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Free Loaders ?


Joshua

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Joshua, I think you've got the wrong message somehow. I meet people from time to time who are doing exactly what you want to do, and I have nothing but admiration for you. Actually setting out to move around the system is a wonderful adventure and not easy to do.

 

What you are reading about are indeed "free-loaders". People who declare to BW that they will be journeying around the system and then don't. Instead they either shuffle up and down a short stretch or just plain stay put.

 

It's usually very clear who is in which group when you meet someone.

 

Go adventuring and declare yourself to anyone as a continuous cruiser with pride. Your anecdotes will easily identify you as a true adventurer

 

Richard

 

Absolutely delightfully put

 

:clapping:

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And then flounced off when I proved that there IS.

 

 

Now you are just being absurd; you are attempting to show that there is a difference between a licence whose application has a box ticked with another that doesn't, is like making a differentiation between a licence where the applicant is insured with Legal and General (shall we call this a Legal and General licence?) and another where the application is insured with Basic Boat (we'll call this a Basic Boat licence.)

 

What utter rubbish. Even you, in your little world of absurdity, cannot really hold that such a position is tenable.

 

There is one licence, a Standard Canal and River licence, where the holder has to satisfy the conditions of one clause in legislation.

 

....and your attempt to twist Mr Drifter's words? Pathetic.

 

....and your contention that your hypothetical cruise was not 'navigation' is at odds with the statement of the Legal Director of BW made under oath. Laughable.

 

....putting you even further out into left field.

Edited by Chris Pink
  • Greenie 1
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It is very easy to make assumptions and allegations about such situations without knowing the true circumstances.

 

For three years I, and three other boat owners, were paying BW to moor our boats on the towpath above Birdingbury Wharf on the GU, and for those three years BW continually promised to erect permitted mooring signs, but did nothing. What were we supposed to do to protect our mooring space from casual moorers when we went away cruising. Even with self made signs and painted names on the piling, we often returned unable to moor on the stretch for which we were paying a handsome sum.

 

After three years of broken promises we all moved away. I obliterated the name of our boat before we left.

I can understand properly signed BW towpath moorings, often with water & other facilities.

 

What I can't understand is these odd towpath moorings where the boater's house backs onto the canal, often in a popular mooring spot. Fair enough on the non towpath side, but otherwise, find a proper mooring site/marina like everyone else.

 

However, a boat legally moored at these odd spots should be displaying a mooring permit, should it not?

 

 

Tony

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....putting you even further out into left field.

He waits...that’s what he does.

 

And I tell you what!

 

tick followed tock followed tick followed tock followed tick…

 

Ahab says, ‘I don’t care who you are, here’s to your dream.’

 

‘Here’s to you, Ahab!!’.

 

And the fat drummer hit the beat with all his heart...

 

...Here’s to waiting.

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ah well,, might habe been better if Joshua had asked about what was the best Loo to have for CCng,

 

we could have referd him to dean S for clarification!

 

That would be his galvanically isolated 240v loo of course

 

Richard

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I can understand properly signed BW towpath moorings, often with water & other facilities.

 

What I can't understand is these odd towpath moorings where the boater's house backs onto the canal, often in a popular mooring spot. Fair enough on the non towpath side, but otherwise, find a proper mooring site/marina like everyone else.

 

However, a boat legally moored at these odd spots should be displaying a mooring permit, should it not?

 

 

Tony

Are you trying to suggest that our mooring above Birdingbury Wharf was not approved? if so perhaps it should not have been displayed on the official BW moorings schedule, listed as Stud Lane L1. See Here (one fom the bottom on page 10) :- http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/media/documents/Moorings_price_list_2008-09.pdf . We all also displayed mooring permits.

 

Boats on offside moorings against private land are not issued with Mooring Permits if the landowner pays a mooring fee directly to BW. We are now a privately owned offside moorin, and the mooring fee is incorporated in the charge we pay to the landowner, who makes a block payment to BW.

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Are you trying to suggest that our mooring above Birdingbury Wharf was not approved? if so perhaps it should not have been displayed on the official BW moorings schedule, listed as Stud Lane L1. See Here (one fom the bottom on page 10) :- http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/media/documents/Moorings_price_list_2008-09.pdf . We all also displayed mooring permits.

 

Boats on offside moorings against private land are not issued with Mooring Permits if the landowner pays a mooring fee directly to BW. We are now a privately owned offside moorin, and the mooring fee is incorporated in the charge we pay to the landowner, who makes a block payment to BW.

David, I havn't the faintest idea where Birdingbury Wharf is. The ones that came to mind are at Penkridge on the Staffs & Worcs.

 

I assume that all such moorings are approved unless the boat owners are telling porkies on their signs.

 

Tony

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Surely a description of something is open to the describer interpreting the subject and getting it wrong, whereas a quotation of a subject would be more accurate and leave no room for misinterpretation.

 

Again in English?

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David, I havn't the faintest idea where Birdingbury Wharf is. The ones that came to mind are at Penkridge on the Staffs & Worcs.

 

I assume that all such moorings are approved unless the boat owners are telling porkies on their signs.

 

Tony

Birdingbury Wharf is, as I have alredy said, on the Grand Union above the Stockton Locks.

 

What I cannot understand is what you are actually objecting to, Unmarked topwpath moorings, or offside moorings against private land, or both.

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Birdingbury Wharf is, as I have alredy said, on the Grand Union above the Stockton Locks.

 

What I cannot understand is what you are actually objecting to, Unmarked topwpath moorings, or offside moorings against private land, or both.

You said that that Birdingbury Wharf is on the GU, I said I don't know it, therefore I wasn't refering to it.

 

You complained that BW hadn't marked the area as moorings, I have agreed that this should be the case.

 

I have no problem with offside moorings.

 

I was merely questioning whether towpath moorings at the back of boaters houses should be allocated, with homemade signs saying 'BW approved'

 

Tony

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Panto mode on

Oh no it wouldn't! It would have been an isolation transformer one!!!!

Panto mode off :P

Roger

 

Would that be an expensive isolation transformer in a blue metal box, or a reasonably priced one in a potted, sealed fibreglass box? ;)

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Precisely why I gave up my marina mooring after 15 months, during which time I and my boat were only there for about 4 months. That was an awful lot money spent on an empty berth while continuously cruising.

:cheers:

 

Hi

 

The ones who moan are the ones who have not the bottle or the opportunity to commit fully to their life afloat and are often jealous of people like yourself. Why should you pay for a mooring you will never use, its as daft as paying for a car parking space somewhere that you never leave your car. If you pay your licence fee then you are playing right by ALL the rules. I have spent years in the past cc ing it is great and I am off again very soon using my boat for its intended use and no way will I pay for moorings etc unless I make use of one.

Hope to see you on the cut, we need more like you.

 

Regards

 

Tim

 

Probably 15 square miles. That's 5 miles x 3 miles. Pretty typical parish size Ii should think.

I seem to remember reading somewhere the definition is to not stay within the same "Parish" for more than th 14 days. (and as an indication a distance of 15 miles was given as a typical Parish size) - am I dreaming it ?

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One can only imagine that there is a limit to one's piety, then.

 

Reporting people who you assume are breaking the law (with no actual evidence), whilst ignoring ones you know are exceeding the speed limit, seems to be a strange way to go.

 

 

I happen to agree with you that action should be taken, against those who overstay on lock landings, water points or other facilities.

 

Personally, though, I would not report them until I have asked them to move, myself (and if they were blocking a facility I wished to use then I would move their boat for them).

 

Just reporting someone because they appear to be getting away without paying for something, is merely envy, imo, and something I don't suffer from.

 

You will see from one of my other posts it is anything but envy, i did ask someone to move from a water point on my last trip down the trent, it could have easily turned into a fight but thankfully he backed down when i lost my rag, as fighting i have done enough of to last a lifetime.

 

Rick

 

Edited to say: Oh, and whilst I don't, in this instance, think I was being pedantic, I am definitely, on other occasions, a bit of a pedant. ;)

Edited by dccruiser
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ah well,, might habe been better if Joshua had asked about what was the best Loo to have for CCng,

 

we could have referd him to dean S for clarification!

 

things on this forum are much clearer now, thanks.

Edited by DeanS
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" The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."

 

I would add to this that those who choose to continue to suffer these unhappy circumstances are the self-same people then spend their entire existence criticising and complaining about those of us who have taken the initiative to get out.

Agree totally.

 

It is very easy to make assumptions and allegations about such situations without knowing the true circumstances.

 

Absolutley.

 

you are attempting to show that there is a difference between a licence whose application has a box ticked with another that doesn't

 

Beaten me to it!

 

Some of the replies on here show why the OP has got the impression that CC'ers are termed(by some)as freeloaders.

 

Like the OP and those of us that are genuinley CCing, it is a privilaged life with an ever-changing scenary and a great way to explore the country.

 

Happy boating everyone! :cheers:

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Now you are just being absurd; you are attempting to show that there is a difference between a licence whose application has a box ticked with another that doesn't, is like making a differentiation between a licence where the applicant is insured with Legal and General (shall we call this a Legal and General licence?) and another where the application is insured with Basic Boat (we'll call this a Basic Boat licence.)

 

What utter rubbish. Even you, in your little world of absurdity, cannot really hold that such a position is tenable.

 

There is one licence, a Standard Canal and River licence, where the holder has to satisfy the conditions of one clause in legislation.

 

....and your attempt to twist Mr Drifter's words? Pathetic.

 

....and your contention that your hypothetical cruise was not 'navigation' is at odds with the statement of the Legal Director of BW made under oath. Laughable.

 

....putting you even further out into left field.

 

Thanks for that Chris. I was beginning to think I was fairly alone in standing up against him. Maybe the answer, as has been suggested by others here, is just to ignore him.... but actually, I think he needs us in a sad sorta way. Must be a lonely life being so contrary for the sake of it.

 

Tone

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Don't want to get into an argument 'cos basically I don't give a toss but given different conditions to be fulfilled and a different suffix on the licence number I would say that a CC licence is the same as that issued to boaters with a mooring in much the same way as a business licence is.

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As someone who is planning to become an inland waterway ‘Constant Cruiser’ in the very near future, I was a bit taken aback to discover (from the Residential Boat Owners Association) that I will be “reviled” by other waterway users as a “free loader”.

 

I had imagined that many other, if not most, other Constant Cruisers held a similar philosophy so I am puzzled by the ‘free loading’ label?

 

Cheers,

 

Joshua

 

Aren't forums excellent value? Ask one question ... get answers to 15 more!

 

Here's another: Who cares what other people think. If you are moving around every two weeks or so, and some other boater thinks that's freeloading, then that's their problem and just a good early sign that they're not worth spending much time getting to know.

 

We're fairly new CCers, and something I haven't heard mentioned - that is certainly true in our case - is this: when you are brand new to the waterways system, and excited about boating and the lifestyle, it is IMPOSSIBLE to know where you would want to moor permanently without having had a good look round. There is such a variety (if limited number) of long-term mooring situations out there, with different facilities (or not), services (or not), views (or not), neighbours/communities (or not), public transport links (or not), etc. (I suppose if you have friends on boats in a particular place or know the residential boat scene well you might know where you want to be).

 

I know all the advice is to have your residential mooring nailed down beforehand, but if buying afresh, this simply adds £10K - £20K to the price of a boat - for the luxury of agreeing to pay rent to a landlord/marina and where you feel obliged to stay or otherwise lose that £10K - £20K premium. For us, finding the right boat at the right price was challenging enough. Finding the right boat at the right price on the right residential mooring would have been impossible. Anyway, boats (or us, anyway) are meant for moving about. They have engines ... and a pointy end.

 

Another curious thing: I met a guy two weeks ago who 'continually cruised' with a caravan! He mostly stayed in Caravan Club sites where, apparently, you can stay up to three weeks running. Brilliant. He works in London.

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Thanks for that Chris. I was beginning to think I was fairly alone in standing up against him. Maybe the answer, as has been suggested by others here, is just to ignore him.... but actually, I think he needs us in a sad sorta way. Must be a lonely life being so contrary for the sake of it.

 

Tone

 

I long for the day when you ignore me.

 

Lonely life? Remind me which societies you were a member of once, but don't talk to any more.

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:smiley_offtopic:

I can understand properly signed BW towpath moorings, often with water & other facilities.

 

What I can't understand is these odd towpath moorings where the boater's house backs onto the canal, often in a popular mooring spot. Fair enough on the non towpath side, but otherwise, find a proper mooring site/marina like everyone else.

 

However, a boat legally moored at these odd spots should be displaying a mooring permit, should it not?

The ones that came to mind are at Penkridge on the Staffs & Worcs.

 

If it's the stretch I'm thinking of, I don't think these these are approved moorings, or that the boats that supposedly use then actually exist. Paint is cheap!

 

Iain

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