Uptonlaunch

To be fair you could say "boatists" chugging about in a twin cat engined diesel cruiser for fun, or using an outboard (especially two stroke) leaving a film of oil on the water, or petrol hydrocarbons through the 4 stroke types prop exhaust, plus pumping out soapy water from onboard services, anti fouls full of chemicals leaching out if the soft river type and all the other stuff plastic and narrow boats do should be banned, I bet if a just stop oil type saw the average marina basin shimmering slick and took a surface water sample a case could be made. If I mention I have a boat (despite being a 1999-2000 era tiddler runabout now worth about 3K), you should hear some of the comments, people think you are Lord Snooty and gad about in Hellies on your 60ft Broome, I usually then say it's smaller than their estate car and I am not one of the "Birmingham Navy" as the large, middle of the river hogging, sterndrive dredger set are nicknamed in the South of Worcester area. That's before the anti social behavour and trail of debris left by hire boats, damage to locks , bridges, injuries to people, damage to bank environments and habitats by excessive speed, people tipping out human waste and all sorts. As you will know, the above and more bad stuff happens, the latter really off stuff by a minority for sure, but that's the trouble when you start to talk about banning stuff because of a personal dislike, it is easy to overlook and ignore the fact that something you do yourself is disliked by other people for what ever reason! In fact a quite reasonable sounding case (to a non waterways user) could be made as to why folks should not own boats for "fun", as indeed could almost every pastime you can imagine that folks do in the UK, especially any sport or outdoors pastime it seems. "Diesel"!........why all these boats should be electric"......."What's that you say.......those rich buggers can use red diesel"!!............ "Have you seen the K+A near Bath, looks like the hippie convoy full of druggies".....etc. etc. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-65177683 Conflict from folks who live near canals sick of gennies and woodburners etc. “The people living on the boats have little regard for the places they have moored alongside. There is a group of anti-social boat-dwellers who believe they can pursue alternative lifestyles without any regard for the impact their presence has on residents by creating noise and smoke nuisance.” I have even heard folk on the Sharpness who were walking their dogs moaning about stuff on "the path" where someone was working on their boat, a lot of non boaters would be quite happy never to see a mooring peg or group of picnic chairs on a bank ever again (we have cycled and walked towpaths from Brum to Sharpness lock, and the Thames into Lodon in the past, so see and hear all aspects of various users). The irony that there would be no made up way and neat path if not for the boats was lost on these folk, but that's the thing, again folks are just interested in their own thing and usually uneducated about other folks lives. As with angling you could then rightfully retort about the millions in income, the positive side to the health and well being of folks doing outside stuff, youngsters not doing bad things as involved, few bad eggs blah blah blah. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/recreational-angling-puts-14bn-into-english-economy Sorry about your hook experience, in the vast majority of cases again proper anglers will take away any rubbish they find in swims or bankside, I always have a spare container for sharps / line and a bag for rubbish. Most club stretches are immaculate but the neds (in all walks of life) don't care and will leave all sorts. that's the problem with a cheap accessable hobby, anyone can spend £20 and go "fishing", wheras a match rod as used by a serious club angler can cost £3000-£5000! yes really, for one rod! (not for me I hasten, but a serious carp or match guy can have 10-15K's worth of kit easily and spend another fortune on sydicated specialist waters access, that's not to say expensive kit always means good behaviour, as with cars and boats some of the most arrogant and aggressive types have very expensive kit. Talking about hooks, just south of Gloucester I once even removed a portable BBQ and remains of a carp plus beer cans etc. and long line pegs etc. where folk had been poaching, the latter often snaring water fowl. And just a couple of weeks ago whilst walking the Teme near Worcester had to go back to the car to get a bag when I found the stuff below. We had passed a group of well spoken youngsters who had been swimming earlier, no doubt they were the culprits, but at least they were not in the water. ATB, Ed

That may be the law, but in reality the vast majority of fisheries are strict catch and release straight back with no removel, the vast majority of anglers do not take even if "able" to. In many fisheries you cannot use barbed hooks, braided line, you cannot use keep nets even, and welfare equipment is mandatory (certain sizes and types of mesh size and weave, unhooking padded mats to protect the fish, disgorgers, hook cutters etc. etc. A few match anglers may misguidedly kill Pike, some folks use small fish for bait (live and dead) for larger predators, but in general the fish stocks are preserved and carefully looked after, even though you technically are able to take coarse fish. The Graying is a notable exception as good eating like a game fish (Trout and Salmon) so like the game fish has a "bag limit" as stated..........and Zander in some waters have to be killed as are classed as an invasive species. As for "up to me to uphold the law", I dont think casual so called "fishermen" realise the epidemic scale and cost of the huge amount of crime and poaching going on this country, fisheries loosing £10,000's of mature stock, and illegal taking and killling of stuff, surely any observant boat user must have seen the signs now festooning every waterway? If a person does not have basic fish welfare equipment, they have no right to be fishing, as obviously have no idea of the damage they are doing, small childeren etc. can be forgiven and educated, but any adult at the waterside with just a rod and bait needs to sort themselves out,get to any proper tackle shop and ask what they should be doing. As put.....I regularly see folks say on a steep bank of the Severn or Teme with just a G0-Outdoors cheapo combo kit and carrier bag, no landing net or any way of getting the fish if hooked to them without dragging it up the bank, at Worcester once I saw guys landing fish onto a concrete jetty, and just picking them up with dry hands, and chucking them back. You regularly see halfwits using lures with no trace wire, so whatever they are after, if a Pike takes the lure it will often bite through the line and suffer a miserable death with a mouth full of hooks, last season caught 6 Pike with hooks left in them because folk did not have the kit or ability to safely deal with possibly a "suprise" catch, you have to be prepared for any eventuality, even in canals. On my annual narrowboat hols often see folks dabbling again with some cheap tack doing some "fishing", saw some in Bradford this year, asked what they were after "dunno mate just passing some time".....as I was on the bank I could see they just had rods and nothing else, not even a damp towel / landing net, If they had hooked a decent Bream they would not have been able to get it in the boat without damage to it's mouth for sure. Most fishermen are heartily sick of seeing this behavior, but like all things in our modern World, it's a risky job confronting some of the suspects, a guy near Worcester got a screwdriver in his chest a couple of years ago for the crime of asking to see a day ticket. Anyhow as I put, as a licence holder and club member, you are constantly told to report any crimes you see, and all anglers do this at every oppertunity. https://linesonthewater.anglingtrust.net/2022/09/20/illegal-fishing-and-how-to-report-it/ https://www.wvca.co.uk/environment_pages_illegal_fishing https://www.facebook.com/environmentagency/photos/a.472442893025/10152840194208026/?paipv=0&eav=AfZOzbJ-hy53mmYb3sv1nTczLsqMdFf92WVBTE1li2UzwHWSkm4zC9HBxHMq-m0LkcA&_rdr http://www.blackcountryfishing.co.uk/angling-news/illegal-fishing-and-how-to-report-it Every fishing club or association has similar links, it is taken very seriously.

It's fine saying "not much chance of getting caught by an EA guy" but trust me anglers themselves police the waterways, and anyone seen is on club waters or out without obvious fish welfare gear they will get reported to the hotline, and the EA guys are pretty good at getting involved. Bit like "operation snap" on the roads where Police act on video evidence..I probably rang in 20 crimes last year, everything from long lines to obvious fish killing / cooking bankside. You need a UK fishing licence, plus if moored permission / permit from the controlling syndicate / club on that stretch if not a EA "free" stretch, this is on the CRT website guidelines. Also it's just plain good manners as clubs spend thousands of pounds and hours maintaining their stretches, so if you are moored up you will have issues if the wrong guy comes along. Trolling from a moving boat is another issue, I do this on BAA stretches on the Severn midstream but not if guys are on the banks. (I have been fishing for 55 years and own a fishing boat which I use on the Severn / Avon / Thames) and am a member of, or have fished by short term licence or day ticket dozens orf rivers and lakes. That said when out on the boat you see allsorts of folks having a dabble from moored cruisers, sometimes with nippers, probably blissfully unaware of the potential huge penalties. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/six-anglers-catch-six-fines-for-fishing-without-a-licence It's not much money and no hassle to be legal, compared to the cost of a boat / licence / insurance / BSC etc. etc. Or if you are doing it and have been getting a away with it then good luck, but don't moan when the inivitable happens.

Quite an eye opener to how busy some parts of the big city are; ATB, Ted

Here is the one that made the boat in front of us loose it's plank you could hear the engine before you saw it at Bradford.......(I saw a lot of planks were pinned and wondered why!)....

Some more pics.. and more... Some idea of the busier bits and the mooring consideration (or lack off); some more

Well we are back, so a basic review as sat about waiting for a parcel delivery, attached a couple of photos, may do an album and a link if I get some time another day, just my personal thoughts / observations / interactions from some of the many we had, all in all we found actual canal cruising was quieter than expected, banks were more busy! Yesterday two just spaces from Bradford going towards Hilpurton as per the comment above .....even the waiting points at the lock by the Bradford CRT cafe were occupied by an un-occupied C.M. boat as we came through late afternoon, no-one about so missus had to walk onwards on the path to a CRT workboat where she got back on by going across this..... but we were lucky a bit further on as a hirer was leaving to return her boat early so got the very last free spot in town (and as it turned out for the next mile plus towards Hilpurton!....... as we saw for ourselves when leaving early Friday A.M.) At Dundas the day before exactly the same, also all 24/48 slots at both ends at Dundas were filled by the same C.M. boats as we saw on the way towards Bath earlier in the week after looking back through our photos, but we got in maybe 400-500 yards North of the crane. We ate at the Guns last weekend at least (maybe like the excellent chippy in Bradford they just have currant ongoing irregular staff shortage issues) , and got a spot about 200 yards past the barn, saw the infamous tent further as we walked to the Guns (Bongos till late and a haze of skunk, plus regular visits by punk / goth youngsters when we were there). We tend to stay and explore rather than do huge cruises if there are things to see, so only did Hilpurton to Bath boats and back in 7 nights, plus went for the festival at Bradford anyway as I am also a musician, so that is why we picked last week. So we did 2 days in Bradford, American Museum, Pump house (more later), long walks along the coal canal junction / marina / school area, same in Bath Holburne museum and gardens, all the wonderful canalside and bridge structures etc. etc. This gave us lots of opportunities to observe / chat etc., so met some varied types with decidedly very polar opinions. My own is the whole shebang needs a sort out regarding more policing the worst of the mooring , especially in regard to position, never seen the like in regard to large boats right by bridges / narrows / access to swing bridges and winding points (the "form" at windings seems to be to leave about 50 feet or less clear grudgingly at the bank)....So fine you can turn with reversing etc. but it is much harder if your boat is near the length limit and also you get the death stares for some reason. You can take a view one way or the other depending regarding the appearance of a lot of the C.M. boats, and the lifestyle, I rode a custom motorbike and went to the Henge and all sorts of iffy rallys and festivals in the 70's and early 80's and knew folks in the convoy, plus since then have worked in some dodgy countries so am unshockable and have seen all sorts. The totally open, widespread and obvious drug use (smoking) was commented on a lot, as even "normal" folks these days know the smell it seems, I had to laugh at one boat where they had joss sticks burning up front to I suppose they thought hide the smell, but the guy inside was openly toking on a Notting Hill special sized cone inside with a haze we smelt 50 yards away as we approached, saw possible signs of low level dealing /delivery too in the length before the Barn at Bradford, maybe it's like Pizza thesedays. just ring up for home delivery...we saw / smelt a lot about so it's getting there somehow! We met two hire boaters who said never again, one had been coming over to English canals from Italy for 15 years and had done the canal twice before, last time was a bit pre-covid, they had a long boat (we always get a 49 footer) and was really fed up with the lack of mooring compared to years past, and the mess as he saw it, said he thought it had got far worse in every way. The others were second timers who had previously done a long weekend up near Worcester before where it's quiet and open countryside and were just taken aback by the state of the canal / lack of mooring at designated spots in the book and had seen a few things / been shouted at for what they deemed no reason, a pair of ladies in their 60's who were struggling with planks and shallow ledges / overgrown areas so had been lucky with help from passers by, as indeed we needed at one spot, just kept it close until a kind chap took the centreline and I could get the plank across more safely. I also spoke to a guy doing up a rat boat, he said "all the folks around here" (this was maybe 200 yards from the tent) "rip the arse out if it" and have the CRT "running" as he put it as there are I suppose so man es to deal with, he said they come (CRT) Tuesdays at a certain time, but a plethora of stuff / excusescan be seemingly employed to get another couple of weeks or longer, from break downs to health / covid to all sorts and you never get the £25 fine, so just stretch it out until it's an issue, then trundle up a bit down the canal rinse and repeat. He proclaimed he had been "cruising" from Bath to Bradford for 7 years now, but did say the CRT have been a bit more active of late, I had been playing "find the oldest licence" and had got to 2016, but on some of the worst looking sheds was suprised to see they were legal in regard to licence date, but Lord knows how a BSS or insurance has been obtained as saw some right old bodge ups regarding bottles / BBQ's you name it, plus loads are just bonfires waiting to go up as chock full of combustables. Then on the last night in Bradford we met a guy who had a nice narrowboat based in Devises, he remined me of Keith in "Nuts in May" and basically his solution was death squads and flame throwers for the lot of them, and the usual very British and middle class tirade about "we pay our fees" etc. and "it's just not fair" some of which as someone the CRT sends BBC like letters and emails to for the last 7 years I can sort of agree with (I am on private water / storage and only licence for 6 months / get a 30 day depending)...ie the "low hanging fruit" thing. A straw poll of 6 other boats from when we were waiting to access the marina on return was similar, universal suprise at the mess and varying struggles to find mooring near anything if leaving it till afer 4pm depending on boat size (several larger groups / folk from abroad)....The German and swiss folk especially asked if it was normal, ie. all the rough stuff. I said all canals have a few, and obviously cost of living other factors drive it expecially for younger folk / near cities, but myself had not seen so many before in quite such a state. So yes............very divided opinions! Regarding the rat boats, it's obvious some folk are strugging / have issues......it's one thing deciding to (convoy memories came back) be a middle class "slummer" and be bit "edgy" and buy a nice £120K widebeam and put a few plants on it and some dreamcatchers and tat........but to actually live on say a 14 foot cuddy with some ply and tarp on top is poverty line / health issue stuff, several of the smaller boats we saw were full of junk and stuff with folks existing on boad (one by bath museum especially looked awful and a health hazard inside)...if you are young you can do this stuff, Lord knows I have slept in some dives / squats after partys and even outside in my youth, but not for long term .........it's obvious even when young it's not a long term solution before health or mental stuff kicks in. I suppose also the "installations" seen along the canal opposite C.M. areas are chalk and cheese too, I suppose the landowners don't mind who knows, but would last 5 mins around here if you welded up some pushbikes, painted them yellow and planted them on the margins of some farmer's field. The pump house at weekends tip....... We stopped there to visit the American museum on Sunday, and from the canal thought a festival was going on or something from the amplified music racket........anyway after a long climb up the hill and a visit then snack at the museum, we came back down to see a lot of cars parked on the main A36 (Claverton) road verges, which were worn, and coming down again from there towards the canal / railway all the passing places on the narrow lane below were full, at the bottom by overflowing bins the same. The pump house was closed but we had look, the noise was from a large group down by the weir having a BBQ, as were a few other groups, several fires going despite the "leave no trace / no fires" huge sign as you cross the railway, so looks like a destination at weekends, may be worth bearing in mind if you don't like drum and bass... All in all, actually no events apart from a widebeam full bore shaking the boat, most folk we encountered actually underway were hirers apart from a C.M. boat jammed sideways trying to turn at the Bradford end of Avoncliff as missed the apex, so a short wait there, and another as a doubled up C.M. boat was towing another with no engine / breakdown. And the delightful hum and smell on the must have beaten up, perched somewhere on topside Honda Gennie rattling away one night till 9.15 pm next to us. (The Horsehoes in Bradford seems the place to get the goss as lots of the more decorated boaters go there). Most hire boats were older folk like us, did see one group of lads but nothing rowdy or speeding etc, like above Alvechurch towards Brum. I would dread it peak season, so it's on the "done" list for me! Oh..nearly forgot........cyclists! The CRT (Cyclists / Ramblers / Towpath users) tout the the area as a good route for riders, and as a cyclist (just basic ride to work and MTB) for maybe 40 years I was interested to see the various devices employed like trailers / Dutch load luggers and the like by boaters to either commute (more noticable towards Bath) or get supplies. Most of the C.M. boats had bikes onboard or chained rusty nearby, all very genteel and well behaved with no issues at all, indeed I was impressed by the sharing of space, especially towards Bath as obviously the towpath users are all used to the variety of uses. But be warned.......at weekends small numbers of the lessed spotted grim faced "elite" come out..ie. the timmy mallet specs / neon socks / clippy clop blue areodynamic clog wearing **weirdos** on their £6,000+ carbon bikes. The "you shalt not impede my progress" brigade...now these guys obviously cannot have bells as these are not acceptable to their peers / weigh a few grammes on a bike where a 15g less weight mech is £200........ so just scream "on your right" as they desperately try to break their last saved Strava record. **All MTB riders / ride to work riders / normal weekend recreational riders think the same by the way!.......sorry!** So closest near miss all week award goes to the muppet last Sunday who nearly had a lady struggling with her centreline into the canal....I was just coming out to help her and saw him coming but he must have been doing 25-30, no bell silent approach and when almost on her and he yelled the lady just (as any normal person would) turned and looked, he brushed past without a sideways glance head down. He got some abuse from me, so I am guilty of shouting as well....40 years ago and if me on that rope, well he would be fishing for his bike........ Finally...I found a huge set of keys at Dundas on the wharf, including car and safe keys on a cork floater.....asked nearby..... nothing, then tried the key in a nearby van with the same brand and it fitted, so asked everyone about who's the van was.......nothing. Loathe to leave them as you never know who is coming along next so walked down the coal canal to see a guy employed there doing some groundwork / strimming (sorry mate forgotten your name if you are reading this). After calling another mate across from the opposite side who had something to sharpen a pencil, I ended up with a note with his moble number and name written which I was taking back to the van, and left the keys safe with him. Got back to the wharf and saw a woman stressing so asked if they were hers, she said yes and then rang her daughter to say she had found them. Gave her the note and directions and off she went to the Marina, so thought no more on it as assumed she would use the note to ring / I.D. herself etc. Next day we decided to spend a few hours locally before leaving to explore the two Viaducts /acuaducts / church / coal canal and marina. Blow me first guy I met was the bloke from the evening before and he asked me if I had taken the keys back as when they finished work they were gone, so they spent an hour flapping checking eveywhere. It seemed the lady had just come up and taken them, without leaving the note / ringing him or anything to tell him what was going on... When I first gave her the keys I was not expecting a hug or reward, but her muted reaction was such I put it down to stress or something, as it was a someone's life sized bunch so can imagine the flapping as have been their myself....but hey ho, nowt so strange etc. So if you are reading this, and still have the note........at least ring in and say say thank you at least to the folks who spend a good bit of time helping you, and also worrying they had re-lost your keys this week please. ATB, Ted

To be fair it's all goobledegook once your are past Monmouth.............

We spent a while on Youtube with a "Bradford on Avon Canal" search, this brought up a guy walking from Bradford to Dundas, and another someone cycling, with a couple of others these were actually more informative than the host of boaters videos which seemed all about dogs / coffee and one even washing nappys in the sink. We have done LLangowen and met the widebeams with thrusters who have no regard for "normal" boats etc. We do prefer it a bit quieter to be fair, some of the mooring was atrocious in position (bends / bridges) but I was especially struck by the dilapilated state of many of the boats I saw in the videos. Up where I moor the Canal Ramblers and Towpath users org. hate that it's private water and even have tried to do "boat surveys" etc, leading to some letters being sent out to folk who never leave the marina, so don't need a licence, I get sniffy emails and letters every year as only licence for the 6 months I venture out onto the Severn / Avon / Worcs canal, have done for 8 years now. I reckon some of the rougher ones I saw in those videos (a couple of which also looked to be in 24/48 slots) would get short shrift in Worcs., maybe it's a case of sheer numbers to police on the K and A? Anyway, I am sure that is a seperate discussion to be had. We also had the shouty type before despite being on idle with zero wake when passing , I reckon the old witch sat at her side hatch all day, and shouted at the moon when no boats were passing. Have also seen an ABC 70 footer with a group of lads on, smoking and thrashing water, with six lads on the roof (3 each side) doing an Hawaii 5-0 theme tune whilst pretending to paddle, we picked up cans for miles after that one. Also had "ah...hirers" comments when mooring at the end of the LLangowen by a guy with a new boat, so made a point of turning and parking up nicely as under observation. He looked to have watched "the bargee" a few times to many with all the associated clobber (folk festival get up), but ironically the next day we followed him back and he was bleedin' all over the shop, so a "buy a lifestyle" geezer than than someone who has been on the cut for years we decided. ATB, Ted

Hello all, We have had a plastic small boat on the Severn for 8 years now, keep umming and ahhing about going bigger but ours does canals as well beam wise and we rarely overnight. We get our narrowboat "fix" each year by hiring (ABC), have done for the last 5 years and have done the Mon and Brec / Brum / Severn / Stratford etc. Shortly we are having a week starting at Hilperton on the K and A, the missus wanted to go West to visit Bradford and beyond, and we were looking forward to a new trip, but for some reason whilst looking at spots and moorings online (we have the Pearson) I stumbled on Trip Advisor (yes I know!) which told a fair few tales of woe about the number of full time live aboards and wide beams etc. No idea if the reviewers were new to boating and expected a clear run, from the wording of some comments about the state of some boats I suspect not (again seen allsorts, and even recovered an abandoned / vandalised drifting shed of a cruiser and re-moored ourselfs it last year whilst out). We have seen the lot in our travels, not our first Rodeo etc. but just wondered just how busy / how many clear stretches it actually is in this direction please. ATB, Ted