Revised Visitor Mooring at Foxton

[Kwacker]

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/mooring/south-east-visitor-moorings/foxton-visitor-moorings

 

No more will my (or anybody's) boat languish for 14 days above or below the locks at Foxton.

 

[Leo No2]

I have just put a similar post up concerning Stoke Bruerne but in Waterways News.

 

May I suggest that these changes to visitor moorings are brought together somewhere and perhaps pinned for a short time so that there is a 'Visitor Mooring Resource' and perhaps that they have similar tags e.g. 'Visitor Moorings' and the location e.g. In this case 'Foxton'.

[matty40s]

They are.....on waterCRTape.

[nicknorman]

Foxton can be busy with hire boats etc, but was there actually a problem with unreasonable use of the moorings?

[Tuscan]

No , have posted my thoughts on the Stoke Breune thread.

[Kwacker]

No , have posted my thoughts on the Stoke Breune thread.

Sorry, but I have to disagree, I was thoroughly fed up of seeing the same boats on the moorings closest to the pubs, as though they owned the place.

Now, at least you will be fairly certain to get a mooring, and being in the middle of nowhere, 48 hours should be easily long enough to sample all it's delights.

[Kwacker]

Foxton update.

No problem getting on the visitor mooring either above or below the locks since the revised restrictions came in.

Passing down the locks last Saturday was pure joy, we even managed to moor on the (24 hr) mooring outside the Inn for a celebratory drink.

Previously, boats were mooring on the water points if they wanted to stop for a drink, as all the (then)14 day visitor moorings were full of mostly unoccupied boats.

I have visited many times on foot since the restrictions came in, as I realise that this is a contentious issue, and noted that the moorings are generally busy but never full during the day, and practically empty overnight.

From this, I would deduce that most boats are stopping to have a look around the site during the day, then moving off to a rural mooring, of which there are many beautiful ones, overnight.

Some on here have complained about the new signs being unsightly, but they have merely replaced the old existing wooden posts with slightly taller ones, so no real change there once they've weathered in.

Still plenty of boat movements for the car-borne visitors to watch.

 

In short -

Previously, if you cruised to Foxton Locks, you might have been able to moor on the VMs at the top or bottom, and occasionally get on the water points for a refill, depending on when you arrived.

Now, you almost certainly will get on the VMs and water points at any time.

[pearley]

We must have been really lucky then when we were at Foxton in July last year. Plenty of space between Bridges 62 & 63 and over a period of 3 weeks we came back 3 times for one or two nights. Never had trouble at the water points either, there are 4 of them as I recall.

 

As for the stretch up to Bridge 3 on the Harborough Arm, I can only recall a couple of boats being there.

 

Regards

Pete

[cotswoldsman]

We must have been really lucky then when we were at Foxton in July last year. Plenty of space between Bridges 62 & 63 and over a period of 3 weeks we came back 3 times for one or two nights. Never had trouble at the water points either, there are 4 of them as I recall.

 

As for the stretch up to Bridge 3 on the Harborough Arm, I can only recall a couple of boats being there.

 

Regards

Pete

Same here never had a problem mooring at Foxton with 2 boats and once with Mac of Cygnet fame making 3 boats.

[Tuscan]

Same here we and others from the marina nearby haven't had a problem . Ive often stopped on the 24 hour mooring even when arriving in the afternoon. This year it's been easier as there have been fewer boats and CRT have moved those that had previously overstayed off the moorings.

 

As an aside when visiting busy sites like Braunston I've always expected them to be busy/full if I turn up early evening early evening. This doesnt seem to have been a problem in most areas this year.

[johnmck]

 

We have moored up in Foxton tonight. It is very quiet and allowed us to get onto our favoured mooring without a problem. That said, the whole system has been quiet, all summer. Where have all the boats gone? Is the canal boater in decline, it sure seems so. Last year I could understand it, but this year!

[MtB]

So if I take REGINALD up to Foxton soon, where is the nearest 14 day mooring on piling? Or do I need to invest in some 1m long circus tent pegs and a sledgehammer?

 

Thanks,

 

MtB

[Tuscan]

So if I take REGINALD up to Foxton soon, where is the nearest 14 day mooring on piling? Or do I need to invest in some 1m long circus tent pegs and a sledgehammer?

 

Thanks,

 

MtB

Stop at the top on the towpath side just before the bridge. No 14 day on the VM's.

[alan_fincher]

It seems funny that the local enforcement guy who attended the South East Visitor Mooring workshops himself stated there were only about 2 boats he was aware of that overstayed there, and that these could easily be dealt with under existing rules, if a genuine will existed.

 

It seems sad to me at Foxton, (or Stoke Bruerne, or anywhere else rightly deemed "popular"), if otherwise compliant boaters can never have a boat on moorings there for more than 2 days, without threat of penalty charges, simply as a way of deterring a small number of persistent offenders who could surely be tackled without any draconian change required that affects those who do follow rules.

 

Sorry but this is sledgehammer to crack a nut territory, yet again - and can only be achieved by spending swathes of money that could far better have been spent on things that more boaters might agree on an actual need for.

Even if there is an increased chance of finding a slot on those rare occasions it might have been problematic, how ever much is being spent to achieve that Holy Grail?

[MtB]

It seems funny that the local enforcement guy who attended the South East Visitor Mooring workshops himself stated there were only about 2 boats he was aware of that overstayed there, and that these could easily be dealt with under existing rules, if a genuine will existed.

 

It seems sad to me at Foxton, (or Stoke Bruerne, or anywhere else rightly deemed "popular"), if otherwise compliant boaters can never have a boat on moorings there for more than 2 days, without threat of penalty charges, simply as a way of deterring a small number of persistent offenders who could surely be tackled without any draconian change required that affects those who do follow rules.

 

Sorry but this is sledgehammer to crack a nut territory, yet again - and can only be achieved by spending swathes of money that could far better have been spent on things that more boaters might agree on an actual need for.

 

Even if there is an increased chance of finding a slot on those rare occasions it might have been problematic, how ever much is being spent to achieve that Holy Grail?

 

I don't think so. it's all about ease of enforcement IMO.

 

If 14 days is allowed, then an enforcement officer has to go there every day and record a potentially overstaying boat's presence for 15 consecutive days. Maybe even twice a day to be sure of court-acceptable evidence. Miss out one of the 15 days and the whole process has to be started again from scratch while boaters fume on CWF here about overstaying at Foxton.

 

Change it to 48 hours and nailing overstayers suddenly gets a whole lot easier. Only three consecutive days of recording necessary. I think this change makes enforcement a shedload easier for CRT.

 

 

MtB

[alan_fincher]

Change it to 48 hours and nailing overstayers suddenly gets a whole lot easier. Only three consecutive days of recording necessary. I think this change makes enforcement a shedload easier for CRT.

Yes, I think a number of us worked that out some time ago!

 

Try actually getting CRT to admit the motives for potentially forcing this change on everybody to deter just a few, and you'll not get far though.

 

Why do you think they keep trying to bottle out on the concession that the restrictions don't apply out of season, (it is omitted from all the signage at Stoke Bruerne - hardly an oversight).

 

There will always be plenty of space at these sites out of season, whether the stringent restrictions are in force at that time or not.

 

I argue "Mr Shiny Boater" will have little trouble spending more than 2 days at these sites in winter, and will not get charged, but I think if "Mr Scruffy Boater" turns up there for more than a few days, he'll suddenly start receiving invoices, even though space is not in any way at a premium.

 

I'd love to be proved wrong, but enough words have been let slip at press briefings and user group meetings, (where they like to hear "Mr Scruffy Boater" will get his come-uppance), that I'm afraid I think I have known for some time exactly what the unstated agenda always was.

[madcat]

Pretty blooming annoying and scary,scruffy boat owner so getting anxious. If this continues then I will just sell up and walk away. There's too many histories up for sale at the moment all though I think I know somebody who wants a sound one to convert.

[MtB]

Trouble is, Mr Shiny boater is taking over the cut now it's in broadly working order.

 

A bit of the dereliction coming our way once CRT decide they can't maintain ALL of it is no bad thing IMO. It'll keep the shiny brigade out of the most interesting bits.

 

 

MtB

[johnmck]

 

Well this "shiny boater" has done over 800 miles this year. Actually, I find it rather nice to turn up at a reasonable time and be able to find a mooring. I consider myself a boater, matters not if the boat shines.

[cotswoldsman]

Well this "shiny boater" has done over 800 miles this year. Actually, I find it rather nice to turn up at a reasonable time and be able to find a mooring. I consider myself a boater, matters not if the boat shines.

I try to keep my boat shinny and Stan that I cruise with had a complete repaint this year and his boat is extra shinny. I hate this shinny v scruffy thing nearly as bas as CCers v The Rest. I have a dream that one day we will all become boaters

[MtB]

Agreed.

 

Categorising then group-condemning people as 'shiny boaters' is just as unacceptable really as categorising and condemning people for being 'CCers', 'CMers', 'Scruffy boats' and 'Ex-working boats'...

 

Having said that there is a broad tendency for each of these groups to exhibit certain characteristics even though individual members of the group may not exhibit all of them, which is why they get identified and named as groups.

 

Shiny boaters tend to be new to boating without any long history of interest in the cut of boating in particular, tend to have sold a house and thrown a pile of money at a brand new boat and expect it to be as close as possible inside as a house, tend to be over-precious about their paintwork and think the boat can be kept like new for ever, tend to leave in in marinas 99% of the time and only go boating on sunny days in the high cruising season, and tend to be the same type of person who spends Sunday morning every week cleaning and polishing the car... to chuck a load of clichés into the ring for dissection

 

Johnmck is clearly not a shiny boater whatever he claims

 

MtB

[dew]

I ask myself what kind of brainless moron voluntarily enters into the divide and rule mentality then plays an active part. If one looks for anything then one will find it, including similarities instead of differences. Unless we admit we have been trained like dogs to look for differences and to judge those around us then we can never see similarities and we can never escape the trap laid for us.

[Kwacker]

We must have been really lucky then when we were at Foxton in July last year. Plenty of space between Bridges 62 & 63 and over a period of 3 weeks we came back 3 times for one or two nights. Never had trouble at the water points either, there are 4 of them as I recall.

 

As for the stretch up to Bridge 3 on the Harborough Arm, I can only recall a couple of boats being there.

 

Regards

Pete

Boat numbers were well down last year beacuse of the no-show summer.

I still can't see a problem with the fair and equitable sharing of a scarce resource such as the VMs at Foxton, and that's what the 48 hour limit does.

As you state, there are plenty of scenic, piled 14 day moorings just beyond the VMs for those that want to dally, and long may they do so.

[by'eck]

Posted in error

Edited September 12, 2013 by by'eck

[ditchcrawler]

Well this "shiny boater" has done over 800 miles this year. Actually, I find it rather nice to turn up at a reasonable time and be able to find a mooring. I consider myself a boater, matters not if the boat shines.

Mine would be shiny if the paint didn't keep falling off. I only do about 1000 hrs a year.

 

Remember you all start shouting if someone says something about a CC. not all shiny boaters are the same just like not all CCs are the same