Pub Moorings (mild rant within)

[junior]

Who owns the offside moorings when attached to a pub? I guess it is different for every pub? If owned by the pub, do they have to do a deal with CRT and adhere to any restrictions, I.e, mooring times etc?

 

The reason I ask is I've just moored outside a pub where I was hoping to stay for the next two nights. There would be 2 of us eating both nights, probably lunch tomorrow and I'm sat now in the garden with a drink and cheese chips.

 

To be polite, when I was at the bar I asked "is it ok if I stay outside for 2 nights, there will be two of us eating both nights?". The barman went out the back to ask and a lady who I presume to be the manager came back and in a very I've got power' tone replied "no sorry, I am not allowed to authorise you to stay for more than 24hrs". You can go over the other side (towpath) where I can let you stay 48hrs".

 

So, if the agreement with CRT states that they can only be used for 24hrs then fair enough. If they own the land and can do what they want with the moorings, why be so concerned about how long anyone stays if they are spending money in the pub and not taking the piss? If it is CRT land completely then what right have they to have any concern about how long I stay?

 

The end result is when I've finished my pint and chips, I'll not spend anymore money in here again, which is a shame as it's a regular overnight tie-up.

[Dharl]

I can sort of understand that the pub could control the length of stay at moorings at the bottom of their beer garden, if on the off-side (why they would not let you stay for 2 days as you said you would be spending money there is a bit of a baffle!) but in no way can I understand why the 'manager' will allow you to stay on the towpath opposite for 48hrs! That seems very generous of them considering its on the towpath and not connected to them!!

 

Enjoy rest of your pint and find a better pub which is a bit more friendly!

 

Cheesy Chips...a man after my own heart!

[Keeping Up]

That's amazing, given that the majority of pub moorings are rented out to permanently moored boats (no complaint against the boaters just against the pubs that don't seem to value boaters as passing trade). Just name and shame here, and then go and give your valuable trade to somewhere else.

[frangar]

I too would be interested in the name of the establishment....seems a little mad of the management given how pubs struggle these days although it might well be that the management don't understand boaters or have been stung in the past by some taking the pee.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[bigcol]

Ah!! You got to know the manager!!

[David Schweizer]

The land adacent to a pub on the offside is not always owned by the pub. I know of two, one on the K&A, and one on the N. Oxford where the land is fenced off and leased by CaRT to commercial undertakings, and there are probably more that i have not noticed.

 

It would seem to be different on the Thames where it seems the land is always owned by the pub, and the manager's have always been very willing to allow me to moor there, irrespective of whethr I had a meal or not,

Edited July 17, 2015 by David Schweizer

[cuthound]

That's amazing, given that the majority of pub moorings are rented out to permanently moored boats (no complaint against the boaters just against the pubs that don't seem to value boaters as passing trade). Just name and shame here, and then go and give your valuable trade to somewhere else.

Our local canalside pub, The Gate, has a good compromise whereby they rent out the pub moorings in the winter and use them for passing boaters in the summer. Not sure if they limit them to 24 hours per visit though.

[pearley]

That's amazing, given that the majority of pub moorings are rented out to permanently moored boats (no complaint against the boaters just against the pubs that don't seem to value boaters as passing trade). Just name and shame here, and then go and give your valuable trade to somewhere else.

Too many pubs doing this and then have the cheek to say in the Good Beer Guide that they have Moorings.

[lydfordcastle]

Who owns the offside moorings when attached to a pub? I guess it is different for every pub? If owned by the pub, do they have to do a deal with CRT and adhere to any restrictions, I.e, mooring times etc?

 

The reason I ask is I've just moored outside a pub where I was hoping to stay for the next two nights. There would be 2 of us eating both nights, probably lunch tomorrow and I'm sat now in the garden with a drink and cheese chips.

 

To be polite, when I was at the bar I asked "is it ok if I stay outside for 2 nights, there will be two of us eating both nights?". The barman went out the back to ask and a lady who I presume to be the manager came back and in a very I've got power' tone replied "no sorry, I am not allowed to authorise you to stay for more than 24hrs". You can go over the other side (towpath) where I can let you stay 48hrs".

 

So, if the agreement with CRT states that they can only be used for 24hrs then fair enough. If they own the land and can do what they want with the moorings, why be so concerned about how long anyone stays if they are spending money in the pub and not taking the piss? If it is CRT land completely then what right have they to have any concern about how long I stay?

 

The end result is when I've finished my pint and chips, I'll not spend anymore money in here again, which is a shame as it's a regular overnight tie-up.

 

I think your problem was "being polite". You didn't mention if there was any signage on the pub mooring so, assuming there wasn't, I'd have just tied up and carried on drinking. I think it's a pretty safe bet that the pub staff don't 'police' the mooring and if they did then simply tell lies, say you've only just arrived but there was another very similar boat in the mooring spot before me. There are two pubs in my locality where I've never been quite sure of the correct interpretation of the rules so on the basis that ignorance is bliss, I've always done what I said and so far I haven't been taken to task. The Royal Oak at Hillmorton has steel tube barriers seperating the pub from the water so I guess the pub doesn't own the mooring, and at one end of the approx. 150 foot bank there is a sign saying private moorings. I've often moored overnight at the other end and not had a problem (yet). The Boat House at Braunston has a sign at the waters edge stating that winter mooring is limited to 24 hours and summer mooring to 4 hours meaning there should never be a boat moored overnight in the summer months, but there invariably is (or are). Once again I suspect that the staff are busy enough serving beer and food without having to worry about any errant boaters breaking their mooring rules (they's unlikely to try to turf you off in the middle of the night) and I've not yet been ticked off for overstaying

[Mac of Cygnet]

I too would be interested in the name of the pub. It would lower their score, if I've given them one, and I probably have if it's in your usual area. Was it Hallsall you had moored? Perhaps they don't like tradesmen!

[Scholar Gypsy]

The land adacent to a pub on the offside is not always owned by the pub. I know of two, one on the K&A, and one on the N. Oxford where the land is fenced off and leased by CaRT to commercial undertakings, and there are probably more that i have not noticed.

 

It would seem to be different on the Thames where it seems the land is always owned by the pub, and the manager's have always been very willing to allow me to moor there, irrespective of whethr I had a meal or not,

 

Except the Compleat Angler in Marlow, some years ago. To be fair we only wanted a pint, we were rather scruffy, and we would have taken up most of the available moorings ....

Edited July 17, 2015 by Scholar Gypsy

[blackrose]

Sorry, but I can't help wondering why you asked the question if you weren't prepared for an answer you didn't like? I know you were being polite, but part of that courtesy is accepting their decision.

 

I don't know what their reasons were. Perhaps they just want to free up the moorings for other users after 24 hours, but whatever their reasons it's their mooring and their decision should be respected. Is it really such a great hardship to moor on the other side?

Edited July 17, 2015 by blackrose

[magnetman]

To be polite, when I was at the bar I asked "is it ok if I stay outside for 2 nights, there will be two of us eating both nights?". The barman went out the back to ask and a lady who I presume to be the manager came back and in a very I've got power' tone replied "no sorry, I am not allowed to authorise you to stay for more than 24hrs". You can go over the other side (towpath) where I can let you stay 48hrs".

Junior

 

The person who 'allowed' you to stay 48hrs on the towpath opposite.

Did you say thank you

 

Being polite is the best defence against these people

 

Edit.to add 48hrs

Edited July 17, 2015 by magnetman

[cotswoldsman]

Not defending what they did but maybe they were thinking that tomorrow there might be a chance that you would be replaced by a boat with 4 people all wanting dinner. Like others have said the lesson my be learnt is don't ask.

The other reason might be that they did not like the idea of a coalman at their pub

[alan_fincher]

Tongue in cheek, but a working boat represents potentially least possible number of customers for the pub for maximum amount of mooring space used up.

 

Potentially 72 feet of moorings occupied by just 8 feet of living accommodation.

 

I'm not suggesting that was their reasoning but you can't sell drinks or meals tro fifty plus feet of hold occupied by bagged coal, diesel and calor gas!

[Dave_P]

I had a similar experience with a farm shop on the Oxford Canal earlier this year. At about 9.00am We moored up at the front, where they were advertising moorings with electric. The place was deserted. I walked up and found the lady owner and asked how much she would charge to allow us to moor there for one hour. (So I could do a washing machine load while my genny was not working). They had a little outdoor cafe thing doing breakfasts so I said we'd stay for breakfast and also buy some things from the farm shop.

 

Her response was that we could only stay as long as it took to eat a bacon sandwich (about 15 minutes) because there was only 2 of us and a bigger family on a hire boat might turn up. I pointed out that we were happy to pay for the mooring/electric and that there was still plenty of space to moor.

 

Needless to say, we left. The place was still deserted.

 

I still can't quite believe I didn't dream the whole thing.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Dave_P

[LoneWolf]

I'm with Blackrose on this. Why did you ask if you were going to throw your toys on getting a 'no'

 

If you hadn't asked there wouldn't have been a problem with you staying more than one night - I dont know if they have an agreement with CaRT or what any agreement may be but i know that they don't check the moorings. Boats often stay more than one night outside that pub

You probably confused her by asking. Also, "I cant authorise it" isn't saying "no" either

 

Vowing never to spend money there again if it's a regular stop is, frankly, cutting off your nose to spite your face - Go and eat at the other pub and you'll see what i mean

[MtB]

Tongue in cheek, but a working boat represents potentially least possible number of customers for the pub for maximum amount of mooring space used up.

 

Potentially 72 feet of moorings occupied by just 8 feet of living accommodation.

 

I'm not suggesting that was their reasoning but you can't sell drinks or meals tro fifty plus feet of hold occupied by bagged coal, diesel and calor gas!

 

 

This was my reading of it too. The manager could well be accustomed to hire boats containing 12 blokes out on the lash or a stag party mooring there, and spending £500 a night in his pub.

 

Your offer of a pint and and bag of cheesy chips x 4 wasn't really making the £££ signs light up in his eyes..!

 

[ditchcrawler]

Many years ago we were moored outside the pub overnight at Barbridge, cant remember the name. Next morning a BW man wanted to know when we were leaving as the pub was not an authorised mooring and it turned out they had had a report of a boat with the same name as ours spending a lot of time there. It seemed they were quite happy boats stopping overnight but no longer.

[junior]

I'm with Blackrose on this. Why did you ask if you were going to throw your toys on getting a 'no'

 

If you hadn't asked there wouldn't have been a problem with you staying more than one night - I dont know if they have an agreement with CaRT or what any agreement may be but i know that they don't check the moorings. Boats often stay more than one night outside that pub

You probably confused her by asking. Also, "I cant authorise it" isn't saying "no" either

 

Vowing never to spend money there again if it's a regular stop is, frankly, cutting off your nose to spite your face - Go and eat at the other pub and you'll see what i mean

Just read the OP again and still can't see anything to suggest toys were being thrown out of the pram. But I'd have expected that sort of answer from you to something I post.

 

Anyway, had a lovely meal in there last night and will probably have lunch there again shortly. Then we'll push the boat over to the towpath and go elsewhere tonight.

 

Oh and no I'm not naming and shaming and no I don't think they knew it was a coal boat when I asked, unless they have a CCTV camera pointing that way.

[ditchcrawler]

Just read the OP again and still can't see anything to suggest toys were being thrown out of the pram. But I'd have expected that sort of answer from you to something I post.

 

Anyway, had a lovely meal in there last night and will probably have lunch there again shortly. Then we'll push the boat over to the towpath and go elsewhere tonight.

 

Oh and no I'm not naming and shaming and no I don't think they knew it was a coal boat when I asked, unless they have a CCTV camera pointing that way.

Maybe it was the vicious guard dog wagging its tail

[LoneWolf]

Just read the OP again and still can't see anything to suggest toys were being thrown out of the pram. But I'd have expected that sort of answer from you to something I post.

 

Anyway, had a lovely meal in there last night and will probably have lunch there again shortly. Then we'll push the boat over to the towpath and go elsewhere tonight.

 

Oh and no I'm not naming and shaming and no I don't think they knew it was a coal boat when I asked, unless they have a CCTV camera pointing that way.

 

I think declaring you'll not spend any more money there is chucking your toys - especially since you didn't even mean it

 

I was serious when I advised you not to eat at the other pub

[MtB]

 

I think declaring you'll not spend any more money there is chucking your toys - especially since you didn't even mean it

 

I was serious when I advised you not to eat at the other pub

 

I think the last few posts from Gibbo are a better example of someone chucking his toys!

[cotswoldsman]

Just read the OP again and still can't see anything to suggest toys were being thrown out of the pram. But I'd have expected that sort of answer from you to something I post.

 

Anyway, had a lovely meal in there last night and will probably have lunch there again shortly. Then we'll push the boat over to the towpath and go elsewhere tonight.

 

Oh and no I'm not naming and shaming and no I don't think they knew it was a coal boat when I asked, unless they have a CCTV camera pointing that way.

Where does that fit in with

 

Quote

 

The end result is when I've finished my pint and chips, I'll not spend anymore money in here again, which is a shame as it's a regular overnight tie-up.

 

Unquote

 

Sounds to me you were doing something with your toys, must have been picking them up!!@

[furnessvale]

Oh and no I'm not naming and shaming and no I don't think they knew it was a coal boat when I asked, unless they have a CCTV camera pointing that way.

Give over, Martin, they just looked at your hands!

 

George ex nb Alton retired