding through Norwich. It was travelling well over 5 miles an hour. Do you know what? There was no wash whatsoever from this boat. No discomfort whatsoever for the boats moored at the Riverside retail complex. Nobody was inconvenienced. Indeed if you were there tied up at the mooring, you would not have known that she had passed through.

Introducing more GPS speed indicator's would be beneficial. However perhaps the boat yards should be tasked to take into consideration the impact of hull design on new builds to mitigate this problem.

[ChrisB]

One must be careful with Sat Nav. On a straight river, let us say Thurne towards Acle under clear skys with a 3D fix, ie it can see 3 satellites, it should give you an accurate reading.

On a winding river, trees overhead with hills, let us say around Belaugh there will be considerable lag in the readings causing much averaging and speed readings can be far from accurate.

Remember GPS and Glonass are designed to tell you where you are not how fast you are going.

[ranworthbreeze]

 

My Sat Nav keeps telling me to turn left or right (she gets in a right paddy) because I choose to stay on the river.

Regards

Alan

[ExMemberBobdog]

Whatever speed your satnav tells you that you are doing, the ranger will be looking at your wash; are you likely to be damaging the riverbanks, are you going past busy moorings causing vessels to rock about and possibly risking harm to people aboard or stepping on and off?  The ranger will also be concerned about the presence of other vessels, and especially canoes and other vulnerable river users.  Are you exercising 'care and caution' and consideration for other river users, irrespective of whether you are technically within the speed limit?  The ranger has the power to issue a 'special direction' to any vessel in the interests of safety, including telling you to slow down whatever your satnav says.  Failure to heed the 'special direction' could, if the ranger chooses to prosecute you, result in a hefty fine.  Fortunately, by and large, the Rangers seek to educate and persuade and only prosecute as a last resort.  They are primarily there to keep you and others safe, and I for one would always defer to their advice and expertise.  Fundamentally they're a good bunch with ours and others welfare at heart.

[thingamybob]

For heavens sake, this is just going over the top. When going on the Ant I just increase the engine speed to a fast tick over, just when the engine makes a nice steady hum,  l look at the banks and think "is this the speed I would walk when I was much fitter than I am now". A quick look over the stern to see if there is not a breaking wash, job done. I have put a mark on my throttle, yes I have separate throttle and gear levers, and basically the old tub goes at that speed all over the Broads which is about four miles an hour whatever the upper speed limit is. This is a nice speed, very economical on the old go juice and does not drag the banks in.

Common sense rules............ok?

 

[BroadAmbition]

Common sense rules............ok?

It does too, but technology etc moves on.  We use an 'etrex' system onboard accurate to point one of an mph.  That of course is speed over ground not through the water.  Fortunately  'B.A' produces very little wash compared to the more modern 'Low wash'  hulls,  unless we are towing a dinghy, then we could qualify as a wake boat!  I once got told off years ago when onboard 'B.A' by a weekend warrior river inspector / ranger (Part time jobby) for going through Horning at 4:2 mph.  Yes dear forumites I was a full point 2 over the limit!

Griff

[ranworthbreeze]

3 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Common sense rules............ok?

It does too, but technology etc moves on.  We use an 'etrex' system onboard accurate to point one of an mph.  That of course is speed over ground not through the water.  Fortunately  'B.A' produces very little wash compared to the more modern 'Low wash'  hulls,  unless we are towing a dinghy, then we could qualify as a wake boat!  I once got told off years ago when onboard 'B.A' by a weekend warrior river inspector / ranger (Part time jobby) for going through Horning at 4:2 mph.  Yes dear forumites I was a full point 2 over the limit!

Griff

Hi Charlie,

I am sorry but we can not condone such wayward behavior, my father in law would classify you as a speed-ace 

Regards

Alan

[BroadAmbition]

I am sorry but we can not condone such wayward behaviour, my father in law would classify you as a speed-ace

Gawd only knows what he would classify me as on my mighty Tiger 1050 then!

Griff

[Guest]

8 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

I once got told off years ago when onboard 'B.A' by a weekend warrior river inspector / ranger (Part time jobby) for going through Horning at 4:2 mph. 

Perhaps he knew who you were Griff and decided to wind you up! You reap what you sow and your boat is very recognisable and some say you like a wind up of your own!

[thingamybob]

11 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Common sense rules............ok?

It does too, but technology etc moves on.  We use an 'etrex' system onboard accurate to point one of an mph.  That of course is speed over ground not through the water.  Fortunately  'B.A' produces very little wash compared to the more modern 'Low wash'  hulls,  unless we are towing a dinghy, then we could qualify as a wake boat!  I once got told off years ago when onboard 'B.A' by a weekend warrior river inspector / ranger (Part time jobby) for going through Horning at 4:2 mph.  Yes dear forumites I was a full point 2 over the limit!

Griff

Totally reckless!, shame on you! Keel haul him!                

Seriously though, since it is not being mandatory to fit a spedo on a boat these speed limits can only be flexible. A little bit over,  provided the boat is not making a wash and there is not a collision in the making it should not matter.    

[Poppy]

I was passed at some speed recently whilst moored on the river at Thurne. I commented to SWMBO as she mopped up the two mugs of spilled coffeee " He ccould have got another 18" closer than that "

It's not just speed - there isn't, unlike much of the route taken to get here  an 'armco barrier' down the middle of the river !

[Regulo]

27 minutes ago, Poppy said:

It's not just speed - there isn't, unlike much of the route taken to get here  an 'armco barrier' down the middle of the river !

I think a row of cod's eyes down the middle would do the trick.

[johnb]

Surely any satnav suitable for waterways would use the terms port or starboard - that may confuse a few- especially those who have difficulty knowing their right  or left hands! 

[Viking23]

You want to try being moored up on a shallow canal in a small grp cruiser, when a 60' 25 tonnes steel narrow boat goes past you drawing 2' of water at 4mph within a foot of your hull.

That's a lot of canal water that has to be pushed aside between the steel boat and you, often lifting our boat a foot out of the water. 

Problem is...as it goes past, your boat drops just as much, sometimes bottoming out on whatever is under the water. We used the boat hook to test the depth of water under the hull, if we had less than a foot we moved on. Very often the case on the narrow canals.

In restricted areas, where mooring was at a premium, we  in effect.... keel hauled a couple of fenders under the hull, so they cushioned us from the horrible concrete. Note... No blue fenders were hurt during this operation.

You can never have too many fenders, we always keep a couple to hand with 2 metres of line to place as required.

Richard

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Richard,

Being as we still have canal holidays and have skippered up to 70 foot narrow boats, I can testify that the results when moored can be dramatic. As you say the boat is pushed all ways, in many cases you will have only just managed to moor up for lunch or the evening often with the aft or bows away from the bank and the use of the plank.

Looking at from the point of the skipper passing you; many do far too fast, we find however that these days with long term mooring on both the towpath and the other side of the canal, we have struggled to maintain an average of 2 mph. 

Some of the villages we have hoped to moor at can at times unobtainable and often we have had fairly long walks on the towpath to the pub, which is OK on the way there but somewhat of a problem on the way back in the dark, six people with wind up torches frantically winding away as the torches dim.

On the water no matter where it is can not be beaten.

Regards

Alan

[ChrisB]

Some 30+ years ago Judith and I were very keen on the idea of going "Through France to the Med" with our Westerly Berwick, we absorbed a number of volumes of folk's experiences and differing routes. It seems that to have cleats ripped from the decks as the warps take the full weight is an occupational hazard where their large commercial traffic is concerned. Unfortunately it was to be an unfullfilled dream.

[Malanka]

Griff mate I'm sure you mean precise to 0.1 mph as indeed is our Etrex. (recommended by your good self) Accurate to same naaa mate no can do.

We have the same issue when towing Mini too, without, we are flat as the proverbial up to any applicable speed limit in almost any area you like. As you have helmed the mighty old lady you know what I mean. Any Ranger volunteer or otherwise should have known better than to wave you down for 0.2 over any limit. One shouldn't mock the afflicted of course but that particular oxygen thief with that attitude and zero common sense should never have been accepted into the team in the first place. IMO of course. 

Whatever our speed and we don't always use the Etrex, our general response from the lovely group of Rangers is normally a cheery wave and a bit of banter. The latest Banter concerns the newly modernised ranger station on the Ant Just after Irstead and the ice house. When passing said station with no less than 4 of the little darlings clustered about their new decking I enquired as to where on the newly acquired level plot were the sun loungers, the Jacuzzi and Chiminea going to be installled. It's such a nice spot I may volunteer to man the speed gun myself and while away a few hours. Feet in Jacuzzi, tasty sausages on the Chiminea, tasty fermented grape based fruity beverage in hand of course.

[LondonRascal]

Quote

No blue fenders were hurt during this operation.

Thank god for that

[Malanka]

If anyone wants an Orphan blue fender we have one. Just ask when you see us as it's clogging up the front locker, no idea how it got there. Must have been Charlie Dolphin wot did it, I blame her.

 

Can't wait for our new fendage either no need to lift them getting BA in and out anymore. Will leave us with quite a few of the old ones to help protect us (and BA if you want some) from shed bashes, which we seem to acrue at a steady rate these days.

[BroadAmbition]

no need to lift them getting BA in and out anymore.

Now I have room to do it, I have moved L.B over slightly and tethered a bow line to her so she sits straight, getting Malanka / 'B.A' out / in shouldn't be the issue it used to be.  I have five shed fenders placed around the bow area, as most forumites know they are old blue ones.  Robin sometimes likes to take the odd one out for a bit of sunshine now and again . . . . . . . . . .

And yeah, I did mean 0:1 but wrote it as :1 which amounts to the same I think / hope

I have before now gone past a ranger in a 'B.A' launch  at a full 1mph above the stated speed limit just 'To See' the reaction.  I got one alright - A cheery wave.  It's all about bow/stern waves and the wake made, or lack of it

Griff

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

no need to lift them getting BA in and out anymore.

Now I have room to do it, I have moved L.B over slightly and tethered a bow line to her so she sits straight, getting Malanka / 'B.A' out / in shouldn't be the issue it used to be.  I have five shed fenders placed around the bow area, as most forumites know they are old blue ones.  Robin sometimes likes to take the odd one out for a bit of sunshine now and again . . . . . . . . . .

And yeah, I did mean 0:1 but wrote it as :1 which amounts to the same I think / hope

I have before now gone past a ranger in a 'B.A' launch  at a full 1mph above the stated speed limit just 'To See' the reaction.  I got one alright - A cheery wave.  It's all about bow/stern waves and the wake made, or lack of it

Griff

Exactly it wake that's the problem not speed , speed disturbs no one wake does , some boats had better hull designs than others , but the thing is hull design is a compromise , what's good at high speeds is mostly bad at low speed and visa versa .

Wash causes annoyance much more than speed .

[BroadAmbition]

The incident with the ranger as we entered Horning went something like this:-

He caught up with us as we approached the Ferry Inn proceeding up river. There was about four crew onboard the BA launch.  He got himself abreast of us about 10Yds on our Port side

R.I  -  'Do you know how fast you are going' ?

Me  -  (I glanced down at the rev counter, it was in the days before we had the etrex onboard)  'Yes Thanks'

R.I  -  'Well' ?

Me  -  'Well what' ?

R.I  -  'How fast are you going' ?

Me  -  '4mph'

R.I  -  'No, you are doing 4:2mph, SLOW DOWN'

Me  -  (I took hold of the morse control and mad a play of reducing revs without actually doing so)  'That Better' ?

R.I  -  'Better' and off he went (above the 4mph limit)

 

As has been stated previously and also imho he was an oxygen thief and full of his own importance, no doubt trying to impress his crew mates. A few days later I got a call from the senior river inspector asking me what had happened to which I told him of the above.  He then sent me an email a few days further on explaining that he  'Had a word' with said weekend warrior and if it ever happened again I had his permission to tell the R.I what to go and do to himself!

---------------------------------------------------

Other than the above I enjoy a good rapour with the river inspectors and often invite them onboard for a brew if they have the time to spare. Back in Late June of this year, we were mudweighted on Bridge Broad. 6 x lads fishing, it was a glorious sunny afternoon, so hot that I was naked from the waist up.  Andy came cruising past in his BA launch.  I called over to him

'These five lads on here are fishing without licences, I want you to come onboard, confiscate their gear and arrest the lot of them'

To which Andy replied quick as a flash

'The only person I'm going to arrest is you for indecent exposure'

Which I thought was a dam fine answer to be fair

Griff

 

[Viking23]

12 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

The incident with the ranger as we entered Horning went something like this:-

He caught up with us as we approached the Ferry Inn proceeding up river. There was about four crew onboard the BA launch.  He got himself abreast of us about 10Yds on our Port side

R.I  -  'Do you know how fast you are going' ?

Me  -  (I glanced down at the rev counter, it was in the days before we had the etrex onboard)  'Yes Thanks'

R.I  -  'Well' ?

Me  -  'Well what' ?

R.I  -  'How fast are you going' ?

Me  -  '4mph'

R.I  -  'No, you are doing 4:2mph, SLOW DOWN'

Me  -  (I took hold of the morse control and mad a play of reducing revs without actually doing so)  'That Better' ?

R.I  -  'Better' and off he went (above the 4mph limit)

 

As has been stated previously and also imho he was an oxygen thief and full of his own importance, no doubt trying to impress his crew mates. A few days later I got a call from the senior river inspector asking me what had happened to which I told him of the above.  He then sent me an email a few days further on explaining that he  'Had a word' with said weekend warrior and if it ever happened again I had his permission to tell the R.I what to go and do to himself!

---------------------------------------------------

Other than the above I enjoy a good rapour with the river inspectors and often invite them onboard for a brew if they have the time to spare. Back in Late June of this year, we were mudweighted on Bridge Broad. 6 x lads fishing, it was a glorious sunny afternoon, so hot that I was naked from the waist up.  Andy came cruising past in his BA launch.  I called over to him

'These five lads on here are fishing without licences, I want you to come onboard, confiscate their gear and arrest the lot of them'

To which Andy replied quick as a flash

'The only person I'm going to arrest is you for indecent exposure'

Which I thought was a dam fine answer to be fair

Griff

 

At least he wasn't derogatory about your tackle lol.