Western K&A congestion

[Sir Nibble]

Waiting around killing time I went into W H Smiths and availed myself of their library. There was a magazine there I've not seen before called riverboat and canal or somesuch and it had an article on the western K&A so I read it. My god what an odd article. This boat and its crew had cruised from the midlands to Bristol and whilst most will recognise that I have long been a critic of the conceptual cruisers here this article was enough to have the most rabid brown shirt say "steady on there". The conclusions drawn go way way beyond what anyone cruising through could reasonably summise, for instance that there are 500 "overstayers" between BOA and Bath, that all the Dundas moorings are kept by liveaboards and handed over one to the next as time limits are reached. The writer reaches the conclusion that the CC option should be done away with. Now I recognise many of the issues alluded to but they are so heavily overstated and I cannot understand how this could come about. This sort of bizzarre and ill researched journalism does no favours to anyone being little more than an uninformed rant. I moor in this area and cruise around there all the time and I do not recognise the canal they describe at all. Read the article if you can.

[Lady Muck]

These stories are usually fantasies made up by people who refuse to have dialogue with their supposed enemies. If you don't talk to each other then assumption is sure to creep in.

 

Did anyone read the BW document on ccer movement data on the Lee? Only 7% of the cc boats moor on visitor moorings, which is contrary to what everything else I've ever seen written says about them.

Edited March 14, 2011 by Lady Muck

[sueb]

It has got to the stage that we dare not move incase we can't find another suitable mooring space. We hate being in a slum boating estate and can't wait to leave. My opinion of the western end of the K&A

Sue

[cotswoldsman]

It has got to the stage that we dare not move incase we can't find another suitable mooring space. We hate being in a slum boating estate and can't wait to leave. My opinion of the western end of the K&A

Sue

 

 

I gave up on the western end

 

 

[deletedaccount]

LOL, what a load of tosh. Like people need to hand over moorings (or are bothered to be organised enough ).

 

I might try and dig out the mag and read it myself.

[Leonie]

It has got to the stage that we dare not move incase we can't find another suitable mooring space. We hate being in a slum boating estate and can't wait to leave. My opinion of the western end of the K&A

Sue

 

How long have you been on the K&A for now then and if you dare not move then exaclty who are you feeling more superior to? Glass houses and what not.

[deletedaccount]

It has got to the stage that we dare not move incase we can't find another suitable mooring space. We hate being in a slum boating estate and can't wait to leave. My opinion of the western end of the K&A

Sue

 

Really? You can't find somewhere to moor? Or is it you don't want scruffy 'slum' neighbours?

 

I gave up on the western end

 

I remember you mentioning it but I can't remember why.

[Chris Pink]

How long have you been on the K&A for now then and if you dare not move then exaclty who are you feeling more superior to? Glass houses and what not.

 

My thoughts exactly but by the time I got to line 3 of my rant I gave up the will to live.

 

At least when Sue does decide to move she will, in a very public spirited kind of way, be relieving the 'congestion'.

[magpie patrick]

Yep, I know your (Cotswoldman's) and Sue's viewpoint, and can understand it. I think you will find snibs has been no friend of the Conceptual Cruiser either (great term that btw) but Snibs, who has to cruise this area regularly because his boats there, thinks this article has overdone it. And if it does say there are 500 overstayers I'd agree. That would be about 25,000 feet of boat, or around five miles of boat on a nine mile pound, and as there are somewhere around 100 official moorings (I think, Chris will correct me) that means 600 boats, assuming there are no boats that are not overstaying, which with heaven knows how many hire boats in the area seems unlikely, we're heading towards 1200 yards of nose to tail moored boats every 1760 yards (a mile), It's busy, but it's not that busy.

 

I reckon there are usually around 200 boats on the Bath to Bradford Pound, and in summer up to fifty of them will be hirers.

Edited March 14, 2011 by magpie patrick

[alan_fincher]

It has got to the stage that we dare not move incase we can't find another suitable mooring space. We hate being in a slum boating estate and can't wait to leave. My opinion of the western end of the K&A

Sue

Sounds like you are waiting before you leave then ?

[luctor et emergo]

As I cruise up and down between BoA and Bath on a weekly basis, interacting with both CM's, CC's, perm moorers and others, I will for once allow a certain arogance, and say that on this subject I can speak with more accuracy than most.

The Western K&A is busy, certainly. It gets crowded in places. But, but:

there is always room to moor up, apart from mayby one stretch.

There are a few boats who never move,but some of these have permissin from BW, for various, legit reasons.

 

Still, if the perception keeps away the whinging shiny boats, so be it. If, on the other hand, you like a good towpatrh party, come on down.

[Chris Pink]

 

there is always room to moor up, apart from mayby one stretch.

 

 

Which bit's that then Henk?

[deletedaccount]

I cruised from bath to bradford last week. Dundas seemed pretty busy although there was still plenty of space if I had wanted to stop there.

[luctor et emergo]

Chris, what I meant about 'one full stretch', was more about one stretch at any one time, rather than permanently. Even the the really popular sites, like B'ampton, BoA, or even Dundas to Diggerland ;-) , usually have spaces free.

[Sir Nibble]

LOL, what a load of tosh. Like people need to hand over moorings (or are bothered to be organised enough ).

 

I might try and dig out the mag and read it myself.

When BW dig up statistics to say that 85% of boaters will not visit the area because of 500 overstayers who rotate visitor moorings between them will it still be LOL? When the figures show 60% of people planning to visit have dropped those plans because of this will it still be LOL? The impression given to those who do not know the area DOES matter.

[Tim Doran]

It has got to the stage that we dare not move incase we can't find another suitable mooring space. We hate being in a slum boating estate and can't wait to leave. My opinion of the western end of the K&A

Sue

 

 

I gave up on the western end

 

The community between Bradford and Bath is second to none, I politely suggest that if you dont like it then exits can be found West at Bath and east at Bradford lock.

 

Tim

[GSer]

Well i've had my jabs and the days off are booked, so i'm off down the flight at easter to see what the fuss is about, it will be a very busy week for boats I should think, so I suspect i'll be seeing it at it's worst.

 

I will report back if I'm spared.

 

Paul

 

ps. Do they still eat babies down there?

[carlt]

 

ps. Do they still eat babies down there?

This should be in the 'recipes' section.

[David Schweizer]

We used to moor near Dundas, but moved out about ten years ago. There were a number of reasons, including the amount iof time it took to get out onto the main system, but becoming increasingly busy between Bradford and Bath, particularly in the summer, was another reason.

 

There were always a lot of boats moored below Bradford lock, between the Sewage works and Avoncliffe, and between Winsley road Bridge and Dundas. The biggest complaint I used to hear however, was not being abe to find a spce to moor, but having to constantly slow down for moored boats, whuich was a particular problem when I was working the the Trip boat, which had a schedule to maintain.

[magpie patrick]

We used to moor near Dundas, but moved out about ten years ago. There were a number of reasons, including the amount iof time it took to get out onto the main system, but becoming increasingly busy between Bradford and Bath, particularly in the summer, was another reason.

 

There were always a lot of boats moored below Bradford lock, between the Sewage works and Avoncliffe, and between Winsley road Bridge and Dundas. The biggest complaint I used to hear however, was not being abe to find a spce to moor, but having to constantly slow down for moored boats, whuich was a particular problem when I was working the the Trip boat, which had a schedule to maintain.

 

I would concur, our problem with Juno is not the number of moored boats, but the number of boats on the move (which isn't to say they should all moor up!) especially as a narrow boat has to go much more slowly than we do when passing moored vessels

 

On our first venture, we decided a spin of a friday evening to Avoncliffe and back would be just the thing, after all how much traffic can there be after 7pm on a Friday... I'd forgotten our boat is moored at a hire base that does weekend hire...

[cotswoldsman]

The community between Bradford and Bath is second to none, I politely suggest that if you dont like it then exits can be found West at Bath and east at Bradford lock.

 

Tim

 

well I started west of Bristol and left east of Bradford. Never said there was anything wrong with the community!! I would have stayed had I been able to moor.

Edited March 14, 2011 by cotswoldsman

[deletedaccount]

When BW dig up statistics to say that 85% of boaters will not visit the area because of 500 overstayers who rotate visitor moorings between them will it still be LOL? When the figures show 60% of people planning to visit have dropped those plans because of this will it still be LOL? The impression given to those who do not know the area DOES matter.

 

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you.

[Sir Nibble]

The community between Bradford and Bath is second to none, I politely suggest that if you dont like it then exits can be found West at Bath and east at Bradford lock.

 

Tim

Now that is not the attitude is it, "if you don't like it get off our canal" whatever the overall "niceness" quotient of this "community". There are people working hard to create an impression that the "community" attitude to leisure boaters is other than total contempt because they are in need of support, your slip is showing.

[Chris Pink]

We used to moor near Dundas, but moved out about ten years ago. There were a number of reasons, including the amount iof time it took to get out onto the main system, but becoming increasingly busy between Bradford and Bath, particularly in the summer, was another reason.

 

There were always a lot of boats moored below Bradford lock, between the Sewage works and Avoncliffe, and between Winsley road Bridge and Dundas. The biggest complaint I used to hear however, was not being abe to find a spce to moor, but having to constantly slow down for moored boats, whuich was a particular problem when I was working the the Trip boat, which had a schedule to maintain.

 

I was thinking about this the other day with regard to an article in NABO News which raised exactly that point.

 

It's my opinion that the 'rule' (because there ain't one really) is now thoroughly out of date and boats should travel passed moored boats at normal cruising speed. This is rarely fast enough to cause any problems if your boat is moored properly with regard to fenders and proper pins.

 

Obviously there is still a speed over which it is not sensible, or legal, to travel, but the 'pass moored boats at tickover' has well and truly had its day.

 

And if you're talking about Jubilee or the Barbara Mac I have never noticed that they do. slow down.

[Sir Nibble]

And if you're talking about Jubilee or the Barbara Mac I have never noticed that they do. slow down.

I agree, in fact I would say that in my experience both are navigated with nil regard for other boaters.