Peel ' s wharf has only one boat paying

[Mrs Trackman]

I see crt have a mooring at peel's wharf for auction. At present there is only one boat there and that belongs to one of the residents. As the residents don't like boats, boaters have to agree to not running engines, lighting stoves or even having central heating on, (too noisy).

It's such a waste, crt could be earning money from moorers there if they didn't automatically give in to householders every time.

[Athy]

If they don't like boats, why do they choose to live next door to a canal basin?

[nicknorman]

It's a tricky one, but I can see it from the house-owners perspective too. Firstly, presuming there is shore power, there is really no need to run engines so that is electrical generation and hot water taken care of. For space heating, a good diesel heating installation doesn't need to make much noise if properly silenced, and no noise at all for the drip fed type. On the other hand some heating systems are incredibly noisy. So it should be on a case by case basis.

 

Solid fuel stoves can be very smoky and the main trouble is that the chimney is at head height so the smoke would tend to swirl around the basin and the houses. If it were a house stove the chimney would be above the rooftops and much less intrusive. With the wind in the wrong direction, house owners would be unable to open a window or use their front balconies(?).

 

So overall, whilst I agree it is a waste of facilities, I think it is the correct and only viable position. Of course, nothing to stop the moorings being used to keep a boat whilst it is unoccupied.

If they don't like boats, why do they choose to live next door to a canal basin?

Maybe they like boats but dislike noise and smoke intruding into their living rooms and bedrooms? Edited November 13, 2014 by nicknorman

[Alan de Enfield]

Why do 'townies' move into Coningsby knowing there is an RAF base, and then complain about the aircraft noise ?

 

Why do 'townies' move into litle country villages and complain about the Church Bells ?

[nicknorman]

I can't remember, was there a basin there before the housing development or is it a new basin?

[Athy]

Maybe they like boats but dislike noise and smoke intruding into their living rooms and bedrooms?

Not much of an excuse. Firstly, the canal was there long before those dwellings (which are modern flats) were built. Secondly, the dwellings have windows which may be closed if desired.

 

I live next door to a farm. I like animals, but don't always like the agricultural aromas which waft into our garden when the wind is in a certain direction. But the farm was there first, we knew that it had animals when we bought our house, so we have no business making any sort of fuss.

Edited November 13, 2014 by Athy

[nicknorman]

Not much of an excuse. Firstly, the canal was there long before those dwellings (which are modern flats) were built. Secondly, the dwellings have windows which may be closed if desired.

 

I live next door to a farm. I like animals, but don't always like the agricultural aromas which waft into our garden when the wind is in a certain direction. But the farm was there first, we knew that it had animals when we bought our house, so we have no business making any sort of fuss.

However although the canal was there first, the basin (if it existed, see my previous) was used for commercial purposes, loading and unloading etc. it was not used for residential purposes and of course the whole thing of folk sitting on a boat in one place using it as a home (rather than a place to sleep within a workplace) is a new phenomenon. So you allusion to a farm is not accurate.

 

Would you want to buy a house/flat whose windows could not be opened?

Edited November 13, 2014 by nicknorman

[trackman]

Just what we asked when we took up a mooring there a few years ago. We got moaned at for having a stove lit even using smokeless fuel as we did. Engine running was seriously resented too.

As my wife said, even the Eberspacher on one of the only 2 other paying boats there at the time was deemed too noisy by some of the householders.

The BW mooring officer at the time agreed that we were complying with relevant bye laws but his stance was all about supporting the householders & trying to find other rules he could use against his customers. He wanted us to leave the basin and go onto the visitor moorings when we needed to run our engine to charge batteries. Given those moorings were very often full already this was far from sensible, aside from being impracticable from our viewpoint.

Madness! I guess things haven't changed given that the moorings are almost empty still. Last time we looked the one paying moorer was one of the householders whose boat was there when we were. Presumably they don't have a problem with the restrictions as they live adjacent to their boat.

[Mrs Trackman]

There is no electric power at peel's wharf. Residents don't operate on a case by case basis,they were straight onto bw when we got an early auction mooring there. The agreement started in December and we were almost immediately frozen in but that wasn't a good enough reason for us to run our engine or light a fire.

[trackman]

It's a tricky one, but I can see it from the house-owners perspective too. Firstly, presuming there is shore power, there is really no need to run engines so that is electrical generation and hot water taken care of. For space heating, a good diesel heating installation doesn't need to make much noise if properly silenced, and no noise at all for the drip fed type. On the other hand some heating systems are incredibly noisy. So it should be on a case by case basis.

 

Solid fuel stoves can be very smoky and the main trouble is that the chimney is at head height so the smoke would tend to swirl around the basin and the houses. If it were a house stove the chimney would be above the rooftops and much less intrusive. With the wind in the wrong direction, house owners would be unable to open a window or use their front balconies(?).

 

So overall, whilst I agree it is a waste of facilities, I think it is the correct and only viable position. Of course, nothing to stop the moorings being used to keep a boat whilst it is unoccupied.

Maybe they like boats but dislike noise and smoke intruding into their living rooms and bedrooms?

See my own later post which crossed with this. As for electrical hook ups, you presume wrongly!

 

As Athy said, why buy a house by a canal mooring if you don't like what boats & boaters do. The basin was there from the beginning of the canals in the area, the houses probably arrived less than 50 years ago.

[nicknorman]

There is no electric power at peel's wharf. Residents don't operate on a case by case basis,they were straight onto bw when we got an early auction mooring there. The agreement started in December and we were almost immediately frozen in but that wasn't a good enough reason for us to run our engine or light a fire.

Well that seems an obvious fix - put in power bollards and then, as I said, no need to run the engine (and much cheaper for the moorer too).

 

Anyway, the bottom line is that you can dislike the situation as much as you wish but it ain't going to change! Well, not unless power bollards are installed. A boater wishing to live on his boat has a wide choice and can go pretty much anywhere, the householder is stuck with his neighbours and has a lot of capital tied up in the property that he won't like to see devalued.

 

I have to say I am a bit surprised by the inconsiderate and self-centred nature of some of the posts on this thread, no wonder householders don't like boaters!

[Mrs Trackman]

Ah married bliss. At least we agree with each other! We seem to have posted identical posts even though miles apart today!

[nicknorman]

Ah married bliss. At least we agree with each other! We seem to have posted identical posts even though miles apart today!

I did wonder if you ever actually spoke to each other, or just communicated through CWDF!

[Kwacker]

I don't see the "canal was there first" angle at all, as the canal has gone through such a dramatic change of use.

Back in the day, a moored boat was not earning, and it didn't have a thumping great Diesel engine or generator aboard.

[Mrs Trackman]

Well that seems an obvious fix - put in power bollards and then, as I said, no need to run the engine (and much cheaper for the moorer too).

 

Anyway, the bottom line is that you can dislike the situation as much as you wish but it ain't going to change! Well, not unless power bollards are installed. A boater wishing to live on his boat has a wide choice and can go pretty much anywhere, the householder is stuck with his neighbours and has a lot of capital tied up in the property that he won't like to see devalued.

 

I have to say I am a bit surprised by the inconsiderate and self-centred nature of some of the posts on this thread, no wonder householders don't like boaters!

So we are inconsiderate and self centred. In fact there are thousands of properties out there that are not on canals. And yes, we did just that, paid for a mooring for 3 years and almost never had the boat on it. Since we left bw/crt have received very little revenue from peel's wharf which was my original point. Edited November 13, 2014 by Mrs Trackman

[Machpoint005]

The housing as a lot newer than that, judging from the photos.

It seems to me the questions are (1) are those 'objectionable' activities expressly forbidden in the mooring agreement, and if not, (2) is a nuisance of any kind being caused (noise or smoke)?

 

I though a boat was allowed to burn whatever it wanted for heating or propulsion, being excluded from the provisions of the various clean air and enviromental protection acts, so it would be down to the complainants to complaint to the Local Authority, and up to them to consider that there was a nuisance?

[magnetman]

Well that seems an obvious fix - put in power bollards and then, as I said, no need to run the engine (and much cheaper for the moorer too).

 

Anyway, the bottom line is that you can dislike the situation as much as you wish but it ain't going to change! Well, not unless power bollards are installed. A boater wishing to live on his boat has a wide choice and can go pretty much anywhere, the householder is stuck with his neighbours and has a lot of capital tied up in the property that he won't like to see devalued.

 

I have to say I am a bit surprised by the inconsiderate and self-centred nature of some of the posts on this thread, no wonder householders don't like boaters!

Ok so the householder doesn't want boats there so maybe they would like the canal closed, infilled and new housing built instead? Bet that'd mess with their 'capital'

And do we think boats devalue canalside property?

 

I guess if its squat.boats then yes maybe but a reasonable boat with considerate occupier will surely enhance it or do they want to live beside a stagnant ditch??

[Victor Vectis]

Nick, I know you are a wind up merchant so I'm not going to bite.

 

But, sometimes, I wonder which side you are on.

[magnetman]

 

 

the householder is stuck with his neighbours !

How terrible for them what a nightmare

[MtB]

If they don't like boats, why do they choose to live next door to a canal basin?

 

 

That's easy. They though the boats are pretty but only there for decoration. What's not to like?

 

Only when they moved in did they realise some were occupied, shock horror!

 

 

MtB

[nicknorman]

If I were living there, I would like to see boats chugging past and moored up. I would not like boats moored in the confines of the basin (which is a to some extent an enclosed space having buildings round most of 3 sides) belching out smoke 24/7 that swirled round the enclosed space and prevented me using my outside space or having my windows open when I chose to, and/or the constant rumble of engines and diesel smoke. These nuisances can be annoying when out and about on the cut (the smoke less so, because one has to be unlucky to be downwind of the smoke in an open environment) but one always has the option to relocate.

Nick, I know you are a wind up merchant so I'm not going to bite.

 

But, sometimes, I wonder which side you are on.

I am not on anyone's side except that of consideration for other folk. Why do you presume one must take sides?

 

Anyway, like I said the opinion of self-centred posters on here on this matter are massively outnumbered by those of the rest of the world so the argument is pointless. Carry on moaning if it makes you feel better, but it won't achieve anything.

Edited November 13, 2014 by nicknorman

[MtB]

I am not on anyone's side except that of consideration for other folk. Why do you presume one must take sides?

 

Anyway, like I said the opinion of self-centred posters on here on this matter are massively outnumbered by those of the rest of the world so the argument is pointless. Carry on moaning if it makes you feel better, but it won't achieve anything.

 

 

I am of the same view as Mr Norman here. Why, just because we are boaters, we should we be expected to support other boaters when they are making a nuisance of themselves?

 

I find static engine noise for hours on end intrusive too but I can untie and push off somewhere else. Flat owners can't. Same with smoke and flue fumes.

 

 

MtB

[Mrs Trackman]

The housing as a lot newer than that, judging from the photos.

It seems to me the questions are (1) are those 'objectionable' activities expressly forbidden in the mooring agreement, and if not, (2) is a nuisance of any kind being caused (noise or smoke)?

 

I though a boat was allowed to burn whatever it wanted for heating or propulsion, being excluded from the provisions of the various clean air and enviromental protection acts, so it would be down to the complainants to complaint to the Local Authority, and up to them to consider that there was a nuisance?

 

The 'objectionable activities' were not banned in our agreement but have been added to subsequent mooring lets.

We had no choice but to talk to residents since they moaned at us whenever they saw us. It was very unpleasant. There was one very pleasant man and I guess others who didn't feel the same. It's hardly a quiet spot being at the back of the old a5.

[furnessvale]

The 'objectionable activities' were not banned in our agreement but have been added to subsequent mooring lets.

We had no choice but to talk to residents since they moaned at us whenever they saw us. It was very unpleasant. There was one very pleasant man and I guess others who didn't feel the same. It's hardly a quiet spot being at the back of the old a5.

Perhaps the residents should try moaning about that and see just how far they get.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[trackman]

I'd have had sympathy with house owners over engine noise but for the fact that, as Mrs T says, they were right by a very noisy busy road.

In addition there's a truck maintenance yard next door running engines on and off all day, and other premises where a loud compressor unit runs intermittently 24/7.

Its not a quite location and a boat engine run between 8am and 8pm hardly adds to the ambient noise.

Furthermore, had we gone over to the visitor moorings we would have been affecting other houses and also still affecting some of the complainants.

As for smoke, we used smokeless fuel and there was no visible smoke. I could smell the fumes from the balanced flues of the gas boilers in the houses as much as I could our stove's. These flues were at about the same height as the top of our chimney btw.