"Bru Peckett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> I am, however, saying that single-handed boating is more hazardous >> than many boaters recognise, and is not a good thing to make a habit >> of. > >Why not? > >If you understand the risks and take them into account I can see no sensible >reason why someone shouldn't single hand as much as they like. > >The minute you say 'it's too risky to make a habit of' the safety police >will say its too risky to do at all
I'm not saying you should be prevented from doing it (although before very long your insurer might in effect do that). I'm saying that if you "understand the risks" you should realise that they are higher than a prudent person would take. Some people climb high mountains in mid-winter. There is a name for the class of such persons, and it isn't "mountaineer". I wouldn't care about them, except that when they get into trouble they tend to call out the (publicly-funded) rescue crew. If the climbers had insurance (cor, what a premium!) to cover recovery charges from the crew, I wouldn't care about them at all. Such charges are starting to appear, including IIRC for search-and-rescue of hikers in the North American wilderness. Kennet Boater wrote: > Hang on!Two people working a boat through a lock presents them with one set > of potential dangers. >Mooring, gates, fill/empty, gates again, re_embarking etc. > >One person working the lock means the same set of dangers are present but only >to one person. So only half the risk? If there are two people and one falls in the lock, the other can save him. If there is one person and he falls in the lock ... "Roger Millin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >You may have point about French regulation Adrian, however, I've >certainly boated with a single-hander for two days along part of the >Nivernais and the River Yonne and not one word was said about the >single-handing. >But then again the French have lots of regulation about boats that >doesn't seem to be strictly applied. Probably just as well reallly as >most boats would have to be removed from the water if they were. ;-)) The French approach to enforcement is different from ours. e.g. French regs say you have to have a qualification (the PP) if you steer a barge. However, if you steer a barge without such a ticket, nothing may happen. For a long time. No-one will check. Until there is an incident (you crush some tupperware, or, worse, a lock gate). When the canal gendarmes show up, they will ask to see your ticket. Then, if you don't have one, they wheel out the guillotine. Saves a lot of money on inspectors. As for single-handing in France, I suspect it is like the system VNF uses for enforcing the payment of tolls (the vignette). A check is made at a very few locks (usually strategically chosen with respect to their position in the network), and you won't be allowed to pass through unless you have a vignette (and pay for your arrears). Probably at only a few locks are the keepers told to watch for single-handers. Maybe none on the Nivernais, which IIRC isn't run by VNF but by the locals (the region, I guess). Adrian . Adrian Stott 07956-299966
