magnetman

The river Wey is a nice example but why do you think they have a lower budget than CRT? One noticeable thing about the Wey, which I actually quite like, is that they have no cc ers. It's not an option. And visitors pay through the nose to use the waterway. It's well regulated. I don't know what happens if you get in there and just remain there but I suspect they have it sorted as there are lenghsmen and lengths women and some of them are pretty scary. It would be interesting to know of any enforcement procedures carried out by NT for boats illegally left on the River

My first thought too.

Some of the CRT impounded boats end up at Greenwalls farm in Dodleston which is near Chester. The hardstanding with several boats is visible on Google sat view. Interesting about it being auctioned. Previously it was CBS who would sell the boats but putting them through an auction house might be a better option technically.

There was a nasty time when these boards were fixed with posidrive screws. When they did batchworth lock in late 00s several of the boards broke the screws once they got wet. Hopefully better secured these days. Another item not often mentioned is the breast irons. The vertical pieces of D section strake spiked or screwed to the gates below the mitre to protect the wood from damage when boats breast the gates open. They used to use lovely big 3 inch wide D section iron strakes but these days it's more like a 2 inch thing. One of my magnet-fou

Some of the rowers on the Thames have finally worked out what mirrors are for. Obviously as they are product of moneyed males and dumb blondes they have quite a lot of evolution to get on with but the recognition of mirrors after however many years it is now since the invention must be a Good Thing overall. Installing brains and removal of the attitude problems will take a bit longer me thinks.

Hampton Court is nicer than Kingston if you don't need the shops, and only half an hour further. Last time I was down that way I did notice the barge walk from sailing club up the the Hampton court moorings has been signed as NO MOORING and it will be patrolled by the park keepers. That was always a useful stop if everything else full. Once past Molesey you can actually stop just past the lock layby same side and tie to the trees but the flat dwellers might moan. Not really a problem for overnight and another backup option if everything else is completely

There is also Stevens Ait which is an island about 20 minutes up from Teddington. It is an EA mooring but obviously being an island you can't go anywhere without a dinghy or canoe. And it is quite likely to be full anyway as not a lot of room. But it is a possible option. Moorings are on the right hand side of the island which you leave to your left, immediately past the Small Boat Club wooden shed. To clarify in case of doubt. The parking company arrangement for EA sites does not require booking in for a 24hr stop. They tried to introduce this but it is

If you look at it like that then anyone going across the bridge is not going to want to have a wheeled vehicle. Big step down from the deck to the end of the beams. I reckon it would go higher but also looks ok to get a wide boat through. It's just above top locks innit. ETA the bloke sitting beside the beams his legs and the distance between that and the road level. It could go up quite a bit further. Also no reason not to have some dug out areas for the ends of the beams to drop into after all this was before most people alive were ab

The bridge probably goes higher than that. Boats in the photo are a steamer and a butty. Probably joshers out of Uxbridge.

It's not too late though is it. There will be ways of sorting it all out and it will get done but probably won't be the CRT who do it.

If CRT are actually the riparian owner, presumably verifiable via land registry.gov then the can apply any conditions they see fit to the moorings at the end of the day. Obviously planning consent turns up but for visitors I don't think so. It's interesting there has been no mention of charging fees for moorings for wide boats. That would get interesting. Maybe just a short term scheme to weigh up the demand. Would be quite a funny experiment.

Ok so that one has already been done. I remember CRT or was it BW doing a land grab about 12 years ago perhaps a bit more. I think it was BW actually. They claimed a lot of land which was not obviously theirs but probably would be default. Seems sensible.

Has anyone brought up the topic of it being a PRN waterway and up to the land owner who moors against their land? Obviously there are some regulations in law about being an obstruction but it does seem interesting as it is not actually a waterway subject to CRT licensing. Yes it is subject to registration but not licensing and that completely changes the topic of moorings and consent to moor against land.

This has very little to do with the safety of waterway users. It's always a handy thing to lean on but the topic is a lot bigger than a few rowers whacking their blades against moored boats.

This location. Obviously a lot of modernisation since but intereresting there is still a bridge there and rather an unusual one. ETA not sure what the odd floating wing thing is perhaps I could be one of the CRT wellbeing robots out for some trials.

I'll go for Norwood top lock with the bridge now being a fixed and raised footbridge.

Is it a lock in the distance? Intriguing one. There is a funny narrow bit near the gravel works at West Drayton I wonder if it was there. Doesn't seem likely but it is a bit of an odd unusually narrow bit of the cut in the area. No locks about though. Maybe the houses in the distance are not related to any locks. There is an industrial estate near there which could have been houses previously. It does look like a lock in the background.

It obviously makes it worse for visiting boats as well as the residential boats on the towpath. What it also does if it gets all loud and shouty is starts asking questions about why people are living on boats on towpaths, accessing local amenities but not getting involved in the normal costs associated with living somewhere. I do wonder who the nbta are really, presumably a militant CRT offspring. ETA I avoid it like the plague but occasionally look and the London Boaters facebook page had a picture of a boat with a banner "fuck the fucking fuckers" and th

What about if someone owns a house outside London, rents it out, lives on the towpath in inner London and sends their kids to private school on account of no having to pay rent. And closer to work too. And if it all goes pear shaped just go back home. Seems quite a nice little scheme. And have a boaty holiday during holidays. Hmm. Nice expensive widebeams everywhere this must be a poverty problem. Not. This "homeless" term is bandied about too much I reckon. Living on a boat is a choice at the end of the day, and one which a lot of people have made recent

That would be quite interesting yes. We did cc a bit when first had the kids then got a mooring in London ten years ago. Council tax etc etc. I had been cc ing for 15 years prior to that myself but traveling widely as not constrained by work or children. Also my choice to live on a boat is not related to financial issues I would still live on a boat full time if I had ten million quid. No interest in owning property at all. Nil. A lot of people have turned up on boats in London specifically because it is a cheap way to live. It's obvious. This will at som

For that you will need someone like @Phoenix_V

Just get a proper bowsaw. This one is lovely. It's in Tewkesbury so too far for me to collect it otherwise I would have it in a heartbeat. I already have one the same and the bigger one and the smaller one but they are such nice saws! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324652830806 It is an EIA frame. Edsbyns Industri AB. One of the best swede saws you will ever find. Ok so it needs a new blade but these are available albeit getting worse over time. sand ok, bahco and Jack seem to be the best ones. bow saw with a decent not a rusty blade goes through w

The boat list has it down as a Yeoman 22. I think this is probably correct. Has obviously had some modifications. https://canalplan.org.uk/boats/boats.php

We used to moor by Grove bridge Quite regularly before they converted it. Late 90s and early 00s. There was a police dog training unit based there. I used to park car half way down the lane before the bridge. It was reported as being abandoned and I had a call from the rozzzers. Happy days. Interesting area I particularly like the large waterwheel powered pumps (derelict) one of them by the sharp bend Watford side of Grove bridge the other one is further up in the bushes between M25 spur bridge and Hunton bridge. Great big iron wheels quite impressive really. I think they wer