Tuscan

Was an interesting weekend with lots of history in the buildings. Going to look at the pump inside Tringford pumping station was a highlight. Shame the buildings could be put to a heritage use but the development was done well compared with houses crammed into the former yard at the junction with the Aylesbury canal.

Used to moor at Nigel’s lock cottage and then the field at Marsworth. Did the Marsworth flight most weekends waking up Gary on Lily as we went past . Wendover arm rallies then the Grand Junction with David Blagrove leading the singing on the last night , happy days.

The whole point of the consultation is to tell boaters that the cost of the license is about to rise dramatically. CRT will already have decided the mechanics and probably by how much. Inflation is projected to fall back to sensible levels by the end of the year so by establishing the principle with high inflation now they can ensure boaters vote for high increases for the next 10 years.

Volunteer lock keepers are of course not a free resource, they are just an unpaid resource. There are a whole raft of employed trainers and supervisors. Volunteers are entitled to claim travelling expenses with a team in the finance department no doubt sorting out. They are also I imagine an important part of CRTs proposal for a renewed grant.

Can’t see the point of replacing CRT with another Quango. The problem is the current management team and trustees have little empathy with their Customers. They tried to run the system as a business attracting other income streams that failed. They tried to rebrand and outsource/retire most of the in-house expertise with the resulting failure of any preventative maintenance. They are now trying to rebrand as a ‘health’ brand which fools nobody. There needs to be a complete rethink about what CRT stands for and how it’s funded. If navigation and heritage is to remain at its heart then at the very least a reasonable number of the management team should have an interest in boating and all it entails. Even if that means buying a few boats and giving them a couple of weeks free holidays as a perk of the job.

We had similar sounding issues a few years ago. It was water in the diesel causing the engine to almost cut out intermittently then it would pick up finally stopping not far from you. Suggestion was that we use a Jerry can to bypass the tank but managed with the aid of RCR to disconnect and work some of the dodgy fuel through. Got going and fuel polished at Calcutt , problem solved.

As I understand it CRT are able to charge for a service, mooring for a period up to 14 days is a right under the Acts and not a service. Bona fide navigating in accordance with the Act is another right. Presumably they could charge for water and elsan disposal if they wish.

well remember the beach party , load of sharp sand delivered and spread round, we were all dressed to suit. Happy times.

Are you sure it’s the housing shortage causing people to buy cheap boats that’s causing the problem. Milton Keynes and Fenny where these signs have appeared is now the domain of expensive wide beams. Central London has a growing number.

It all comes down to enforcement the reason CRT is in such a muddle is that they seem unable to enforce pretty much everything from boats mooring on lock landings, service points to overstaying. They have a whole raft of by laws in support of the Act (as Nigel Moore used to point out) however since CRT’s inception they have chosen not to take one boater to court under a by law. They rely on ever brighter signs threatening fines if it was a charge there would be a method of payment advertised. There only enforcement process is to threaten to withdraw a license which for the majority of those not wishing to move takes years and they will sell the boat on before it happens.

Please contact crt so it’s recorded otherwise it didn’t happen ……..

In January (presumably after this survey closes) they are going to update on the mooring and facilities improvements. If you go back 5 years and compare with now I wonder if there will be more or less facilities given the increase in users especially liveaboards. No doubt the forthcoming PR will not reference this.

Charges being introduced over large areas in London. If boaters accept this no doubt these charge zones will be introduced on the K&A , Oxford and other popular areas Stoke Breune, Foxton etc. it’s the future I suspect as CRT will already have decided the outcome of this consultation as they have done with the others.

To be fair the legality of winter moorings is I think dubious and CRT are aware of this, however the principle has been established over many years and widely supported so it is unlikely to be challenged.

I seem to recall (perhaps wrongly) that CRT legal got involved and the scheme failed as it would need to be a system wide offering and the problem that there was only one license - (home mooring or not) in the Act and they didn’t have the power to create a new roving one. This would appear to have changed in latest terms conditions where they clearly talk about two licences.