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How many more boats can London take?

Leo No2

By Leo No2
in General Boating

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted (edited)

The plain fact is CRT have lost control in London and they will never get it back. The last I heard was 2,"00 declared as not having a "home mooring"

Although apparently you still have a reasonable chance of finding a mooring even in the most popular locations.

 

Like all popular mooring you take a chance on vacancies. Paddington Basin is a nice place to moor and it is 7 day mooring. I was told when I went down best to arrive on a Tuesday or Wednesday fairly early and I had no problem finding a mooring but by Thursday evening it was full. Oh and it is free.

Or has all the "lost control" only happened since CRT took over?

 

 

No, he was the butler in Upstairs Downstairs.

He also did those awful Fine fare adverts, so was hardly classy!

Edited by alan_fincher
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cotswoldsman Veteran II

cotswoldsman

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Or has all the "lost control" only happened since CRT took over?

I would say BW were losing control and CRT have lost control. Most probably another 700 plus boats since the formation of CRT I am not blaming CRT far from it they can only do what the law allows them to do not even sure more enforcement staff would make any difference. Maybe the SE Boaters group might have a solution with all there experience I am sure London would be grateful for the help of their neighbours.
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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To be clear, is your suggestion that just what classes as London region now hosts 2,000 boats declared as not having a home mooring?

 

What was the source of that claim, and is it verifiable?

 

We are not quite into Vaughan Welch territory at that number, but we must be getting close, surely? If there are 2,000 in London with "no home mooring" declared, do you have a number for those that do have, please?

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cotswoldsman Veteran II

cotswoldsman

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Whatever CRT call London area as the figure was given to me by CRT I expect it includes some of the waterways bordering London

With over 5,000 boats declared as not having a home mooring and a growing number who have yet to declare no home mooring does not seem an unreasonable figure but hey without going down and counting them can only go on what I was told. Whatever the real figure I still say CRT have lost control.

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Well it is not that much less than the total of all boats counted on London waterways when they do a recording exercise, so unless the number covers waterways not actually part of London Waterways, it would seem surprising.

Of course some of those in any count done will be boats without a home mooring that are not normally resident somewhere in the London area, but have actually got brave enough to pay London a visit, despite all the dire warnings.

Don't get me wrong, I have always said that central London is the hardest of any of the places we visit to guarantee finding a suitable mooring, although you could argue that the problem is as much how little of the towpath is actually moorable without carrying a Hilti gun and installing your own rings, as it is down to boat numbers.

However I admit that for various reasons I have not boated there in my own boat since CRT took over. However I expect that applies to an awful lot of those posting opinions here as well, so how informed some of us are, other than repeating what others have told us, I'm not really sure!

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Posted

I've just cycled from Tottenham to Broadway Market in Hackney today and there was plenty of space as long as you weren't planning on mooring at Broadway Market. I don't know where all these new boaters are, but It didn't seem that much more busy than the last time we cruised to Limehouse (last May)

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oarfish Community Regular

oarfish

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We have never had a problem mooring except around there. The main problem seems to be concentration rather than the total number right now. Brentford to Paddington is not much different to up north congestion wise. I guess people don't like to rough it in zone 5-6.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Posted (edited)

People don't tend to 'rough it' in zone 5 or 6, it gets very quiet indeed once you've gone past Ikea in Tottenham. A few weeks back I cycled up to Ponders End and saw just one moored boat. Plus there is loads of room on the Lee for moored boats in Hackney, this area was completely empty of boats before the Olympics. It's very industrial and not so pretty and my parner and I think it's much better to see boats there, it has much improved it. The lower Lee is wide and deep so no need to go everywhere on tickover either.

Just out of interest what is the situation on the Thames? For someone without a CRT licence wishing to get an EA licence for the Thames, do you have to give a home mooring ?

I know someone who lives on the Thames and has no home mooring. Edited by Lady Muck
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Wanted Experienced

Wanted

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'Our' end of the GU is all but dead, spent a night up in Hanwell for the fox beer fest and apart from a handful of SPCC boats locking up through the flight after coming off of the Thames we were alone, very quiet indeed. Bliss

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Peter X Experienced

Peter X

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We have never had a problem mooring except around there. The main problem seems to be concentration rather than the total number right now. Brentford to Paddington is not much different to up north congestion wise. I guess people don't like to rough it in zone 5-6.

 

Brentford to Paddington is actually zones 2-4, with the Bulls Bridge junction on the boundary of zones 4 and 5:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf

 

It might be different among boaters, but I've always detected an attitude among people who live in central London that the higher your zone number the more you're roughing it, that living in the suburbs is boring and they can't be asked to spend another 20 minutes each way travelling to work. The difference in property prices between say Battersea and Croydon is insane, especially from the point of view of someone such as myself who likes a good size garden.

 

I've read that some of the canals in West London are rather industrial looking and unattractive, but if it's much easier to moor there it wouldn't surprise me if they start to fill up a bit with commuters. Crossrail might make this a more attractive proposition when it opens?

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

Posted
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It might be different among boaters, but I've always detected an attitude among people who live in central London that the higher your zone number the more you're roughing it,

I was regarded as positively Neanderthal when I commuted from Milton Keynes station even though my commute time was quicker than many of my colleagues paying more for a studio hovel than I was for my country cottage.

 

What was more bizarre was that we spent as much time working near MK as we did in Central London so they had to do the commute in the other direction.

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Staarek Collaborator

Staarek

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Yes it has certainly worked on the roads hasn't it?

 

There was no congestion at all, last time I was in London, stuck in traffic trying to get out.

Well, it would definitely make people think twice before getting a boat in London, especially the ones that are only after cheap accommodation.

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

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Well, it would definitely make people think twice before getting a boat in London, especially the ones that are only after cheap accommodation.

"Only after cheap accommodation" is trawled out as if somebody is committing a crime.

 

I like my accommodation affordable whether it is boat or house....Am I going to Hell?

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Bettie Boo Experienced

Bettie Boo

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Well, it would definitely make people think twice before getting a boat in London, especially the ones that are only after cheap accommodation.

We travel 2 or 3 times a year into London for a wee break to take in the sights, markets and or a play. We always look for a deal (cheap) on our accommodation.

 

Now that we have our own boat, we plan on continuing on with out wee trips, but no longer need to look for good deals on accommodation; we simply need to find a safe mooring and agree who's going to cook Breakfastfrusty.gif

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

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Well, it would definitely make people think twice before getting a boat in London, especially the ones that are only after cheap accommodation.

 

Why ?

 

Once they have 'entered' the zone and paid their congestion charge, they become CMers, never move and dont pay anything again. It would be just a one-off charge.

  • Greenie 1
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