Aggressive environment / 14 day movement suspension?

[Display Name]

It's only day 7 of living a narrowboat and I'm already wondering if we've made a massive mistake?

 

We're travelling east on the K&A as we need to get as close to Milton Keynes, as soon as possible, for my girlfriends new job.

 

We had to stop for a couple of days, as our section of canal closed due to low water. As soon as CRT lifted the restriction we started moving again...

 

We didn't even get through the first lock at Great Bedwyn before we had two very aggressive boaters shouting abuse in my and my girlfriends face. They very strongly believed that all movement was banned until the 30th September and wouldn't listen to anything else.

 

We both avoid confrontation, are very placid, considerate people and new to boating. As such, we continuously offered these people (as politely as possible) the opportunity to explain to us what we'd missed and why we were wrong about the canal being reopened. This only resulted in them shouting more abuse and insults at us. It quickly descended to the point that it could've become physical.

 

Anyway, after a very tense hour or so of being abused at our first lock of the day. We confirmed (with a phone call to CRT) that the canal was indeed open as normal and we could proceed. Despite what the local boaters were trying to enforce by intimidation.

 

This has left me with a sour taste in my mouth and a very negative feeling about the boater 'community'. There's the two of us living in a cheap 90's 40'er, so it's not like we're swanning around in some massive, shiny new widebeam. We're very average people, just trying to get by, like everyone else.

 

I know I've got at least a fortnight of solo cruising to do once my GF starts her new job near MK and I'm now really wishing we didn't bother doing this at all.

 

These guys were insistent that the 14 day movement suspension notice meant that you're not allowed to move until 30th September. That's not how I read it at all.

 

What's the general opinion on the notice?

 

Can I move if CRT say the canal is open?

 

Or am I going to get (verbally / physically?) abused at every set of lock gates I have to stop for the next 3 weeks???

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29 by Display Name
Making it more readable.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately, the canals have complete ar$€høl€s on them, like everywhere else. I like to think not so many, but they are there. 

You are right. You can move your boat, subject to local restrictions for water conservation reasons, which are posted on the CaRT web site stoppages page and sometimes enforced with chains and padlocks on the affected locks. The requirement to move a maximum of 14 days has been suspended till the end of September, again as a water conservation measure, but you can still boat if you wish, or need. The only time boat movement was banned, in my boating experience, with a few exceptions, was during COVID lockdowns. Possibly in foot and mouth outbreaks, but the most recent of those was in 2001, before I started boating, so I don't know. 

[Rob-M]

It seems there are many boaters that are using the 14 day restriction lifting as an excuse to say boating is not allowed.  If you are in an area where locks are not fully closed then you are allowed to continue moving.

[Mike Todd]

In the first days after the initial suspension, the movement misunderstanding was rife on that canal, especially among those who generally push boundaries. I found that it did not last long, most folk still need to move for water and elsan, unless they are serviced point hoggers!

[blackrose]

39 minutes ago, Display Name said:

This has left me with a sour taste in my mouth and a very negative feeling about the boater 'community'. There's the two of us living in a cheap 90's 40'er, so it's not like we're swanning around in some massive, shiny new widebeam. We're very average people, just trying to get by, like everyone else.

 

 

Sorry to hear about your experience. I can't advise on boat movements on CRT navigations as I'm on EA waters, but just 2 points in response to what you've said: 1) The "boating community" is a bit of a myth, there are just people with boats. You may find small mooring communities, but even then lots of them seems to dislike each other as is the case in any neighbourhood. 2) Even if you were swanning around in a massive, shiny new widebeam there would be no excuse for intimidation from other boaters.

[Steve Bassplayer]

23 minutes ago, blackrose said:

The "boating community" is a bit of a myth, there are just people with boats. You may find small mooring communities, but even then lots of them seems to dislike each other as is the case in any neighbourhood. 

 

That's certainly not the case I've found having spent many years mainly on C&RT waters, on and off, since the early 80s.

 

There will always be the 'oddball' and those having a bad day, but generally most boaters from all walks of life get on with eachother. 

[blackrose]

10 minutes ago, Steve Bassplayer said:

 

That's certainly not the case I've found having spent many years mainly on C&RT waters, on and off, since the early 80s.

 

There will always be the 'oddball' and those having a bad day, but generally most boaters from all walks of life get on with eachother. 

 

Yes, generally most boaters from all walks of life get on with each other - just like most non-boaters from all walks of life. But to me, being generally agreeable doesn't necessarily make a community. Perhaps we just have different ideas on that.

 

Also I don't think it's just the rare oddball. It seems to me that there are lots of boaters who are always ready and waiting to start aggressively shouting at someone they perceive is doing something wrong - as the OP has just experienced,

Edited August 29 by blackrose

[phantom_iv]

There are some “special” people on the K&A. Don’t worry, it will get better once you get east of Newbury - sure everywhere has the occasional idiot but the vast majority of people are perfectly pleasant. Parts of the K&A attract a very entitled unpleasant type of person which is very atypical of what you’ll find on the rest of the network. What you’ve seen is very much not the norm

[Steve Bassplayer]

2 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Yes, generally most boaters from all walks of life get on with each other - just like most non-boaters from all walks of life. But to me, being generally agreeable doesn't necessarily make a community. Perhaps we just have different ideas on that.

 

The reason I chose to finally live on a boat over 14 years ago was that I found the boating community generally nicer and kinder than the non-boating community.

 

Maybe it's just that we've had different experiences...or maybe rivers bring the worst out in us? They have definately brought the worst out in me during floods... 😆

[GUMPY]

The towpath shufflers were obviously worried that if you are moving then they may have to move, something they avoid doing at all costs.

Hence they tried to intimidate you into stopping.

Just ignore them they are after all just five knuckle shufflers.

[Steve Bassplayer]

I'm pretty sure there a lot of NBTA members in Milton Keynes. So if the OP needs to stay in that area for his girlfriends job, he may get to meet a few.

[Lady M]

Perhaps she will have a permanent mooring.

[gatekrash]

Wait until you get iced in and need to move to a water point.... then *everyone* hates you...

 

Seriously there are odd people in all walks of life and the perceived cheap way of life on the canals probably attracts a slightly higher percentage of people from the fringes of society. We've just been past a couple of rough as nails GRP boats coming up the W&B just outside Worcester. Crap all over the towpath. A load of old rusty kitchen appliances (air fryer, microwave) sat on the roof, clearly stuff that you'd just throw but looked like a 'collector'. I just sensed something was going to happen so knocked the boat out of gear and ghosted past at less than tickover.

Sure enough a furious shouting from inside out of the window at me'what the f-ing hell are you f-ing doing you f-ing c***'

 

I'd done nothing wrong, you just have to accept some people have mental health issues and react badly to every situation.

Every other person we've seen over the last 3 weeks has been fine, including plenty of other folk on similarly rough looking boats. 1 arse out of several hundred nice people,. Best to just try and put it out of your mind and realise you'll almost certainly never see them again anyway.

[GUMPY]

The joy of having a job in MK is you don't have to live there as it has very good rail connections up and down the GU.  Between Kings Langley and Northampton most stations are walking distance from the canal.

[Tonka]

Why has everyone that's replied got it wrong

Crt stated that if your on a 14day mooring then there is no need to move 

BUT if you are on a 24 hour or 7 day mooring then you are obliged to move

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The requirement to move a maximum of 14 days .........................

 

I thought the rule was, the maximum time you can stay, without moving, is 14 days.

 

Confused !

[Bee]

People like that are an absolute menace. Try to put this experience behind you as there really are many thoroughly decent people on boats. Unfortunately there is a layer of society who consider themselves able to impose their twisted views on everybody else, some of these people have moved onto boats, others are in the traveller community, others seem to think that it is somehow heroic to drive the wrong way down motorways and burn cars in fields, others are followers of idiots like Trump, the more stupid they are the louder they rant and shout. It is pointless to engage with them, you might as well argue with a gatepost, they are well on the way to becoming a seperate and distinct species of human. Good luck with your boat.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I thought the rule was, the maximum time you can stay, without moving, is 14 days.

 

Confused !

No you're not. 

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I thought the rule was, the maximum time you can stay, without moving, is 14 days.

 

Confused !

 

And that's not even quite what the rule actually says!

 

As you well know!

 

"the applicant for the relevant consent satisfies the Board that the vessel to which the application relates will be used bona fide for navigation throughout the period for which the consent is valid without remaining continuously in any one place for more than 14 days or such longer period as is reasonable in the circumstances."

 

[Col_T]

31 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Crt stated that if your on a 14day mooring then there is no need to move 

Which does not mean that the canal is closed, does it.

[Tonka]

1 minute ago, Col_T said:

Which does not mean that the canal is closed, does it.

I am not sure what your point is.

[frangar]

1 hour ago, gatekrash said:

Wait until you get iced in and need to move to a water point.... then *everyone* hates you...

 

Seriously there are odd people in all walks of life and the perceived cheap way of life on the canals probably attracts a slightly higher percentage of people from the fringes of society. We've just been past a couple of rough as nails GRP boats coming up the W&B just outside Worcester. Crap all over the towpath. A load of old rusty kitchen appliances (air fryer, microwave) sat on the roof, clearly stuff that you'd just throw but looked like a 'collector'. I just sensed something was going to happen so knocked the boat out of gear and ghosted past at less than tickover.

Sure enough a furious shouting from inside out of the window at me'what the f-ing hell are you f-ing doing you f-ing c***'

 

I'd done nothing wrong, you just have to accept some people have mental health issues and react badly to every situation.

Every other person we've seen over the last 3 weeks has been fine, including plenty of other folk on similarly rough looking boats. 1 arse out of several hundred nice people,. Best to just try and put it out of your mind and realise you'll almost certainly never see them again anyway.

I found them a few weeks ago…..what a delightful person!! 

[Llamedos]

There are people like this everywhere these days, or so it seems. 
 

The great thing about boating however is that you can move. Can you imagine buying a house only to find out you have someone like this living next door. 😱

[Jen-in-Wellies]

40 minutes ago, Llamedos said:

There are people like this everywhere these days, or so it seems. 
 

The great thing about boating however is that you can move. Can you imagine buying a house only to find out you have someone like this living next door. 😱

If you are moored next to one, you can untie their boat and watch them drift away. 😀

[MtB]

5 hours ago, Display Name said:

 

We didn't even get through the first lock at Great Bedwyn before we had two very aggressive boaters shouting abuse in my and my girlfriends face. They very strongly believed that all movement was banned until the 30th September and wouldn't listen to anything else.

 

This is rather curious. Did you note which boat they were on? I know most if not all of the permanent moorers along there and none fits your description. I think it must have been a random visiting boater moored on the towpath. 
 

Don’t let it worry you. Most boaters are lovely helpful friendly people but sadly, the canals do seem to attract the occasional grass hole.