Boaters prefer to use on-land facilities

[Roxy]

I have used my shower onboard a few times, but using it can be abit of a hassle as my cassette toilet stands on a wooden board above the shower tray due to limited space so I have to pull everything out. That said I tend to go to sawley as its only 10 mins away from my moorings and the shower there is massive and kept resonably clean too....

 

My water tank only holds enough water for possibly 3 '5min' showers and then theres the issue of filling it/heating it up again. Ok if Im out and about cruising but not so if I spend the weekend on my boat at my moorings. I have water and electric but heating it up can be a problem as it takes about an hours engine running time to heat it up hot enough, less if Im out. Which could upset some people.

 

I remember the other day someone off here said make sure you have good curtains when having a shower onboard your boat as through frosted glass at night you may see more of your 'neighbour' than you should!

[NB Alnwick]

All of this just goes to show that we all are different and these sweeping generalisations from BW are no more than that and they mean very little . . .

 

Oh dear! Another sweeping generalisation . . .

[Ange]

That said, you can always spot the boaters in a pub, they're the ones who go to the loo before they leave!

 

Absolutely! We call it the walk of shame if one of us has to use the loo directly after returning from the pub

 

If they are a reasonable distance away we will use land facilities rather than the boat for number twos, simply to minimise the number of times we need to have ours pumped out. We also use land based showers whenever possible, but that's because ours isn't working at the moment!

[David Mack]

It might seem strange to some, but not every boat has a comfortable on-board shower etc., even today!

 

OK, those probably are in a minority in the 21st century but I bet the numbers are still significant.

 

Tim

 

Quite. On Fulbourne we have no shower and a basic Elsan bucket under the cratch. So we do tend to use shore based facilities when we can.

 

That said, and although we make use of them, I don't really like the idea of BW spending their limited resources building the lavish shower blocks that have appeared on some parts of the system, together with the costs of keeping them in a clean and tidy condition.

 

Facilities in a marina is a different matter. In my book that's up to the marina developer/operator. And potential customers can choose whether to moor in a marina with or without such facilities.

 

David

[Phoenix_V]

. But I did wonder, at a big facility near the head of Camp Hill Locks (I think!), why they had bothered. It seemed highly unlikely to me that large numbers of boaters were going to tie up there, and take a shower. (In fact the day we travelled from Birmingham, via Farmers Bridge & Camp Hill and right up to Knowle in mid summer holiday, we only saw one other moving boat all day, and that was a day boat - so not the most popular bit of canal to make a major investment in a facilities block, I'd say....)

 

We dont all have showers on our boats, when we stopped there a couple of years ago we enjoyed a lovely shower, shame the drainage is poor and it apparently keeps breaking down, I understand that it was paid for by developers by the way.

[avonside1563]

use my onboard facilities while the weather is fine but my water heater won't cope with extreme temperatures such as last winter and so I use the marina showers when the water is just too cold in the winter! Having said that the facilities at Haywood are kept beautifully clean and are heated

[mrsmelly]

There was a meeting at Cropredy last night to discuss proposals for two marinas. The representative from British Waterways defended the requirement to install on-land toilet and shower blocks by saying that "Boaters prefer to use these facilities when they available. It is much better than having to use on board toilets and showers which drain into a holding tank." He went on to say that boaters "only use their on board facilities when they are out in the country, miles from proper facilities" - is this true?

 

I have to say that, despite mooring within a few hundred yards of the basic facilities provided by BW at Cropredy, we have always used our on board facilities - all the time. Is every one else different? Do people really wander down to the marina toilet block for their ablutions in preference to using their own? Or is it possible that BW do not understand the concept of living on a boat?

 

Always onboard

[Sunset Rising]

BW are correct, just stand in any marina and count the number of people whou use them. You will be suprised. And if BW are incorrect why do new marinas spend loads of money building toilets.

 

If all marina toilet blocks are like the ones I saw at Mercia I am not suprised people like to use them. they were bigger than my house and incredibly smart and clean.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Sunset Rising

[Janet S]

When hiring and borrowing boats, we use the on shore facilities wherever possible, provided they're clean! The shower blocks at Gannow Wharf and Bingley are worth waiting for! ...and after all, what are pubs for?

 

When you're hiring on an extended cruise, as we did for a month last year, and having to pay for extra pumpouts then it makes sense, and when you're borrowing a boat, then it's simply a courtesy not to fill their toilet tank if you aren't going to get chance to pump it out before you return it.

 

Janet

[sociable_hermit]

If I'm paying £lots for a Marina berth then of course I'm going to use the facilities that go with it. Why wear out my own water pump and shower tray pump, and pay for the fuel used to heat up the water for a shower, when I can just use the Marinas?

 

I'm quite happy to use the rather cramped bathroom on the boat when we're out and about, but it seems a bit pointless when there are 'mains' toilets and showers available in the Marina. Except when it's 2am and raining outside, of course.

[Roxy]

If I'm paying £lots for a Marina berth then of course I'm going to use the facilities that go with it. Why wear out my own water pump and shower tray pump, and pay for the fuel used to heat up the water for a shower, when I can just use the Marinas?

 

I'm quite happy to use the rather cramped bathroom on the boat when we're out and about, but it seems a bit pointless when there are 'mains' toilets and showers available in the Marina. Except when it's 2am and raining outside, of course.

My Marina hasnt got showers, but they have got dirty toilets! So it well worth the 10 min cruise down the river to Sawley for a nice hot shower and a s**t too !

[bizzard]

Don't forget my bankside showers and Turkish bath.

[Dekazer]

When we lived in a marina we used the facilities a lot. Partly because we were doing various DIY jobs that made it easier to do so. Partly because the massive wetroom was more sociable for 2. Partly because they had central heating and were always warm and never froze. Partly because we didn't have to empty them. We also used our onboard facilities, but not as much.

 

Now we live online we don't have a land shower or loo, and we don't really miss them either

[c c]

Wish someone could persuade BW management to build such a beautiful facility in one new building by the towpath at Hillmorton.

[Midnight Rider]

Wish someone could persuade BW management to build such a beautiful facility in one new building by the towpath at Hillmorton.

Yes, you need a map to find the facilities at the moment.

[DHutch]

Im certainly firmly in the 'prefer to use onland' camp.

 

We have a porta potti and although we use it on the move and when we have to its much easier and nice to use online toilets even without then having to empty the dam thing. Ditto showers really if im honest. The boat showers good, and we have as much hot water as we like, but its small and then you have to fill up the watertank again!

 

Certianly although technically we dont have our own, just the bw block on the boundary fence, and very greatfull our winter moorings have toilets.

 

 

Daniel

[Smelly]

I'm half and half; I shower on board as the water pressure is much better than the facilities block, but would rather not have to think about a poo more than once...

[Ange]

I'm half and half; I shower on board as the water pressure is much better than the facilities block, but would rather not have to think about a poo more than once...

 

Ah yes - that wonderful feeling when you flush the toilet and know it's gone forever!

[Guest wanted]

I take pleasure in leaving my waste with McDonalds. A Big crap, or if you get stopped on the way in, tell them you'll order on the way back, A Big crap with lies!

 

I hardly ever use the shower block in Brentford, it seems to have gone down hill since the office went, and there always seems to be a corn plaster on the floor!

[Ange]

I take pleasure in leaving my waste with McDonalds. A Big crap, or if you get stopped on the way in, tell them you'll order on the way back, A Big crap with lies!

 

 

have a greenie - made me laugh!

[carlt]

A Big crap with lies!

When I first read that I saw "A Big crap with flies!" and assumed you'd had a dump on their doorstep.

[pearley]

'Clearly some very expensive utility blocks have been provided at places where BW are trying to "up the image". But I did wonder, at a big facility near the head of Camp Hill Locks (I think!), why they had bothered. It seemed highly unlikely to me that large numbers of boaters were going to tie up there, and take a shower. (In fact the day we travelled from Birmingham, via Farmers Bridge & Camp Hill and right up to Knowle in mid summer holiday, we only saw one other moving boat all day, and that was a day boat - so not the most popular bit of canal to make a major investment in a facilities block, I'd say....)'

 

 

A BW worker (rewmember them!) told me about 4 years ago that there were plans to put residential moorings at Camp Hill, hence to large sanitary station.

Edited September 7, 2011 by pearley

[Guest wanted]

When I first read that I saw "A Big crap with flies!" and assumed you'd had a dump on their doorstep.

 

 

Been tempted!

[carlt]

Been tempted!

When I finally get to buy you a beer ask me about the time I took a homeless guy into MacDonalds, to give him a meal (his choice, not mine).

 

It's definitely not suitable for the forum, but it is very funny.

[Midnight Rider]

When I first read that I saw "A Big crap with flies!" and assumed you'd had a dump on their doorstep.

Or, being MacDonalds, should that be 'A big crap with fries'?