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Overcrowding


Dave W

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I fished on the Kennet and Avon in Bath when I was a boy and back then there were no boats to be seen because the locks were broken anyway. These days there's hardly a mooring left in some areas and the marinas look pretty crowded. Are bank holidays just too busy to cruise? Will overcrowding spoil cc in the future? How is it controlled?

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I fished on the Kennet and Avon in Bath when I was a boy and back then there were no boats to be seen because the locks were broken anyway. These days there's hardly a mooring left in some areas and the marinas look pretty crowded. Are bank holidays just too busy to cruise? Will overcrowding spoil cc in the future? How is it controlled?

 

 

Would you like a tin opener for that can of worms? Not everywhere is as busy as the K&A

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Eh? Strange forum this. Every time I ask a question I never get a straight answer or walk into a wall of abuse. I'm thinking boaters are in a mindset of their own, seems to be a closed shop attitude to any newbies.

 

Oh well. :banghead:

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K&A is my local stretch. If I parted with a large amount of money and found the waterway/locks so busy either this year or say in the next five then I wouldn't be too impressed. This forum unfortunately seems to give off bad vibes about the K&A in particular and anyone who doesn't live aboard. I'm sorry if I flew at the first poster to my question but my patience is wearing thin. Sorry

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Eh? Strange forum this. Every time I ask a question I never get a straight answer or walk into a wall of abuse. I'm thinking boaters are in a mindset of their own, seems to be a closed shop attitude to any newbies.

 

Oh well. :banghead:

 

You just happened to pick the topic that causes the worst disagreements that's all. It has been done to death here, but if you search for threads you won't find many - we had to remove them, such was the fallout.

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You just happened to pick the topic that causes the worst disagreements that's all. It has been done to death here, but if you search for threads you won't find many - we had to remove them, such was the fallout.

 

If you are a true CC'er, you will find very few problems across the system, and most of these disappear when the holiday seasons end.

If you want to CC a certain stretch and then turn back and cc another way, you may find issues.

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We live within a mile of the K&A near Bradford on Avon, and like you can remember when it had little water in it and no boats. Now that it has been restored, it has become very busy at the Bath end, particularly during the summer. There are always a lot of boats moored between Bradford and Bath which sometimes makes finding a mooring space a challenge, and also makes cruising progress very slow. There used to also be issues about depth but that has been resolved to some extent by raising the escape sluices by six inches.

 

We used to keep our boat on the K&A over the winter and cruise out via the Thames during the summer, but the K&A is a slow canal with a genersl lack of depth, except in the river sections, and with problems for deeper boats being unable to get close enough to the edge for mooring. Many of the locks were poorly maintained and very hard work, and several of the swing bridges required Sampson in the crew to move them. It used to take almost a fortnight to get from Bradford to Reading, working quite long days, so after several years we decided to move the boat to the Midlands where it only takes two hours to get by car.

 

That may sound negative, but it is my realistic assesment of the canal, based on several years of traversing it's entire length. I know that others who visit the K&A once find it delightful, and are prepared to tolerate some of the problems for the benefit of the long peaceful countryside sections it affords. It is a matter of choice, but we will not be moving our boat back onto the K&A, despite the potential advantages of having the boat moored only a couple of miles away.

Edited by David Schweizer
  • Greenie 1
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Dave W

 

With respect, what a horrible phrase, you have been on this forum for only a few days and seem to have picked the most controversial items for all of your posts.

 

Maybe the search button and or google should be your first port of call.

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We live within a mile of the K&A near Bradford on Avon, and like you can remember when it had little water in it and no boats. Now that it has been restored, it has become very busy at the Bath end, particularly during the summer. There are always a lot of boats moored between Bradford and Bath which sometimes makes finding a mooring space a challenge, and also makes cruising progress very slow. There used to also be issues about depth but that has been resolved to some extent by raising the escape sluices by six inches.

 

We used to keep our boat on the K&A over the winter and cruise out via the Thames during the summer, but the K&A is a slow canal with a genersl lack of depth, except in the river sections, and with problems for deeper boats being unable to get close enough to the edge for mooring. Many of the locks were poorly maintained and very hard work, and several of the swing bridges required Sampson in the crew to move them. It used to take almost a fortnight to get from Bradford to Reading, working quite long days, so after several years we decided to move the boat to the Midlands where it only takes two hours to get by car.

 

That may sound negative, but it is my realistic assesment of the canal, based on several years of traversing it's entire length. I know that others who visit the K&A once find it delightful, and are prepared to tolerate some of the problems for the benefit of the long peaceful countryside sections it affords. It is a matter of choice, but we will not be moving our boat back onto the K&A, despite the potential advantages of having the boat moored only a couple of miles away.

Ditto, we are now moored in Birmingham and are very happy with the moorings.

:)

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Dave W

 

With respect, what a horrible phrase, you have been on this forum for only a few days and seem to have picked the most controversial items for all of your posts.

 

Maybe the search button and or google should be your first port of call.

 

 

What's the point of a forum then. I get one good honest answer from David who used to live in Bradford and the rest of the time I'm told to use the search button. You are the most unhelpful bunch of people I've ever met. So unfortunately I'm off to find the forum account delete button. Cheerio and thanks for all the wonderful help (not).

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What's the point of a forum then. I get one good honest answer from David who used to live in Bradford and the rest of the time I'm told to use the search button. You are the most unhelpful bunch of people I've ever met. So unfortunately I'm off to find the forum account delete button. Cheerio and thanks for all the wonderful help (not).

 

Perhaps if you had asked questions about boating in all its ramifications rather than appearing to be an internet troll poking a judgemental nose into people's lifestyles you would find out how incredibly helpful this forum is.

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What's the point of a forum then. I get one good honest answer from David who used to live in Bradford and the rest of the time I'm told to use the search button. You are the most unhelpful bunch of people I've ever met. So unfortunately I'm off to find the forum account delete button. Cheerio and thanks for all the wonderful help (not).

 

 

Bye

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What's the point of a forum then. I get one good honest answer from David who used to live in Bradford and the rest of the time I'm told to use the search button. You are the most unhelpful bunch of people I've ever met. So unfortunately I'm off to find the forum account delete button. Cheerio and thanks for all the wonderful help (not).

 

Toys have left the pram...

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If I parted with a large amount of money and found the waterway/locks so busy either this year or say in the next five then I wouldn't be too impressed.

Things are busy because they are popular.

 

If you don't like crowds and queues don't go to Alton Towers, don't shop at Ikea, don't boat on the K&A.

 

If less people parted with a large amount of money and put their boat on the busiest bit of waterway then it would be a lot quieter.

 

Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

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So unfortunately I'm off to find the forum account delete button.

 

The only "unfortunate" bit then, is you'll not find one, I think!

 

No need to complain to us when you don't though - better to try a message to the moderators, if you can't (as I bsuspect) delete yourself!

 

(Bye!)

 

Never been to the K&A but IMO Braunston is by far the busiest place on the system.

Except during event weekends, not even close, I'd say.....

 

Far, far more intensively used bits than that, surely ?

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So unfortunately I'm off to find the forum account delete button. Cheerio and thanks for all the wonderful help (not).

 

There's a forum account delete button? Why had no-one told me this before?

 

What a shame for Dave to go flouncing off after a day or two when he might have learned so much from all you knowledgeable folk by accepting that this is a touchy topic and hanging on in there!

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What's the point of a forum then. I get one good honest answer from David who used to live in Bradford and the rest of the time I'm told to use the search button. You are the most unhelpful bunch of people I've ever met. So unfortunately I'm off to find the forum account delete button. Cheerio and thanks for all the wonderful help (not).

 

To discuss all things boat but it would be nice if those that joined actually did some research.

 

All of us on here are only to willing to help others, even the odd curmudgeonly member.

 

If the new member cannot actually find exactly what they want then 'we' are only to willing to point them in the right direction and/or answer their question.

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Except during event weekends, not even close, I'd say.....

 

Far, far more intensively used bits than that, surely ?

 

 

Could be an interesting direction for this topic?

 

If Braunston isn't the busiest bit then what are the candidates?

 

Boulters lock on Bank Holiday Sunday in Victorian times perhaps?

 

I add this photo of Bradford - on - Avon last sunday;

BoultersPhot.jpg

Edited by Chris Pink
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Never been to the K&A but IMO Braunston is by far the busiest place on the system.

I totally agree. And Braunston has a high proportion of people with either historic or quasi historic boats who think and act as if they own the waterways. Every time I have had to pass through B (sorry, I could not use the B word again) I have experienced bad manners and total rudeness and inconsiderate steering from one of these "historic or quasi historic" boat owners/stresses.

It almost seems to be a required trait if you own one of these boats.

But, away from B they mostly behave the same so it cannot be some invisible waves in the B area causing it. It has to be something emanating from the boats themselves.

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Except during event weekends, not even close, I'd say.....

 

Far, far more intensively used bits than that, surely ?

 

Everytime I've been (not on event weekends or school holidays BTW), I've really struggled to moor. Have ended up in the disabled mooring twice, because I've put a wash on at the marina and then not been able to find anywhere. It's packed. It doesn't bother me, but it's no different to trying to find a mooring in Paddington, for instance.

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Never been to the K&A but IMO Braunston is by far the busiest place on the system.

We used to moor our boat immediately below Braunston Bottom lock, and at the same time I was also working at Bradford Wharf. Consequently, I have comparative experience of both, and there is not much between them for traffic at weekends. At the time we were informed by BW that Braunston Bottom Lock was officially the busiest lock on the system, with Bradford Town Lock being a close second.

 

Everytime I've been (not on event weekends or school holidays BTW), I've really struggled to moor. Have ended up in the disabled mooring twice, because I've put a wash on at the marina and then not been able to find anywhere. It's packed. It doesn't bother me, but it's no different to trying to find a mooring in Paddington, for instance.

We have rarely failed to find a mooring at Braunston, but time of arrival is important. Lunchtime is a disaster, but by early afternoon many of the lunchtime stoppers have moved on, It then begins to fill up quite quickly, but interestingly some boats seem to move off about 5pm.

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