Jump to content

Hogging the Cropredy moorings


homer2911

Featured Posts

Each year for the past few years,we have taken advantage of free time in retirement to spend around 5 daystravelling to Cropredy for the annual Fairport Convention 3-day music event.

 

 

It is well recognised that, forthe duration of the event, BW (and hopefully now CaRT) turned a blind eye toboats that overstay on the various visitor moorings. However, despite the fact that we now turn upat least a week before the festival starts, we find ourselves mooring furtherand further from the village, with a longer and longer walk to the one generalstore and to the festival field.

 

 

The reason for this is the largerand larger numbers of boats that have clearly been taken to Cropredy and left unoccupiedby their owners until the start of the festival. Many of these are people who live and moorwithin a few miles of Cropredy, and at least one regular offender - if that isthe right word - is a contributor to this newsgroup.

 

Is it unreasonable of me to expectthat anyone claiming a prime spot for their boat should at least present alevel playing field for the rest of us by being prepared to stay on the boatuntil the festival starts?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Each year for the past few years,we have taken advantage of free time in retirement to spend around 5 daystravelling to Cropredy for the annual Fairport Convention 3-day music event.

 

 

It is well recognised that, forthe duration of the event, BW (and hopefully now CaRT) turned a blind eye toboats that overstay on the various visitor moorings. However, despite the fact that we now turn upat least a week before the festival starts, we find ourselves mooring furtherand further from the village, with a longer and longer walk to the one generalstore and to the festival field.

 

 

The reason for this is the largerand larger numbers of boats that have clearly been taken to Cropredy and left unoccupiedby their owners until the start of the festival. Many of these are people who live and moorwithin a few miles of Cropredy, and at least one regular offender - if that isthe right word - is a contributor to this newsgroup.

 

Is it unreasonable of me to expectthat anyone claiming a prime spot for their boat should at least present alevel playing field for the rest of us by being prepared to stay on the boatuntil the festival starts?

 

Oh dear. I can well understand your frustration and would feel aggreived myself in your situation, but complaining about an overstayers on a moorings that you intend to overstay yourself is pretty thin ice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh dear. I can well understand your frustration and would feel aggreived myself in your situation, but complaining about an overstayers on a moorings that you intend to overstay yourself is pretty thin ice!

The argument seems to be that overstaying is OK in this circumstance if you stay with your boat throughout, but not if you don't ?

 

Or have I interpreted that wrongly ?

 

You could try raising it with CaRT I suppose - "please stop this category of person overstaying, so I can, please......"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think it matters if the owner of such vessel is within or not.

 

It is understandable that festival goers near and far want prime moorings during such an event. Perhaps you may have to arrive a couple of days earlier than you do now.

 

That is not to say it is right to hog a mooring but who am I to interfere?

 

An idea would be for C&RT to set a 'Start' point and a 'Finish' point where the moorings become festival dominant.

 

Perhaps a 'FAIR PORT' in a CONVENTIONal way.

 

Martyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm really not sure I understand the issue? Due to overstaying and many boats at a popular festival, boaters now get there even earlier and overstay even longer but you're only worried about a certain type of boater ovestaying there... maybe just one boater actually?

 

Quite relieved to see the liveaboards escaping the 'they're hogging all the moorings' mantra for once.

 

Enjoy the festival and your overstaying and whatever else life throws your way (or something).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr. Homer, are you referring perhaps to my boat 'Trojan'? Yes indeed, my wife and I usually bring her down to Cropredy a week or so before the festival. We did so this year, and it was clear that we were by no means the first to arrive. However, there were still plenty of vacant spaces at that time, including three between the lock and the road bridge. We then went home by car. I returned to the boat, as I usually do, three days before the festival began, to do some cleaning and to freshen up some of the paintwork. At that time the moorings between the lock and the bridge had filled up but a walk down the towpath showed that there were still a couple of spaces below the bridge. Between then and the beginning of the festival, a couple whom we know moved their boat twice, closer to the lock each time, as other boats had departed. So spaces were becoming available almost until the festival dates. Indeed one, just above Old Mill Bridge, was vacant until the first day of the festival.

I suggest to you that:

- No, "offender" is not the word, whether you are talking about me or about somebody else. How can there be an offence when the regular mooring rules have been suspended?

- A boat occupies the same amount of space whether there is somebody on board or not.

 

What happens is that boat crews, whether coming from North or South, see a row of boats extending some way beyond the village and assume that there will be no spaces beyond that, so they join the end of the line. But those who adopt a "Who dares wins" approach and carry on into the village will often find a mooring space. Perhaps you did not care to try this. I suggest that you try the camping sites next year; we have, both in a tent and in a motor home, they are quite nice and a couple of them have views of the canal.

 

Mr. Sqwared, you seem to know my boat. Do I know yours?

Edited by Athy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What normally happens in cases like this is that the blind eye that is turned can't avoid getting involved and will come down hard on everyone. Then nobody will be allowed to overstay and the fun will be lost.

 

Turn up two weeks earlier next time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...especially as the OP mentioned being retired and thus having plenty of free time.

The public moorings below the town bridge, by the way, are 14-dayers so, as the regs are suspended for a week before the festival, you could legitimately take a mooring there three weeks in advance. One chap told me he'd been there since May, which I did think was pushing his luck a bit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...especially as the OP mentioned being retired and thus having plenty of free time.

The public moorings below the town bridge, by the way, are 14-dayers so, as the regs are suspended for a week before the festival, you could legitimately take a mooring there three weeks in advance. One chap told me he'd been there since May, which I did think was pushing his luck a bit.

 

He's probably a liveaboard so it's okay ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We regularly cruise through Cropredy during the festival. There are lots of boats - the banter and music as you go through are part of the fun as is spotting people and boats that you know. This year there were more than last year however they weren't breasted up as in previous years. Banbury on the other hand was really quiet, as was Thrupp and Oxford. The 7 day moorings in Oxford were empty and Jericho was very quiet. Swings and Roundabouts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr. Homer, are you referring perhaps to my boat 'Trojan'? Yes indeed, my wife and I usually bring her down to Cropredy a week or so before the festival. We did so this year, and it was clear that we were by no means the first to arrive. However, there were still plenty of vacant spaces at that time, including three between the lock and the road bridge. We then went home by car. I returned to the boat, as I usually do, three days before the festival began, to do some cleaning and to freshen up some of the paintwork. At that time the moorings between the lock and the bridge had filled up but a walk down the towpath showed that there were still a couple of spaces below the bridge. Between then and the beginning of the festival, a couple whom we know moved their boat twice, closer to the lock each time, as other boats had departed. So spaces were becoming available almost until the festival dates. Indeed one, just above Old Mill Bridge, was vacant until the first day of the festival.

I suggest to you that:

- No, "offender" is not the word, whether you are talking about me or about somebody else. How can there be an offence when the regular mooring rules have been suspended?

- A boat occupies the same amount of space whether there is somebody on board or not.

 

What happens is that boat crews, whether coming from North or South, see a row of boats extending some way beyond the village and assume that there will be no spaces beyond that, so they join the end of the line. But those who adopt a "Who dares wins" approach and carry on into the village will often find a mooring space. Perhaps you did not care to try this. I suggest that you try the camping sites next year; we have, both in a tent and in a motor home, they are quite nice and a couple of them have views of the canal.

 

Mr. Sqwared, you seem to know my boat. Do I know yours?

 

doubt it. we were moored above broadmoor last year. OH likes purple boats

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we were moored above broadmoor last year. OH likes purple boats

A fine choice of high-security establishment, Sir.

Yes, a couple of regulars have purple boats, 'Purple Haze' (which eventually ended up just above the lock after shuffling forwards a couple of times) is another, though they have tasteful lime green trim.

Edited by Athy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not at all. By the way, were you thinking of my boat in particular or is that just a case of "If the cap fits...."?

You do not mention your boat's name on your avatar, a pity, I could have looked out for it next year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Popular event becoming too popular?

Recognise you are part of the problem. Then, if you don't like all the other people going there as well, go somewhere else. Then you cease to be part of the problem so no-one can accuse you of calling the kettle black.

Much as I have liked FC for the last 40-odd years, if it is a hassle to go to the convention by boat then I would choose an alternative means of getting there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...especially as the OP mentioned being retired and thus having plenty of free time.

The public moorings below the town bridge, by the way, are 14-dayers so, as the regs are suspended for a week before the festival, you could legitimately take a mooring there three weeks in advance. One chap told me he'd been there since May, which I did think was pushing his luck a bit.

 

 

 

OP could always moor up abreast of me. That way I might finally cure the not go to bed until 3am problem as I would probably have to be quiet as they all go to bed just after the musics finished.

 

Might save on the Jack Daniels bill at the same time

 

 

 

One chap told me he'd been there since May, which I did think was pushing his luck a bit.

 

 

Bugger beat me down.

 

That would be "name withheld" then, not a forum member. Pity his Parkinsons disease and his prostrate cancer (hopefully recovering from) doesnt allow him to walk down from Broadmoor and only allows him to bring the boat with available helpers

 

 

Which purple boat be yours

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suggest it may be a good fund-raising exercise if CaRT imposed a 'Short-term mooring fees cost to all mooring 2 miles each side of the event

 

Maybe a fee of which the daily rate increases the earlier one arrives?

 

At least that way those whom want to arrive early, and guarantee moorings, will 'support CaRT' the most (purely in a fiscal sense of course :glare:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.