Dave123

Yes, I suspect it might actually be the fishing club that has, hopefully temporarily, put up signs so they can have a fishing match which can't be socially distanced from moored boats? I'm right up the other end of the river now so only reporting 3rd hand rumours???

That's interesting. Just remembered they also used to have a boat show there I think? Obviously they were pro-boats! Regarding the rubbish/BBQs etc the local kids use it as a party place too as there is a car park at Lower Basildon which gives easy access. Wonder if some rubbish is from them?

Yeah what puzzles me is that there was never an issue here with overstaying or mess etc. Its odd for it to suddenly get so bad in the space of a week. These things normally accumaulate and worsen over time as places get a reputation as somewhere to overstay/have parties etc. I was suspecting it might have more to do with the fishing club and that with covid they can't fish near moored boats?

Apparently the moorings at Beale Park (between Pangbourne and Goring on the Thames) have all been closed and replaced with no mooring signs the whole length. According to Facebook this was partly done at the request of the local fishing club but also because of boaters recently overstaying, leaving rubbish, having fires and being abusive to the park ranger. Very sad if it's true/and or permanent. One of the best moorings on the Thames, somewhere space was usually guaranteed and never seen a problem there before. I wonder if there is anything local marinas/boat clubs or even hire bases can do to get this reversed? Hire companies on the Thames are going to struggle if moorings keep being lost. Met a lovely family on a hire boat who had given up getting to Lechlade yesterday as the river was too challenging (including, they said, finding moorings.)

It's now fixed apparently anyway. Probably not such extensive damage afterall.

I don't know but the ones on the south bank might be, immediately by the lock. They have cleared the land and turned it into a garden so it actually looks quite nice and well cared for. I know the boats on the north bank are squatting. Anyway, not really the point. Was hoping someone would have an update.

Someone on facebook (I think one of the official moorings on the south bank right above the lock) said people were trying today and causing damage to the boats there when they needed to reverse back to the Wolvercote mill stream! Still no email from CRT about it though (and they have sent other out about a tree fallen somewhere else on the canal) so perhaps it is fixed?. Oh well...I'm not heading back that way until October so hopefully all done by then.

But that shouldn't be allowed to get in the way of a good rant about liveaboards ?

Apparently it was rammed by a speeding boat. I still can't work out how this can happen given it is the top gate. Surely they weren't trying to open the gate using the boat in the wrong direction? It was in good condition last week! Much better than many of the other South Oxford locks so obviously has been replaced by someone, pretty sure CRT.

In previous years they haven't shut it for anything like as long as this. Only one of the stoppages is a full gate replacement. Does it really take 5 months to construct a tail layby? It seems more that they just don't regard the river as being open for the winter so see no need to give more precise timings for work like CRT do, and indeed EA do for work in the 'season'. They have been pretty accommodating with the Culham stoppage this Sept in terms of giving timings and openings for navigation.

This is a shame. But unless those boats have a home mooring elsewhere they would still need to move far enough each year to satisfy the CC'ING requirements of CRT no?

I've been seeing a lot of complaints about the state of the Manchester part of the Rochdale on Facebook. To the point of it no longer being open? Hopefully you made it and this is just Facebook exaggeration??

Yep this is why even deep boats can charge past on rivers and cause hardly any movement to ropes. Unusual to see it on a canal!

They even had a pre-printed plastic banner ready to put up at the lock saying closed due to vandalism

That is going to be a long repair given how useless Scotish waterways are/were with fixing the lift bridges

Doesn't sound like the insurance will pay then? At least the damage doesn't look too bad either. And presumably the boat was still floating?

He wasn't going to climb underneath the boat while it was strapped up to look for the leak was he???

Yes to the 0800 always, and to the emails also after a few days. I think the choice of number to phone is all down to how urgent or serious the issue is. General low water probably not but they do say if boats or other property is at risk of damage to phone the 0800 number.

Whenever I have had a problem and used the 0800 number they always know where I am if I give a lock or bridge number. If it is non-urgent (like an operable but damaged lock or bins overflowing etc) I just send an email. The occasions I have had to phone the 0303 number the waiting time wasn't worth it!

It seems a lot of the complaints are about lack of depth, which is not something I find a problem having a very shallow drafted boat. But I wonder if there has been an increase in deeper drafted leisure boats during the last decade or so? Most reports/articles etc I see about leisure boating in the 70s/80s all seem to feature much shallower drafted boats than the replica working boats that seem quite common now...

That isn't the emergency number. For any kind of problem that is preventing navigation the emergency number is 08004799947

Pangbourne is always rammed when it is nice weather on a weekend. It was full (overnight) even in early June when people weren't meant to be overnighting on boats they didnt live on??. All the plastic boats race up from Thames and Kennet for the weekend I think. Always room at Beale park though. ?

Sometimes the only mooring is on a crumbling bank. There are parts of the network like that. It is a bit of a chicken/egg argument as to whether it is bad mooring or speeding boats pulling pins (and chunks of bank) loose that are most to blame. I dont think its ok to not slow down because a boat is badly moored and "it serves then right if they come loose/will teach them a lesson "

But how are you going to know the circumstances (i.e. the state of the bank etc) sufficiently advance of reaching a moored boat?

Heyford lift bridge only opening with CRT help from 10am to 11am and 2pm to 3pm probably for at least until next week. Obviously causing massive queues at the locks either side soon after each window! Made worse by the short lock landings.?