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Rules for double mooring in London


zubeye

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The hard rules are that in doing so, you mustn't cause an obstruction, including leaving enough room for fat boats to pass. Soft rules? I don't know, London is pretty lawless so it probably depends on whose patch you are on. Outside of London it is considered appropriate to ask first before breasting, unless it is for a special event with inevitable mooring congestion.

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What are the rules, both soft and hard. Is there an etiquette. If nobody is home, when and where is it okay not to ask, if ever?

On other parts of the system other boaters sometimes display a 'welcome to breast up' sign in the window, just to save people having to ask. It may be the same down there.

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In London I've always come alongside and given a knock. If there is nobody in then I tie the boat up etc. The times I've needed to do it I've stuck a little note under the door saying along the lines of "I did knock, hope you don't mind etc. Give me a knock when you are home so we can arrange who is moving first. My nuber is 07725.......".

 

It is accepted in London that double mooring is a nessesety and I've never met anybody who has said no. It's obviously not compulsory to write a note and I doubt many of the locals bother as it is the norm for them.

 

Things to take into account are how securely moored the boat is that you are going to breast up to, there are a lot of folk in London with no idea how to moor properly. Also bear in mind that you might get triple moored up to which becomes a pain when you want to move of.

 

Most London boaters are pretty tolerant.

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In London I've always come alongside and given a knock. If there is nobody in then I tie the boat up etc. The times I've needed to do it I've stuck a little note under the door saying along the lines of "I did knock, hope you don't mind etc. Give me a knock when you are home so we can arrange who is moving first. My nuber is 07725.......".

 

It is accepted in London that double mooring is a nessesety and I've never met anybody who has said no. It's obviously not compulsory to write a note and I doubt many of the locals bother as it is the norm for them.

 

Things to take into account are how securely moored the boat is that you are going to breast up to, there are a lot of folk in London with no idea how to moor properly. Also bear in mind that you might get triple moored up to which becomes a pain when you want to move of.

 

Most London boaters are pretty tolerant.

 

Are you suggesting that you tie-up onto the adjoining boat ?

 

I was taught that the correct way to raft/breast up was to tie to the 'shore', not the adjoining boat - that way the inside boat can just 'slip-out' tighten up your lines for you and carry on.

 

When rafting up on the river I would not trust anybodies tying up except mine, plus the extra load on cleats (not designed for the weight of two boats + river flow) could be just too much.

 

We were rafted up 5 deep once (on the Isle of Man), and we were the only ones attached to the jetty, a change in tide and wind snapped our lines and the whole lot of us then drifted out of the harbour (2:30am). I ensured that in future others were attached to the 'land'.

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What are the rules, both soft and hard. Is there an etiquette. If nobody is home, when and where is it okay not to ask, if ever?

 

3 abreast or any combination of 1 x fat boat and 1 x nb or 2 x fat boat generally bad idea. Try and tie direct to the land not to the next door boat so they are not trapped. Never moor anywhere you will cause an obstruction to the navigation. Think sight lines as well as actual width sticking out into the cut. I'm not going to go on about lock landings, tunnel waiting areas and service areas as in London they've had to paint the bollards yellow and blue respectively to prevent the common sense challenged from using them for 14 day moorings frusty.gif

 

Check out http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating-in-london/london-boating-bulletin for more handy hints and news and also the London Boaters FB page.

 

Oh, always worth knocking before breasting up, you never know if you've just moored against someone you don't want to moor against for all sorts of reasons starting with anti-social behaviour, rabid dogs, super loud gennies, unsilenced engine, someone who believes it's ok to burn their rubbish in their stove sick.gif or the local rave boat with monster speakers and they are all zombies or vampires who come out only at night. ninja.gif

 

Ok, I'll get my hat and coat now and run out to get some popcorn,

;-)

D

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Are you suggesting that you tie-up onto the adjoining boat ?

 

I was taught that the correct way to raft/breast up was to tie to the 'shore', not the adjoining boat - that way the inside boat can just 'slip-out' tighten up your lines for you and carry on.

This is a very good point, and one which had not previously occurred to me. We rarely breast up to another boat, but will be sure to follow your suggestion if ever we do.

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In London I've always come alongside and given a knock. If there is nobody in then I tie the boat up etc. The times I've needed to do it I've stuck a little note under the door saying along the lines of "I did knock, hope you don't mind etc. Give me a knock when you are home so we can arrange who is moving first. My nuber is 07725.......".

 

It is accepted in London that double mooring is a nessesety and I've never met anybody who has said no. It's obviously not compulsory to write a note and I doubt many of the locals bother as it is the norm for them.

 

Things to take into account are how securely moored the boat is that you are going to breast up to, there are a lot of folk in London with no idea how to moor properly. Also bear in mind that you might get triple moored up to which becomes a pain when you want to move of.

 

Most London boaters are pretty tolerant.

Are you saying you tie up to the boat you are breasting up against? If you are can I suggest not a great idea

 

Edit to add: should have read the other posts before posting

Edited by cotswoldsman
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There are a couple of places in Lindon where breasting up is not permitted, Paddington Basin (and arm) is one and Camden visitor moorings being another.

Tim

The current London Boaters Newsletter from CRT suggests you may soon be allowed to breast up in Paddington Basin.

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Every boat i've seen so far on the Regents (maybe 50x) has tied boat to boat, rather than boat to shore. I guess I'll ask the kind neighbours preference. Luckily I found a space tonight so tomorrow I'll find out.

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I have been nine abreast in Limehouse basin - very sociable - but with CRT/BWML permission.

 

nine_abreast.JPG

I have been in that position when the boat on the inside wanted to leave. With similar rafts moored in front and behind it wasn't going to be an easy manoeruvre. So it was very fortunate that the boat one out from the bank had a bow thruster. Rather than lots of messing with ropes, it was just an extended push on the girly button to move the whole raft out of the way and then back again.

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Are you saying you tie up to the boat you are breasting up against? If you are can I suggest not a great idea

 

Edit to add: should have read the other posts before posting

I'm sure you are a member of the LB Facebook group? Rarely a day has gone by this week without pictures of a whole raft of boats in the middle of the cut due to the inside boats pins having been pulled.

 

Whether mooring boat to boat is a good idea or not it seems to be the norm in London, hence why I warned the OP to be careful if that is what they choose to do.

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This sounds totally alien to me. I think if there was a regular need to tie up to another boat or another boat wanted to tie up to me I'd go back to living on a housing estate.

 

We find it perfectly normal. Mooring on a river with limited places to moor you get used to the fact that when the river is busy you will be rafted two or three out.

 

You don't have to share your life with the owners of the boats tied next to you.

 

Normally you would sort out the order so that the boats leaving first are on the outside. Not always possible of course.

 

It is polite and safer to put your own lines ashore to take the strain off the inside boats lines and fenders. Especially important if on tidal waters or rivers with a strong flow but you would still also attach breast lines to the inside boat as well.

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There are a couple of places in Lindon where breasting up is not permitted, Paddington Basin (and arm) is one and Camden visitor moorings being another.

 

Tim

 

Paddington no one takes any notice ime.

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I suggested at a CRT meeting that rather than reduce stay times at Visitor Moorings why not encourage boaters to breast up as they do in a London. Needless to say as this didn't involve new signs, £25 charges and no return rules it the idea was put in the bottom drawer.

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