I've noticed quite a few hire boats - including some in long established
fleets who should know better - being sent out with at least one very short
rope while others go forth with ropes full of old knots which are obviously not
checked at handover.
One lot I met working their first lock - a wide one. They asked me what to
do as they had been sent out from a (BW run) base with no hands on instruction
at all about what to do at locks. When I tried to help we found they only had
one rope long enough to reach a bollard with the boat down in the lock - they
having been told the other was kept short for mooring. I got them through - and
another 5 first timers that followed - before going back for dinner. At least
they had been taught the basics of lock working, even though the inadequate
ropes meant there were always dangers to any method.
Given this it's amazing there are not more accidents.
jhar1945 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Yes, but only if you have at least two long ropes, which hire craft
> cannot be depended to be equipped with.
>
Memories of a hireboat I collected once with a less than 6' sternrope -
on the second day I found the rest of it and no prizes for guessing
where. As that boatyard evidently doesn't even check the weedhatch on
turnround I've never been back!
John
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