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Enforcement on the Bridgewater


DeanS

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Not surprised by this after having had a chat with him roughly 20 minutes after mooring near Preston brook. Combined with the bureaucratic fun of actually getting a short term license from Peel the reservation of visitor moorings on a canal already almost devoid of casual mooring sounds like we will have to use it purely for navigation.

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The exact terms of the agreement (as it relates to the boater) is AFAIK published on the Bridgewater Canal website - worth a save of this with date/time. Whether there's any underlying contracts that aren't published, between them, who knows? I'd like to see examples of the debt passed between navigation authorities before I can actually believe CRT (can) do this, since they can't even for their own "debts" - and its quite clear in law they can't.

I was thinking more of whether the "7 consecutive days" was qualified in any way in the formal agreement (such as "per year"), or whether Peel are making it up as they go along. Going from the top end of the T&M to, say, Liverpool and back as we did a couple of years ago, one could spend less than 7 days on the Bridgewater out and return, but the interval from beginning to end could easily be more than 7 days.if that's going to cost £40 a go then they can go whistle.

 

I've also noticed a number of liveaboards have appeared on the top end of the T&M lately, and wonder if it's related.

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Having recently discovered how wonderful the Rochdale canal is (if you're into roughing it), I no longer have as much of a need for the Bridgewater....

 

 

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Stunning Dean, i cant fault you for doing what your doing.

 

just sack the jenny in a box though, thats not me being a forum nobber posting woffle

 

its just i dont like reading bad storys about stuff.

 

your boat looks really nice dean. x

Edited by brassedoff
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  • 4 weeks later...

I CC the Cheshire ring and have had 2 run ins with 'sunny'. He has such a terrible attitude ... I have sent 2 complaints to Peel Holdings also .... He is very aggressive and the first time I was at Castlefield for 48 hours and he came bellowing over saying I didn't have a Bridgewater license and was adamant that Castlefield was 48 hours and not 72 ... The next time I had been on the canal 4 hours and was just under the motorway at Preston brook after spending almost £200 in Midland Chandlers .... He came across and was an absolute arrogant arse ... I told him I had already spoken to Peter Parkinson plus I've only been here 4 hours and he told me I was now banned for my attitude and my boat would be towed off and a £200 fine .... I didn't even have an attitude but I will not be spoken to like the way he speaks to people plus he constantly screamed over me so I could hardly get a word in .... He is making up his own rules, he knows nothing of boats or the law .... he told me CCers are supposed to cruise 15 miles a day, plus lots of things about liveaboards and their lifestyle.... He is a horrible man

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After 3 strikes, I'm now quite sure that until I arrange some sort of licence, I'll get a £250 fine if I'm found below lock 92 within the next month. It's really gotten to that stage.

Bill them £250 for removing a bridgewater carry bag from your prop we can all send people made up numbers it's a private firm they can't do jack.

I have a 62 foot narrow boat in very good condition and looking for a widebeam and in sick of Manchester if that's any good to you;)

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...... and was adamant that Castlefield was 48 hours and not 72

We moored in Castlefield back in July.

 

There are signs on lamp posts saying the moorings are 72 hrs. I didn't see them at first as they are quite high up and I mistook them for'clean up after your dog' signs.

 

I won't say how long we stayed but it may (or may not) have been longer than 72 hrs. However, the two boats we moored between were there when we arrived and still there when we left, not having moved in the interim.

 

A blogger posted last night that he had been moored in Castlefield for the past 10 days!

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I CC the Cheshire ring and have had 2 run ins with 'sunny'. He has such a terrible attitude ... I have sent 2 complaints to Peel Holdings also .... He is very aggressive and the first time I was at Castlefield for 48 hours and he came bellowing over saying I didn't have a Bridgewater license and was adamant that Castlefield was 48 hours and not 72 ... The next time I had been on the canal 4 hours and was just under the motorway at Preston brook after spending almost £200 in Midland Chandlers .... He came across and was an absolute arrogant arse ... I told him I had already spoken to Peter Parkinson plus I've only been here 4 hours and he told me I was now banned for my attitude and my boat would be towed off and a £200 fine .... I didn't even have an attitude but I will not be spoken to like the way he speaks to people plus he constantly screamed over me so I could hardly get a word in .... He is making up his own rules, he knows nothing of boats or the law .... he told me CCers are supposed to cruise 15 miles a day, plus lots of things about liveaboards and their lifestyle.... He is a horrible man

This raises a further important point. Heavy-handed enforcement like this can only harm the businesses along the Bridgewater, who can't have had a great year after the prolonged stoppages at Dutton, Castlefield etc.

 

If its true the Bridgewater Canal Company wants to limit CRT-licensed boats to coming onto the Bridgewater once every 12 months, this would surely hit passing trade further.

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Since dean highlighted this enforcement i have sourced items that i would once cruise to thorn marine or midland at preston brook for elsewhere , now its just to lymm and the cake shop before turning round , shame really because thorn marine especially are good to deal with.

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Bill them £250 for removing a bridgewater carry bag from your prop we can all send people made up numbers it's a private firm they can't do jack.

I have a 62 foot narrow boat in very good condition and looking for a widebeam and in sick of Manchester if that's any good to you;)

Well how about as a private firm they cancel the CRT agreement and chain off the access points then charge say £100 for a limited access all because CMers pushed them too far.

  • Greenie 1
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It looks like they have effectively "cancelled" the reciprocal agreement, because it allows a 7 day trip, then off their waters and return for another 7 day trip etc. Its been known for decades that the Bridgewater is used as an "escape" from CRT's enforcement, particularly of CCers. I'm not surprised they've decided in a change in tack. I am surprised that its gone so far the other way, and that Sonny isn't getting adequate oversight from management above etc.

 

Also, pragmatically its impossible to enforce who comes on and off the waters, given it has 3 connections to CRT canals and that gating/padlocking those connections, or employing a 24/7 manned presence at them, would be impractical.

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Also, pragmatically its impossible to enforce who comes on and off the waters, given it has 3 connections to CRT canals and that gating/padlocking those connections, or employing a 24/7 manned presence at them, would be impractical.

 

Other navigation authorities manage it though, although I imagine there must be a level of licence evasion.

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It looks like they have effectively "cancelled" the reciprocal agreement, because it allows a 7 day trip, then off their waters and return for another 7 day trip etc. Its been known for decades that the Bridgewater is used as an "escape" from CRT's enforcement, particularly of CCers. I'm not surprised they've decided in a change in tack. I am surprised that its gone so far the other way, and that Sonny isn't getting adequate oversight from management above etc.

 

Also, pragmatically its impossible to enforce who comes on and off the waters, given it has 3 connections to CRT canals and that gating/padlocking those connections, or employing a 24/7 manned presence at them, would be impractical.

 

I have never noticed this behaviour in my ten years of visiting that canal , where do all the escapees come from , all over the system ? why would cc,s be under enforcement , if they are cc,rs no enforcement would be started , can you give some further details about the escapee,s you know of .

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I have never noticed this behaviour in my ten years of visiting that canal , where do all the escapees come from , all over the system ? why would cc,s be under enforcement , if they are cc,rs no enforcement would be started , can you give some further details about the escapee,s you know of .

Snap in my 9 years I have never noticed this sounds like the normal unfounded rubbish spouted by Paul C

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Yes indeed. Such antics give widebeams a bad name. Considerate mooring is the first thing any widebeam owner should be aware of.

 

You're either being funny, or you seriously didn't pick up that it was an optical illusion caused by a camera taking a photo in panaramatic mode. There was no "bend", or if there was...it was very slight ;-)

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It seems that CRT need to be getting things sorted out with the Bridgewater , a bit of basic customer care is needed. If this Sonny person is abusing CRT boaters then he needs dealing with.

 

I'm not now sure how much access Bridgewater boaters have on CRT waters but I seem to remember it was quite generous.

 

I like visiting Manchester and I'd like to visit without being harassed.

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Bridgewater boaters are allowed 7 days free on CRT waters but no further than Harecastle Tunnel or Barbridge junction. The info on the reciprocal agreement for the Liverpool link keeps changing and I'm not sure about towards Leeds or up over the Rochdale.

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