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Thames licence.....no one to take my money!!


frangar

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So I'm about to drop onto the Thames at oxford via sheepwash channel....had a walk to Osney lock to find its self service til April which I understand is the case for all the locks upstream.....so who do I pay for a temporary licence?? Do I just boat on till I get accosted or will I be hung for daring to set foot on EA waters without any paperwork? What happens when I use the new mooring system but the boat isn't on the database....

This seems an odd way to run something...almost makes CRT look organised!!

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29 minutes ago, frangar said:

So I'm about to drop onto the Thames at oxford via sheepwash channel....had a walk to Osney lock to find its self service til April which I understand is the case for all the locks upstream.....so who do I pay for a temporary licence?? Do I just boat on till I get accosted or will I be hung for daring to set foot on EA waters without any paperwork? What happens when I use the new mooring system but the boat isn't on the database....

This seems an odd way to run something...almost makes CRT look organised!!

If you PM me your credit card details including the three digit number on the back, I'll arrange it for you :lol:. I also have details of a number of rich Nigerians you could help...

Seriously, I guess you are entitled to boat along until you find someone to take your dosh. If the EA want to insist on you doing it online, shouldn't they put notices to that effect at the locks?

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25 minutes ago, BruceinSanity said:

If you PM me your credit card details including the three digit number on the back, I'll arrange it for you :lol:. I also have details of a number of rich Nigerians you could help...

Seriously, I guess you are entitled to boat along until you find someone to take your dosh. If the EA want to insist on you doing it online, shouldn't they put notices to that effect at the locks?

I might pass on your kind offer!! You don't seem to be able to get a licence online...only the moorings!...you can do it by post but you need to allow 10 days before you need it...bit tricky when you have left your home mooring and aren't too sure when you will arrive...in our case a couple of days later than planned due to an extended stoppage! 

I wonder if the EA have "Prop Clamps" like the DVLA have wheel clamps for untaxed cars.....

Edited by frangar
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The EA were not overly bothered when we were on the Fens. 

The temporary lockie at Earith Lock said he couldn't issue us a visitor licence so go on our way upstream and pick it up in a few days when we come back through the lock.

No one questioned us in the few days we were not registered. Not even the EA bods working a couple of the locks as they were playing up.

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It (seems) daft - 'specially as EA needs the money...

There should be a lockie somewhere along the route who'll take your money, but it's sort of - out of season and reliefs don't start until April. If you get any grief, then come back and I'll have words....

 

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the EA seems to be happy as long as you pay when you find a lock manned by someone who is ready to take the money;  if there's no-one at the first lock just continue ....... and on and on and on .............

 

 

 

........... for some reason it reminds me of my bruvver who delights in winding people up.  He phoned a sales desk and tried to buy something that was always on offer at 50% off the quoted price (furniture or blinds or summat like that).  When they told him they had the offer on he said 'no, I want to pay the full price for best quality new goods'.  They didn't understand - 'the computer says no' - so he told them he'd take his business elsewhere.

Edited by Murflynn
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2 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

The EA were not overly bothered when we were on the Fens. 

The temporary lockie at Earith Lock said he couldn't issue us a visitor licence so go on our way upstream and pick it up in a few days when we come back through the lock.

No one questioned us in the few days we were not registered. Not even the EA bods working a couple of the locks as they were playing up.

And yet the lockie at Earith was very interested in the licence of a boat we were towing through to West View last year, to the extent of holding us in the lock whilst he phoned the Cam Conservators. Depends who it is, I guess.

We've sometimes bought short term licences from Denver which is helpful, they seem a bit more on the ball there than Earith.

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5 hours ago, frangar said:

So I'm about to drop onto the Thames at oxford via sheepwash channel....had a walk to Osney lock to find its self service til April which I understand is the case for all the locks upstream.....so who do I pay for a temporary licence?? Do I just boat on till I get accosted or will I be hung for daring to set foot on EA waters without any paperwork? What happens when I use the new mooring system but the boat isn't on the database....

This seems an odd way to run something...almost makes CRT look organised!!

You can get a license (Registration) from any manned lock. Before the days when you could I seem to remember that if you went through a manned lock without a registration each lock keeper would issue you with a notice, something like a notice to prosecute, until you paid up.

EA funding is getting worse and it is getting more and more common to see unmanned locks on the Thames and many that are have Volunteer lock keepers. Will be interesting to see what happens when it is taken over by CRT which is looking more certain by the day.

Tim

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25 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

You can get a license (Registration) from any manned lock. Before the days when you could I seem to remember that if you went through a manned lock without a registration each lock keeper would issue you with a notice, something like a notice to prosecute, until you paid up.

EA funding is getting worse and it is getting more and more common to see unmanned locks on the Thames and many that are have Volunteer lock keepers. Will be interesting to see what happens when it is taken over by CRT which is looking more certain by the day.

Tim

Not when but IF - if CaRT have any sense, they'll run a mile. It's a money pit.

The locks are large and each major refurbishment costs £500k + It's not practical to have them unmanned, the lock equipment is badly designed and frequently lock up (!) because boaters won't read the instructions. Volunteers are not supposed to operate them without supervision nearby and operating a lock full of very expensive umm - vessels, is risky for a boater even when the lock is on Public Power.

 

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45 minutes ago, Tim Lewis said:

You can get a license (Registration) from any manned lock. Before the days when you could I seem to remember that if you went through a manned lock without a registration each lock keeper would issue you with a notice, something like a notice to prosecute, until you paid up.

EA funding is getting worse and it is getting more and more common to see unmanned locks on the Thames and many that are have Volunteer lock keepers. Will be interesting to see what happens when it is taken over by CRT which is looking more certain by the day.

Tim

At the moment the chance of finding a manned lock on the upper reaches is looking remote.....at this rate I might only need one weeks licence.....which means less money if this happens to quite a few boats.....I'm now moored on the River at Osney and the lock is on Public operation.....the mooring website seems to work though.....I shall report back as and when I find a lockie to pay!

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4 hours ago, OldGoat said:

Not when but IF - if CaRT have any sense, they'll run a mile. It's a money pit.

The locks are large and each major refurbishment costs £500k + It's not practical to have them unmanned, the lock equipment is badly designed and frequently lock up (!) because boaters won't read the instructions. Volunteers are not supposed to operate them without supervision nearby and operating a lock full of very expensive umm - vessels, is risky for a boater even when the lock is on Public Power.

 

Must disagree about the design, we find them easy to use but the rub is as you say, PEOPLE NOT READING THE INSTRUCTIONS.

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11 hours ago, F DRAYKE said:

Must disagree about the design, we find them easy to use but the rub is as you say, PEOPLE NOT READING THE INSTRUCTIONS.

As we used to say in IT - RTFM (choose your own words...). OK the instructions are not the clearest, but as in all large institutions, EA management declined to acto on suggestions from boaters and a lock keeper.

Why I do rabbit on about this topic is that I get annoyed when I see someone holding the sluice button - and when politely asked to just push it and no hold - they ignore the advice. I suspect they think the can override the operation (which is timed - just as some locks on the Lea and at Brentford). Not a problem for staff and regular users but if locks are no longer regularly staffed, then there WILL be some agro. 

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On the Thames you pay at the first manned lock that you encounter, if you don't ever meet a lock keeper then you don't pay.

I am aware that a few "crusty" boats only travel at night to do the Thames transit free of charge, we have seen a few going past in the dead of night. I believe that a couple of years ago at least two attempted it in bad conditions and needed rescuing.

............Dave

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Well we met a suprised lockie at Kings Lock who was there just adjusting the weir......she seemed slightly suprised I actually volunteered to pay!!....she took a card payment and then had to shoot off to adjust another weir downstream

There was also a lockie at Pinkhill which was lucky as I'd forgotten to ask the first one for a pump out card....the chap that was with her seemed slightly upset I used the centre line and left the engine running but I did point out my OH was helping to operate the lock and I didn't have very long arms to do bow & stern on my own.....plus as I was the only boat there and was fully expecting self operation as per the sign I suggested the engine was fine......I'm guessing like CRT lockies they all have the own ideas....the lockie at Kings was fine with the engine running........

Anyway now moored up against a handy bit of piling just upstram of Harts Weir footbridge watching the kingfishers......

Edited by frangar
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1 hour ago, frangar said:

Well we met a suprised lockie at Kings Lock who was there just adjusting the weir......she seemed slightly suprised I actually volunteered to pay!!....she took a card payment and then had to shoot off to adjust another weir downstream

There was also a lockie at Pinkhill which was lucky as I'd forgotten to ask the first one for a pump out card....the chap that was with her seemed slightly upset I used the centre line and left the engine running but I did point out my OH was helping to operate the lock and I didn't have very long arms to do bow & stern on my own.....plus as I was the only boat there and was fully expecting self operation as per the sign I suggested the engine was fine......I'm guessing like CRT lockies they all have the own ideas....the lockie at Kings was fine with the engine running........

Anyway now moored up against a handy bit of piling just upstram of Harts Weir footbridge watching the kingfishers......

I don't think folks realise that the Thames rules are a bow and a stern rope. The lockie is on a fizzer is something should happen and the disciplinary can mean loss of pay, loss of seniority etc.

So it's not being b-mined - it's his job on the line.

going uphill with one line can cause problems as some of the sluices are very fierce.

Just saying...

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10 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

I don't think folks realise that the Thames rules are a bow and a stern rope. The lockie is on a fizzer is something should happen and the disciplinary can mean loss of pay, loss of seniority etc.

So it's not being b-mined - it's his job on the line.

going uphill with one line can cause problems as some of the sluices are very fierce.

Just saying...

I get the point....and you are right about the paddles which the OH has been rightly cautious with.....and I'd happily do bow & stern if the lockie was working the lock but it's a bit tricky to do both when the OH is on paddle duty and I'm the only one onboard.....sadly unlike Hudsons my boat doesn't come with extra crew!!! ;-)

I did offer to switch the engine off at Kings lock but was told it was ok to leave running.....handy as it's not a question just turning a key for me. I know I will have to switch off if I share or the lockie says so.

On the plus side the locks are a joy to operate compared to say the southern GU....CRT could learn a thing or two about maintenance from the EA!!

editied to add....

I'm amazed how quiet it is for boat movement up here.....haven't seen anything else moving all day and one chap walking the path said we were the only boat he had seen moving for two days.....I'm not complaining mind you!

Edited by frangar
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8 minutes ago, frangar said:

I get the point....and you are right about the paddles which the OH has been rightly cautious with.....and I'd happily do bow & stern if the lockie was working the lock but it's a bit tricky to do both when the OH is on paddle duty and I'm the only one onboard.....sadly unlike Hudsons my boat doesn't come with extra crew!!! ;-)

I did offer to switch the engine off at Kings lock but was told it was ok to leave running.....handy as it's not a question just turning a key for me. I know I will have to switch off if I share or the lockie says so.

On the plus side the locks are a joy to operate compared to say the southern GU....CRT could learn a thing or two about maintenance from the EA!!

editied to add....

I'm amazed how quiet it is for boat movement up here.....haven't seen anything else moving all day and one chap walking the path said we were the only boat he had seen moving for two days.....I'm not complaining mind you!

On the button controlled locks which tend to be longer than the windy jobs I tie off with a long stern mooring line and control on the bow line while Diana presses buttons

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26 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

On the button controlled locks which tend to be longer than the windy jobs I tie off with a long stern mooring line and control on the bow line while Diana presses buttons

Going down as well as going up?

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2 hours ago, frangar said:

Well we met a suprised lockie at Kings Lock who was there just adjusting the weir......she seemed slightly suprised I actually volunteered to pay!!....she took a card payment and then had to shoot off to adjust another weir downstream

There was also a lockie at Pinkhill which was lucky as I'd forgotten to ask the first one for a pump out card....the chap that was with her seemed slightly upset I used the centre line and left the engine running but I did point out my OH was helping to operate the lock and I didn't have very long arms to do bow & stern on my own.....plus as I was the only boat there and was fully expecting self operation as per the sign I suggested the engine was fine......I'm guessing like CRT lockies they all have the own ideas....the lockie at Kings was fine with the engine running........

Anyway now moored up against a handy bit of piling just upstram of Harts Weir footbridge watching the kingfishers......

When we have done Thames locks on self service, we have done the same as we do on the Avon, where you also have to/need to use bow and stern ropes, and that is to tie off the bow rope and then have the stern one to a bollard behind the boat so you can take in the slack as the boat goes up.  The reverse going down, the bow rope at a angle and let the stern out and the boat go forwards as you go down.  you need to addjust the bow rope length a couple of time, and only loosely loop it off when going down so it is easy to free.

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19 minutes ago, john6767 said:

When we have done Thames locks on self service, we have done the same as we do on the Avon, where you also have to/need to use bow and stern ropes, and that is to tie off the bow rope and then have the stern one to a bollard behind the boat so you can take in the slack as the boat goes up.  The reverse going down, the bow rope at a angle and let the stern out and the boat go forwards as you go down.  you need to addjust the bow rope length a couple of time, and only loosely loop it off when going down so it is easy to free.

I don't mind so much on the Thames locks, although I confess I'll make do with a single line when going down if there's nobody watching, but i thoroughly object on the Avon locks. On those my stern is going to be only a few inches from the cill and i refuse to stand at the bow guessing whether it's going to hang up or not. My priority is the safety of my boat, and on the Avon, Thames, or Great Ouse (all of which have the same stupid rules) i can best ensure that safety by standing on the stern holding the stern line around a bollard with the loose end in my hand. Going up is of course a different matter entirely and i will happily use bow and stern ropes.

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Well I can say so far going up just using a centre rope and being gentle with the paddles hasn't resulted in any great drama.....certainly no worse than say the Sheffield and south yorks locks.....maybe if you are sharing with a plywood canoe I would see the point but it's all about being efficient in a given situation.  

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