Free Loaders ?

[Joshua]

As someone who is planning to become an inland waterway ‘Constant Cruiser’ in the very near future, I was a bit taken aback to discover (from the Residential Boat Owners Association) that I will be “reviled” by other waterway users as a “free loader”.

 

Why?

 

I am 53, my partner and I have been together for 35 years, we have both worked hard since our teens and never at any time asked for or received state financial help.

 

We are both uncomfortable and always have been, with the worlds insatiable consumerism and see life afloat as a way of minimising the need to be a part of it.

We wont be asking for anyone’s help to pay for this life style (which as far as I can tell is not particularly cheap) and will be making some considerable life style sacrifices (all-be-it willingly).

 

I had imagined that many other, if not most, other Constant Cruisers held a similar philosophy so I am puzzled by the ‘free loading’ label?

 

Cheers,

 

Joshua

Edited January 11, 2011 by Joshua

[ditchcrawler]

As someone who is planning to become an inland waterway ‘Constant Cruiser’ in the very near future, I was a bit taken aback to discover (from the Residential Boat Owners Association) that I will be “reviled” by other waterway users as a “free loader”.

 

Why?

 

 

Joshua

Because you wont be paying for a mooring.

[DeanS]

As someone who is planning to become an inland waterway ‘Constant Cruiser’ in the very near future, I was a bit taken aback to discover (from the Residential Boat Owners Association) that I will be “reviled” by other waterway users as a “free loader”.

 

Why?

 

There's no reason. The license fee is exactly the same for both moorer types and continous cruising users. Some people think CC-ers are trying to avoid paying mooring fees, and are really just mooring up on the towpath somewhere for longer than allowed. If you are planning on being a true continuous cruiser, moving along according to the mooring time zone limits, then no one has any real reason to revile you Congratulations on making the move onto the canals ;-)

[pearley]

As someone who is planning to become an inland waterway ‘Constant Cruiser’ in the very near future, I was a bit taken aback to discover (from the Residential Boat Owners Association) that I will be “reviled” by other waterway users as a “free loader”.

 

 

You've obviously read my article on the RBOA website. It was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek.

 

But, as Ditchcrawler says 'it's because we don't pay for a mooring.

[canaldrifter]

In short it's jealousy by some who don't have the time to CC, and who resent that it costs them more to keep a boat idle on a mooring for much of the year. Ignore them. At this time you have the BW 1995 Act on your side. Whether it remains so when BW become a trust, remains to be seen.

 

Just one small point, CC usually stands for continuous cruising rather than constant cruiser, but much the same.

 

Tone

[Joshua]

Because you wont be paying for a mooring.

I thought most moorings were run by private enterprise, I had not appreciated that mooring profits were ploughed back into waterway maintenance.

In those circumstances, I can see why people who do have to stay in one place and pay these fees might begrudge those who don’t, but surely people on the move all the time must be providing considerable income to the waterway industry in other ways that static boat users don’t?

 

Joshua

[koukouvagia]

Wow – that's a brave question for a first posting. Welcome to the forum and be prepared to duck.

The question of continuous cruisers has been debated ad nauseam here. Basically antipathy to cc-ers arises when they are perceived to be flouting the rules in order to avoid paying for a permanent mooring. Added to this is the difficulty of defining precisely how the rules should be interpreted.

 

The main conflict points arise firstly when when boats hog mooring sites for long periods and secondly when boats annoy other boaters, e.g. by running generators at unsocial hours. Neither of these annoyances is confined to cc-ers but they are an easy target.

 

My advice would be to keep a low profile and no one will mind. On the whole, the boating community is very friendly and tolerant.

Best of luck.

Edited January 11, 2011 by koukouvagia

[cariad]

we came onto the canals to avoid small minded people, it seems we were naive, but it`s not going to stop us enjoying this marvelous system and meeting in the majority of nice friendly people, because these whinger types are very much in the minority .

continuos cruisers pay and plat their part by using the marinas,boat yards, chandlers and engineers , so i have no justifying my our presence on the canals.

Edited January 11, 2011 by cariad

[muddywaters]

Think it is because some people find it hard to tell the difference between constant cruisers and constant moorers

[GUMPY]

and I wondered what I was going to do this evening

Time for popcorn beer and crisps me thinks.

[Nightwatch]

Hello

I struggle to pay for a mooring, but have to, as I am not in a position to CC. So, in answer to your original question you will not be called such by me, the only thing I may call you two are lucky so and so's because you can CC and I can't.

 

Welcome to the forum and if anyone gives you grief, just ignore them.

 

There are those of course who say they CC but don't actually do so, presumably to dodge having to fork out for a mooring. But that's another story which I'm sure you will find out about eventually.

 

Enjoy.

 

Martyn

[dccruiser]

Good luck to you! i will be doing the same later in the year.

 

Personally i think aside from jealousy the only reason cc'ers get a bad name is because of the amount of bridge hoppers on the system that use a cc license but rather than paying for a mooring , just bridge hop in the same area, often taking up the choice short term moorings, to my mind if anyone should be reviled it is these people.

 

... along with those who spread all their cr*p across the towpath, leave their dogs to foul at will, then give people nasty looks just for trying to get past.

 

Thankfully BW have been using their section 8 powers to get rid of those that flaunt the system completely and dont even bother with licences, I for one openly admit if i ever see an unlicensed boat or anyone flaunting the rules i am happy to inform BW.

 

I might sound like a miserable so and so, i am certainly not, i pay my dues and dont see why anyone else can't pay theirs, i am also fed up with trying to get moored near facilities that are overun with overstayers.... even recently when i came down the trent from the L&L it took a stand up row to get some moron to move off a waterpoint.

 

Rick

[PiRSqwared]

Think it is because some people find it hard to tell the difference between constant cruisers and constant moorers

 

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.

[Tim]

I have no problem with continuous cruisers who cruise within the guidelines, yes I'm jealous, but not in a hateful way, I just want to be doing it. I have a problem with those that claim to be continuous cruisers who constantly abuse the guidelines! - Suit of armour on.

[dccruiser]

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.

 

As i said, if i came across that, i would be straight on the phone to the local BW office

 

Rick

[Guest]

As someone who is planning to become an inland waterway ‘Constant Cruiser’ in the very near future, I was a bit taken aback to discover (from the Residential Boat Owners Association) that I will be “reviled” by other waterway users as a “free loader”.

 

Why?

 

 

My understanding is that you will be 'reviled' because there are regrettably some folk on the system who do not adhere to the requirements of a CC licence. In fact I suspect you won't in practice be so 'reviled' - the requirements are not that hard to adhere to.

 

Folks that don't adhere drag down the reputation of CC'ing boaters fully prepared to stick to the licence requirements.

 

Just cruise and enjoy....

 

Very jealous..

 

 

PS - please don't go on to ask me the detail of the CC'ing licence requirements - I believe I understand it enough to be able to adhere to it - but can't be sure I'll explain it to someone else correctly - sometimes on here it's presented as a subject worthy of a Masters degree..

 

PPS - welcome to the forum.

Edited January 11, 2011 by MJG

[Joshua]

My understanding is that you will be 'reviled' because there are regrettably some folk on the system who do not adhere to the requirements of a CC licence. In fact I suspect you won't in practice be so 'reviled' - the requirements are not that hard to adhere to.

 

Folks that don't adhere drag down the reputation of CC'ing boaters fully prepared to stick to the licence requirements.

 

Just cruise and enjoy....

 

Very jealous..

 

 

PS - please don't go on to ask me the detail of the CC'ing licence requirements - I believe I understand it enough to be able to adhere to it - but can't be sure I'll explain it to someone else correctly - sometimes on here it's presented as a subject worthy of a Masters degree..

 

PPS - welcome to the forum.

 

Thank you, I am getting the picture.

 

Its ironic how simple it is to make life complicated but how complicated it is to make life simple.

 

Cheers,

 

Joshua

[tillergirl]

I'm jealous but only because you get to do it before us

 

 

 

 

[alan_fincher]

Just for some balance, you can come unstuck on here if you go too much in the other direction as well.

 

We are not continuous cruisers, but when we do go boating, although we don't go flat out, we usually don't hang about a lot either, (our boating opportunities being restricted by wife's work commitments).

 

You can attract just as much "criticism", (light heated, or sometimes otherwise), for being perceived as rushing around the system, as you can do for not appearing to move around enough.

 

Just get on, and enjoy it - it takes all types, (and welcome!).

[David Schweizer]

I am rather disturbed that the Residential Boat Owners Association should make such a broad sweeping statement, particularly as I do not consider it to be accurate, or apropriate.

 

I have many friends who are, or who have been, long term Contiuous Cruisers, I have not considered any of them to be free loaders, and as far as I am aware they have not felt that others considered them in that way either.

 

On our cruises we meet all sorts of people, and because we prefer to stop overnight in out of the way places, which are often also preferred by Continuous Cruisers, we have met many delightful people who were cruising around the system, none of whom anyone could consider to be freeloaders.

 

I can only assume that the RBOA are referring to the attitude of (some) "other waterways users" towards those who declare themselves as Continuous Cruisers, but do not comply with the requirements of continuous cruising, by staying in one place for months on end. That is an entirely different issue, and if it concerns them, is one which the RBOA should address with their membership, rather than simply try to load the blame onto others.

Edited January 11, 2011 by David Schweizer

[sueb]

As i said, if i came across that, i would be straight on the phone to the local BW office

 

Rick

Good luck. Maybe they will send a volunteer to deal with it.

Sue

[canaldrifter]

My understanding is that you will be 'reviled' because there are regrettably some folk on the system who do not adhere to the requirements of a CC licence.

 

Once again.... there is no such thing as a CC licence. There is a CC declaration.

 

Tone

[mayalld]

Once again.... there is no such thing as a CC licence. There is a CC declaration.

 

Tone

 

Which leads to the issue of a licence under a different sub-section of BWA 1995, bearing a distinct code that shows this.

 

That is a CC licence.

[deletedaccount]

post removed now I've read the article.

 

see below...

Edited January 11, 2011 by deletedaccount

[Bimbly1]

As someone who is planning to become an inland waterway ‘Constant Cruiser’ in the very near future, I was a bit taken aback to discover (from the Residential Boat Owners Association) that I will be “reviled” by other waterway users as a “free loader”.

 

Cheers,

 

Joshua

Most boaters don't have the time or energy to revile anything/body for very long, (unless they have a pump out loo and/or bow thruster), and even then 'tis only in jest, (I think). Most of us want to get gently on with our lives, meet folks and hide from the kids.

Congratulations on taking the plunge, figuratively speaking. Enjoy yourselves.