Dave123

I'd rather see boats moored the whole way along the towpath of the Slough arm than the deserted crime hotspot and derelict mess it currently is. It would encourage locals (of the nice sort) to visit it more too. Most people walk along canals to look at boats not reeds and silt.

I never understand these questions. Apart from Jules Fuels boats on the lower GU I've never found a coal boat or boat yard that has more than 2 choices. Most have only 1 choice of coal. So surely you are just buying whatever your local supplier sells? ?

Yes and Aylesbury basin too. And I think the moorings for the Black country museum in Dudley are also on the service block. But these are exceptions

Is this the services at Elizabeth Jennings way? I noticed the confusing signage there last month, I think the arrow has been removed. There should be an arrow below the 48h pointing away from the services. Without this arrow the sign appears to indicate the whole services is 48h. Not an excuse though, everyone should know blocking services is selfish. Unfortunately saw a lot of this during lockdown. Some boaters seem to manage to use so little water and alternative toilets such that they can go without needing to move for months and can't comprehend others may like to move to facilities more often than this?

It does feel like there are more boats around everywhere than during the last lockdown. I'm wondering if some boats that would normally be in marinas have decided not to because some marinas prevented people going to their boats? I can't believe people have decided to "move" onto boats from their houses for this lockdown... I spent last lockdown around Crofton/Burbage on the K&A and although people weren't blocking service moorings there were a number of boats blocking lock landings (even at Crofton where there was lots of space on the 48h rings). There was also surprisingly little movement even for water. Will be interesting to see how this lockdown differs. I had to move a few times to get better internet and to have rotten front doors replaced but luckily didn't get lynched?

Sums it up exactly

The canals have been busier this summer than they have been in a long time. Still busy even now! I just hope this can translate into a sustained increase in use and that CRT can use this to get more money to keep the infrastructure patched up, both by showing Gov't how important and popular canals/staycations/people switching to an alternate (&wfh) lifestyle/access to local green spaces are and probably by charging boaters and boat buisnesses more too.

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/18838215.boat-river-ouse-rescued-second-time-three-days/ Says it all really. Not having much fun!

The forecast for November is dry and settled so if you can wait a week or so I expect the flow will reduce significantly.

I have wondered this too. It seems to be a bit of a loophole but not really relevant here as EA have nothing to do with the Trent

People from London boaters Facebook that attended the first of the zoom meetings CRT held about this fed back that CRT seem to have already decided to implement some sort of congestion zoning and had no response when it was pointed out the increase in boats has slowed. What I don't see is how they will enforce this zone. Presumably you'll be allowed some free time in it. This will need extensive boat checking. With all the normal excuses for not moving on when this is up just as there is with the 14 day rule. Will this zone/charge need a new act of parliament to give it teeth? The rumour is the £25 overstay charge/fine for 48h moorings is never enforced for this reason? I think 'some' of the problem is people getting a cheap boat to save rent money for a year or so who will soon work out it takes longer than that for CRT to do anything about rule breaking. It will definitely make things worse on the edges of the zone. Cowroast had problems with rubbish when everyone left London before lockdown. Just can't see how this will work in itself, never mind the fact congestion charging isn't a solution to the problem that doesn't exist anyway!

I suspect this charging for zones is what CRT have already decided to try. I just don't see how it will work without spending a lot more money on enforcement staff and boat checking even more rigourously. It will probably only cover central/zone 1 not the entire M25 ring. My experiences of finding central moorings in 2017/18/19 is quite different to yours. But I knew to arrive early , just as is common in 100s of other places in the country like Pangbourne, Llangollen, Napton etc and be prepared to double moor. Any congestion charge is gentrification which is at the route of a lot of the 'solutions' to London.

Not indicative of a problem really. London contains a lot of canal. And it shows the trend for large year on year increases has stopped/slowed. Covid19 may well have a further big impact on this. But this is slightly irrelevant... I think they have already decided on trying some sort of zoning to price out poorer boaters from central to make the central parts look nicer. Will only shift the problems. More facilities and better enforcement are the only solutions. Or possibly this is just some PR exercie to appease residents of houses in central and nothing will be done? I've no idea how the legalities and enforcing of any sort of zone could work? If they cant enforce the current rules...

CRTs figures above are for the whole 10 year period, not broken down year by year. Also they now count boats in the whole London and south east area together, this includes the Oxford and G.U. canals. However one of the boating council reps did put up CRTs own figures for London (which still don't show boats that have left london) and the last few years the numbers have plateaued.

Predictable amount of anti-london tosh on here from people who haven't been there in years perpetuating the usual scare stories and rumours. Firstly boat numbers have stopped increasing for the last few years. If CRT had implemented their London mooring strategy it would have improved facilities. Perhaps a few more bookable moorings would help visitor boaters. Brentford really needs short stay visitor moorings for boats waiting for the tide. But why is a busy waterways attracting the very demographic CRT are keen to attract everywhere else (younger/more female/ethnically diverse) have to be a bad thing? Why do other boaters/people on here seem to want to actually empty London of boats??! I would not be happy mooring in most places in London (especially outside zone 1) if there weren't already lots of other boats as it would feel unsafe! I doubt other visitor boats would either!? Yes make some improvements for visitors but it is just daft to suggest things like removing moorings and facilities. A lot of London boats Every time I read these kind of posts I can't help feel they are rooted in an anti london/anti younger generation sentiment rather than the reality of boating in london or a genuine attempt to solve any of the problems that do exist. So what if people initially buy a boat as cheap housing? Provided they follow the rules (and yes better enforcement is called for) what is the problem? Is being a canal/historic boat enthusiast the only valid route to boat ownership? The future of the waterways depends on as wide a participation from as much of society for as many reasons as possible.

Back off subject again but does anyone know why the EA send so much water via the sheepwash channel? It's still pelting it through there yet hardly flowing via Osney lock/East street. It would be safer if they sent a bit of that flow down through Osney I'd think.

If you need to go there to get essential fuel supplies for heating etc then you can enter anywhere, even if it was the level of lockdown we had in the spring, which no where is.?

Once past/north of Bakers lock its easier to mark the stretches where there isnt armco and excellent mooring. Until the North Oxford?

Dukes cut was very easy, seemed to be no flow at all once I had turned into Wolvercote mill stream above Kings lock weir. And the pull from the weir wasn't too bad. My concern had been finding myself going too fast down the mill stream to avoid the overhanging trees and the turn into the canal cut. Also noticed they seem to shut off all flow through Godstow bridge (once on yellow boards presumably), sending it all via the weir by the Trout pub instead which would have helped enormously had I gone that way.

Thanks for that! Confirms what the lockie at Eynsham just told me too. Although he said he thought either would be fine by tomorrow as they are still shutting down weirs apparently. Despite the bit of rain today

Yeah they have done it now! Don't suppose anyone knows if dukes cut or sheepwash is better when there is some flow on? Approaching going downstream... I'm thinking Dukes cut will be easier as the turn above Kings lock weir is wide enough to keep some speed on. But does much flow get sent down the Wolvercote mill stream?

There are winding holes with moorings in them, Penkridge and Cowroast for example.

It's interesting that CRT are showing Isis lock as open/'yellow' but the EA haven't removed the red boards at Osney on their website.

That's in reference to the state of the Thames not the canal

I waved to them when they passed me at Rushey lock last week, but if they are at Osney I'm above them and I'm probably going to leave the river ASAP for the Oxford canal. A shame as I had planned to go down to Hambledon but it's too risky as any further significant rain and it'll be red boards again.