Want to visit Cambridge? It will cost you extra in future.

[Guest User]

<snip> So having diligently checked both the EA and Cam site I buy the Gold license secure in the knowledge no more will have to be paid.

 

Now, only weeks later, we find the Cam lot are intending to tear up their published fees and impose extra ones.

<snip>

It wasn't quite a unilateral decision by the Cam Conservators. If I understand it correctly, the EA notified the Cam Conservators on 30th Sept 2011 that they intended to terminate the Interchange Agreeement Cam Conservators Linky. In other words the EA is looking to make a saving by cutting the money they pay to the Cam Conservators from within the existing licence revenues. Faced with the loss of this income the Conservators are now asking for the monies directly from the boaters (pre-payable as an add-on to the EA (or BW) licence or purchased separately as a visitor licence). Whether or not the revised charges are a good idea remains to be seen I guess.

 

I think you will find that the people at Midsummer pay for their moorings, But then I could be wrong again

Yes, I gather it's just the moorings known as the railings that are the only anomaly?

Edited January 30, 2012 by Graham!

[ditchcrawler]

It wasn't quite a unilateral decision by the Cam Conservators. If I understand it correctly, the EA notified the Cam Conservators on 30th Sept 2011 that they intended to terminate the Interchange Agreeement Cam Conservators Linky. In other words the EA is looking to make a saving by cutting the money they pay to the Cam Conservators from within the existing licence revenues. Faced with the loss of this income the Conservators are now asking for the monies directly from the boaters (pre-payable as an add-on to the EA (or BW) licence or purchased separately as a visitor licence). Whether or not the revised charges are a good idea remains to be seen I guess.

 

 

Yes, I gather it's just the moorings known as the railings that are the only anomaly?

And I think that is only because they can't decide who owns them, which may change shortly.

[FadeToScarlet]

Agreed.

TEN YEARS ago i spoke to some people that were taking a couple of narrowboats to MIDSUMMER COMMON? i dont really know the area,but i think that was the name of it.

 

they told me there was a FREE mooring situation,and they were going to moor there permanently.

 

as you say ,there always seems to be those who will not abide by the rules.

 

Ten years ago, the situation was informal, with informal moorings along the commons and the river. The situation was formalised in 2003/4, with the council introducing a mooring licence on Stourbridge and Midsummer commons and Jesus Green, where it owned the land, and charging a mooring fee and limiting the number of moored boats. The licence is linked to Band A council tax, and there is a long waiting list for spaces- it took me three years to get mine.

 

The only anomaly is the Railings, where no-one took ownership of the land, and the ad-hoc situation persisted.

 

I am wondering if this could be classed as maladministration.

 

We intend to visit the Fens this summer and before buying the Gold License went into what it would cost to visit Cambridge by boat - answer, nothing because of the ERA license. BW gold licenses (and I assume EA licenses run from 31st December to 31st December so the checking had to take place in late November/early December to ensure the payment and license could be got to BW in time over Christmas.

 

So having diligently checked both the EA and Cam site I buy the Gold license secure in the knowledge no more will have to be paid.

 

Now, only weeks later, we find the Cam lot are intending to tear up their published fees and impose extra ones.

 

To me the Commissioners as experts in navigation in the legal sense should know about EA & Gold license dates and act accordingly. The fact they did not publish their intent on their website early enough seems negligent.

 

Still we are lucky in that I am sure a bus with out magic cards will get us there far cheaper than by river.

 

Contact them. Write a letter to the Conservators with your concerns, send it to Dr Noon at river.manager [at] camconservators.org.uk and ask that it be circulated to the Conservators. I'd appreciate a copy too, to show to the local MP alongside our own local contributions, to show the effect that this move will have on visitors.

[Mac of Cygnet]

What is the latest situation regarding visiting Cambridge by boat? I was talking to a boater yesterday who implied that the system is not being policed in any way, therefore in effect there is no extra charge for visitors. I'm very doubtful about this, so anyone here know anything? I'm heading up that way tomorrow, but probably won't go past Upware if the charges are still being collected.

[pearley]

If you are a member of GOBA you can go as far as their moorings at Waterbeach.

Edited July 24, 2014 by pearley

[FadeToScarlet]

If you are a member of GOBA you can go as far as their moorings at WaterbeachWaterbeach.

Yes, it's worth doing this, otherwise you do have to pay- http://www.camconservancy.org/#!visiting-boats/

 

Enforcement from the CamCon for licensing, and the Council for mooring restrictions, isn't as tight as it could be, true, but the only way to do things above board is to pay, if you want to go beyond the Waterbeach GOBA moorings.

[Scholar Gypsy]

There is some policing - the CamCon licence on our boat was checked recently at Clayhithe Bridge.

[starman]

An interesting alternative way to visit Cambridge is to moor at St Ives and use the guided busway which starts there (it's a sort of train/tram that runs on rails then converts to road bus in the city)

[David Mack]

it's a sort of train/tram that runs on rails then converts to road bus in the city

Its actually a perfectly conventional bus with small guide wheels fitted to the front wheels to steer it along the guided sections of the route.

 

But yes, a quick route into the City.

[starman]

Its actually a perfectly conventional bus with small guide wheels fitted to the front wheels to steer it along the guided sections of the route.

 

But yes, a quick route into the City.

Much better description. Too early in the morning for me! I do know that it was a nightmare to get operational - late and way over budget. But if you've tried the A14 at rush hour well worth waiting for.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Yes, it's worth doing this, otherwise you do have to pay- http://www.camconservancy.org/#!visiting-boats/

 

 

 

I am a member of GOBA, especially for this trip, but it's hardly worth it for the few yards past Bottisham Lock that it takes you.

 

BTW, you'd think the Cam Conservancy would be able to spell 'licence', or is Cambridge now run by the Americans?

[Ssscrudddy]

When I renewed my 12 month EA licence for my 57ft NB, there was an option to add the Cam Con for an additional 5% on top of my £864 river licence.

[pearley]

When I renewed my 12 month EA licence for my 57ft NB, there was an option to add the Cam Con for an additional 5% on top of my £864 river licence.

I might be wrong but if you have a Gold licence or a EA visitor licence you don't have that option. And, £43 to cruise a few miles of river with no guarantee of mooring when you get to the end is a bit high for a visitor. OK for you if you're going several times over the year.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I might be wrong but if you have a Gold licence or a EA visitor licence you don't have that option. And, £43 to cruise a few miles of river with no guarantee of mooring when you get to the end is a bit high for a visitor. OK for you if you're going several times over the year.

 

I have a gold licence, and paid £45 extra for an annual CamCon licence, which (from memory) allows me to spend 30 days on their bit of the river.

 

I do expect to get good value from it - probably 7 or 8 trips over the year, including winter trips along the Backs.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Scholar Gypsy

[pearley]

I have a gold licence, and paid £45 extra for an annual CamCon licence, which (from memory) allows me to spend 30 days on their bit of the river.

 

I do expect to get good value from it - probably 7 or 8 trips over the year, including winter trips along the Backs.

I was only going on what I'd read in the GOBA news and I have read that some things have changed. Didn't the extra used to be 10% until this year?

 

So did you get your Gold licence from the EA or CRT? Did the option appear on the EA application? As I don't think you get that option on the CRT application form.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I was only going on what I'd read in the GOBA news and I have read that some things have changed. Didn't the extra used to be 10% until this year?

 

So did you get your Gold licence from the EA or CRT? Did the option appear on the EA application? As I don't think you get that option on the CRT application form.

 

I bought my Gold licence from C&RT; and then emailed the CamCon to ask for a form. It came in a couple of days, I sent it back, the licence arrived a few days after that.

[Biggles]

Cambridge is a great city, boating is a great way of life until you try to mix the 2.Unless your have oars and need loud and constant guidance from a twat on a bike with a loud hailer don't bother going there. The only visitors moorings are either sqatted on by shit looking boats or are frequented by druggies & alchies. The only safe and decent moorings are on Midsummer Common which is likely to get you a nasty letter which you should immediately ignore because all that will happen will be another exact same letter next day. Moor at Ely. Lovely welcoming city free mooring and only £4.50 for a train return taking only 17 minutes. Save your money boycott the most expensive 4 miles of navigation in the country, possibly the world.

[ditchcrawler]

Cambridge is a great city, boating is a great way of life until you try to mix the 2.Unless your have oars and need loud and constant guidance from a twat on a bike with a loud hailer don't bother going there. The only visitors moorings are either sqatted on by shit looking boats or are frequented by druggies & alchies. The only safe and decent moorings are on Midsummer Common which is likely to get you a nasty letter which you should immediately ignore because all that will happen will be another exact same letter next day. Moor at Ely. Lovely welcoming city free mooring and only £4.50 for a train return taking only 17 minutes. Save your money boycott the most expensive 4 miles of navigation in the country, possibly the world.

Get some more of that cheap but good red wine down your gills and chill out, Can you remember the Youtube link for the high speed trip up the Backs?

[Biggles]

Hi Brian. I am chilled. That is in my opinion a pretty accurate summing up of the situation in Cambridge. I only bought the 2nd year licence to be a PITA to the council and camCON. OK I do like the city as well but would never moor at the Jesus lock mooring.