DANGEROUS MOORINGS

[FORTUNATA]

I had a letter from BW today informing me of a price increase for mooring and, to be honest, I'm not what you might call a satisfied customer. I've been concerned about my mooring for a while but now I have little doubt it's an accident waiting to happen.

With all this rain, the mooring platform is rotten through and through and ready to collapse.

You know, twice I've been in the canal when these platforms have collapsed. One minute you're walking, the next the floor is gone and you're in the canal, covered in scratches, nettle stings and bruises.

In the worst case scenario, there are stakes below with nails sticking out and those can really cause a gash.

I had a good look under mine today while I was down preparing my boat for the latest downpour and underneath there are only rotten stakes holding the whole platform up. The edges have steel girders so are a bit stronger.

I have 3 plans to save my neck:

(1) Tie ropes around my waist and the other ends to a tree if the mooring collapses to break my fall.

(2) Buy a circus safety net and stretch it from one end of the platform to the other.

(3) Keep laying down wooden boards trying to rest the edges on solid structures so my weight is distributed.

O.K. I know BW and the land owner will argue over who is responsible for the mooring but seeing as the landowner gets far less money for mooring I really think BW should take care of this.

Does anyone else not trust their mooring for safety? I think with all the rain, they can just rot away.

[Christine]

I would write to both the land owner and BW - (keep a copy) If they know about it, you may have some redress should anything happen, otherwise they could wriggle out of responsibility on the grounds that 'they didn't know'

[Yoda]

The ownership of your landing was probably the person who built it. Which now passes to you for repair.

[Badger_1]

Whats a Mooring?

[chris w]

At my BW mooring, there are about 20 boats. It's a very nice place, very pretty, secure and tranquil with elsan disposal, water and electric for all the boats. The BSS guy who surveyed my boat last year said it was one of the nicest moorings he visited.

 

Yet we complained to BW about the fact there are no safety ladders should someone fall in, the elsan station ought to be cleaned out more often and the grass should be cut regularly etc etc. A whole list of things. BW were not responsive to our requests saying that they were doing the necessary things on a regular basis. We took the matter to the ombudsman who upheld our complaint and who, in due course, ordered BW to refund a small part of our mooring fee, which they have now done.

 

I imagine they'll get it all back in spades when the new prices are announced - we'll have to see. Or maybe you guys are paying for us with the large hikes you've spoken about.

 

But it was gratifying that the small guy won for once even if it turns out to be a Pyrric victory.

 

Chris

[bottle]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</h3> Jump to: navigation, search

 

A mooring (also moorage) strictly speaking, refers to any device used to hold secure an object by means of cables, anchors, or lines though most often it is specifically a device to which a boat can attach so that it can remain in the same position. The boat is then moored.

 

A mooring is typically a heavy object located on the sea bed with a rope or cable going to the surface where a float makes it possible to pick it up from a boat.

 

Example: On The Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast, a vast number of public moorings are set out in popular areas where boats can moor. This is to avoid the massive damage that would be caused by anchoring in the same spot.

 

On inland waterways, boats can moor against mooring posts or rings along the riverbank or towpath.

 

Moorage can also refer to the act of keeping a boat moored in a marina, with a daily or monthly fee paid for occupying a berth of a given size.

 

 

Well you did ask

Edited December 4, 2006 by bottle

[Badger_1]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</h3> Jump to: navigation, search

 

A mooring (also moorage) strictly speaking, refers to any device used to hold secure an object by means of cables, anchors, or lines though most often it is specifically a device to which a boat can attach so that it can remain in the same position. The boat is then moored.

 

A mooring is typically a heavy object located on the sea bed with a rope or cable going to the surface where a float makes it possible to pick it up from a boat.

 

Example: On The Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast, a vast number of public moorings are set out in popular areas where boats can moor. This is to avoid the massive damage that would be caused by anchoring in the same spot.

 

On inland waterways, boats can moor against mooring posts or rings along the riverbank or towpath.

 

Moorage can also refer to the act of keeping a boat moored in a marina, with a daily or monthly fee paid for occupying a berth of a given size.

Well you did ask

 

 

Thanks. I think ive seen loads of em along the canal sides but never been near enough to actually have a go at trying one.

They usually come with flower pots, old bikes, lumps of trees and 20 - 30 black bin bags dont they?

[Liam]

Thanks. I think ive seen loads of em along the canal sides but never been near enough to actually have a go at trying one.

They usually come with flower pots, old bikes, lumps of trees and 20 - 30 black bin bags dont they?

Don't forget the huge stack of logs, and the generator

[allybsc]

Don't forget the huge stack of logs, and the generator

 

Don't forget the mangy mean looking dog tied to a tree

[Liam]

Don't forget the mangy mean looking dog tied to a tree

I prefer to keep the mrs indoors, out of the way.

 

 

::: Runs and hides :::

[allybsc]

I prefer to keep the mrs indoors, out of the way.

::: Runs and hides :::

 

You can run...but you cannot hide from the shame of that last remark...bad Liam

 

Edited for parlous spelling!

Edited December 4, 2006 by allybsc

[Liam]

Ok I'm naughty... and have also gone

 

Sorrreeeeeeee

[FORTUNATA]

No complaint about the location of my mooring. Lots of swans, ducks and wildlife. Even so, that platform is a death-trap. I can't really ask the lady to fix it up as it wouldn't be "economically viable" for her for the small fee she charges. It's B.W. that gets the lion's share and although I understand they only own the canal section, I think they should do something about the mooring.

I have no immediate wishes to fall in the canal a third time and, believe me, it's a painful experience. Also, this mooring is more elevated than the last one that caved in, so I would have a real fall - hitting rocks, nails, sticks, thorns and heavens knows what else.

The thing is it's the rain. When you get rain on this level, moorings are bound to rot. When mine does give way, I reckon the whole lot will go tumbling down. I'd hate to be carrying an outboard engine or a battery when that happens - sheesh!

Anyone hear about the demo the other week by boat-owners after the Government cut funding?

 

 

Whats a Mooring?

[Liam]

I understand where you're coming from.. and it's not a good situation to be in but you don't mention that you've spoken to BW about this... ?

[bottle]

Am I reading Fortunata wrong?

 

This sounds like it is 'private mooring' not owned by BW it is owned by 'the lady who charges such a small fee'.

 

Any mooring on the canal system has to pay a charge to BW, some owners make the charge and pass it on to BW.

 

It seems in this case Fortunata pays a small fee to the mooring owner (the lady) and another fee to BW.

 

If I understand this correctly, the mooring has nothing whatsoever to do with BW (except that they charge their fee like every other mooring) the responsibility is either the mooring owner (the lady) or Fortunata's.

[FORTUNATA]

You're probably correct. The snag is the lady would rather scrap the mooring altogether than pay to have it restored. Added to that, BW is putting my mooring up to a higher fee.

However, the land may lie, I'm still in need of a mooring that's safe.

Maybe my best option would be to move the boat to some other location.

 

Am I reading Fortunata wrong?

 

This sounds like it is 'private mooring' not owned by BW it is owned by 'the lady who charges such a small fee'.

 

Any mooring on the canal system has to pay a charge to BW, some owners make the charge and pass it on to BW.

 

It seems in this case Fortunata pays a small fee to the mooring owner (the lady) and another fee to BW.

 

If I understand this correctly, the mooring has nothing whatsoever to do with BW (except that they charge their fee like every other mooring) the responsibility is either the mooring owner (the lady) or Fortunata's.

[chris w]

The snag is the lady would rather scrap the mooring altogether than pay to have it restored

Whether that's her view or not, she owes you a legal duty of care. If, in her professional capacity (as a renter), she is held to have breached that duty of care and you suffer loss as a result (ie: material loss, injury etc) she can be sued for negligence should something untoward happen.

 

Chris

[Dr Bradley]

In the circumstances you seem to have two choices - fix it yourself or move(and probablypay more). It does not seem to beBW resposibility as it';s effectively a private mooring. May be tough but that's what you get for private (cheaper) moorings.

[FORTUNATA]

I wouldn't take any action on those lines if the mooring collapsed. What she wanted was for the boat to be towed off and, in fact, she virtually pleaded with me to get rid of it.

My current strategy is to lay sheets of solid board over the rotten surface and try and make sure the edges are rested on something solid. I may add a safety net as well, stretched over the entire platform and tied tight to nearby trees.

However, I will be writing to BW to point out their evaluation of the mooring (and price increase) hasn't taken into account the rotten platform. I don't know what the response will be to that.

 

 

 

 

Whether that's her view or not, she owes you a legal duty of care. If, in her professional capacity (as a renter), she is held to have breached that duty of care and you suffer loss as a result (ie: material loss, injury etc) she can be sued for negligence should something untoward happen.

 

Chris

[tony collins]

In the circumstances you seem to have two choices - fix it yourself or move(and probablypay more). It does not seem to beBW resposibility as it';s effectively a private mooring. May be tough but that's what you get for private (cheaper) moorings.

 

I agree, I don't see how this is BW's responsibiliy at all. They are charging you to moor on their water. It would appear that the landowner is charging you to moor against her bank. The provision of access on to the boat, unless specifically mentioned in your rental agreement, is probably an informal matter. The lady's best option is to have the "unsafe" platform removed and leave you to solve the problem of how to get on you boat. I am assuming that she didn't build the platform in the first place. The most likely builder is a previous moorer who wanted to make access to his boat easier.

 

Why not rebuild it yourself? A weekend's work and a few quid= problem solved.

 

Tony

[Jon]

More of a general boating issue I think.... moved