A real novice question dare I mention CC

[Trix]

This to some will be a really daft question but after reading another thread (you will soon work it out)I started to wonder something. As someone who would like to use my boat, when its ready, I got to wondering how do you know where it is ok to moor up, there seems to be loads of guides for all sorts of things but I cant find any info on this. I have worked out, from the other thread, that mooring on the approach to a lock is a no no. Is any gap ok? how do you know if it is some ones mooring who might come back at any time very angry (quite rightly) that you are in their space. Is there a proper side tow path or not?? If I move every couple of days/weeks do I have to move a certain distance or if I see a nice pub a few minutes after I set off can I re moor although I have not moved far. Based on the fact that I have a mooring in a marina I am not sure if I am out for a few months whether that makes me a CC er. My marina is not residential but I could spend time on my boat on the canals and rivers using some holiday and also when in cycling distance going to work from the boat after paying out money for a boat I would like to go places on it even if time restricts how far I can go. ummmm 4mph. The main reasons for the questions are 1 I don't know what's right or wrong and 2 I don't want to upset anyone or ruin any ones and my enjoyment on the waterways.

 

Apologies if I have asked the daftest question or it has been covered.

[Lady Muck]

14 days on the towpath side unless a sign says otherwise. If the towpath has moorings for permanent moorings then it is usually signposted and there might be other hints that someone moors there (such as plants or a step). Lock moorings can easily be identfied because there are bollards there.

 

If you have a mooring then I don't think anyone is going to be following your every move and ticketing you. IME you will only get ticketed if you seriously take the p*ss and stay in the same place for months.

 

So I don't think you have anything to worry about.

[deletedaccount]

Yeah, you'd think it was all doom, gloom and grumpy gits from reading on here. It's not

[luctor et emergo]

4 mph is a maximum. You will avarage a lot less than that. Especially when passing permanent mooring sites...

 

You can moor anywhere along the towpath, if you can find a spot that has either: 1. enough bank to hammer your mooring pins into; or has been sufficiently cleared of weed/vegitation/trees/silt to be accesible.

[Lady Muck]

4 mph is a maximum. You will avarage a lot less than that. Especially when passing permanent mooring sites...

 

You can moor anywhere along the towpath, if you can find a spot that has either: 1. enough bank to hammer your mooring pins into; or has been sufficiently cleared of weed/vegitation/trees/silt to be accesible.

 

Take some hedge clippers to deal with the vegetation if it is not.

[Guest User]

... and BW have put up plenty of signs for most of the places where there's restrictions applied, e.g. less than 14 days, no mooring, water points, winding holes etc ... but there's miles and miles of towpath, so no worries, it'll be pretty obvious once you're out and about.

[deletedaccount]

A reasonable rule is if there's no sign saying no and it's not next to a lock, then you can moor on the towpath side for 14 days.

[RLWP]

There's a lot of stuff for first time boaters on the BW Waterscape website. You'll probably find a lot of answers there

 

Richard

[spacecactus]

Apologies if I have asked the daftest question or it has been covered.

 

There is no need to apoligise, although on this forum you probally do need to if you dont wanna be attacked by an ugly swamp troll.

 

In my view the joy about forums is that we can share our knoweldge and ideas however simply, complex or diverse.

 

I often think about where it is an isnt correct to moor, didnt realise myself about mooring at locks untl I read another post yesterday. Nevertheless I see lots of people in London moored by lock entrances.

Edited August 10, 2010 by spacecactus

[Nine of Hearts]

4 mph is a maximum. You will avarage a lot less than that. Especially when passing permanent mooring sites...

 

What, you don't slow down for the temporarily moored? You naughty puppy!

 

...hammer your mooring pins into...

Top tip: Never use.

[deletedaccount]

Top tip: Never use.

 

er, what?

[Nine of Hearts]

er, what?

 

As in, unless you want to find out what temporarily moored really means.

[Trix]

Why do you see boats moored on both sides of rivers talking about the lee or lea (perhaps some one could explain that as well) is it that non tow path side is moorings and tow path side is short stay

[spacecactus]

Why do you see boats moored on both sides of rivers talking about the lee or lea (perhaps some one could explain that as well) is it that non tow path side is moorings and tow path side is short stay

 

 

Ive noticed that on the lea as you travel north out of London there is loads of boats moored on the offside.

 

I assumed that these were BW permament moorings

[Tiny]

As in, unless you want to find out what temporarily moored really means.

We have some screw in pins to try this year for the odd occasion we can't find metal to chain to.

Edited August 10, 2010 by Tiny

[deletedaccount]

Why do you see boats moored on both sides of rivers talking about the lee or lea (perhaps some one could explain that as well) is it that non tow path side is moorings and tow path side is short stay

 

I'm still confused about river moorings a year later. Which side do I moor if there's no towpath and both sides are farmers fields? That kind of thing.

 

[RLWP]

I'm still confused about river moorings a year later. Which side do I moor if there's no towpath and both sides are farmers fields? That kind of thing.

 

 

Unfortunately, neither side. They will both be private property belonging to the farmer

 

Richard

[Nine of Hearts]

Unfortunately, neither side. They will both be private property belonging to the farmer

 

Richard

 

Can't one exercise one's right to roam? Spelt backwards. And with an "o" where the "a" should be?

Edited August 10, 2010 by Nine of Hearts

[WotEver]

We have some screw in pins to try this year for the odd occasion we can't find metal to chain to.

Mate of mine has just bought some of these for his caravan awning. He puts a suitable bit in his cordless drill, a quick whizz and it's in, and in tight.

 

I'm going to get me some

 

Tony

[Pluto]

A reasonable rule is if there's no sign saying no and it's not next to a lock, then you can moor on the towpath side for 14 days.

I would also suggest not mooring within at least 72 feet of a bridge, or anywhere else where a boat could have to stop because of a boat coming the other way. Bear in mind that many boats in reverse gear can be difficult to steer. Also, once stopped in such circumstances, they can be at the mercy of the wind.

[sueb]

14 days on the towpath side unless a sign says otherwise. If the towpath has moorings for permanent moorings then it is usually signposted and there might be other hints that someone moors there (such as plants or a step). Lock moorings can easily be identfied because there are bollards there.

 

If you have a mooring then I don't think anyone is going to be following your every move and ticketing you. IME you will only get ticketed if you seriously take the p*ss and stay in the same place for months.

 

So I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

Having a mooring doesn't stop you being ticketed. Been there got the ticket, overstayed one day.

Don't moor opposite winding holes or on bends.

Have fun Sue

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

You should also not moor opposite, or especially not in a winding hole.

 

If you use the same common sense as you would in a car, don't park on a junction, tight bend opposite other cars etc etc you'll be fine.

 

If you think about it, then mooring near to any obstacle, a bridge, lock, tight bend, mooring hole, water point etc could make it difficult for others to get past you or manoeuvre. And that in turn might mean they hit you!

 

In general a nice straightish bit of towpath is fine as long as there are no signs saying you can't moor there.

 

Somewhere with rings is top of the easiest places to moor list, but they may well be full, and there will probably be time restrictions. Next on the desirable list (for us anyway) is piling where you can use your piling hooks, followed by using pins as a last resort.

 

The other problem you may have, especially when water levels are down is getting close enough to the bank. It's much easier not to have to use a plank!

 

Mind you, when we had to leave the boat on the Stratford for a couple of days last week we really struggled to get close to the bank, so she was just aground when we left her. At least we knew a passing boat wouldn't pull the pins

 

Sue

[ymu]

Yeah - just don't moor anywhere it will inconvenience other boaters (beyond taking up the mooring spot!). Locks, bridge-holes, sharp bends, landings for lift/swing bridges.

 

Whether you have a mooring or not you should be following the same rules as CCers (despite what some of those with moorings may like to claim ). There is no set distance you must move, but it must be to another "place" within 14 days. A "place" is another village, hamlet, or named area of town, or in between places if it's a long long way between "places". If you've moved on in less than 14 days, you can take the rest of the 14 days in the same "place".

 

As a rule of thumb you'll move 3 lock-miles an hour on average (ie 3 miles or locks or combination thereof in an hour). If you have a car you'll rarely have to move beyond walking distance of the last mooring spot (ie 5 miles or less), so this would extend your commuting range to work if you wanted. You can also hop between train stations in some areas, which makes commuting/retrieving a vehicle easier.

 

There's always a towpath, most of which is suitable for mooring on - especially if you don't mind hacking through vegetation. But you will need to moor on pins for most of these areas - pilings/rings can be hard to find in some places. If mooring on pins, hammer them in at a double 45 degree angle away from the boat and as far in as they will go. If the bank is soggy, speeding boats will just pull the bank out instead of your pins, choosing somewhere dry and solid, or where the bank has been reinforced with brick/steel can help. Don't have your ropes/pins encroaching on the towpath and cover the tops with white plastic bags as a hazard warning if they are close to the path. Pins with loops can help ensure you don't lose then when someone does pull you out - but ordinary pins usually cling on quite well so not strictly necessary - but keep some spares!

[Scooby]

When mooring non the river, slow down in the middle throw anchor over side. JOB SORTED.

[ymu]

6' from the bank on the river isn't it? Not owned by anyone.