Elsan Disposal Points to Close

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Assuming the contractor was right.  Some of them do talk a lot of crap tbh.

 

Very true but the Trust's record is hardly conducive to increasing the value that boaters get for the money they pay, quite the opposite it would appear.

[Alan de Enfield]

30 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

All this makes me glad I'm off the system.

 

Me too.

 

I think that the 'management' (I use the term loosely) of the canal system for the last 20 years, despite costing more and more has resulted in ever reducing pleasure and more problems & stress.

I'm glad we left in 2019 and went off to more pleasant cruising grounds, with no BSSC, no licence and best of all no C&RT.

[frangar]

The pressure on some Elsan points would be greatly reduced if the tin snail brigade weren’t using them as well...it seems this is much advocated on various snail forums. Pity that CRT keys are so wildly available to those that pay nothing. 

Edited March 9, 2021 by frangar
Double posting

[doratheexplorer]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Me too.

 

I think that the 'management' (I use the term loosely) of the canal system for the last 20 years, despite costing more and more has resulted in ever reducing pleasure and more problems & stress.

I'm glad we left in 2019 and went off to more pleasant cruising grounds, with no BSSC, no licence and best of all no C&RT.

How much are the mooring fees there?

[IanD]

31 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Clearly its a plan to make us all go the composting toilet route. In reality I can go out for 6 months with my toilet system, anyway sort of scuppers Ians argument against them as it might be all thats left

Pumpouts... ?

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by IanD

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, doratheexplorer said:

How much are the mooring fees there?

 

Not a lot more than my BWML mooring was costing.

Certainly the cost 'as a package' is considerably cheaper than the BWML mooring + licence.

[doratheexplorer]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Not a lot more than my BWML mooring was costing.

Certainly the cost 'as a package' is considerably cheaper than the BWML mooring + licence.

I've seen how much BWML charge for moorings.  I'll pass thanks.

[IanD]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Me too.

 

I think that the 'management' (I use the term loosely) of the canal system for the last 20 years, despite costing more and more has resulted in ever reducing pleasure and more problems & stress.

I'm glad we left in 2019 and went off to more pleasant cruising grounds, with no BSSC, no licence and best of all no C&RT.

Well goody for you. Why don't you post your anti-canal sentiments on a cruising forum then? ?

[Tuscan]

The elsan on GU between Stockton and Leamington went a while ago if I recall, something to do with access 

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, doratheexplorer said:

I've seen how much BWML charge for moorings.  I'll pass thanks.

 

At the end of the day you have a choice you can moor against a farmers field for 'pennies', or you can moor in a Coastal marina and have your own dedicated toilet/ bathroom facilities, and pay 'thousands'.

 

I've had a quote for the "Cat" at Brighton or Eastbourne and the price is £7500pa (becasue of the 23 foot beam it has a 50% surcharge) but the Cruiser (14 foot beam) in Wales s comparable to BWML

 

Location, facilities and cruising grounds make a huge difference.

[doratheexplorer]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

At the end of the day you have a choice you can moor against a farmers field for 'pennies', or you can moor in a Coastal marina and have your own dedicated toilet/ bathroom facilities, and pay 'thousands'.

 

I've had a quote for the "Cat" at Brighton or Eastbourne and the price is £7500pa (becasue of the 23 foot beam it has a 50% surcharge) but the Cruiser (14 foot beam) in Wales s comparable to BWML

 

Location, facilities and cruising grounds make a huge difference.

My boat is currently on a mooring with toilets, bathroom, laundry facilities etc.  On site chandlery.  Bar (sadly closed right now).  Certainly not paying thousands. 

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, IanD said:

Well goody for you. Why don't you post your anti-canal sentiments on a cruising forum then? ?

 

I've had 30+ years on the Canals and rivers and seen the highs and lows, the last few years have driven us away.

We thoroughly enjoyed our years on the canals, but when the pleasure becomes a chore its time for a change.

Had the system been maintained as well as it was in the 90's we'd still be there  - there is no anti-canal sentiment, simply a requirement for boating to be a pleasure.

 

Edit : spooliung errurs

Edited March 9, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[peterboat]

15 minutes ago, IanD said:

Pumpouts... ?

 

For how long? My first boat had one it was 5-6 hours cruising in each direction to pump out I lost count of the number of times that they were broken when I got there. Fortunately my mate could pump the boat out with his tanker so that took the hassle away, I wont go the cassette or pumpout route to much hassle

[matty40s]

15 minutes ago, Tuscan said:

The elsan on GU between Stockton and Leamington went a while ago if I recall, something to do with access 

Yes, the mobile home owners complained they couldnt get down the lane to it...

[IanD]

7 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I've had 30+ years on the Canals and rivers and seen the highs and lows, the last few years have driven us away.

We thoroughly enjoyed our years on the canals, but when the pleasure becomes a chore its time for a change.

Had the system been maintained as well as it was in the 90's we'd still be there  - there is no anti-canal sentiment, simply a requirement for boating to be a pleasure.

 

Edit : spooliung errurs

Which is obvious to everyone, I would hope.

 

I like to think that most people on this forum are canal enthusiasts, and would very much like them to be better than they are. Many think CaRT are doing a terrible job while ignoring the realities of what they are trying to do given an inadequate amount of money -- it's like blaming immigrants for the low-paid zero-hours poor-benefits no-housing overloaded-NHS situation, when the real culprit is government policy. Yes there's no doubt that CaRT seem to make some dumb decisions, but the simple fact is they haven't got enough money today to properly maintain a canal system which is hundreds of years old, and no amount of complaining about blue signs or cyclists is going to fix that.

 

If you don't have any anti-canal sentiment, how come that's how most of your posts (especially news clippings) seem to come over? ?

16 minutes ago, peterboat said:

For how long? My first boat had one it was 5-6 hours cruising in each direction to pump out I lost count of the number of times that they were broken when I got there. Fortunately my mate could pump the boat out with his tanker so that took the hassle away, I wont go the cassette or pumpout route to much hassle

It was a joke, Peter... ?

 

We all know how well your chosen toilet solution works for you, as it should do given that you use it properly. Rubbing other people's noses in this might just start another poo war... ?

[john6767]

34 minutes ago, Tuscan said:

The elsan on GU between Stockton and Leamington went a while ago if I recall, something to do with access 

Do you mean the one at Fosse Way?  That was rebuilt a few years ago, and it was certainly in operation last summer.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

 

Minworth services gone.

 

 

Is Minworth gone, I know the rubbish has but the water and elsan were still working last time I passed

48 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Do you mean the one at Fosse Way?  That was rebuilt a few years ago, and it was certainly in operation last summer.

They were saying it was unsafe to empty it with a tanker on the bridge aproach

[doratheexplorer]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Is Minworth gone, I know the rubbish has but the water and elsan were still working last time I passed

 

Are you sure.  My experience is that the water and elsan went before the bins.  When did you last pass?

[ditchcrawler]

Last summer

[doratheexplorer]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Last summer

Are you sure you're not talking about somewhere else?  As I remember it, last summer, the block was in such a poor condition that I didn't even bother checking if it was open.  It's possible that the elsan could be entered because the door was smashed in but I doubt there was any mains water supplying it.

2 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Are you sure you're not talking about somewhere else?  As I remember it, last summer, the block was in such a poor condition that I didn't even bother checking if it was open.  It's possible that the elsan could be entered because the door was smashed in but I doubt there was any mains water supplying it.

maybe they then finally repaired it, but it's been out of action for years.

[Arthur Marshall]

I think Alan is right in many ways. It's not as enjoyable a pastime as it was even ten years ago, and it's not just that I'm older and grumpier. I was looking forward to pottering about till I dropped dead, now I start every trip with a bit of trepidation. Too much noise, mostly - engines, gennies, those blasted diesel heaters running all night, dumped boats on most of the nicest out in the sticks moorings. Factor in endless stoppages and increased need to book for passages , blocked elsans and shut down facilities. Every year for the past five I've been saying "just one more year", but my wife keeps telling me to keep the old tub a bit longer. It now costs me half my pension in licences etc and I'm no longer sure it's worth it. If this year's dawdle is as dire as last year's Llangollen trip, that's it...

[john6767]

4 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Are you sure you're not talking about somewhere else?  As I remember it, last summer, the block was in such a poor condition that I didn't even bother checking if it was open.  It's possible that the elsan could be entered because the door was smashed in but I doubt there was any mains water supplying it.

maybe they then finally repaired it, but it's been out of action for years.

I am sure I tried Minworth when we passed last July, the lock was not a BW key.  We used Cambrian wharf instead.

[doratheexplorer]

Just now, john6767 said:

I am sure I tried Minworth when we passed last July, the lock was not a BW key.  We used Cambrian wharf instead.

That's how it had been for a few years.  Padlocked shut and not a BW key.

 

Some years ago I was told that the closure of the sani station was do with asbestos and that it wasn't economic to sort it.  The bins kept being emptied for a bit longer but then they stopped with no reason given. 

 

I have a feeling that Bodymoor Heath has some newish signs saying the bins there are for long term moorers only.  I think the bin compound has a normal BW lock though.  The marina facilities at Fazeley Mill are office hours only, so if heading north from the GU, you'd have Camp Hill, then possibly nothing until Fradley Junction!  That's as far (further?) as some cruisers go in a year!

[ditchcrawler]

39 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Are you sure you're not talking about somewhere else?  As I remember it, last summer, the block was in such a poor condition that I didn't even bother checking if it was open.  It's possible that the elsan could be entered because the door was smashed in but I doubt there was any mains water supplying it.

maybe they then finally repaired it, but it's been out of action for years.

This is the best I can offer and there was someone using the Elsan disposal https://nbharnser.blogspot.com/2020/09/birmingham-fazeley-lock-7.html

[doratheexplorer]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

This is the best I can offer and there was someone using the Elsan disposal https://nbharnser.blogspot.com/2020/09/birmingham-fazeley-lock-7.html

Looks to me like sometime between June and September, the sani station has been restored.  This is good news.  Perhaps the bins are happening now too?