Boat Handling Competition

There was another good turnout for our Boat Handling Competition this year.  Six club boats braved the chilly nights and came to Boveney Lock either to join in or spectate.

The competition was an exercise in towing another boat alongside; a subject that had already been discussed at a couple of recent Club Nights.

One crew volunteered their boat as the crippled boat and the others took turns in securing their boats alongside and then towing the pair around in a circle before returning her to the original mooring.

Our Commodore did a trial run first to check out the instructions scoring system but this run was not included in the competition.

Only two other boats decided to enter the competition.  Perhaps the task looked a little daunting to the others.

All three crews managed the tow successfully but several useful lessons were learnt during this exercise.

It was very difficult for any of the towing boats to steer the combined rig, especially when turning with the towed boat on the outside of the turn.  All three crews had to use reverse gear to swing the rig in the required direction.

The return to the mooring also proved difficult, as the helmsman was unable to see how close the towed boat was to the mooring.  Good communication was important here but all crews could have made better use of the current.  A “ferry glide” approach would have allowed them to close with the mooring with no forward speed, reducing the risk of damage.

All three crews completed the tow successfully and the scores were very close.  Congratulations to our winners who will be awarded the trophy at our Annual Dinner Dance.