Serenity Malc

You're perfectly correct Dekazer ........ he's a fine chap who will get to know everyone who dares to moor on Her Majesty's lawns. From Kingston Bridge to Hampton Court.

Apparently ..... some of the students survived. SM.

I'm told that Mondays can be of particular amusement ..... or worry ..... due to it being student night in the town of Kingston. Many recent anecdotes regarding a number of drunken students jumping onto the roofs of boats moored on the south bank. Serenity Malc.

A multiple sense of humour failure ? ...... now that's made me snigger out loud !

I believe the answers is yes .... Blackrose. #)

I think there are 12v to 18v ( variable ) DC to DC powers supplies available ...... they take your variable 12v battery power supply and can be tuned as it were to produce a stable 18v or 19v supply for a laptop. As has been said, you may have to be creative to connect the laptop input plug. Serenity Malc.

To comment on MTB's words earlier in this thread ...... you're correct Mike in that ANY class / type / colour of craft will no doubt be treated in exactly the same way ..... BUT ....... the areas very specifically designated and mapped out in the new bylaw are only inhabited by the presumably less affluent boaters of the borough ...... or those who care not to spend their money on rediculous marina fees ...... or wish to opt out of the more regular social model.

I'm not on Twitter either ..... but the link still works for me. You'll just have to take my word for it that the police are very much involved with the application of the new LBR bylaw ...... having seen them in action at the other end of the borough to Teddington yesterday.

Many congratulations on finding your "dream boat" ........ I hope all goes well and as smoothly as you would like. An experienced surveyor is what you need ...... as has been mentioned he / she should be able to make a first impression comment on for example the electrical or gas systems, before any deeper inspection is done. However, you do want your surveyor to be thorough and exacting. That's what you're paying him / her for after all. Good luck !

To comment on WV's questions .... I meant by 'illegal' boats that there are many unlicenced sheds there. Illegal boaters because they each presumably have owners / masters who are now breaking the new LBR bylaw. However, from living here for a number of years I happen to be aware of some of their habits of collecting other peoples possessions, use and sale of illegal substances and that's before any thought is given to their UK status. I absolutely no idea how they all got on in last years floods ....... I was plenty busy keeping my own craft off the bank and accessible. I used 5 metre and 2 metre scaffold poles with scaffold clips to survive ...... but then I was out of the main stream. Loddon has kindly posted a link to prove my comments on the police involvement in this action ........ since you seem to doubt my word !

I think that pilings in the river is a somewhat overstatement of the feeble attempts of the Teddington liveaboards to try to circumnavigate the 'attached to land' definition of being moored. As previously mentioned, it would only take one of the many Party boats on the Thames or a few days of rain to shift any temporary scaffold pole arrangements. They are only a foot or so from the bank. I walked down the towpath from West Molesey to Hampton Court today and watched 8 or 10 hi-vis wearing officials, of which many appeared from a police people carrier, apply tickets to the half dozen of so sheds at Garrick's Lawn at Hampton. So they really are going for it. Serenity Malc.

They're only a foot or so from the bank .... but having experienced the flow on the Thames for a few years, it will take more than a few tapped in scaffold poles to hold a boat there.

I see on the London BBC news slot that some of the Teddington lock boaters are busy trying to knock scaffold poles into the river bed to moor off ...... as opposed to actually being attached to the LBR land. Methinks that they won't be there for long ......

I'm guessing that scores of illegal sheds and their owner / tenants will be trying to head up the GU from Brentford from tomorrow on ...... either that or they'll try to head up stream passed Sunbury. I expect they'll be traveling out of lock keeping hours as they will mostly be unlicenced.

My licence application form from the EA this year came preprinted with my last home mooring address under the sub heading of 'normal boat address' ..... but then again I disposed of the application form after the licence had been issued. I thanked you for the offer at the time Blackrose ..... but I didn't care to use my dingy every time I wanted land access. Plus I now have moved downstream nearer to my homelands and family. I'm waiting on a local eyot to offer me a home mooring ....... then I can be as smug as the rest of you ..... regarding Thames moorings.

I'm certainly not looking for sympathy Rick ....... and I didn't buy my 50' WB to take out on sunny days ....... so thank you, I did look into the costs of boating on the Thames before I purchased. D'oh ! My post was to make other users of the Thames aware of current legislation and EA antics. Serenity Malc.

Yello, To clarify, I've not seen the actual EA document stuck on my friends boat yet, he summarised it's contents over the phone to me. We are used to ad hoc notices from the EA here .... but he found this new one very officious and threatening. I managed to track down the online details of London Borough of Richmond's new bylaw this morning. It has VERY clearly mapped out areas of new mooring regulation. Some are 1 hour maximum stays and others are 24 hour. Fortunately I am currently approx 100 metres outside their boundary but it would appear that LBR and specifically targeting moorings where illegal boaters and boats commonly habit. http://www.richmond.gov.uk/byelaws_and_local_legislation Serenity Malc.

In addition ....... I dispise the unlicenced, non BSSC and uninsured hotel boats housing our european fellows around Teddington ....... they give us legal boat users a very bad name. But ..... I do not feel that we should all be tarred with the same brush. For me it will mean finding a home mooring at the expence of food and other life requirements. But hey !! ......

As a licence paying, BSSC valid .... and insured boater living on the Thames ...... I rarely use any EA moorings. You are obviously fortunate enough to have a home mooring ...... therefore this conversation will not affect you in any way ........ apart from giving you the pleasure of a boat free Thames to cruise around.

Yello, Another friend has just taken that option. Yes .....

Yello, Being that the new and tested London Borough of Richmond bylaw is coming into force this Friday the 13th of March, which states that all boats moored against the land owned or managed by the LBR will be liable to a £100 a day fine and a criminal offence after 24 hours ..... I got a call today from a friend who owns a dutch barge, who has been continuously cruising around the Chertsey / Shepperton areas. He has had a notice from The EA stuck to his barge to say that they ( the EA ) have no longer any available licence for continuous cruisers on the non tidal Thames. Although he has not been overstaying on EA 24hr moorings, this officious and new threat to boaters on the Thames seems to be apparent. It would appear that The EA now require a home mooring for all craft ? .... The combination of this EA notice and the LBR bylaw introduction would seem to me to be a concerted effort from the authorities here to abolish all non home berthed / marina berthed craft from the river. I think the future for the non tidal Thames will be just the tupperware marina berthed craft taking to the water for 3 or 4 weeks a year before retiring back into their £500 a month marina berths. How sick is that ? Serenity Malc.

Yello, I'm on the towpath south side ...... and I assumed rightly or wrongly that the council do control the towpath. SM.

Yello, Whilst you guys and gals exchange views on the legalities with CART etc .... the real issue here on the non tidal Thames is very specifically on the Teddington to Kingston stretch which has been over run by unlicensed sheds ..... some even without engines and mostly occupied as hotel boats by our fellow europeans. My position however is one from a license paying ( £807 ), BSS owning and fully insured live aboard on the Thames. Although I may be tarred with the same brush by some of the members of this forum, my only illegality is that I currently moor without charge at a disused Sea Cadet wharf in West Molesey .... in the middle of now where. The new Richmond BC bylaw is presumably only effective within the limits of the BC...... my current mooring is approximately 75 metres outside of the Richmond BC boundary ....... but I VERY much doubt that the enforcement officers or third party contractors will even notice that they've stepped a few metres too far and will slap a £100 a day ticket on my barge. Together with a criminal offence ! .... and then a new £100 fine and another criminal offence for any subsequent days. This situation will be enforced from 1 am on Friday March 13th I believe ........ so I have applied for a home mooring ( non residential of course ) at a local eyot. My only problem is that I have to find a cheque for £1600 for the first 6 months from April .... and then another for the same amount in October. I guess the majority of this forum are canal based and under the control of CART, but I live in my homeland on the Thames and I have to say that I don't particularly enjoy some of the comments from some of you 'cut based' forum members. Wishing you all happy days .... whether you live in a marina .... a river ..... a ditch .... or on the mighty Thames. Serenity Malc. Edited to add that I'm also fully insured.

Yello, MtB ..... that island you are talking of is Platts Eyot ..... the sinker trawler used to be moored on the eyot but was moved to the far bank. The recent water company evictions were from 'the railings' adjacent to their property in Hampton. That was late last year, but I see they have been repopulated again since.I also note that the LB of Richmond extends up the north bank at least as far as Hampton 24hr moorings in Hampton village. Many of the boats in the Hampton / Sunbury area are boats that have been imported from Europe by a particular lady (?) and are littered around the banks awaiting sale. Serenity Malc.

Hi Matty, Yes ...... been busy but looking into the problem tomorrow ...... which is meant to be nice and bright down here. Thanks Malc,