Floating Take Away?

[Kay Mundy]

Hi I am Kay who owns the Oatcake Boat I mainly trade the Staffordshire canals because the Oatcakes are known around this area , I make my own Oatcakes on board and serve them with fillings out the side hatch , In summer and good weather we put tables and chairs out for the customers , I n winter we serve Stoke City fans out side the football ground , I have canvassed Offices and Firms saying I can do deliveries yes I have a car , We live aboard and the red tape with environmental health was quite simple I got 5 * rating I registered with the local office which allows me to travel anywhere x

[Kay Mundy]

I am looking into the ins and out of having a floating takeaway to serve food and brews on a stretch of canal near our moorings.

Are there any restrictions I need to look into from the CRT point of view?

crt were ok with me x

[RLWP]

Hi I am Kay who owns the Oatcake Boat I mainly trade the Staffordshire canals because the Oatcakes are known around this area , I make my own Oatcakes on board and serve them with fillings out the side hatch , In summer and good weather we put tables and chairs out for the customers , I n winter we serve Stoke City fans out side the football ground , I have canvassed Offices and Firms saying I can do deliveries yes I have a car , We live aboard and the red tape with environmental health was quite simple I got 5 * rating I registered with the local office which allows me to travel anywhere x

 

Hi Kay, welcome to the forum

 

It's good to hear from waterways traders as you have real experience of what's involved in doing what you do. Without that, it's easy to end up speculating - which is fun but not helpful

 

Richard

 

MORE: Oh yes, expect to get a load of cryptic comments from forum regulars about your boat name. I'll see if I can find the thread to explain why. This could take a little while as I have a young cat here who desperately needs a cuddle apparently

 

Right, here we go: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=22247. Wow - 2009!

Edited August 6, 2014 by RLWP

[NigelMoore]

 

 

In the face of her refusal to stop trading without a license 'd imagine CRT will have to get out their one and only weapon, the Big Sledgehammer For Cracking Small Nuts..

 

Rescind her boat license and start Section 8 proceedings. It's either that or CRT accept the situation and allow her to continue flouting the terms of her license.

 

Except that it is not, of course, “their one and only weapon”. If the situation is as mayalld describes, with cluttering of the towpath, then those responsible can be sued for obstruction in breach of the 1965 Byelaw 31(1)( b ), which provides that no person unless authorised shall “obstruct any towing path or interfere with the authorised use thereof.”

 

Additionally, if using the boat as a shop without permission, they can be sued for breach of 1965 Byelaw 30: “No vessel on any canal shall without the permission of the Board be used as a . . . shop . . .”

 

The penalties are as per the 1976 Byelaws: “Any person who contravenes the foregoing or any of the Board’s General Canal Bye-laws . . . shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding one hundred pounds for each offence . . .”

 

It surely wouldn’t take too many such convictions before the costs of doing business became non-viable, let alone the damage done to the business due to constant interruptions by court attendances [and the inevitable resultant publicity]?

[Machpoint005]

 

>> It surely wouldn’t take too many such convictions before the costs of doing business became non-viable, let alone the damage done to the business due to constant interruptions by court attendances [and the inevitable resultant publicity]? <<

 

It's entirely possible, of course, that the perpetrator is trading in all innocence out of the goodness of his/her heart? They may be law-abiding citizens and just one such prosecution (or just one charge) will be enough to stop them.

[b0atman]

Whats the feeling about the licenced to trade boats ?My opinion is that as long as they do not affect local traders and do not impede the towpath or overstay on mooring then they could be good for the canals.

[NigelMoore]

They may be law-abiding citizens and just one such prosecution (or just one charge) will be enough to stop them.

 

Hopefully, yes. Even more ideally, a quiet word explaining the situation from a temperate patrol officer would, in so innocent a situation, accomplish the desired result without the matter ever having to be taken that far in the first place.

[Tuscan]

Hopefully, yes. Even more ideally, a quiet word explaining the situation from a temperate patrol officer would, in so innocent a situation, accomplish the desired result without the matter ever having to be taken that far in the first place.

I believe this approach would solve so many problems

[Peter X]

Hi I am Kay who owns the Oatcake Boat I mainly trade the Staffordshire canals because the Oatcakes are known around this area , I make my own Oatcakes on board and serve them with fillings out the side hatch , In summer and good weather we put tables and chairs out for the customers , I n winter we serve Stoke City fans out side the football ground , I have canvassed Offices and Firms saying I can do deliveries yes I have a car , We live aboard and the red tape with environmental health was quite simple I got 5 * rating I registered with the local office which allows me to travel anywhere x

 

It's encouraging to hear that someone who follows the rules as you appear to have done doesn't seem to have problems with the authorities. CRT's webpage about trading boats seems to suggest that, and that in principle they'd quite like to see more floating traders. Being a keen amateur baker I suppose one day a few hears hence I might have a rush of blood to the head myself and try something similar, involving tea and a range of cakes/biscuits. Location is probably very important to making a profit, and I'm impressed by the idea of selling to football fans in winter; there must be other grounds close to canals where something similar would work.

 

There has to be a level playing field for traders, and indeed there was something on the CRT page about this ideal, essentially saying that so long as a trader has all the correct licences for trading, mooring and anything specifically needed for their business, in principle they'll be allowed. In an ideal world, they'll start with an informal warning to the "cheeky trader", then escalate a few weeks later to using the byelaws Nigel Moore dug up, then if repeated use of those turns out to be impractical or not painful enough, it'll have to be the Big Sledgehammer. Wandering off topic, I noticed last night that in part 3 of that documentary about the construction of Crossrail the voiceover talked about a "sledgehammer" when the worker was using something much smaller. You don't wield a sledgehammer one-handed!

[b0atman]

A big woman could maybe swing a sledgehammer one handed.

[c c]

Hi I am Kay who owns the Oatcake Boat I mainly trade the Staffordshire canals because the Oatcakes are known around this area , I make my own Oatcakes on board and serve them with fillings out the side hatch , In summer and good weather we put tables and chairs out for the customers , I n winter we serve Stoke City fans out side the football ground , I have canvassed Offices and Firms saying I can do deliveries yes I have a car , We live aboard and the red tape with environmental health was quite simple I got 5 * rating I registered with the local office which allows me to travel anywhere x

Well done to you and thanks for a constructive helpful answer.

Most of all, congrats on your Scores on Doors 5 rating. Its not rocket science but you must have put in a little extra care to score 5 on a boat. I have always wondered why any caterer would come in to work every day knowing their premises or food prep did not qualify for maximum.

Apparently only those of us with a 5 actually display the food rating sign so display it with pride.

[floatsyourboat]

 

Thank you. I see you've learned the first lesson in (non) customer relations.

 

Try looking back at a few of your recent entries on here and you might understand exactly why I put what I did.

You have totally ignored all the very useful comments made about what various legislation there is for your "enterprise", and then had to resort to childish insults instead of acting like an adult and taking that advice to heart.

 

Good luck, I suspect you'll need a lot of it.

How on earth does me objecting to CRT having double standards make me sound like a petulant child?

That is you insulting me which there is no need for hence my no nonsense reply.

Edited August 6, 2014 by floatsyourboat

[floatsyourboat]

 

It may well be that once the trade dies off for the winter, she packs up and moves on, but by then she has already done the damage. The legitimate trader has lost trade over his busy summer period, that carries him through the winter.

 

And I don't accept the premise that one person flouting the rules with apparent impunity justifies others doing the same.

The point I am making is that CRT turn a blind eye when it suits themselves and for years have not raised issue to the tea boat you mention.

The Trading Post gets so busy it cannot serve all the customers so the tea boat has taken the overspill.

[Guest]

How on earth does me object to CRT having double standards make me sound like a petulant child?

That is you insulting me which there is no need for.

It was more polite than the insult you aimed at Graham, don't you think?

[floatsyourboat]

It was more polite than the insult you aimed at Graham, don't you think?

If someone is going to call me names I dont think my reply was un called for.

[Guest]

If someone is going to call me names I dont think my reply was un called for.

The mods however disagreed.

 

It's a question of degree and also the use of offensive terminology, 'petulant child' is no where as near as offensive as the insult you made towards Graham.

 

Get over it and move on......

[floatsyourboat]

The mods however disagreed.

 

It's a question of degree and also the use of offensive terminology, 'petulant child' is no where as near as offensive as the insult you made towards Graham.

 

Get over it and move on......

I could'nt care less what you or the mods think however back in the real world if you call people names you get told end of so do not get the privallage of choosing how diluted those words are.

[Guest]

I could'nt care less what you or the mods think however back in the real world if you call people names you get told end of so do not get the privallage of choosing how diluted those words are.

So having disputed that you behave like a petulant child.........

 

......you immediately behave like one.....classic.

[floatsyourboat]

So having disputed that you behave like a petulant child.........

 

......you immediately behave like one.....classic.

Now have the arrogance to insult me and call me a petulant child.

I dont need to write it you know what I think of you already.

[scrunch]

So having disputed that you behave like a petulant child.........

 

......you immediately behave like one.....classic.

[MtB]

I could'nt care less what you or the mods think however back in the real world if you call people names you get told end of so do not get the privallage of choosing how diluted those words are.

 

 

Now have the arrogance to insult me and call me a petulant child.

I dont need to write it you know what I think of you already.

 

 

Amazing, from someone who comes to this forum asking for help and advice.

 

 

MtB

[David Mack]

Now have the arrogance to insult me and call me a petulant child.

I dont need to write it you know what I think of you already.

And by now the rest of us on here have formed our own opinions of you!! That's a few potential customers who probably now won't be knocking at your side hatch.

[RLWP]

Post number one in this thread:

 

I am looking into the ins and out of having a floating takeaway to serve food and brews on a stretch of canal near our moorings.
Are there any restrictions I need to look into from the CRT point of view?

 

Post number four:

 

We would certainly patronise a floating takeaway as opposed to a land based one, even one that delivered, but to be viable it's going to have to ply it's trade in a popular part of the system, certainly a busier part then up in the North East.

 

If it was me I would consider very carefully where I was going to operate, near to one of the huge marina's like Mercia may work or the busier parts of the southern bits of the system.

 

You could operate a bit like the coal boats do and have a regular run up and down parts of the system with maybe a simple web site saying where you will be and when.

 

Richard

[floatsyourboat]

 

 

 

 

Amazing, from someone who comes to this forum asking for help and advice.

 

 

MtB

Amazing?

So I am expected to take being called names?

[Guest]

Now have the arrogance to insult me and call me a petulant child.

I dont need to write it you know what I think of you already.

I really do think you need to work on the customer relations side of things, not all your customers will be happy with your offerings, responding by calling them a four letter word beginning with 'T' might not work in the 'real world' as you call it.

Edited August 6, 2014 by The Dog House