Not So Great Start To Season

[addicted]

When we moored on the Cambridge Great Ouse we were hesitant to come to the Broads because we saw the likely hood of being hit by inexperienced hire boaters and were assured by Sheer line Boats that they could sort out any damage caused as hire boat companies on the whole were good to deal with in such circumstances  which was fine by us as wouldn't want anyone else to work on our boat other than Sheerline . They do work on  other  makes of boat other than they're own and  the standard of work is consistently first-class, likewise the standard of service.

 

 

Carole

[Malanka]

Bring back deposits of the cost of the break as they used to be. Then see 

 

 

[BroadAmbition]

Fine idea BUT the hire yards make a pretty penny out of damage waivers, that penny they won’t want to lose

Griff

[BroadAmbition]

Maybe another idea would be for the hire yards to still cream in the damage waiver AND take a £500 per boat security deposit refundable if no damage incurred 

just an idea

Griff

[Seagypsy]

Looking at remarks on this and other topics like :- seeing on F/book and another forum better order another set of fenders, the silly season, I didn't get hit once, the likely hood of being hit by an inexperienced hire boater, I've come to the conclusion that all hire boaters, to quote an old adage are all tarred with the same brush and are incompetent and private owners are experts. I have watched many private owners perform on the canals ,rivers and Broads and have come to the opinion that if thats the best you can do sell it. I also wonder if any one thought that a hire boater might have a lot more experience at boat handling than them, finally to refer back to the remarks is there any ruling that you can't use a different name on another forum.

I await to be HD&Q

[Seagypsy]

35 minutes ago, BroadAmbition said:

Maybe another idea would be for the hire yards to still cream in the damage waiver AND take a £500 per boat security deposit refundable if no damage incurred 

just an idea

Griff

That sounds like a good way to get rid of all hire boats Griff

Tony

[Seagypsy]

4 hours ago, Malanka said:

Bring back deposits of the cost of the break as they used to be. Then see 

 

 

As they used to be when.We used to pay £30.00, that would be great.

[Chelsea14Ian]

7 hours ago, Seagypsy said:

Looking at remarks on this and other topics like :- seeing on F/book and another forum better order another set of fenders, the silly season, I didn't get hit once, the likely hood of being hit by an inexperienced hire boater, I've come to the conclusion that all hire boaters, to quote an old adage are all tarred with the same brush and are incompetent and private owners are experts. I have watched many private owners perform on the canals ,rivers and Broads and have come to the opinion that if thats the best you can do sell it. I also wonder if any one thought that a hire boater might have a lot more experience at boat handling than them, finally to refer back to the remarks is there any ruling that you can't use a different name on another forum.

I await to be HD&Q

We take our hols in September, last year we got hit four times.Three from hire boats and one from a shared boat.The first from a middle aged man when we were moored at Potter.He was coming in to moor.I in no uncertain terms told him why did he hit us.He said I'm on my own.Thats fair enough all you had to do was put the boat in reverse. The last a shared boat,again we were moored, I knew he was going to hit us ,did he say sorry no just carried on down the river.I agree many that hire are good on the river,some not that also goes for some private owners.I have hire now our own boat.We all have to learn.There are many I am sorry to say that just don't care.

[grendel]

I would like to think that even hiring solo that if I did hit another boat, it would be just a gentle touch, rather than a full blown hit, running solo does create more problems to solve when mooring, but you would still only want to be moving very slowly if at all when you got to the point of stepping off with the ropes. I can see you might have issues getting off a lee mooring single handed, as you cant always spring off using a bow rope, while at the same time controlling the boat, but you can still do things slowly enough to be more careful.

that said, things can go wrong and you can get in all sorts of fixes.

it is also down to perception, when does a gentle touch of fenders while reversing into a tight mooring spot change in perception to being rammed by an inconsiderate boater, to some a gentle nudge of the fenders, may be seen as being rammed by the offender, who would then have trouble seeing in what way they had offended, sometimes when getting into a space the boats to either side may have shifted slightly narrowing the gap, so would reversing into this space be seen by some as having their boat hit by another, when in truth the reversing boat was just moving those to the sides back into their spot.

I have been on a boat at potter where the pilot brought the boat alongside another craft so he could disembark, and the touch was a lot less than gentle, but not hard enough to say he hit it, so it makes me ask the question, when does a touch turn into a hit?

[Wussername]

There are many I am sorry to say that just don't care.

There are many that just don't know.

[JennyMorgan]

21 minutes ago, grendel said:

when does a touch turn into a hit?

When it causes real damage.

Today, though, we have the grp factor, it's incredibly easy to cause superficial damage, e.g. scruff the gel coat thus niggle the indignant owner. Wooden boat, easy, a slap of filler and a dash of paint, job done, no one is too bothered. Gel coat is not maintenance free, at least not on the Broads. Wear and tear is a part of boating, indeed it is a fact of life, these things happen, I suspect that most of us accept that. However, the unwelcome hit, down to a lack of care, that causes real damage is not acceptable.

[rightsaidfred]

While no body likes it I am afraid getting hit by another boat is as much a part of life on the Broads as getting hit in a car park, at least on a boat you have a better than evens chance of catching the culprit unlike the hit and runs in car parks.

I have been hit several times with some damage occurring, did I like it no did I jump up and down in the air no life`s to short, I would like to be able to say I have never hit another boat sadly I cant but I did hold my hand up and the contact was kept to a minimum.

Fred

[BroadAmbition]

Wooden boat, easy, a slap of filler and a dash of paint, job done, no one is too bothered.

Really?  There is only one suitable type of filler - It's called graving in a piece of teak.

Followed by copious amounts of 5 star cuprinol, primer, undercoat, top coat, then after all that you end up with a shiny 'New' area - that sticks out like a sore thumb - Not good

Filler indeed - you can keep that stuff for the tupperware brigade

Griff

[Matt]

When it causes real damage.
Today, though, we have the grp factor, it's incredibly easy to cause superficial damage, e.g. scruff the gel coat thus niggle the indignant owner. Wooden boat, easy, a slap of filler and a dash of paint, job done, no one is too bothered. Gel coat is not maintenance free, at least not on the Broads. Wear and tear is a part of boating, indeed it is a fact of life, these things happen, I suspect that most of us accept that. However, the unwelcome hit, down to a lack of care, that causes real damage is not acceptable.

We were once on Thunder when we were clobbered be an Alpha Craft that never stopped. Fortunately we had witness details. We were pushed up onto the concrete mooring, bursting a fender and scraping the gel coat and vents where we hit the wall.

Phoned Alphacraft who told us to call in which we did. They laughed and said “is that it?”

Brooms repaired it and charged Alpha Craft over £500 plus VAT for that “minor work”.


Sent from my iPhone using Norfolk Broads Network

[ChrisB]

8 hours ago, Matt said:

 

We were once on Thunder when we were clobbered be an Alpha Craft that never stopped. Fortunately we had witness details. We were pushed up onto the concrete mooring, bursting a fender and scraping the gel coat and vents where we hit the wall.

Phoned Alphacraft who told us to call in which we did. They laughed and said “is that it?”

Brooms repaired it and charged Alpha Craft over £500 plus VAT for that “minor work”.


Sent from my iPhone using Norfolk Broads Network

 

I hired a boat from Alphacraft in 2003 to show my late wife The Broads as she had at that time never been to Norfolk and we had decided that the West Country was no longer our retirement destination.

Saturday morning I returned their boat to their basin but it was chockabloc. I was directed to a gap about 9ft wide between two boats, as our beam was 12ft 6ins I shouted that I could not get in there. Somewhat in an bad temper the member of staff ran across the boats, jumped into the foredeck well, took the helm from me and literally rammed the other boats apart.

We had been boat owners all our lives and had never wittnessed the like.

[Malanka]

It’s not tarring with the same brush to report truthfully what happend whether that being struck by a hirer or a private boat who may have less experience than anyone in fact.

Not discussing things because it makes some uncomfortable is a disaster waiting to happen. There are more than enough issues that should be calmly revealed to the light of day without rancor or fear of repercussions. Being from Rochdale and having gone out with  a nurse gf years ago from stoke mandeville hospital where all the nurses knew full well about Jimmy Saville. I think differently than I did years ago. If an irresponsible person hits my boat I don’t care who you are I will write about it.

No tar no brushes just facts, however uncomfortable for some that may be. 

 

M

 

[Hylander]

On 27/04/2019 at 14:42, Malanka said:

 Being from Rochdale and having gone out with  a nurse gf years ago from stoke mandeville hospital where all the nurses knew full well about Jimmy Saville. I think differently than I did years ago. If an irresponsible person hits my boat I don’t care who you are I will write about it.

No tar no brushes just facts, however uncomfortable for some that may be. 

 

M

 

I was quite taken back when I read that nurses knew what that scum bag Saville was up to and they said nothing.   Then I thought on it and recalled when I was at work how things happened and you kept (nothing like Saville) your mouth truly shut else you job was in jeopardy.  No hand outs in those days and definitely no support whatsoever.    Thank goodness today things are different.    Today I would not have put up with half of the s... that I put up with in those days.     

So in full support of your mantra that if an irresponsible person hits your boat you write about it.   Good on you.     Genuine accidents happen that is why it is called an accident but complete disregard for other folks property be it a hire company or personal is different.

 

[Malanka]

I was told at the time that the police had spoken with him more than once. The idea that nobody who could do something about his behavior didn’t know about it  doesn’t wash with me. Same for Cyril Smith. He came to our school regularly and the one where he carried out his abuse was our sister school over the road. We used to have Christmas carol services together.

M

[Siddy]

13 minutes ago, Malanka said:

The idea that nobody who could do something about his behavior didn’t know about it  doesn’t wash with me.

How true that could be, I was in the children ward at the LGI in the 70's and he used to come and sit between 2 wards and read stories to the kids. My mother would never let me go when he was around. Gossipbook (fb) wasn't around in them days so word of mouth it was.

Never seen the guy but would see is Rolls parked up near us when he visited a guy he worked with at the hospital & he had the same long hair as him.

[Gretzky]

Dropped the boat off at Richardson in Horning yesterday for repairs, I will let you know how they do. Fingers crossed!

[Gretzky]

A quick update, Richardsons sorted the damage to our boat, very happy with the work they did. But having said that I would rather not have to go though it all again!

[Poppy]

On 24/04/2019 at 13:35, oldgregg said:

 That's despite a good handover and the biggest captain's manual I've seen.

Matters not one jot if they choose not to read it!

[Poppy]

On 25/04/2019 at 23:37, Seagypsy said:

As they used to be when.We used to pay £30.00, that would be great.

£30 in 1975 is now worth £175.

[Cal]

On 25/04/2019 at 22:35, Seagypsy said:

Looking at remarks on this and other topics like :- seeing on F/book and another forum better order another set of fenders, the silly season, I didn't get hit once, the likely hood of being hit by an inexperienced hire boater, I've come to the conclusion that all hire boaters, to quote an old adage are all tarred with the same brush and are incompetent and private owners are experts. I have watched many private owners perform on the canals ,rivers and Broads and have come to the opinion that if thats the best you can do sell it. I also wonder if any one thought that a hire boater might have a lot more experience at boat handling than them, finally to refer back to the remarks is there any ruling that you can't use a different name on another forum.

I await to be HD&Q

We usually take our own boat to the Broads but this year due to other commitments and moving house wasting a lot of holiday days we are hiring down there in October instead.

We always find it interesting to see how folks react differently too us when we are on a hire boat rather than our own boat.

Regardless of if we are on our own boat or a hire boat we always treat them with the same respect and the same goes for the boats around us. It doesn't matter to us if they are hire boats or private boats we make the same efforts to make sure we do not hit them or cause them any inconvenience.

[grendel]

12 minutes ago, Cal said:

Regardless of if we are on our own boat or a hire boat we always treat them with the same respect and the same goes for the boats around us. It doesn't matter to us if they are hire boats or private boats we make the same efforts to make sure we do not hit them or cause them any inconvenience.

As i am sure do the majority of boaters - or at least as they would like to do, I dont suppose any of us can say we have never messed up, and its usually at just the wrong moment. but we should all at least try and respect other boats, and remember its never a bad thing to ask for assistance.