Stoke Bruerne Visitor Moorings

[matty40s]

Ah,...you see.... these are NOT fines, they are extended stay charges which you choose to enjoy.

You cannot pre-pay for these charges, even if you want to.

You cannot book early, and pay for a few extra nights, even if you want to.

You cannot pay on site - in the museum or a warden/enforcement officer or by phone, even if you want to.

You cannot in fact, do anything other than get it charged after you have moved on ,...to your "boat licence account" - which is total bollocks as you don't have an account, you just pay for your annual licence.

Therefore your misguided assertion that these are penalty fines is entirely correct - however, CRT say it is still a mooring extended stay charge.

[RLWP]

Looks like a duck to me

 

Richard

[Tom and Bex]

Well I have to say there was no problem finding a space (as expected) but the whole area around the junction looked very desolate compared to normal with no boats there at all so nothing for the visitors to see when they come. This is an area that used to be full of life all year. Also no boats at all between the 2 swing bridges - why did they have to make that whole stretch 2 day and 7 day - surely that stretch should have been 14 day as I can't ever remember seeing many boats moored there.

 

As for the (un)welcome signs how on earth do they expect boaters to read them? I've no idea what they said or if they mentioned winter mooring as the writing is so small is impossible to read unless you stop directly underneath, and even then you almost need a magnifying glass -despite the signs being so big the writing is tiny.

 

As already mentioned I've never had a problem mooring at Foxton before these restrictions came in but deliberately avoid the area now preferring to go up to Smeeton bends on our own rather than Foxton. The only place we have had problems mooring before is at Braunston which they haven't included yet but even there we have always managed to moor along the puddle banks but you need the plank for that.

 

Now moored at Harborough not wanting to outstay our welcome at Foxton! Probably head straight back to Debdale tomorrow rather than stop at Foxton again. I want boating to be relaxing not to put up with the kind of signage and warnings you get at private car parks!

 

 

Anyway sorry for the long post.

 

Tom

[Leo No2]

I have just been for a walk down the Stoke Bruerne flight. As you would imagine at this time of year it is very quiet but what I find amazing is that there are two boats that have been left in the Long Pound so there's a total of two between Locks 15 and 16. Nothing wrong with that until you realise that one of them has been left on the lock waiting area for lock 15 and, for the record, it is facing down the flight. Is it causing any issues for anyone wishing to use Lock 15, no it's not but could it have been moored on the 14-day winter moorings in the Long pound. Of course it could have been and it would have been so much better if it had but it shows, in my opinion, that CRT have to deal with all sorts of people and it's no wonder we have what is, in my view, quite complex signage. Yes we could have easier signage but when fellow boaters seemingly just dump a boat in an area with clear signage saying 'Lock waiting only' with available 14-day mooring just a stone's throw away it doesn't, in my view, do any of us any favours.

[Keeping Up]

I have just been for a walk down the Stoke Bruerne flight. As you would imagine at this time of year it is very quiet but what I find amazing is that there are two boats that have been left in the Long Pound so there's a total of two between Locks 15 and 16. Nothing wrong with that until you realise that one of them has been left on the lock waiting area for lock 15 and, for the record, it is facing down the flight. Is it causing any issues for anyone wishing to use Lock 15, no it's not but could it have been moored on the 14-day winter moorings in the Long pound. Of course it could have been and it would have been so much better if it had but it shows, in my opinion, that CRT have to deal with all sorts of people and it's no wonder we have what is, in my view, quite complex signage. Yes we could have easier signage but when fellow boaters seemingly just dump a boat in an area with clear signage saying 'Lock waiting only' with available 14-day mooring just a stone's throw away it doesn't, in my view, do any of us any favours.

Is it on the part which has always been lock mooring (nearest the lock) or is it on the one boat's length which was VM until recently (nearest the towpath bridge). It really annoys me that this latter mooring has been lost as part of an exercise which was supposed to improve the availability of moorings! Particularly as Jeff Whyatt's stated reason for doing so is just "to simplify the signage", and especially since it has always been popular because it is the only mooring where you can get a satellite TV signal.

[MtB]

Is it on the part which has always been lock mooring (nearest the lock) or is it on the one boat's length which was VM until recently (nearest the towpath bridge). It really annoys me that this latter mooring has been lost as part of an exercise which was supposed to improve the availability of moorings! Particularly as Jeff Whyatt's stated reason for doing so is just "to simplify the signage", and especially since it has always been popular because it is the only mooring where you can get a satellite TV signal.

 

Do boaters really go to Stoke Bruerne to watch telly?

 

 

MtB

[Leo No2]

Is it on the part which has always been lock mooring (nearest the lock) or is it on the one boat's length which was VM until recently (nearest the towpath bridge). It really annoys me that this latter mooring has been lost as part of an exercise which was supposed to improve the availability of moorings! Particularly as Jeff Whyatt's stated reason for doing so is just "to simplify the signage", and especially since it has always been popular because it is the only mooring where you can get a satellite TV signal.

Allan - it's moored just on the lock side (upstream as it were) of the old bridge where the arm went off into what is now the wildlife reserve. It is nowhere near the lock but my point was (and is) that if boaters can't moor according to the signage (whatever the rights and wrongs of the signage) I am not surprised that CRT can appear heavy handed. I am sure no one would object if it were just an overnight mooring but someone seems to have moored, locked up and gone away which is the thing I find amazing when it is literally a stone's throw to the 14-day moorings.

[Keeping Up]

Allan - it's moored just on the lock side (upstream as it were) of the old bridge where the arm went off into what is now the wildlife reserve. It is nowhere near the lock but my point was (and is) that if boaters can't moor according to the signage (whatever the rights and wrongs of the signage) I am not surprised that CRT can appear heavy handed. I am sure no one would object if it were just an overnight mooring but someone seems to have moored, locked up and gone away which is the thing I find amazing when it is literally a stone's throw to the 14-day moorings.

 

So yes that's the part that was visitor mooring until this year - but I agree, we have a responsibility to follow the posted rules and especially not to take the pi$$ like this.

[jenlyn]

Stick 6 foot fencing up on both sides of the canal, from tunnel to bottom lock. That way, we wont have to look at stoke bruerne, and theywont have to look at us.....

[Tuscan]

Not sure where I am on this . There are 2 boats on the whole pound none of which are causing an obstruction, is this really a problem ? Do we think the owner is deliberately sticking two fingers up at CRT? I suspect that he probably thought with the stoppages it's really quiet and in my view it's safe to leave the boat here as I've done in previous years. If the CRT guys or one of the many local SB boaters think he's causing an obstruction then surely it would be a friendly gesture to move it . We need to start helping each other a bit.

[Leo No2]

Just taken the boat through the tunnel following the Illuminated Boats event at Stoke Bruerne last night. I noticed that all (I think) of the totem poles between the museum green and the winding hole now have 14-day limits, I assume for the winter period - I couldn't see them in the dark last night!

I think that's a bit of a result from all who have input into the overall suggestion that these limitations should be relaxed.

Whilst I could be critical of CRT for the initial imposition I think now is the time to welcome the relaxation they have allowed rather than rake over old ground. So well done CRT.

 

Sorry I read the sign incorrectly. Please see post 613.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Leo No2

[Mike Tee]

I only glanced at them this morning, and may not have taken the info on board properly, but I think the signs read 2 day stay with a max in Stoke Bruerne of 14 days. I only walked up as far as the winding hole, so any info on the first pole out of the tunnel may well differ. So not 14 days, unless I read it wrong!

(Nice to put a face to the name.)

[Leo No2]

I only glanced at them this morning, and may not have taken the info on board properly, but I think the signs read 2 day stay with a max in Stoke Bruerne of 14 days. I only walked up as far as the winding hole, so any info on the first pole out of the tunnel may well differ. So not 14 days, unless I read it wrong!

(Nice to put a face to the name.)

 

Mike you are right - oh goodness - I have misread them (all too easy) - likewise nice to put a name to a face.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Leo No2

[Leo No2]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but just to say that apart from the disabled moorings and about 20' we could recover by moving boats around, Stoke Bruerne between the top lock and the southern portal of Blisworth tunnel is full this evening.

 

That's good for local businesses and also for the museum which reopened yesterday after the refurbishment.

[john6767]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but just to say that apart from the disabled moorings and about 20' we could recover by moving boats around, Stoke Bruerne between the top lock and the southern portal of Blisworth tunnel is full this evening.

 

That's good for local businesses and also for the museum which reopened yesterday after the refurbishment.

Topical for us, we are near Weedon and are intending to moor at SB tomorrow. I was going to go part way down the locks and turn and then moor in the long pound, do we have a chance ?

[Leo No2]

Topical for us, we are near Weedon and are intending to moor at SB tomorrow. I was going to go part way down the locks and turn and then moor in the long pound, do we have a chance ?

You should be OK - there was oodles of space there yesterday - there's a few boats that are due to move on from the 'Tunnel Pound' tomorrow. I'd be inclined to moor as soon as you see some space after the tunnel and then walk down and see what's available where - if you are less than 60' you can wind outside the Boat Inn - just line up with the ice cream signs!

[john6767]

You should be OK - there was oodles of space there yesterday - there's a few boats that are due to move on from the 'Tunnel Pound' tomorrow. I'd be inclined to moor as soon as you see some space after the tunnel and then walk down and see what's available where - if you are less than 60' you can wind outside the Boat Inn - just line up with the ice cream signs!

Thanks we will do that.

[john6767]

We are moored at Stoke Bruerne now.

 

We Came out of the tunnel at about 3pm and there were about 6 spaces between the tunnel and top lock. We went down the first 3 locks turned then back up 1 to moor on the long pound, there are now 4 boats including us in the whole pound. Not exactly busy for a bank holiday Saturday.