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Stourport Basin visitor mooring


Dave_P

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I'm on the VM just next to the service block.  There's an electric bollard which I've connected to in the past, you can buy the cards from the Chandlery in the basin.  But the chandlery doesn't have any electric cards and seemed vague about if or when they might ever get any more.  I walked round to the CRT office and the guy there didn't know anything about it or where to try and get some.  I tried Starline and they've never stocked them.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I might be able to get one?  Or who to ask at CRT?  It seems utterly stupid to provide an electric bollard for visiting boats but offer no way of making use of it.

 

I don't mind driving to get a card within reason.

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We've bought them in the past from the small shop/chandlers at Worcester.

 

However, bear in mind there are at least 3 different types of card. I think the ones at Worcester are Digicard. The card reader should have an eject button.

 

Alternatively, of course, it might not have a card reader at all but be a MeterMacs because that's what the ones on the permanent moorings will be.

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12 minutes ago, pearley said:

We've bought them in the past from the small shop/chandlers at Worcester.

 

However, bear in mind there are at least 3 different types of card. I think the ones at Worcester are Digicard. The card reader should have an eject button.

 

Alternatively, of course, it might not have a card reader at all but be a MeterMacs because that's what the ones on the permanent moorings will be.

It's not a metermacs (I wish it was).  This card reader doesn't seem to have an eject button.  It seems quite a fancy one which pulls the card in and scans it somehow.  Which chandlers at worcester do you mean?  The little one behind the pub at Diglis?

 

You're right that the permanent moorings have been upgraded to metermacs, which is why I presume the chandlery doesn't bother stocking the cards any more.  I heard a whisper that it may be closing soon, but I don't know if that's true.

Edited by Dave_P
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Left hand one is Digicard for use in the readers with eject button. You leave the card in all the time you are plugged in then eject it when leaving. It removes one unit as soon as inserted (standing charge?) then other units as you use the electric. On ejection it punches a tiny mark by the relevant stripe on the card. These pillars usually have a lockable cover (CRT key) over the reader. This is same card as pumpout but with less units on it. I would imagine pumpout card would work but have never tried it as we use cassette!

 

The right hand is Rolec and removes the entire amount as soon as inserted in the reader. Any unused electric is shown on the display and is available for the next user FOC. These pillars usually have a clear plastic cover over the reader. 

 

Just to confuse things Clarence/Leeds Dock use its own cards!

IMG_20191101_153646266.jpg

1 hour ago, Dave_P said:

Left a message with Maria Osborne, moorings coordinator for the area.

What does it say on the display on the reader?

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That card on the left looks just how I remember the Stourport cards looking. But the shop here insists the pump out cards they sell are different. 

 

This is is the reader/card slot. 

88A4FEFE-910E-4933-B637-F21F783FEF03.jpeg

This is a card I have that I tried earlier. The reader just spat it back out without me needing to press a button. 

 

Ive spoken to Maria at CRT. She didn’t even know there was a bollard and neither did the West Midlands Customer Services team who are apparently supposed to be responsible for such things. Gawd knows where the chandlery used to get the cards from???

B430745B-981F-4B9F-803F-425373C76685.jpeg

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I would say the one on the left too. The display says Insert Card, the Rolec one would say how much electric was remaining, even if it was £0.00.

 

The Westwood one looks like a Rolec but personalized.

 

So the one from Diglis should work.

 

You're the DaveP from Hockley Port?

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On 01/11/2019 at 19:01, pearley said:

I would say the one on the left too. The display says Insert Card, the Rolec one would say how much electric was remaining, even if it was £0.00.

 

The Westwood one looks like a Rolec but personalized.

 

So the one from Diglis should work.

 

You're the DaveP from Hockley Port?

Formerly of Hockley Port, yes.  I'm popping into Cambrian Wharf today, it's supposed to be open between 10.00-2.00 and they're supposed to sell the cards.

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2 hours ago, Dave_P said:

Formerly of Hockley Port, yes.  I'm popping into Cambrian Wharf today, it's supposed to be open between 10.00-2.00 and they're supposed to sell the cards.

We have moored opposite you at Hockley a few times although haven't been back to Brum got a couple of years now. Just one huge building site.

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3 hours ago, Dave_P said:

Formerly of Hockley Port, yes.  I'm popping into Cambrian Wharf today, it's supposed to be open between 10.00-2.00 and they're supposed to sell the cards.

We are moored there at the moment, going to fill with water shortly and then down the flight.

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18 months ago we were stuck at Stourport waiting for the river to go down. I used a 25 unit pump out card in that very bollard. I bought the card at the chandlers  who were pretty vague about the whole thing and said that they didn't think it would work. They also complained that they made no money from selling these cards and thought they might stop doing so. It did work, and there was an eject button and I've used the same card subsequently on the River Trent at Newark and at Cromwell Lock as well as on the Sheffield & South Yorkshire navigation at Eastwood Lock. In fact I think we've still got the card, waiting for the next similar bollard that we come across. There should be more of these bollards IMHO.

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5 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

We are moored there at the moment, going to fill with water shortly and then down the flight.

I saw you earlier turning in front of the top lock.  You looked busy and I was arguing with the CRT fundraiser who had just told me that Cambrian Wharf Office was shut, even though it's supposed to be open 10-2 on a sunday.  Wasted trip!!

 

7 hours ago, pearley said:

We have moored opposite you at Hockley a few times although haven't been back to Brum got a couple of years now. Just one huge building site.

Yes, I used to moor sort of opposite the VM.  My mooring is at Hawne Basin now.  One question - was it possible to lift off the last railing at the Hockley Port VM, to get out, or did you have to climb over the fence?

 

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3 hours ago, Alway Swilby said:

18 months ago we were stuck at Stourport waiting for the river to go down. I used a 25 unit pump out card in that very bollard. I bought the card at the chandlers  who were pretty vague about the whole thing and said that they didn't think it would work. They also complained that they made no money from selling these cards and thought they might stop doing so. It did work, and there was an eject button and I've used the same card subsequently on the River Trent at Newark and at Cromwell Lock as well as on the Sheffield & South Yorkshire navigation at Eastwood Lock. In fact I think we've still got the card, waiting for the next similar bollard that we come across. There should be more of these bollards IMHO.

This is useful info.  The guy in the shop said they had pumpout cards but seemed to think they were different to the electric cards.  If I get one of those, I'm wondering where else I can use it?  Is there a VM in Diglis which has a bollard which takes them?  I plugged in in Gloucester Docks a few years back but I honestly can't remember if I used a card?

 

 

 

More info,  the cards which they had in the shop at Diglis are definitely not the same.  Maybe they've changed the bollards for the marina there?

Edited by Dave_P
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27 minutes ago, Dave_P said:

I saw you earlier turning in front of the top lock.  You looked busy and I was arguing with the CRT fundraiser who had just told me that Cambrian Wharf Office was shut, even though it's supposed to be open 10-2 on a sunday.  Wasted trip!!

 

 

 

That was you was it, I saw him having a discussion

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2 hours ago, Dave_P said:

I saw you earlier turning in front of the top lock.  You looked busy and I was arguing with the CRT fundraiser who had just told me that Cambrian Wharf Office was shut, even though it's supposed to be open 10-2 on a sunday.  Wasted trip!!

 

Yes, I used to moor sort of opposite the VM.  My mooring is at Hawne Basin now.  One question - was it possible to lift off the last railing at the Hockley Port VM, to get out, or did you have to climb over the fence?

 

Had to climb over. Not do easy when your in your 70s with arthritis!

Would be easy if they put a standard CRT padlock on the gate.

 

When you get back to Hawne say hello to Chris and Tania on Heilan Dram.

Edited by pearley
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4 hours ago, pearley said:

Had to climb over. Not do easy when your in your 70s with arthritis!

Would be easy if they put a standard CRT padlock on the gate.

 

When you get back to Hawne say hello to Chris and Tania on Heilan Dram.

I'm currently moored alongside them (they're not on the boat at the moment).

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Further info:  Following my annoyance at Cambrian Wharf being shut yesterday, I got an email from them this first thing this morning saying they don't even stock the cards.  So changed my plans again and went for the option of buying a 25 unit pump-out card from Limekiln.  In spite of what Alway Swilby has said, it didn't work in either slot.  It was the last pump out card at the chandlers so the possible reasons would be:  the card is faulty; the bollard is faulty; Alway Swilby is wrong; the bollard has been changed in some way.  I then wrote an annoyed email to various senior people at CRT, detailing another, all too familiar tale of CRT cock ups.  Finally, about half an hour ago, I got another email from CRT saying they do stock the cards at Cambrian.  But I'm now a broken man.  I'm not returning to Birmingham for the third day running if there's any chance that the bollard is faulty.  I just don't think I could take any more disappointment.  So I'll be unnecessarily polluting the area around the basin for the next few days.  Sorry folks.  I'll let you know if you I get any reply from Julie Sharman etc.

 

 

16 hours ago, pearley said:

Had to climb over. Not do easy when your in your 70s with arthritis!

Would be easy if they put a standard CRT padlock on the gate.

 

When you get back to Hawne say hello to Chris and Tania on Heilan Dram.

Did you try lifting off the last railing?  It always used to be removable.

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The Diglis berths work on the Rolec system. You put the card in (as purchased at the little chandlery) and it credits the bollard with all the money. The cards say "Electricity Credit Token - 5" on them, then "Insert card quickly & firmly in direction of arrows". So I doubt they'll work at Stourport from what it says above.

 

(I believe BWML are replacing the current system with a new "Quantum Bollard" which you can top up online, which will be a massive improvement.)

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1 minute ago, Richard Fairhurst said:

The Diglis berths work on the Rolec system. You put the card in (as purchased at the little chandlery) and it credits the bollard with all the money. The cards say "Electricity Credit Token - 5" on them, then "Insert card quickly & firmly in direction of arrows". So I doubt they'll work at Stourport from what it says above.

 

(I believe BWML are replacing the current system with a new "Quantum Bollard" which you can top up online, which will be a massive improvement.)

Yes, I'm now aware of that.  The cards don't look like the CRT ones at all.

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1 hour ago, Dave_P said:

Further info:  Following my annoyance at Cambrian Wharf being shut yesterday, I got an email from them this first thing this morning saying they don't even stock the cards.  So changed my plans again and went for the option of buying a 25 unit pump-out card from Limekiln.  In spite of what Alway Swilby has said, it didn't work in either slot.  It was the last pump out card at the chandlers so the possible reasons would be:  the card is faulty; the bollard is faulty; Alway Swilby is wrong; the bollard has been changed in some way.  I then wrote an annoyed email to various senior people at CRT, detailing another, all too familiar tale of CRT cock ups.  Finally, about half an hour ago, I got another email from CRT saying they do stock the cards at Cambrian.  But I'm now a broken man.  I'm not returning to Birmingham for the third day running if there's any chance that the bollard is faulty.  I just don't think I could take any more disappointment.  So I'll be unnecessarily polluting the area around the basin for the next few days.  Sorry folks.  I'll let you know if you I get any reply from Julie Sharman etc.

 

I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Maybe the bollard is faulty or things have changed since we were there in spring 2018. This all sounds very frustrating.

 

As you say, you are trying to keep down pollution. For this reason I think CRT should install lots more electric bollards at visitor moorings, maybe with an easier payment system such as an account number and pin topped up on line. But I suspect CRT think more along the lines of "Don't make the moorings too popular, people will only overstay".

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On 04/11/2019 at 13:21, Alway Swilby said:

I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Maybe the bollard is faulty or things have changed since we were there in spring 2018. This all sounds very frustrating.

 

As you say, you are trying to keep down pollution. For this reason I think CRT should install lots more electric bollards at visitor moorings, maybe with an easier payment system such as an account number and pin topped up on line. But I suspect CRT think more along the lines of "Don't make the moorings too popular, people will only overstay".

This is what I've said in my email to CRT.  I'd disagree with your comment about overstaying.  At the moment, having only a very few electric points on visitor moorings makes those extremely desirable and therefore likely to encourage overstaying.  But if it were the norm on VMs around the country, there really would be little extra incentive to stay if you knew you'd probably have electric at your next mooring place.

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