gringogordo

Fair enough (it would never occur to me to moor in a popular place for too long though, partly just because I'm a good citizen and partly because, as you say, you would end up being spat at ). I have never seriously looked at buying a new boat, and so it is only a vague suggestion, but it does seem to me that a lot of boat builders seem to have special relationships with marinas and can help you 'jump the queue' if you buy a boat from them. This may be a false impression though, and apologies if I'm leading you up the garden path. Cheers, Ben.

If you are buying a new boat they often come with a mooring in a marina. Not as good as the cut I agree but you could go on the waiting list while you are there. This is a general observation, I don't know much about the area you speak of. I did buy my boat from Cowley (Uxbridge) though and the guy I bought it off had said he had had to bridge hop for a few months before he got a mooring and that was probably 4 or 5 years ago. Also despite the harsh words on this site, bridge hopping is not so time consuming or unpleasant as you might think. And in my experience other boaters are still pleasant to you most of the time! If you really wanty to do it I wouldn't rule out bridge hopping as a means to an end... (this is a personal opinion and is not intended to provoke any kind of response!) Cheers, Ben.

What does the 3.25 refer to ? Anyway I'm interested in the volt meter question. I have a voltmeter display (green, yellow, red) which I look at now and again and although I agree that for the first half of the life of one charge it remains in the same place, after that it gradually goes down giving me an indication of how urgently I need to charge the batteries. It also reminds me to fill the cells if I haven't checked for a while as the needle doesn'r go so far 'up the green' if they are getting low. Its not clever but it works in a day to day way. I kind of accept the physics of what you say John (I'm no expert but I diod the weekend course in Reading a while ago) but as my practical experience seems to differ I'm wondoring what is going on. Is it that you are more thorough and don't let the batteries get low enough to register a difference in voltage ? Or maybe that 'the rest of you' (sorry sounds a bit abusive put like that, it's not meant to!) are looking for something a bit more precise than this general rule of thumb? Or have I just been caught out as being a fool once again? Cheers, Ben.

I've been burgled once in Reading, and I assume this was kids as all they took was a radio and digital camera. The radio was worth a bit as it was a digital radio but I still thought it was a poor effort! Irritating though. They ripped my door off, but word in the area was that they normally just went for boats with sky lights (and I did know someone in the area who had her boat broken into via the skylight so it may be true). Other than that I have had no problems at all except the boat being surrounded by anglers if I haven't moved on fast enough! Damn fish eaters.

Apologies (just looked at this topic again) - my previous post was a reply to bottle rather than a self congratulatory post! Cheers, Ben.

Cheers, I'll look around. Ben.

I don't really know about the expensive alternatives but my simple voltmeter has provided me with as much information as I've ever needed. The only thing that I would like (but wouldn't be prepared to pay much for!) is a device which tells me (in a more straightforward fashion than the 3 lights on my sterling charger) how well the batteries are being charged during charging and how close they are to being fully charged during the charging process. But like this is a nice to have that I would accept as a gift (!) but probably not pay for. Cheers, Ben.

I was going on this - 7. Boat has no BW approved mooring or cruises continuously 2.5 I accept I may be wrong though as I have only scan read the document. I'm not attacking constant cruising. I accept thats its totally different from Bridge hopping which is what I have done from time to time (as I still have to work). But wheras I understand that as a Bridge hopper I was dodging the system, I don't think constant cruisers are. I was never arguing against Maffi or constant cruising I was arguing against the idea that they should have to pay more. Anyway I'm off home now!

The document floating around this thread - http://www.b-a-g.ndo.co.uk/Craft_consultation.doc (I am at work so I only browsed it, hope I got it right now!) Criteria Baseline fee to be multiplied by: (a) Size 1. Boat is between 7 and 12 m long 0.8 2. Boat is less than 7 m long 0.6 ( Duration 3. Licence period 6 months only 0.85 4. Licence period 3 months only 0.6 © Intensity of use 5. Boat let out for holiday hire or timeshare 2.5 6. Boat operated for day hire only (no overnight accommodation) 1.5 7. Boat has no BW approved mooring or cruises continuously 2.5 (d) Geographic access 8. Cruising area restricted to rivers 0.60 9. Cruising area extended to EA waterways (cf Gold licence) 1.25 10. Cruising area is restricted to isolated stretches. 0.5 (f) Policy objectives 11. Hire boat not ETC accredited 1.1 12. Licence not renewed promptly 1.1 13. Boat has permanently fitted inboard electric motor 0.75

Ahh but although I disagree with most of what is said on the subject here (although I'm a conventional computer programmer with a mooring and a licence I feel like some kind of wild hippy when reading the posts on this site!) I try to avoid commenting on this issue. And although I went over the top (although to reiterate where i have been I haven't seen a problem) it was actually reading the document which seems to formalise the idea that constant cruisers are "getting away" with something and should have to pay 2.5 * the standard license fee which got me going! Like I say I haven't seen one rational argument yet.

And you think that because BW don't walk up the topwpath and catch the license evaders, anyone without a mooring should pay 2.5 * the rate ?! (I accept this is a bit unfair as you were responding to part of what I said, but I still haven't heard anything approaching valid argument - not even - well ... they use the public water points more often, which wouldn't cut much ice but would be better than 'because I pay it' which is all I've read so far)

Well I didn't know anyone had quoted it that high but I must say I don't believe it. 1) I'd be surprised if that % boats were not in a registered mooring 2) If that % of boats doesn't have a license then surely it would be worth hiring a couple of full time inspectors. I'll keep an open mind on that though and I will look for more evidence but it smells like B#llsh1t to me (although as I've said I only have experience of the Thames (where it would be very hard due to manned locks) and the K&A. On this figure I begin to see why people get upset about license evasion but its a seperate argument as putting licenses up for people who don't pay will not solve much and also I believe, much as many people would like to make it the same issue, it is a seperate issue to constant cruising/bridge hopping.

My point is that this doocumentr floating about suggests that constant cruisers should pay 2.5 * the standard license fee. being in an 11 mtr boat with a place in a marina I stand to gain (0.8 * standard mooring) but I can't see why someone who doesn't break any ruiles anbd doesn't want the marina facilities should pay extra. "This should sort the problem out ..." I roughly quote from above. I have been on the water 2 years between Reading and Bath and I haven't seen a problem. I think people complaining are like the people who think that all kids on the towpath are out to mug them. They'll probably want cyclists to pay road tax because its all so unfair... I shall leave it there as it always ends up the same way but really I just can't see anything bnut jealousy and petty mindedness in the idea that constant cruisers should pay 2.5 times the rate. Personally I don't care about bridge hoppers but I can accept there is an argument (I like Johns parking on the central reservation analogy actually) - which probably isn't worth having! Anyway I'll go back to trying not too read threads that get on this tack.

You almost certainly disagree with me in the main (although I am in fact in a marina) but what justification is there for charging Maffi and other constant cruisers (many of whom have retired) 2.5 times what you pay ? "1. Boat has no BW approved mooring or cruises continuously 2.5" You want a marina. You pay for a marina. You whine because someone else isn't paying what you are paying even though they don't require the same services and are not breaking any laws/rules. Petty and small minded doesn't even get close.

Just like trouble on the cut, I think there is a lot worry about an assumed problem here as well. I have both bridge hopped and lived in a marina and so there. But when I came down the Kennet and Avon in Winter when presumably the hobbyists were safely in their marinas every temporary morring had lots of space available. There was a problem in Trowbridge but this looked like a combination of all users (stored hire boats, moored weekender boats, live aboards etc). I don't suppose too many liveaboards had found a mooring for the winter (although I accept a few will have gone to BW winter moorings), especially not the 'type' that provoke fear and loathing in most of you. So I think it may be time to accept that the waterways are just plain busy. In Spring to Automn lots of people come out onto the cut to enjoy their hobby. There aren't millions of pounds of unpaid license fees. Theres just a few people winding themselves up every couple of weeks overblowing a perceived problem. It reminds me more of the tabloids hounding the minority of the moment than a well informed attack on a genuine problem.

I agree, but for gods sake lets block up the exits from the marinas and stop those bl**dy weekenders from coming out and clogging up the system.

I often do the locks solo and usually this means I don't help (unless the other(s) are solo). I usually make some attempt to help when the boats are in the lock - (but this is usually not required & I do prefer to keep an eye on the ropes really), and offer to come out last and close gates etc where necessary but I don't think anyone has ever taken me up on this. In most cases people enjoy doing it and are happy to let you go on, and in lmost all other cases people are just too nice to leave you too it (although it would be no problem as I'd be doing it anyway if they weren't there anyway!). Whenever I've seen a queue a shuffling up process has been going on. Cheers

Also as a relatively new boater who has made a fair few mistakes over the last couple of years on a boat only 36' long - although I've never used a bow thruster, watching other people using them makes it look like it would make life a lot easier if you don't have the experience of the "I have managed for many years..." boaters. Especially as the waterways get busier and busier I think mooring up in a tight gap must be routine rather than a potential nightmare (overstatement!) - although as long as no one is too uptight some of the more tricky manoevres also make the whole thing more fun and I guess you would lose some of that ... (like freefalling is ruined by a good parachute!) Cheers, Ben.

Purely in the interests of being a miserable bugg£r I know someone who's cat brought back a little present that then ran off and managed get behind the panneling. Scrabbled about for ages until parts of the interier were removed (no one wants rodents chewing their wiring). The cat went ashore permenantly after that... But thats just me, looks like a nice cat, and you can genuinely say "the cat chose us we didn't choose the cat'! Good luck. Ben.

I think you were probably a bit unlucky, I went through it a few times without incident last year. I haven't been near it for 6 months though.

I agree that a spare cartridge is definately worth it, although having a cartridge full of excrement sitting around isn't all good. The figures above seem quite conservative FOR me (unless I've been boozing) but they are probably a lot safer than me. There are very few things (boat related) more unpleasant than finding you've "gone over the top"... It makes me wish I learned my lesson once in a while! Ben.

So now it turns to canal rage ?! No matter how big he is he better watch out for Kenneth Noy!

Out of interest did he manage to "sort himself out" or did you have close the gates, fish him out (do mouth to mouth ... )? I'm just surprised a dog can survive being by 2 open paddles (although I haven't seen man or beast struggling against this ...)

I almost always slow down if I see a moored boat. But there is a limit isn't there ? The canals are presumably much busier now than they were a few years ago and if there are boats moored all the way down a stretch for miles on end then after a while sometimes I just 'Go' (although with a Lister Twin this is more about noise than speed). When I went through Trowbridge a couple of months ago there were boats moored back to back for over a mile. I idled for half a mile and then just lost patience as although I was enjoying the journey I was also trying to make some distance... Is this so wrong ? I'm a live aboard and although I'm in a marina at the moment I prefer being on the cut really, but as the canal gets busier if you stay on the cut you surely can't expect everyone to idle for 1/4 of the day? Although really the only real problem with speed I've ever experienced was from grannywagons (fibreglass cruisers!) barging around on the Thames, haven't seen a problem while I have been on the K&A (although I havenb't been out much since the nice weather started). Cheers, Ben.

Excellent. Thanks a lot.