Free Loaders ?

[SimonRNABO]

I'm not sure that there is evidence of lots of boats having moorings somewhere but bridge hopping elsewhere. I would be interested to learn who has done the study to confirm it.

 

NABO did a Freedom Of Information request on this a few years back. We wanted to test the assertion that CC'r's are more guilty on overstaying than those with moorings. We asked BW about numbers of patrol notices issued and then asked them to look at the proportion of those notices that were issued against boats that had home moorings versus those that were Continuous Cruisers. The maths showed clearly that boats that had registered with BW as having home moorings we more likely per capita to attract overstay notices than CC'rs.

 

BW have never attempted to contradict our findings which were sent to them with an invite to reply if they dis-agreed or could show we had missed something. Another bit of NABO correspondence they never replied to!

[Albion]

NABO did a Freedom Of Information request on this a few years back. We wanted to test the assertion that CC'r's are more guilty on overstaying than those with moorings. We asked BW about numbers of patrol notices issued and then asked them to look at the proportion of those notices that were issued against boats that had home moorings versus those that were Continuous Cruisers. The maths showed clearly that boats that had registered with BW as having home moorings we more likely per capita to attract overstay notices than CC'rs.

 

BW have never attempted to contradict our findings which were sent to them with an invite to reply if they dis-agreed or could show we had missed something. Another bit of NABO correspondence they never replied to!

 

Good, so there is some evidence at last. My comment was to try to smooth the path between the conflicting claims, all of which tend to make bold statements of fact rather than opinion.

It is perfectly OK to say that 'In my opinion Albion is the biggest prat in the world'.

It is not OK to say that 'It is a fact that Albion is the biggest prat in the world'.....unless of course you have evidence to support that claim

Roger

[blodger]

Good, so there is some evidence at last. My comment was to try to smooth the path between the conflicting claims, all of which tend to make bold statements of fact rather than opinion.

It is perfectly OK to say that 'In my opinion Albion is the biggest prat in the world'.

It is not OK to say that 'It is a fact that Albion is the biggest prat in the world'.....unless of course you have evidence to support that claim

Roger

So the question should have been where is the evidence that CCers are in the majority regarding mooring transgressions since there is a unrefuted study otherwise

[Lady Muck]

The maths showed clearly that boats that had registered with BW as having home moorings we more likely per capita to attract overstay notices than CC'rs.

 

That doesn't surprise me. The boats that don't move, up here on the Lee are not liveaboards.

[Smelly]

That doesn't surprise me. The boats that don't move, up here on the Lee are not liveaboards.

 

Fair to say, of the boat's I've seen on our mini tours of the West Midlands with, shall we say, a dubious mooring spot; I'd say half of them were evidently untended to...

 

Ye Gods, could this be a new thread to the eternal CC debate????????????????????

[carlt]

It is perfectly OK to say that 'In my opinion Albion is the biggest prat in the world'.

It is not OK to say that 'It is a fact that Albion is the biggest prat in the world'.....unless of course you have evidence to support that claim

A separate thread, with a poll, may settle the matter

[Albion]

A separate thread, with a poll, may settle the matter

 

I totally agree that it would give an indication of others' thoughts/opinions, but unless there was clear evidence to support those opinions then it couldn't be considered conclusive proof

Roger

[muddywaters]

You mean like this:

 

Moor poorly by articulator, on Flickr

 

Moored on the lock landing at St Pancras for long enough to dam in a pile of canal cack between him and the towpath.

Yes that is exactly the type I mean, I have no problems with genuine CCers and intend being C Cer myself one day.

But while hiring the one subject to annoy me is when you can't get onto a lock landing water point or a isitor mooring because of bridge hoppers or over stayers.

Oh BTW got a question about 24 hr and 48 hr moorings and hhire boats.

In this example X over nights on a 24 hr mooring close to the hire base and takes it back to the base next day, where a new hirer takes over the boat and over nights on the same 24 hr mooring.

With it being the same boat on a 24 hr mooring for 48 hrs would the new hirer be penalised ?

Edited January 22, 2011 by muddywaters

[PiRSqwared]

Could he have just broken down ?.

 

Doesn't appear to have enough on the roof to be a CCer.

 

You mean like this:

 

More mooring poorly by articulator, on Flickr

 

Same lock landing (St Pancras) yesterday. Different NB plus 2 cabin cruisers.

Edited January 23, 2011 by PiRSqwared

[carlt]

 

Same lock landing (St Pancras) yesterday. Different NB plus 2 cabin cruisers.

Isn't showing the same lock landing, with different boats moored there, sort of disproving the "another free loader that never moves" myth?

[PiRSqwared]

Isn't showing the same lock landing, with different boats moored there, sort of disproving the "another free loader that never moves" myth?

 

If you're waiting to use the lock, they are never moving.

Edited January 23, 2011 by PiRSqwared

[Heffalump]

But while hiring the one subject to annoy me is when you can't get onto a lock landing water point or a isitor mooring because of bridge hoppers or over stayers.?

 

Unless you're hiring long term and staying in the same area for an extended amount of time, how do you know that the people on the visitor moorings are bridge-hopping or over-staying? Lock landings and water points annoy me too though

[Midnight Rider]

Unless you're hiring long term and staying in the same area for an extended amount of time, how do you know that the people on the visitor moorings are bridge-hopping or over-staying? Lock landings and water points annoy me too though

They might, if they are on an 'out & back' trip & see the same boats on their way back.

 

Tony

[carlt]

They might, if they are on an 'out & back' trip & see the same boats on their way back.

 

Tony

Yes I used to get reported all the time, on my trips down to the pub, at the weekend, by busy bodies assuming that I'd not moved, between their outbound, and return trips.

[Midnight Rider]

Yes I used to get reported all the time, on my trips down to the pub, at the weekend, by busy bodies assuming that I'd not moved, between their outbound, and return trips.

Well yes, I suppose that you could say that unless you watch a boat for 24/7 then it might have moved.

 

Common sense comes into play & there are little signs that gives the game away, being in exactly the same place, facing the same way, weeds growing from the fenders, leaves & dirt etc.

 

I would have no interest in reporting the matter but I do think that you can tell when some boats have not been moved for ages.

 

Tony

[matty40s]

Isn't showing the same lock landing, with different boats moored there, sort of disproving the "another free loader that never moves" myth?

 

I thought the lock landing was on the right of the canal by the St Pancras Cruising Club Rooms, as only the right lock going down is in use...???

If you moored to lock through where those boats are, you would need a key or code to access the lock as the wier lock has a locked gate over.

Edited January 23, 2011 by matty40s

[carlt]

 

Common sense comes into play & there are little signs that gives the game away, being in exactly the same place, facing the same way, weeds growing from the fenders, leaves & dirt etc.

 

Yep...I usually met the criteria, though the fender weeds died back, a bit, this time of year.

 

I thought the lock landing was on the right of the canal by the St Pancras Cruising Club Rooms, as only the right lock going down is in use...???

You may be right but, as I think my boat is moored in London, I'm probably not the best person to ask, about Southern geography.

[PiRSqwared]

I thought the lock landing was on the right of the canal by the St Pancras Cruising Club Rooms, as only the right lock going down is in use...???

If you moored to lock through where those boats are, you would need a key or code to access the lock as the wier lock has a locked gate over.

 

Yes you are right, there is a gate on the wier lock. I must check to see if my BW key opens it...perhaps the bollards shoudnae be painted white! I'll take a look next weekend.

[PiRSqwared]

So i had a look yesterday. The gate for the wier lock has a bw lock on it. On the SPCC side pf the canal there is some service space amd then a landing for a boat. The landing is immediately before the lock emtrance The towpath side landing is therefore more user friendly, imo. Except for the moored boats, that is!

[muddywaters]

Unless you're hiring long term and staying in the same area for an extended amount of time, how do you know that the people on the visitor moorings are bridge-hopping or over-staying? Lock landings and water points annoy me too though

Seeing a bout on a 48 hour mooring then seeing the same boat on the same mooring 3 or 4 days later is a bit of a give away

[NbCassie2]

Seeing spiders' webs across doorways and stretching from the tiller may also be clues, but perhaps showing that the boat is continuously abandoned rather than just moored. There was also the case last summer of a moorhen nested on the rear fender of a boat moored on visitor moorings at Gnosall - it was still there when we passed later going back North after a leisurely trip to Coventry.

Dave

[canaldrifter]

Would that be a moor-ing hen then?

 

Tone

[honey ryder]

Ive never had a problem in all the time I was constantly cruising. I never got any kind of impression that I was reviled. ( as was queried in first post of this thread) It seems that anyone who doesnt want to stay in one place all of the time on a permanent paid for mooring, except maybe weekends and for a couple of weeks a year, no matter what type of boat you have, then it's more of the minority of boat users. Its either a very expensive hobby or a slightly cheaper way of life, depending of course on what you class as cheaper and how you live in said boat. There's a huge variety on the waterways, each with their own choices and lifestyle. it can be humbling sometimes and at others, plain infuriating!

 

It can be annoying to see people never moving their boats except to fetch water and taking over the towpath area in some places, but its not everywhere and its mostly in areas near to town, facilities and places of work. if you go out into the countryside, the constant moorers become fewer and fewer.

 

I think it must be lovely to have the freedom (ie no fixed place of work) to meander the inland waterways at leisure during the summer time, even in winter it can be ok if the locks are working.

 

 

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Honey Ryder

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Canvas repairs and boat curtains

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Edited January 31, 2011 by honey ryder

[Chris Pink]

Ive never had a problem in all the time I was constantly cruising.

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Honey Ryder

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Canvas repairs and boat curtains

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But but but Ms Ryder, you'll spoil their fun.

 

The usual suspects blathering on, rustling up a collective unrighteous indignation, complete with trials à la Passion of Joan of Arc and fantasy witch burnings.

 

Spoilsport you, introducing the calm and clear voice of reality.

[Neil TNC]

So i had a look yesterday. The gate for the wier lock has a bw lock on it. On the SPCC side pf the canal there is some service space amd then a landing for a boat. The landing is immediately before the lock emtrance The towpath side landing is therefore more user friendly, imo. Except for the moored boats, that is!

 

I am not defending the mooring on the "lock landings", but I think you have answered the reason why they get away with mooring there. Certainly we have never stopped there to work the lock, we use the same side as the lock. If there are SPCC boats in the way, after dropping lock operator off, we just hang onto them or hover about, or temp mooring onto one of the boats if single handing. If the friendly SPCC bunch are about, they normally help you anyway. I certainly CBA to use the weir gate.