4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

You could have had your GPS logger mounted on your bike. If you get a letter and don't deserve it you just contact them and they sort it.

 

That would not work for an electric propulsion boat, I could not cycle slow enough without toppling over.

4 minutes ago, Gybe Ho said:

 

That would not work for an electric propulsion boat, I could not cycle slow enough without toppling over.

I know, I have been behind one. 🤣

1 hour ago, adam1uk said:

I’m always surprised that places where you need to book in aren’t taken as sightings.  In the past couple of months we have been through Harecastle Tunnel both ways, up Watford Locks and down Foxton.  But we haven’t been sighted since September last year.

Just because you booked in doesn't mean you were actually there, I doubt the volunteer lockies would appreciate being asked to keep a formal record of all the boats they see. Last time I went through Watford and Foxton locks I was just told to wait in line at Watford, at Foxton they did scribble a list of boat names on a scrap of paper, but I think only the person who.wrote it could have read it.

12 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Why would you do a hundred mile cruise in a fortnight and then return to the same place you started? 

 

If it's a home mooring then that pattern is reasonable, but in that case you wouldn't be getting a warning letter.

 

If it's not a home mooring, then you should be getting a warning for this pattern - it's given as an example of what not to do in the guidance.

A legitimate CCer could cruise 50 miles in a week, turn round and cruise back to where they started and then carry on cruising the rest of the network, this would be entirely compliant with the guidance, it's only a problem if you just go back and forth. 

13 hours ago, Barneyp said:

Just because you booked in doesn't mean you were actually there, I doubt the volunteer lockies would appreciate being asked to keep a formal record of all the boats they see. Last time I went through Watford and Foxton locks I was just told to wait in line at Watford, at Foxton they did scribble a list of boat names on a scrap of paper, but I think only the person who.wrote it could have read it.

 

Going back a few years ( 8 or 10) the lockies always logged you thru their lock and checked you licence. They logged this into a hand-held C&RT computer.

 

The problem was that the lockies computer did not connect to the C&RT main system and was working on different software anyway.

 

A friend had a 'lack of movement letter' from C&RT despite having moved 100s of miles - our local lockies said they'd be happy to support the boaters claim by providing the information from their computers - C&RT declined but the subject was quietly closed.

I suppose there will always be minor issues without creating a system throwing loads of manpower and dosh at it,  which usn't going to happen.

 

Some years ago a mate booked the Ribble Millenium Link and moored a few nights at Tarleton to await his slot.

 

He did the crossing and spent four weeks on the Lancaster before booking a return and once again mooring at Tarleton to 'catch his breath.'

 

He got a CRT text saying he appeared to have been in his mooring for more than 14 days  😁

 

Irritating, and unnecessary messages had to be exchanged,  but no harm done really, but it does demonstrate the 'right hand / left hand' issues with our beloved navigation authority.

 

Rog

Just now, dogless said:

I suppose there will always be minor issues without creating a system throwing loads of manpower and dosh at it,  which usn't going to happen.

 

Some years ago a mate booked the Ribble Millenium Link and moored a few nights at Tarleton to await his slot.

 

He did the crossing and spent four weeks on the Lancaster before booking a return and once again mooring at Tarleton to 'catch his breath.'

 

He got a CRT text saying he appeared to have been in his mooring for more than 14 days  😁

 

Irritating, and unnecessary messages had to be exchanged,  but no harm done really, but it does demonstrate the 'right hand / left hand' issues with our beloved navigation authority.

 

Rog

 

 

Life here in the UK must be very good when trivial complaints like this rise to the top of the pile of "Stuff that is wrong"!

 

 

It is

 

Rog

16 hours ago, Cheese said:

But a regular schedule doesn't actually achieve this aim, and can be easy to avoid (if you want to).  Any one spot is only visited 26 times a year. If close to a spotter boundary, once people know the schedule they can moor in the same place for 339 nights a year and yet never be spotted there!  Moving to the other side of the boundary for 26 nights would probably mean they won't be spotted there either.

 

Not suggesting that C&RT need to employ more spotters than they current do; just to make the schedule a bit more random.  If a particular stretch is checked on different days each fortnight, and occasionally twice in a week then not for a month,  then it would be impossible to avoid. There will be occasions where 2 visits are less than 14 days apart, so you can't send an immediate letter, but being spotted somewhere nearby 20+ times a year would be still be picked up. 

 

 

15 hours ago, Barneyp said:

A legitimate CCer could cruise 50 miles in a week, turn round and cruise back to where they started and then carry on cruising the rest of the network, this would be entirely compliant with the guidance, it's only a problem if you just go back and forth. 

 

We’re heading into the realms of things that don’t happen here.

 

Never being spotted isn’t a good strategy.
 

As has been pointed out as a boater without a home mooring you want to build a picture of movement, not evasion.

 

There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the system although it would be nice if loggings by lock keepers were added to the sighting records.

6 hours ago, Jonny P said:

 

 

We’re heading into the realms of things that don’t happen here.

 

Never being spotted isn’t a good strategy.
 

As has been pointed out as a boater without a home mooring you want to build a picture of movement, not evasion.

 

There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the system although it would be nice if loggings by lock keepers were added to the sighting records.

Maybe, I don't know, but it the spotters log moored boats maybe the system cant handle logging moving boat, which is what Volockies would log. Its easy to get a computer to spit out a report of all boats in the same place twice with no other recordings between them, maybe bringing a moving boat into the equation causes problems, like if it was clocked going for fuel. water. pumpout but then returned to its moorings

Edited June 7, 20251 yr by ditchcrawler
Spilling

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Maybe, I don't know, but it the spotters log moored boats maybe the system cant handle logging moving boat, which is what Volockies would log. Its easy to get a computer to spit out a report of all boats in the same place twice with no other recordings between them, maybe bringing a moving boat into the equation causes problems, like if it was clocked going for fuel. water. pumpout but then returned to its moorings

The normal logging patrols do log boats on the move. I’ve asked that when passing a logger and the entry subsequently appeared in my record.

 

Its places like Harecastle, Foxton, Watford and the Severn locks that will record your boat name and index number when passing through but those records aren’t entered into your sighting log.

8 minutes ago, Jonny P said:

The normal logging patrols do log boats on the move. I’ve asked that when passing a logger and the entry subsequently appeared in my record.

 

Its places like Harecastle, Foxton, Watford and the Severn locks that will record your boat name and index number when passing through but those records aren’t entered into your sighting log.

Ta

17 hours ago, Jonny P said:

The normal logging patrols do log boats on the move. I’ve asked that when passing a logger and the entry subsequently appeared in my record.

 

Its places like Harecastle, Foxton, Watford and the Severn locks that will record your boat name and index number when passing through but those records aren’t entered into your sighting log.

 

Why do they log them at all then one wonders, if they don't do anything with the logs.

 

Or maybe they do, but we don't know what. 

 

 

13 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Why do they log them at all then one wonders, if they don't do anything with the logs.

 

Or maybe they do, but we don't know what. 

 

 

 

 

On 07/06/2025 at 09:46, Alan de Enfield said:

Going back a few years ( 8 or 10) the lockies always logged you thru their lock and checked you licence. They logged this into a hand-held C&RT computer.

 

The problem was that the lockies computer did not connect to the C&RT main system and was working on different software anyway.

 

A friend had a 'lack of movement letter' from C&RT despite having moved 100s of miles - our local lockies said they'd be happy to support the boaters claim by providing the information from their computers - C&RT declined but the subject was quietly closed.

 

 

 

We got on well with all of our local lockies (before they were 'let go') it was traditional to leave a can of beer on the lock side as you departed.

33 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Why do they log them at all then one wonders, if they don't do anything with the logs.

 

Or maybe they do, but we don't know what. 

 

 

For their own management purposes. At Harecastle it’s because they have to know who is in the tunnel and with how many souls aboard at any one time. At Watford and Foxton it’s so they know the numbers waiting and the order in which they are to enter the flight. On the Severn it’s because they check the licences back in the cabin.

 

At places like Braunston and Atherstone they keep a tally of boats passing through while the volockies are on duty but won’t necessarily record names and numbers.

see https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/pay-and-expenses regarding benefit in kind for 'volunteers'

1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

see https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/pay-and-expenses regarding benefit in kind for 'volunteers'

Which is one of the reasons  mooring wardens were dropped as by getting a free mooring they could be classed as receiving benefit in kind.

On 06/06/2025 at 18:24, adam1uk said:

I’m always surprised that places where you need to book in aren’t taken as sightings.  In the past couple of months we have been through Harecastle Tunnel both ways, up Watford Locks and down Foxton.  But we haven’t been sighted since September last year.

 

 

Hopefully you've found your home mooring by now....