Permit Holders Only

[system 4-50]

I get the impression that many boaters feel it is ok to tie up on a vacant space on a "long term, permit holders only" mooring for few hours rather than travel on to an official visitors mooring which might be full or less convenient for a quick shop. What is the CWDF take on this?

[Idunhoe]

I would only use a 'permit holders only' mooring if invited to do so. As an operator of a charity boat that uses such a mooring I become positively homicidal if we return from a trip to find our clearly marked mooring occupied.

[GoodGurl]

personally i would find it quite annoying too, same as when they moor on water points etc.

[Guest]

I would only use a 'permit holders only' mooring if invited to do so. As an operator of a charity boat that uses such a mooring I become positively homicidal if we return from a trip to find our clearly marked mooring occupied.

 

How extraordinary..

[johnmck]

In our travels this year we have come across numerous locations shown on the post's as "permit holders only", which have had not a boat in sight or any evidence of recent occupancy. We have not as yet had the need or desire to moor up at such a location but feel that if these moorings have not been allocated to "permit holders", CART should open them to all users at least for the summer (?) months.

[dor]

In our travels this year we have come across numerous locations shown on the post's as "permit holders only", which have had not a boat in sight or any evidence of recent occupancy. We have not as yet had the need or desire to moor up at such a location but feel that if these moorings have not been allocated to "permit holders", CART should open them to all users at least for the summer (?) months.

 

The problem is that there has been a reduction of BW online moorings, to the point where some of their moorings are practically empty. Why it has been beyond the wit of BW to reallocate them as visitor moorings is a mystery. Ah but wait, it's BW we are talking about.....

[alan_fincher]

There are some BW (well CRT, I suppose!) linear mooring sites where there seems to be little current attempts being made to let vast numbers of vacant spaces.

 

These could, I guess, be sites they don't plan to take renewals at, maybe as part of the long term policy of getting rid of on-line moorings where off-line ones have become available in the areas concerned.

 

But there are still often signs there saying "long term permit holders" only.

 

I've certainly found this at places where there are not a lot of suitable temporary moorings, particularly when we are with our deep draughted boat.

 

I've not felt the need to tie up at one of these yet, but if stuck for somewhere might try and ask locals if the moorings are actively being used as permanent ones. To some extent I'd say it depends if you plan to stay on the boat, and are prepared to move off quickly if a mooring you are told is not someone's permanent one ends up with a boat actually coming back, and expecting to tie up where you have moored.

[gaggle]

I moor on towpath long term moorings and it is a bit of a nuisance when a visiting boats ties up in the spot on the moorings that i use ,keep litter free and clean the dog mess up from .

I may have only moved a hundred or so yards to the waterpoint/ elsan to do what needs doing and a couple of times have seen another boat mooring up in the space , they dont take being informed i will ask them to move off when i return within half an hour to my paid for mooring with the least bit of understanding .

If i go off for any time days or weeks they are welcome to use it but on returning they should make way without acting the goat and disputing why they should move.

[Chertsey]

When I had a long term towpath mooring, I (and others) would leave a sign saying when we would be back so that others could use it in the meantime.

[johnmck]

When I had a long term towpath mooring, I (and others) would leave a sign saying when we would be back so that others could use it in the meantime.

 

 

I would never moor where a sign indicated occupancy. But, I would be tempted on the stretches obviously not allocated or occupied for some considerable time, which now seem to abound.

[Ray]

When I had a long term towpath mooring, I (and others) would leave a sign saying when we would be back so that others could use it in the meantime.

 

We noted the reverse of this a few weeks ago (in June).

 

There were a group of boats moored against the towpath on a stretch which normally becomes Winter Moorings. Behind the last boat we saw a sign propped up on a chair which simply read "Gone for Water".

 

Pity we weren't planning to stop at that time.

 

-----

 

There are some "Permanent Moorings" not too far from Sickle's home mooring. The boats previously there have all gradually departed and the site was all but empty the last time we passed. It is our understanding (unofficially) that the occupants of the nearly erected flats objected to these permanently moored boats and BW have decided to move the moorers on.

 

We, and a few others, now stop there quite often although we always ensure someone stays on the boat and that we're ready to move if asked to do so (by a boater rather than a flat occupier).

Edited July 13, 2012 by Ray

[system 4-50]

This question was prompted by the following:

I arrived at my newly acquired online mooring for the first time, having been instructed to moor between boat A and boat B. Unfortunately both A and B were cruising and that left me trying to puzzle out where the gap might be that should be my mooring. Whilst I was waiting for a phone call to clarify the position, no less than four boats arrived to fill the spaces, none of which were permit holders. Any of these might be in the position I needed to move to once my phone call came through. But I got lucky and found that my position was still free and I was able to leave the boat without needing to ask somebody to move, which might have been taken badly on the grounds of "why didn't you say so when we arrived?". So I was curious.

(Note the above situation has been reduced to its essentials, it was a little bit more complicated.)

[fretman]

I was visiting a friend a few years ago on the permit holders mooring,, only there for 30 minutes,, guess what,,, got checked and then a few days later a bill for £800.00 ,, you try telling the girl in the office that......never paid the bill, but was red flagged on there computer system for ages,, and I have a winter mooring

[OldGoat]

Many LT moorings have a an official or unofficial residential warden.

Certainly it was my experience on the Wey and when we visited Lower Heyford and Cropredy. They'll usually point you to a vacant berth if you want an overnighter or go shopping.

Usually pleasant and helpful, BUT you must seek them out.

 

The Canals have always been a friendly place - folks grouped together for a common purpose, but peeps do need to be engaged - so start a conversation; you'd be surprised.

It ain't no dishonour to say good morning.....

[Graham Davis]

I was visiting a friend a few years ago on the permit holders mooring,, only there for 30 minutes,, guess what,,, got checked and then a few days later a bill for £800.00 ,, you try telling the girl in the office that......never paid the bill, but was red flagged on there computer system for ages,, and I have a winter mooring

 

What, just for mooring?

Edited July 15, 2012 by Graham Davis

[Nightwatch]

I would only use a 'permit holders only' mooring if invited to do so. As an operator of a charity boat that uses such a mooring I become positively homicidal if we return from a trip to find our clearly marked mooring occupied.

Is being 'homicidal' a 'positive'?

 

Very charitable.

 

Martyn

Edited July 15, 2012 by Nightwatch

[koukouvagia]

Following on from this, has anyone any idea what a BW "Reserved Mooring" is? There's one just before Weedon (going north) which has been the permanent home of two gently decaying GU working boats for the past quarter of a century.

 

 

[Guest]

Many LT moorings have a an official or unofficial residential warden.

Certainly it was my experience on the Wey and when we visited Lower Heyford and Cropredy. They'll usually point you to a vacant berth if you want an overnighter or go shopping.

Usually pleasant and helpful, BUT you must seek them out.

 

The Canals have always been a friendly place - folks grouped together for a common purpose, but peeps do need to be engaged - so start a conversation; you'd be surprised.

It ain't no dishonour to say good morning.....

 

We were kindly offered the use of a fellow CWDF members LTM at Tinsley on the S&SYN but in fact we never used it in the end. He just spoke to the warden who I think is also the lockie and let him know the name of our boat and that we would be using it for a night or two.

[Ange]

When we first arrived at Adlington on the L&L in 2009 there was a sign saying long term moorers only but no boats at all on the moorings. We phoned BW and were advised that these were now regular visitor moorings, so we moored there. We wouldn't moor on long term moorings otherwise because it wouldn't feel right, unless we had permission of course.

 

When I had a long term towpath mooring, I (and others) would leave a sign saying when we would be back so that others could use it in the meantime.

 

I like that idea

[system 4-50]

At the same time that I observed the habits of visiting boaters I also made another discovery.

The gentle spreading movement of the hands that I thought meant "I would be grateful if you could slow down a bit" doesn't mean that at all.

It means "Your parentage is in doubt, your virility is negligible, and your children are not related to you". At least that is what the response I got implies.

As it happens I was wrong in that the speed of his boat though high did not affect my boat in the least despite my being tied by a temporary single line.

Ho hum.

[benfordboy]

IIRC, a couple of yrs ago when we took over Dads NB for our Thames trip whilst the cruiser was out for repair, we initially decided on a handover near Isis lock.

 

There was no moorings available when Dad arrived & he was advised to turn & head back towards Dukes.

 

At Wolvercote (I think!) he asked a BW guy about shops / moorings etc & was told that if only stopping overnight or 1-2days he could use the Vacant Permit Holders mooring above the lock.

 

We took over the boat that night, have to say I wasnt particularly comfortable with this as there was a few looks from other 'Permit Holders' as they passed, Nothing was said & if any comments had been made I would have certainly moved the boat.

 

On a personal note we would not use any 'vacant' Permit holders moorings, nor moor in a winding hole (Another favourite by some) or Lock moorings (Although we would consider this in flood conditions on the soar in very high water conditions!)

[owen]

When I had a long term towpath mooring, I (and others) would leave a sign saying when we would be back so that others could use it in the meantime.

ahh common sense good man

[Grace and Favour]

ahh common sense good man

 

I don't think that 'man' would have any common sense at all

 

Sarah, I understand, is far from being a man!

[fretman]

you can tell all the local bw people you like, but if a checker with his hand held computer walks past ,, you get put on the syatem no mater what and it's the computer that sends the bill out,, and make sure the chap with the hand held computer gets you in the correct mode ,, i/e moving moored etc,, as that can be a problem

[Chertsey]

I don't think that 'man' would have any common sense at all

 

Sarah, I understand, is far from being a man!

No offence taken whatsoever. As far as I am concerned, 'good man' is a gender neutral term of approbation!

What I am not so keen on is having my personal rather than forum name used on the forum.