Selfish narrow boaters

[Guest]

nbfiresprite, on 24 Jun 2014 - 12:01 AM, said:

Will regards to the Willow Man at Ely riverside. He is moored there with the permission of East Cambridgeshire Council who have granted him a trading licence.

 

A prime example of how important it is to check your facts before posting on here if you are going to name and shame a particular boat or boater for overstaying when it transpires they may be doing something with the navigation or mooring authorities blessing.

 

Yes we all know there are people out there taking the pee but lets not falsely accuse people when they may well not be.

[FadeToScarlet]

Will regards to the Willow Man at Ely riverside. He is moored there with the permission of East Cambridgeshire Council who have granted him a trading licence.

Well, they could have done more to publicise that.... And say how his situation is different from the other serial overstayers in the area.

[Phil Ambrose]

Well, they could have done more to publicise that.... And say how his situation is different from the other serial overstayers in the area.

The chap did feature on TV news and I imagine was probably mentiones in local newspapers, guess not the nationals.

What disturbs me is not the Willow Man but the numbers of boats breasted up 2 or 3 deep severly restricting navigation on the corner by the Cutter which can be blind depending what's moored there.

Phil

[Guest]

Well, they could have done more to publicise that.... And say how his situation is different from the other serial overstayers in the area.

Why though?, just to placate the curtain twitchers?

 

If the guy is there legit that is a matter between him and the relevant authority and is not really the business of anybody else. Besides it's pretty common to see boats that are trading staying in a specific location and that is with the blessing of the mooring or navigation authority, why did people not realise this boat would not be doing exactly the same?

[furnessvale]

Why though?, just to placate the curtain twitchers?

 

If the guy is there legit that is a matter between him and the relevant authority and is not really the business of anybody else. Besides it's pretty common to see boats that are trading staying in a specific location and that is with the blessing of the mooring or navigation authority, why did people not realise this boat would not be doing exactly the same?

Whilst it maybe unfair to pick on the individual boater, it certainly is a matter of concern to other boaters that the navigation authority is removing boaters facilities by effectively selling them a second time.

 

Examples in my area include the closure of the winding hole at Bollington, so they could allow commercial mooring in the space, and allowing a marina extension at Furness Vale which will close the best and most used towpath moorings on the entire Peak Forest Canal.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Guest]

furnessvale, on 24 Jun 2014 - 08:42 AM, said:

Whilst it maybe unfair to pick on the individual boater, it certainly is a matter of concern to other boaters that the navigation authority is removing boaters facilities by effectively selling them a second time.

 

Examples in my area include the closure of the winding hole at Bollington, so they could allow commercial mooring in the space, and allowing a marina extension at Furness Vale which will close the best and most used towpath moorings on the entire Peak Forest Canal.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

Then that should be taken up with the respective authority which I presume in the examples you give I take it have been? That is also a different issue from overstaying and clearly one the navigation or mooring authority should be taken to task about.

[Tuscan]

These are Council moorings so it's up to the Council to take action or not. It's always been pretty difficult to moor at Ely and I agree with the point the OP is making and suggest he complains to the Council and continues to post on here.

[Ricco1]

Whilst it maybe unfair to pick on the individual boater, it certainly is a matter of concern to other boaters that the navigation authority is removing boaters facilities by effectively selling them a second time.

 

Examples in my area include the closure of the winding hole at Bollington, so they could allow commercial mooring in the space, and allowing a marina extension at Furness Vale which will close the best and most used towpath moorings on the entire Peak Forest Canal.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

Hi George nice to meet you the other day.

 

Re. the winding hole at Bollington: I could still turn my little 35ft boat around there. I can do this anywhere on the canal that's wide enough, I understand. Does the closing of the winding hole mean that I'm no longer allowed to do this and instead have to go up to just before the next bridge where I can just about squeeze it round? Does the closing of the hole expressly forbid trying it or is it just saying that it's not possible for average length boats?

[ditchcrawler]

The article might've been less sympathetic if they knew how long he'd been on a visitor mooring. 4 months, I think, on the 48 hour mooring.

But is that spot actually a visitor mooring? there are some very grey areas around between the sanni station and the railway bridge

The chap did feature on TV news and I imagine was probably mentiones in local newspapers, guess not the nationals.

What disturbs me is not the Willow Man but the numbers of boats breasted up 2 or 3 deep severly restricting navigation on the corner by the Cutter which can be blind depending what's moored there.

Phil

I don't think that is a public mooring, I know the person who has the very corner

[Boondock]

Will regards to the Willow Man at Ely riverside. He is moored there with the permission of East Cambridgeshire Council who have granted him a trading licence.

 

Hmm, not what is says in this recent article http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Ely-willow-sculptor-Lee-Eastwood-speaks-out-over-Riverside-trading-controversy-20140618100610.htm Nothing about permission nor a trading licence. In fact I'd go as far as to say that the Council would dearly love to catch him flogging his glorified kindling from their land.

[Black Ibis]

It's not clear whether the Council have given him a licence to *trade* or to *moor*.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

We managed to squeeze into the last place by the park and bandstand in Ely last summer. We arrived early afternoon expecting perhaps to find a place. Returning a month later at around 11am every place was taken. Many boats we saw earlier were there. Thank goodness we were GOBA members and bus stops!

We managed to squeeze into the last place by the park and bandstand in Ely last summer. We arrived early afternoon expecting perhaps to find a place. Returning a month later at around 11am every place was taken. Many boats we saw earlier were there. Thank goodness we were GOBA members and for bus stops!

Edited June 24, 2014 by Peter Corbett

[c c]

moved of CRT waters

 

[Phil Ambrose]

But is that spot actually a visitor mooring? there are some very grey areas around between the sanni station and the railway bridge

 

I don't think that is a public mooring, I know the person who has the very corner

I realise that the corner I mentioned is not a public mooring, I was merely endevouring to show how the Ely moorings in general are under stress.

Phil

[Boondock]

It's not clear whether the Council have given him a licence to *trade* or to *moor*.

 

I think neither in this case

[john-m]

I realise that the corner I mentioned is not a public mooring, I was merely endevouring to show how the Ely moorings in general are under stress.

Phil

Which corner are you on about outside the cutter or by the railway bridge by pump out

[FadeToScarlet]

Which corner are you on about outside the cutter or by the railway bridge by pump out

The one by the Cutter is private, Lady Blatherwick at least has a mooring because they have local property and mooring rights as a result, or something convoluted like that.

Why though?, just to placate the curtain twitchers?

If the guy is there legit that is a matter between him and the relevant authority and is not really the business of anybody else. Besides it's pretty common to see boats that are trading staying in a specific location and that is with the blessing of the mooring or navigation authority, why did people not realise this boat would not be doing exactly the same?

Because there aren't any other trading boats around here, so there's no precedent.

 

It's also moored in a winding hole, so it's concerning if he's been given a right to moor there.

[boathunter]

I've lived in Ely for 20 years. It's a bit of a backwater so stuff like this is the best the local free rag can find. He's often in the paper and last week he had the entire front page.

He has a trading licence. Under the terms of the licence he is allowed to trade from his boat, but not the bank.

This weeks front page news article was about people complaining to the council that he's been trading from the bank and how the council have been down to inspect several times and found this not to be the case. He also denies it, stressing the licence is clear and he'd be an idiot to flout it's terms and conditions.

 

The bottom line is that Ely council likes having him there as something for the tourists to see and make the riverside area more "vibrant". They used to wheel out Sid the last eel catcher, then son of Sid, but now it's totally illegal to trap any eels whatsoever, Lee Eastwood the willow man has filled the gap. It's a simple lfe in Ely.

[MtB]

I

The bottom line is that Ely council likes having him there as something for the tourists to see and make the riverside area more "vibrant". They used to wheel out Sid the last eel catcher, then son of Sid, but now it's totally illegal to trap any eels whatsoever,

 

Surely not.

 

Got a reference for that??!!

[boathunter]

 

Surely not.

 

Got a reference for that??!!

I don't. I think it's probably an EU thing. They used to be able (under licence) to use nets that let the little one's through, but the EU (I believe) decided nobody can be trusted. It was big news here, being "Ely", the city of eels.

[gazza]

 

Surely not.

 

Got a reference for that??!!

Commercially yes.

 

Recreational fishing no.

 

See this link

 

http://anglingtrust.net/page.asp?section=659&sectionTitle=Eels%2C+their+regulation%2C+the+Environment+Agency+and+the+Angling+Trust

As far as Ely mooring goes, never struggled to get tied up ourside the cutter or jubilee park. We have a proper sized fenland boat though....

[ditchcrawler]

 

Surely not.

 

Got a reference for that??!!

http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/our-science/fisheries-information/eels/eel-fishing.aspx

[MtB]

http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/our-science/fisheries-information/eels/eel-fishing.aspx

 

Thanks for the link.

 

It appears, however, to contradict Boathunter's assertion that "now it's totally illegal to trap any eels whatsoever"

 

Or am I reading it wrong?

 

 

MtB

[ditchcrawler]

 

Thanks for the link.

 

It appears, however, to contradict Boathunter's assertion that "now it's totally illegal to trap any eels whatsoever"

 

Or am I reading it wrong?

 

 

MtB

That is what I thought as well, which is why I posted it. I think last year was a record year for silvers.