Article By Vaghan Welch - One Of Your Four CRT Council Boater Representatives

[carlt]

The thing is they have the same solution and can be dealt with in the same way. It would be nice to hear CRT being a bit more vocal about it.

No they don't.

 

They are dealt with in two completely different ways.

[shebablue]

I was at the meeting in Skipton as some of you will be aware.I was probably the protagonist that kept the first point of the agenda going for an hour.This first point was about non compliance of some boaters to the CCing rule.First of all let me make it clear that I have a private mooring in Skipton Town centre with all amenities I need at my yard.I have no axe to grind with any other type of boat or boater.I love my boat,building boats and the canal life.So it is with deep regret that I have read some of the threads that have been posted on this forum about marina dwellers,CMers,CCers,licence dodgers,tramp boats,shiny boats etc,etc.It also disappoints me that there some out there that could even post these threads about their fellow boaters.Each of us are different,we have different lives to live and different ways of living that life and life can deal some savage blows.I have come across boaters who have been in marinas but would rather not be there and others who want to be because they have the security,place to park a vehicle or they like the social aspect of said marina.Others have been live aboards but have been asked to leave because they have young children, their boat wasn't shiny enough or they just could not afford the marina costs.I know some who had the nice new boat,the house,that nice marina but have since fallen on hard times.They decided to move onto the boat but cannot afford that marina anymore.They can't afford to continuously cruise either because of diesel prices,job,family commitments,health reasons the list goes on.If only I could give up my mooring and cruise,that would be my personal heaven and I am sure that would be same for may others.I say cruise not constantly cruise,I would prefer to keep the friends I have made and the jobs we have in this area for the time being and hopefully when retirement beckons we can constantly cruise.So this brings me to the suggestion I put to Sally Ash at the meeting regarding the idea of mooring zones.Let me use Skipton as the example.An inner and outer zone licence.A levy would be charged for each of the zones,the inner zone having the higher charge on top of the CCing licence.The boat would still have to move every 14 days but the inner zone could be around the 5 mile mark.So two and half miles one way and two and half the other from the Town centre.The licences could be capped to say 10 boats for the inner zone and twenty for the outer zone.The outer zone could be say 10 miles from said Town.As I have said this is using a small Town for comparison.The CRT would benefit by gaining extra revenue and less policing and these boaters would benefit too.Yes I have asked quite a number of boaters in this area and they acknowledge they would have to pay more and are happy to do so.In the spirit of the canal community,discuss!

[shebablue]

reading this i can see a very good answer to our problem i would be more than happy to pay extra ontop of my license fee to be allowed to stay in this area if no permanent mooring was available.it would of course generate more money,and help those who have no choice but to float around untill this problem is solved. makes sense to me.

 

I would also like to thank you for the very kind and considerate posts pertaining to our situation it makes me feel that maybe there is hope and we may get accepted into the very diverse and entertaining life of boating.

I would be grateful cotswoldsman if you had a name and contact number we could contact at CRT and try to move things on with our situation ? we obviously have been talking to the wrong people..I thank you for your support

 

 

best wishes papillion

[Smelly]

I suspect Rusty Shackleford may be Mr Welch...

 

There's certainly a boat called "shackleford" on the site next to the pub I've often seen him drinking in.

[alan_fincher]

I suspect Rusty Shackleford may be Mr Welch...

 

There's certainly a boat called "shackleford" on the site next to the pub I've often seen him drinking in.

Well no boat called Shackleford comes up on the Jim Shead listings......

 

Perhaps you need to take a notebook and camera along, and check it has a valid licence!

Edited January 16, 2013 by alan_fincher

[Guest]

Well no boat called Shackleford comes up on the Jim Shea listings......

 

Perhaps you need to take a notebook and camera along, and check it has a valid licence!

 

Hasn't it already been pointed out on here that Jim Shead's listings can often be lacking..

 

...boat name change not recorded with the trust being an example...

[Smelly]

Well no boat called Shackleford comes up on the Jim Shea listings......

 

Perhaps you need to take a notebook and camera along, and check it has a valid licence!

 

12 months since I've been up there. I wonder whether Mr Shackleford might comment...

[alan_fincher]

12 months since I've been up there. I wonder whether Mr Shackleford might comment...

Vaughan Welch is claimed to have a Peter Nicholls boat - these are often are fairly distinctive, if you know what you are looking for.

[Smelly]

I Don't but it's got a distinctive bow as I remember... I shall Google!

 

There's a '78 boat with the same bow on the duck.

[alan_fincher]

I've yet to see anything in print with Vaughan Welch's real name against it where he proposes things like the mandatory fitting of GPS devices to boats to allow checks how much they are moving. So if "Rusty" is "Vaughan" he is going quite a bit further with his utterances under his pseudonym on the forum than he is actually prepared to when he writes in IWA branch magazines.

 

I'm not convinced yet, but I can see where you are coming from!

[Smelly]

Photographing offending boats is far enough in my eyes.

[Tuscan]

Photographing offending boats is far enough in my eyes.

 

Don't disagree but isn't that that what CRT do? Dawned on me yesterday as the patrol guys went past that we've been on the same bit of towpath ( away from the visitor/winter moorings and their gen sets for 10 days and are now iced in so 14 days is looking dodgy. Will I get a dispensation (claiming mad marina based shiny boat) or do we need to get out with the pole trying to make passage. Whers's Sally when you need her.

[Smelly]

I should probably say that I have lived and cruised in the West Mids and especially on Mr Welch 's doorstep for nearly 7 years and there's no problem with mooring; even those who travel less than I have while without a home mooring have usually left space... although there are two exceptions.

 

Just in case; neither are my friends on FB although both have been participators here in times past.

 

Don't disagree but isn't that that what CRT do? Dawned on me yesterday as the patrol guys went past that we've been on the same bit of towpath ( away from the visitor/winter moorings and their gen sets for 10 days and are now iced in so 14 days is looking dodgy. Will I get a dispensation (claiming mad marina based shiny boat) or do we need to get out with the pole trying to make passage. Whers's Sally when you need her.

 

It'll be a fortnight for me come Saturday and I plan to move. If it's iced up I can't ,but I need diesel and coal. IWA are trying to drive CRT's agenda ATM and it's scary that the rep's are publishing articles to establish that. The tail's wagging the dog!

[alan_fincher]

Will I get a dispensation (claiming mad marina based shiny boat) or do we need to get out with the pole trying to make passage. Whers's Sally when you need her.

A problem we would not have with "Sickle".

 

It's BW Blue, with "British Waterways" painted prominently on it, so provided we tie it up with rough old blue nylon string, it can be left on any water point or lock landing for as long as we like, and I doubt anybody is going to do anything about it!

[Smelly]

Double post

Edited January 16, 2013 by Smelly

[Tuscan]

I should probably say that I have lived and cruised in the West Mids and especially on Mr Welch 's doorstep for nearly 7 years and there's no problem with mooring; even those who travel less than I have while without a home mooring have usually left space... although there are two exceptions.

 

Just in case; neither are my friends on FB although both have been participators here in times past.

 

 

 

It'll be a fortnight for me come Saturday and I plan to move. If it's iced up I can't ,but I need diesel and coal. IWA are trying to drive CRT's agenda ATM and it's scary that the rep's are publishing articles to establish that. The tail's wagging the dog!

 

 

The only reason we stayed put is Calisto Came through yesterday so sorted. I must be weird but we came out in this weather on purpose , love the countryside like this.

[Smelly]

The only reason we stayed put is Calisto Came through yesterday so sorted. I must be weird but we came out in this weather on purpose , love the countryside like this.

 

Me too... looking forward to snowy cruising on Saturday.

[Rusty Shackleford]

No they don't.

 

They are dealt with in two completely different ways.

 

 

So what do you propose?

 

I gave you in my earlier posts what could happen, or more accurately, what will happen. Now, that seems to rub people up the wrong way, why I don't know, fear that I may be right? Time will tell, but as the camera thing goes (video cameras), you can't stop people putting them on their boats, you wouldn't even know they were there if you position them in a window. It's just the way life is, how humans react, how they have evolved to only do the right thing through the threat of the stick. People lie so people gather evidence, tough, going to happen, deal with it.

 

 

As for my name and who I am, no I don't have any vested interests. I own a boat and hire like many of you. I see the problems from my perspective and I see potential solutions. As if who I am would actually make any difference to if I'm right or not? If nobody is going to debate ideas and what might happen, stuff that will effect us all, then really, what is the point being here? Is it just a mob crowd to bully people into thinking one certain point of view? Oh, and google Rusty Shackleford. Dale will give you a clue!

Edited January 17, 2013 by Rusty Shackleford

[Doorman]

 

I must be weird but we came out in this weather on purpose , love the countryside like this.

 

You're not alone.

 

We moor close to the village but far enough away to enjoy wonderful views all around us that are only enhanced further by the winter weather. Such a contrast from urban life.

[carlt]

So what do you propose?

What I propose is that CRT use the powers they have to move boats causing an obstruction or hazard,using BWA 1983 s8(5) and BWA 1995 s.18.

 

They can use BWA 1995 s.17(3)© and BWA 1983 s.8 to address overstaying ccers but there is no real way to deal with overstaying boats that have a home mooring other than through the licence T&Cs which CRT acknowledge have no force of law.

 

None of these powers require outraged busybodies to attach snooping equipment to their boats but, if that's your hobby, good luck to you.

[Ray T]

One of my idiosyncrasies is I like to take pictures of boats on the cut which interest me.

 

Ideas I like or purely out of interest. Sad as I am I like taking photo's of ex working boats, out of historical interest, leisure boats with good ideas to copy and a host of other reasons.

 

If I wave my camera at any boat now am I going to get beaten up, chased off the towpath or get my camera thrown in the cut as some one may think I am operating on behalf of the IWA or whoever?

 

Like others I have also done time lapse videos off my boat.

 

Sad day if this ever happens.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Ray T

[Higgs]

A problem we would not have with "Sickle".

 

It's BW Blue, with "British Waterways" painted prominently on it, so provided we tie it up with rough old blue nylon string, it can be left on any water point or lock landing for as long as we like, and I doubt anybody is going to do anything about it!

 

If it ain't driftin' halfway across the cut on slack lines it'll not look authentic.

[carlt]

Sad day if this ever happens.

If people like the anonymous Mr Shackleford get their way then this is inevitable.

 

Ironic that someone who wants to publicly name and shame people he assumes are overstaying without sanction would rather peddle his nonsense behind the veil of anonymity.

[Alfie & Smartie]

Awwwww diddums, too slow for you? Try the train next time and get mumsy to do you some sandwiches for lunch ;-)

lol great

[c c]

As for my name and who I am, no I don't have any vested interests. I own a boat and hire like many of you. I see the problems from my perspective and I see potential solutions. As if who I am would actually make any difference to if I'm right or not? If nobody is going to debate ideas and what might happen, stuff that will effect us all, then really, what is the point being here? Is it just a mob crowd to bully people into thinking one certain point of view? Oh, and google Rusty Shackleford. Dale will give you a clue!

 

Sadly, very sadly, I can point to the answer to this one….

Dale Alvin Gribble, is a 47 year old character in one of those annoying repetitive American cartoon series so addicted to by our teenage grandson. The character purports to be a bounty hunter, exterminator, smoker, gun fanatic, and paranoid believer of almost all conspiracy theories involving the government, aliens, or otherwise. He uses the alias Rusty Shackleford whenever he doesn't want his real name known, including when ordering pizza but reveals his identity anyway through one act of stupidity or another, such as using the two names interchangeably with the same person.

What beggars belief is that we are in the company of, and actually reading the ramblings of, a Forum member who apparently adopts the alias of a cartoon character who has adopted the alias of a completely imaginary character. Who is going to tell him that he does not actually exist.