A
busy weekend lay ahead . I had decided to qualify for a steerer’s
certificate in boat handling that would be recognised nationwide. Much as I
enjoy steering for Hillingdon Narrowboats, now I have retired from the Fire
Brigade and soon (hopefully) will have a boat of my own , I realised that
I soon could be in a position to offer my services anywhere within the
Inland Waterways system.
The
Assessors for the weekend would be Lindy Wood and Eddie
Warburton , both committee members of H.N.A,
acting as Tim Snowden's trusted lieutenants
and actually taking the candidates for their training -- both practical and
theoretical. They of course being qualified to pass on their knowledge having
taken a "training the trainers" course with the National Community
Boats Association, during their long association with Inland Waterways
Arriving
at the boathouse by 0845 I found Tim already preparing the classroom and by 0900 all
six candidates had arrived, the class began in earnest. Several committee
members had decided to enrol for this class and no time was lost
in absorbing the information being imparted to us.
The
aim of this course is to gain a certificate in community boat management and
it's comprenhensively covered over the two days. The time scale for
instruction is set down by The National Community Boats Association. We
started by familiarising ourselves with equipment carried on the boats then
moved on to the various systems such as gas, electricity and diesel fuel. Next
came routine maintenance and last, but by no means least, safety issues both
on and off board.
We
were encouraged to discuss the various points that arose as we went along--a
technique designed to bring out the inherent knowledge we had and to improve and
increase it as well.
After
a break for lunch it was out on the boats for some practical instruction. We
were grateful that the air temperature had risen sufficiently for the ice to
have melted on all the surfaces! A pre-departure safety talk covered, getting
underway and the use of ropes. Locks were dealt with in situ as it's
here that most mistakes and bad practices can be made.
Back
in the classroom, boat handling and crew management were discussed along
with less-considered aspects such as local route knowledge. Time
flies and all too soon it was 1800 and the end of the first day. We all
decamped over to the "Coy Carp" for a welcome repast and a few
beers. Even then, Lindy was probing us on various aspects that we'd covered
during the day. After a return to H.Q. at around 2100 it was decided that
enough was enough and instruction would resume tomorrow. Living reasonably
near to Coppermill, I elected to go home but a few of the others bedded down
on board Pisces and Star.
Back
to H.Q. by 0800 today, Jenny Thorne, another committee stalwart, did sterling
service to us all by cooking a full English breakfast , setting us up for
another full day's instruction. This time we were split into two groups
of three and set off in two boats-- Eddie taking one group--Lindy the other.
An aspect of travelling in reverse that I was not aware of had been touched
upon by Lindy yesterday and Eddie amplified the point today. Namely there is a
tendency for the boat to swivel anti-clockwise when the engine is in reverse
owing to the action of the propellor on the water. For this reason, when off
loading a willing lock crew from the front of a boat, it's always preferable
to choose the left-hand bank because the boat will tend towards it when
selecting reverse for stopping/slowing purposes. Conversely, the gap between
the right-hand bank and the boat will grow larger - not conducive to safe
off-loading of said crew! Later in the day Eddie demonstrated the fact
that the most unlikely-looking spot can be used to wind the boat, provided
it's wide enough. The fierce flow from the sluices below Coppermill Lock being
used very effectively to turn the boat whereas at first sight, it appears
totally inappropriate!
The
afternoon lecture on water flows, with resultant effects on hulls and boat
handling in general was most illuminating with everyone in the room learning
something new. A multiple choice safety lecture Qand A session brought things
nicely to a stop. Much hilarity over the section labelled 'Curtsey to
other canal users' as written up by Lindy! (Proof readers, I s**t 'em!)
The
end of the day came and we were invited one-by-one to appear before Lindy and
Eddie for them to deliver their assessment of our performances over the last
two days. I have to tell you, dear reader, that I'm now the proud possessor of
a CCBM!!
Barry Holland, 20/01/04
For further information, contact
either hna_uk@ yahoo.co.uk or the National Community Boats Association
website.
