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Blue Badge

Sunset Rising

By Sunset Rising
in General Boating

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Sunset Rising Proficient

Sunset Rising

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You can put it over the top of a glass when catching spiders.

 

Yes, ok, I asked for that. :)

 

I deliberately didn't go into details but on reflection it may be better to detail why I am asking.

 

My son has just brought a small canal cruiser to 'get him out of the house' It is currently on the Thames at Oxford on a five day mooring. His intent is to move it onto the canal system so he can use it over the winter. This will happen on Oct 1st when he can get a three month BW license to last until Jan when he will get a gold license.

 

The problem is finding a mooring. Difficult at the best of times. His disability precludes him from driving so it will need to be somewhere easily accessible by public transport.

 

He has made no mention of it but I am just wondering if the fact that the boat is only 21ft and he has a blue badge would make it easier to find moorings in any way. I dont know how, maybe BW concessions ? maybe council obligations ? etc.

 

Does anyone have any experience ?

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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This is not meant to be anything other than a constructive suggestion. :rolleyes:

 

With a 21 foot boat he should regularly be able to fit into the spaces that other boats insist on leaving between each other.

 

Yes, honestly! - Very regularly, I'd have thought.....

 

BW do have the occasional mooring marked as "disabled", but they are frequently in use by long term moorers, (who may, or may not be disabled, I couldn't possibly know, could I, before we go down that route.....). In theory, at least, a disabled person finding a spot in use by someone who is not should be able to ask them to move, I believe, (but again, how would they know, not all disabilities are visually obvious of course).

 

Generally, though, if there is no space where you want to moor when you arrive there, having a disabled badge isn't in itself going to generate any, is it ?

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canaldrifter Experienced

canaldrifter

Posted
Posted (edited)

This is not meant to be anything other than a constructive suggestion. :rolleyes:

 

With a 21 foot boat he should regularly be able to fit into the spaces that other boats insist on leaving between each other.

 

Yes, honestly! - Very regularly, I'd have thought.....

 

BW do have the occasional mooring marked as "disabled", but they are frequently in use by long term moorers, (who may, or may not be disabled, I couldn't possibly know, could I, before we go down that route.....). In theory, at least, a disabled person finding a spot in use by someone who is not should be able to ask them to move, I believe, (but again, how would they know, not all disabilities are visually obvious of course).

 

Generally, though, if there is no space where you want to moor when you arrive there, having a disabled badge isn't in itself going to generate any, is it ?

 

The Blue Badge has no official recognition on the waterways, although I have found over the years that a disabled sticker in the window of the boat does attract some help.

 

BW staff are usually very accommodating when it comes to overstaying or helping through locks when disabled, as long as they are kept informed.

 

Tone

Edited by canaldrifter
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Sunset Rising Proficient

Sunset Rising

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Thanks for your interesting comments guys. I should have said that it will be a permanent / winter base he will be looking for. The boat will be in regular use for maybe three or four days at a time but he will need somewhere to keep it that is easily accessible by public transport. I guess I was (cheekily ) wondering if BW ever increase the number of available permanent/winter moorings for a disabled person, or ( even more cheekily ) have a tendency to ignore the 14 day rule if a badge is displayed ( as the above post suggests )

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sueb Veteran II

sueb

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Thanks for your interesting comments guys. I should have said that it will be a permanent / winter base he will be looking for. The boat will be in regular use for maybe three or four days at a time but he will need somewhere to keep it that is easily accessible by public transport. I guess I was (cheekily ) wondering if BW ever increase the number of available permanent/winter moorings for a disabled person, or ( even more cheekily ) have a tendency to ignore the 14 day rule if a badge is displayed ( as the above post suggests )

Phone BW customer services and ask for their help. They can be surprisingly helpful at times.

Sue

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