Live-aboard but no residential moorings.

[chieftiff]

Your name gives it away Chieftiff I was a Chief Mechanician RN and we always said a Tiff would fall out with himself in an empty room!

 

Not quite! I was also a mechanician having joined as a mechanic and reached the dizzy heights of PO before artificers course, "Chief Mechanician RN (rtd)" would have looked like a conundrum above my avatar space! But that's off topic

 

Perhaps you didn't mean it to be patronising but I assure you I read it as such and it appears that the poster did too from his reaction.

[Lady Muck]

Where is the evidence of that?

 

The consultations on their website.

[luctor et emergo]

If you are going to commute than you will need to be quite close to your mode of transport. Any time needed to get to your mode of transport, needs to be added to the commuting time. A ten minute walk over a potentially muddy towpath also means that you may need to carry a clean pair of shoes with you (depends on job and transport .. )

 

moving the car need only be done once a fortnight, so if you choose your moorings well, only 12 or 13 times a year (if you take a 6 month winter mooring into consideration).

 

Have you considered taking a non res mooring further afield, you can than moor closer to Oxford without breaking the CC rules, as long as you obviously don't overstay local restrictions.

 

 

 

edit to remove bubble post...

Edited January 20, 2010 by luctor et emergo

[Naughty Cal]

The consultations on their website.

 

But from what i have read of it (not all of it yet) they are not encouraging ccers into marinas, more encouraging them to cc.

[Sir Nibble]

But from what i have read of it (not all of it yet) they are not encouraging ccers into marinas, more encouraging them to cc.

By insisting ccers cc they are preventing people who wish to be resident in one area from doing so without a mooring on the pretext of ccing. There are plenty of people who simply cannot cc due to land based commitments and putting a stop to the pretence either forces these people onto moorings or off the water.

Does that answer your question?

[nb Innisfree]

I think that while it is vital to consider the ugly facts of boating it is also vital to have a pair of rose tinted glasses handy to cheer yourself up, doesn't everyone initially look at boating with a romantic vision? If we don't look at life romantically then it will all become dull and ordinary and depression will follow. As far as I am concerned the world is my playground and good luck to others who see it the same whether they are bridge hoppers or not.

 

Scrap the rules I say and let's all have a big free for all and create a better community.

[mikevye]

Not quite! I was also a mechanician having joined as a mechanic and reached the dizzy heights of PO before artificers course, "Chief Mechanician RN (rtd)" would have looked like a conundrum above my avatar space! But that's off topic

 

Perhaps you didn't mean it to be patronising but I assure you I read it as such and it appears that the poster did too from his reaction.

 

Clearly an imposter and a bounder, a POME or LME would have attended the Mechanicians course at HMS Sultan not an Artificers course which was for direct entrants! Unless of couse your not REAL navy but a WAFU a branch of the RN who used big words to impress people.

[chieftiff]

Unless of couse your not REAL navy but a WAFU a branch of the RN who used big words to impress people.

[Naughty Cal]

By insisting ccers cc they are preventing people who wish to be resident in one area from doing so without a mooring on the pretext of ccing. There are plenty of people who simply cannot cc due to land based commitments and putting a stop to the pretence either forces these people onto moorings or off the water.

Does that answer your question?

 

Almost

[wrigglefingers]

To get this thread back on topic and to stop some of the slanging that seems to accompany the vexed question of CC, living aboard and working, the wording of the latest (before it's superceded by the next latest) BW document and the weird varietion about the navy that seems to have crept in, I propose that the OP has a look at this.

 

Mooring not too far away from Oxford

 

as it's more helpful and that what the OP needs.

[alan_fincher]

Mark,

 

I am neither a cc-er nor even a live-aboard, but hope that doesn't exclude me from having a view.

 

You seem to me to quite reasonably trying to understand what others do, and specifically what is acceptable to the navigation authorities, which is obviously sensible research.

 

Whilst I accept that what Carl says is possible, namely to cover a wide enough patch that BW are always happy, I think the reality is that few involved in full time work actually cover anything like the kinds of areas that he was operating from. Given the times of day you might wish to commute, I cannot accept that it could be achieved from the more far flung places in times as little as an hour. I live on the Southern grand Union (Herts/Bucks borders), and there are many places on the Southern GU and Oxford canal that I would struggle to drive to in under an hour in the middle of the day, let alone at peak times. I certainly could not get from where I live, and into Oxford in an acceptable (to me) time in rush hours!

 

So I think it's possible, but rarely done, and most people with a full time job attempt to keep BW, (or whichever authority) happy by making their "patch" a lot smaller than this, (which admittedly is often, but not always, enough to keep local BW patrol people locally off their backs).

 

My view is that it is for many people far more practical to find a permanent mooring. Whilst it is correct that permanent moorings with full residential status are virtually unknown, the reality is that at many sites, (BW controlled ones included), people do live aboard full time, without anybody troubling them at all. My current (recently acquired) mooring is a BW "leisure" one, (non residential), but when I chatted with the mooring warden there before we tendered, it became obvious that most boats there are permanent residences, and by far the smaller number (like ours) are normally unoccupied.

 

I would seriously look at finding a mooring of this type, (there are some Oxford canal moorings on the BW auctions list now, but I know nothing about them, I'll admit). It may be no less "legal" to be full time resident on a leisure mooring, but, from my observation, it is a great deal less hassle than trying to hold down a full time job, and continually cruise. Many private marinas turn a blind eye to such goings on, as well.

 

OK permanent moorings are certainly not to everybody's taste, but if I moved aboard today, i would have mains electricity, full access to water/Elsan/Rubbish facilities and fairly secure car parking. It's hard to achieve such relative ease of living as a genuine cc-er, in my view. If you have that permanent base, but get fed up with looking at the same boats, you still don't have to use it full time, and might well still wish to alternate periods "at base" with others spent quite legitimately at other canal locations.

[wrigglefingers]

Mark,

 

I am neither a cc-er nor even a live-aboard, but hope that doesn't exclude me from having a view.

 

You seem to me to quite reasonably trying to understand what others do, and specifically what is acceptable to the navigation authorities, which is obviously sensible research.

 

Whilst I accept that what Carl says is possible, namely to cover a wide enough patch that BW are always happy, I think the reality is that few involved in full time work actually cover anything like the kinds of areas that he was operating from. Given the times of day you might wish to commute, I cannot accept that it could be achieved from the more far flung places in times as little as an hour. I live on the Southern grand Union (Herts/Bucks borders), and there are many places on the Southern GU and Oxford canal that I would struggle to drive to in under an hour in the middle of the day, let alone at peak times. I certainly could not get from where I live, and into Oxford in an acceptable (to me) time in rush hours!

 

So I think it's possible, but rarely done, and most people with a full time job attempt to keep BW, (or whichever authority) happy by making their "patch" a lot smaller than this, (which admittedly is often, but not always, enough to keep local BW patrol people locally off their backs).

 

My view is that it is for many people far more practical to find a permanent mooring. Whilst it is correct that permanent moorings with full residential status are virtually unknown, the reality is that at many sites, (BW controlled ones included), people do live aboard full time, without anybody troubling them at all. My current (recently acquired) mooring is a BW "leisure" one, (non residential), but when I chatted with the mooring warden there before we tendered, it became obvious that most boats there are permanent residences, and by far the smaller number (like ours) are normally unoccupied.

 

I would seriously look at finding a mooring of this type, (there are some Oxford canal moorings on the BW auctions list now, but I know nothing about them, I'll admit). It may be no less "legal" to be full time resident on a leisure mooring, but, from my observation, it is a great deal less hassle than trying to hold down a full time job, and continually cruise. Many private marinas turn a blind eye to such goings on, as well.

 

OK permanent moorings are certainly not to everybody's taste, but if I moved aboard today, i would have mains electricity, full access to water/Elsan/Rubbish facilities and fairly secure car parking. It's hard to achieve such relative ease of living as a genuine cc-er, in my view. If you have that permanent base, but get fed up with looking at the same boats, you still don't have to use it full time, and might well still wish to alternate periods "at base" with others spent quite legitimately at other canal locations.

 

Alan is right.

 

 

(off for a lie-down now to get over this admission)

[alan_fincher]

I propose that the OP has a look at this.

 

Mooring not too far away from Oxford

 

as it's more helpful and that what the OP needs.

Yes, hopefull I just said something similar, (but in far too many words).

 

You would need to go and meet a few people there informally, I think, to find out local situalion wrt being aboard permanently.

 

One form of words that is in so many of the BW moorings auctions I see is....

 

There is no car park at this site so moorers must make their own arrangements.

 

which can, of course, mean just about anything.

 

If you need to keep a car, again there is little substitute to going and doing local research.

 

 

Alan is right.

 

(off for a lie-down now to get over this admission)

I'm sure you'll get over it!

[wrigglefingers]

With regard to the car parking it is only just outside the centre of town, a ten minute walk isn't beyond reason.

 

I think the wording denotes any mooring site that doesn't have a specified BW car park.

[luctor et emergo]

The mooring is next to an industrial estate, so parking should not be a problem

[Naughty Cal]

I'm sure you'll get over it!

 

But will you get over the fact that i agree as well?

 

(I should go to the doctors, i think im unwell)

[Shasterian Noble]

Shasterian Noble,

 

Mark,

 

What no one has mentioned yet is that BW (British Waterways) have 'winter moorings' that you can 'hire' from October to March but you have to book early.

 

Facilities are not great and will vary with location, usually canal-side but at least you would have a base for most of the year.

 

Ah, thanks @bottle.

 

This is what I was referring to before in that if I do decide to go for it before I've found a residential mooring I'd look at doing this over the winter (I'm hoping to take to the water end of August/sometime in September).

 

It seems to give the opportunity to find ones feet and give things a go with some security apart from anything else.

 

I forget who suggested it, so I apologise, but someone mentioned that getting a boat on a residential mooring is the simplest way of doing it. I see your point, and if I can find one in the right sort of area I'll seriously consider it.

 

With regards my initial comment about hating the commute, I think what I meant was rather less easy to define than 'commute'. It was the wrong word really but I mean something along the lines of the daily grind or 'work-car-cook-tv-bed-shower-car' life. It's dull as ditchwater and I'm itching to be doing something physical that has a tangible effect on my lifestyle. I hardly ever run the central heating at home because I prefer the log burner in the lounge - even if it does mean that I'm in one room the whole evening.

 

To the Jeremiah's on this thread full of gnashing of teeth and wailing and Thomas' who don't believe anything will work until it's been done, I completely agree that leaping in unprepaired can lead to disillusionment and potential disaster, but I'm doing as much research as possible and without actually giving it a go, I'm never going to know. I may get burnt and run away with my tail between my legs, but then again I might not...

 

If that's the case then I continue to offer the hand of gratitude to all those constructive comments and wise words of caution, and remind you that my kettle will always be on for those of you who come a'knocking.

 

I'd rather say 'I gave it a go', than forever wish I'd had the guts to try it.

 

 

Incidentally, I never said that I intended to CC from day one. I'd love to, but know that as a long term solution it's not going to be ideal in current circumstances. I had always intended to go the residential mooring route, taking off at weekends and when I get some leave, but was commenting on the lack of mooring spaces in this area.

 

That's why the thread is titled 'Live-aboard but no residential moorings', not 'How to liveaboard CC and commute'. Can we please leave the sniping about 'stupid pie-eyed young-uns bucking the system and clogging up our waterways' behind now??

[Lady Muck]

I would advise you to also read the mooring consultations that BW post up on their website. At the moment it is quite doable to cc over a smallish sized area and commute to work. But no one is sure how long this situation is going to last.

 

BW want to charge for visitor moorings (£10 a day after 24 or 48 hours, it's not really been decided how much and when, yet) and there is a consulation going on at the moment.

 

AFAIK a trial will be starting on the K&A and on the River Lee this year. If it's successful it will be rolled out. I don't agree with this, but can see the reasoning behind it, it is getting very popular (has gone from no boats to about 50 boats moored near my marina in 3 1/2 years).

 

So, if they crack down, what will you do?

 

I think Alans advice is sound, BTW.

[carlt]

BW want to charge for visitor moorings (£10 a day after 24 or 48 hours, it's not really been decided how much and when, yet) and there is a consulation going on at the moment.

Apart from getting water, dumping rubbish and visiting the Stophouse, I have never knowingly used a 24 or 48 hour mooring.

 

Except when I got stuck on one for 4 months, of course.

[Lady Muck]

Apart from getting water, dumping rubbish and visiting the Stophouse, I have never knowingly used a 24 or 48 hour mooring.

 

Except when I got stuck on one for 4 months, of course.

 

There are no 24 or 48 hour moorings on the Lee. Yet it is one of the areas highlighted for the trial. I won't be surprised if we see signs going up before long.

 

ETA I don't much care for 24 /48 hour moorings elsewhere though, I have to say. We didn't use many at all on our summer trip this year, preferrring to moor in the sticks - sometimes literally - had to get the hedge clippers out sometimes, lol.

 

I really, truly hope that this doesn't come off, I already have to sublet my mooring in order to afford long term cruising (the irony, lol). Having to be made to pay to cruise my own river would be a miserable situation to be in.

Edited January 20, 2010 by Lady Muck

[Shasterian Noble]

Alan, thanks so much for all the advice. Some really useful stuff in there. (is there a poll for most helpful post!?)

 

from the sound of it there's no substitute for getting down to the moorings and talking to people.

[ditchcrawler]

Bravo Carl.....could you be at the Bridgewater banter this weekend so I can shake your hand?

 

The only thing I don't get about CC'ing with a car is what do you do with the car, get a bus back to fetch it, and then find a side street to park it?

 

(sorry! johnthebridge beat me to it)

A friend of mine who was CC and work and he use to travel a very short distance every day and walk back to the car, within the 14 days he had more than covered the required distance, there where times when he had to resort to the bike where road acces to the canal was poor.

[nb Innisfree]

But of course if you can pay to overstay on 24/48 hr visitor moorings then they no longer serve their purpose which is to give everyone a fair chance of visiting. What a devious two faced way of collecting fines.

[Chagall]

Alan, thanks so much for all the advice. Some really useful stuff in there. (is there a poll for most helpful post!?)

 

now thats an idea, a pinned topic of the most helpful poster and the least.....I wonder how many regular names would crop up, and I bet twopence that the list of crabby posters is double the size?

[Lady Muck]

But of course if you can pay to overstay on 24/48 hr visitor moorings then they no longer serve their purpose which is to give everyone a fair chance of visiting. What a devious two faced way of collecting fines.

 

I think it stinks, also sueb pointed out (which I agree with), that if they bring in a £10 charge for any stay after 24 hours, then there is no way you'll actually be able to visit a place properly (other than a quick dash into town) unless you cough up. I wonder what towns such as Audlem, who were badly affected by the stoppage this summer would have to say about that. It reminds me of businesses in London suffering because of over-the-top parking restrictions.

Edited January 20, 2010 by Lady Muck