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Hire and enjoy Till the boaters kill the dream


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1 hour ago, Ray T said:

I may be wrong but I thought the mooring bollards beyond Butchers Bridge (badged with a wheelchair symbol) are free for any one to use providing they move if requested by a bona fide disabled boater and or a CRT official.

 

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Yes I too think that is the way the CRT disabled moorings work.

 

Yes it definitely is what CRT says.

 

52 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Which when you think about it is pretty pointless, unless non-disabled boaters using those moorings are required to always remain on their boats.


You are not wrong, which Is why I tend to only use them as a last resort when tying up very late in the day, and knowing we will not be hanging around next morning>

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12 hours ago, Ray T said:

I may be wrong but I thought the mooring bollards beyond Butchers Bridge (badged with a wheelchair symbol) are free for any one to use providing they move if requested by a bona fide disabled boater and or a CRT official.

The Moorings aren't Disabled, unless possibly by a fully fit and ambulant boater's boat being moored there, they are Accessible Moorings. 

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16 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Of course,the guy moored there might not be fully fit and ambulant. Quite a lot of us aren't!

I'm fully aware of that, hence "possibly". but there is a difference between having a disability and a bad limp. Think of using the accessible parking spaces at Tesco, with only a bad limp you'll (hopefully) get a ticket.

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22 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

I'm fully aware of that, hence "possibly". but there is a difference between having a disability and a bad limp. Think of using the accessible parking spaces at Tesco, with only a bad limp you'll (hopefully) get a ticket.

With cars there is an established system (that costs all of us via the Council tax) to register those entitled to certain benefits marked by the display of a Blue Badge. In general the active policing of that scheme has ensured that it maintains widespread respect and that anyone parked with a Blue Badge in a place not generally available is not vilified as a consequence. Alas there is no such scheme for boaters - I suspect that the criteria would need to be different as well.

 

It is always worth remembering that not all conditions which are accepted as indicating persons needing such assistance are actually visible, certainly at a quick sighting.

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10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Could a 'normal' Blue Badge not be used for boating as well ?

Blue Badge = Amended mooring rules ?


A lot of the disabled boaters on the GU do exactly that - display a normal Blue Badge.

I don't think it is written into the BW requirements for use of such moorings, but they do it anyway, presumably to avoid challenge about them using it.

There are quite a few recognisable boats down here where the steerer is "able", but someone else on board has the disability.  It could easily be the case that because the steerer and others of their crew are seen to be moving about freely that somebody assumes the boat should not be using the mooring,

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11 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

There are quite a few recognisable boats down here where the steerer is "able", but someone else on board has the disability.  It could easily be the case that because the steerer and others of their crew are seen to be moving about freely that somebody assumes the boat should not be using the mooring,

Indeed, which is why I think that the Blue-Badge would work, it goes with the qualifying person, rather than any particular boat (car).

 

It could display the Blue-Badge at 'disabled' mooring places when the disabled person was on board, and when they were not on-board it can only use 'non-disabled' mooring bays.

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1 minute ago, alan_fincher said:


There are quite a few recognisable boats down here where the steerer is "able", but someone else on board has the disability.  It could easily be the case that because the steerer and others of their crew are seen to be moving about freely that somebody assumes the boat should not be using the mooring,

The Slee's on narrow boat Epiphany were certainly one such couple: http://nbepiphany.co.uk/our-story/blog

 

The Blind Boater being another: https://www.blindboater.co.uk/

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Linking in with the Blue Badge may not be as straight forward as might be hoped.

 

There are anecdotal reports that some LA's are making it much harder for people to get a BB, even those who have had them for a long time (much the same as with the benefit system).

 

It costs LA's to administer and they might end up trying to recover some of those from CaRT (were it to adopt the BB officially) so that boaters generally would pay for it.

 

Someone turned down for a BB on the basis that they are not sufficiently immobile when it comes to walking, might have specific needs with regard to getting on or off a boat. The BB is intended primarily to reduce walking distances for the person registered - I am not sure that there are many places where a specific Accessible Mooring can do just that. 

 

At the moment, for the relatively rare places where there are designated moorings (whether they are actually any more accessible is a moot point), it would seem overkill - I am not sure if there is much evidence of abuse (which is what the BB scheme is devised to deal with) I'd rather keep with a flexible approach that CaRT generally are quite good at handling than risk the consequences of formalising it. 

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7 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

The BB is intended primarily to reduce walking distances for the person registered - I am not sure that there are many places where a specific Accessible Mooring can do just that. 

That was its original intention but since (I think last year) it can be given/used for a whole variety of non mobility disabilities.

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Thank you for all your posts, many do restore my faith in the boaty community.

In my short time on this forum I have come to learn that "Tangent" is a must and leads to better threads. I will comment on some "off shoots".

 

Spending at local business. We have never had a supermarket delivery to the boat, but do bring along breakfast materials and shop locallly enroute. A certain amount of "ballast" is brought aboard in case the days plan fails to meet the designated pub of the night. We are, as someone said, on holiday, so we will eat out more than we would normally. (poor planner if we miss the pub). Stopping in the middle of nowhere is also enjoyable.

 

Cost. We got into baoting over ten years ago when our daughter turned 18 and suddenly we lost a free child place and she became an adult (In the eyes of the ture operator). Yes boating can be expensive but comparrisons with other holidays its reasonable, ok its not a B&B in Fily. Sharing with other families and friends which we have done many times brings down the cost.

 

Training. This depends alot on where you hire from and the skill of the traineers. (Big shout out for Shire Cruises at Sowerby Bridge whoes training for beggineers is excellant). Some places just give you the key and you sign a paper and off you go, ok for us but the young couple and toddler on a boat we caught up with at the first lock, not good (Don't know if hire companies have to have a training liecence or something but I'm sure it would be a benifit).

 

Mooring in spots for people with disabilities, I wouldn't dream of doing it in the car so I'm not going to do it on a boat.

 

Thanks all once again

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4 hours ago, Jerra said:

That was its original intention but since (I think last year) it can be given/used for a whole variety of non mobility disabilities.

What was added was to the range of conditions that make access difficult, but, as I understand it, access is still the purpose.

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11 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

What was added was to the range of conditions that make access difficult, but, as I understand it, access is still the purpose.

 

I'm not sure that an inability to use a parking meter, would affect a boater, & it'd suggest that very few people that 'have a fear of open spaces' are likely to be boaters.

 

Who can get one?

You’ll be able to get a Blue Badge automatically if you:

  • get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and scored 8 points or more in the ‘moving around’ activity (check your decision letter if you’re not sure)
  • get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and scored 10 points for Descriptor E under the ‘planning and following journeys’ activity (check your decision letter)
  • are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
  • get a War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
  • received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces Compensation scheme and have a permanent and substantial disability that affects your walking.

If you’re not automatically eligible you may be able to get a Blue Badge in certain circumstances. For example, if:

  • you can’t walk at all, or you can’t walk without help from someone else or using mobility aids
  • you have a terminal illness, which means you can’t walk or find walking very difficult and have a DS1500 form
  • you have a severe disability in both arms which means you have considerable difficulty operating parking meters
  • you are always a significant risk to yourself or other people when you’re near vehicles, in traffic or car parks
  • you often become extremely anxious or fearful of public or open spaces.
Edited by Alan de Enfield
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49 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Who can get one?

You’ll be able to get a Blue Badge automatically if you:...

A friend’s wife has pretty severe COPD, meaning she can’t walk very far before having to pause for a breath. She mentioned a blue badge to her doctor and she replied “You can apply, but you won’t get one!”  She applied. She didn’t get one. 
 

The criteria are pretty strict these days. 

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8 hours ago, WotEver said:

A friend’s wife has pretty severe COPD, meaning she can’t walk very far before having to pause for a breath. She mentioned a blue badge to her doctor and she replied “You can apply, but you won’t get one!”  She applied. She didn’t get one. 
 

The criteria are pretty strict these days. 

I know - I have just had to renew my Fathers'

 

He has had one for about 30 years (he is in his '90s) and every renewal it gets harder and harder to meet the criteria even tho' he can only walk about 10 yards using with 2-sticks

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On 21/01/2020 at 09:53, Mike Todd said:

With cars there is an established system (that costs all of us via the Council tax) to register those entitled to certain benefits marked by the display of a Blue Badge. In general the active policing of that scheme has ensured that it maintains widespread respect and that anyone parked with a Blue Badge in a place not generally available is not vilified as a consequence. Alas there is no such scheme for boaters - I suspect that the criteria would need to be different as well.

 

It is always worth remembering that not all conditions which are accepted as indicating persons needing such assistance are actually visible, certainly at a quick sighting.

Apart from the fee that has to be paid every three years by successful applicants!

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