Mooring opposite winding holes

[Looby Loo]

I am moored a short way down from a winding hole. I have been here a week and in that time a succession of boats have moored directly opposite the winding hole, in some cases leading to frustrated and annoyed boaters having been unable to turn and having to continue on. Both hire and privately owned boats have moored blocking the winding hole. Surely common sense dictates that it is not a considerate mooring spot. Am I being unreasonable in expecting a winding hole to be left clear?

[Higgs]

I am moored a short way down from a winding hole. I have been here a week and in that time a succession of boats have moored directly opposite the winding hole, in some cases leading to frustrated and annoyed boaters having been unable to turn and having to continue on. Both hire and privately owned boats have moored blocking the winding hole. Surely common sense dictates that it is not a considerate mooring spot. Am I being unreasonable in expecting a winding hole to be left clear?

 

 

I'd hazard a guess here in saying you have most certainly experienced the daft habit of idiots, who possess no common sense.

[Idunhoe]

Having a shorter boat, and therefore able to wind even if some idiot chooses to block the 'hole, it gives me great pleasure in such circumstances to use the maximum possible revs to achieve winding. I find the consequent blast of water in the general direction of the miscreants boat serves to remind them of the error of their ways.

[Athy]

Most winding holes have No Mooring signs on the towpath side at either end. But if that one does not, it may not occur to an inexperienced boater (who may be blissfully unaware of what that wide bit of canal is for) that he should not park there.

[MtB]

Yes mooring opposite a winding hole is plain thoughtless usually. It does not occur to inexperienced boaters that the big space opposite is for any specific purpose, they just found a hand mooring space!

 

I had a mild contratemps with a boater moored oppsite a winding hole which stopped me turning a few weeks back, at Fenny Compton. On suggesting to him his mooring opposite a winding hole was a bit of a nuisance, his response was that he was filling with water, and CRT shouldn't put water taps opposite winding holes if he wasn't supposed to stop there.

 

He had a point I suppose...

[Psycloud]

At 64' we should just about be able to wind if someone is moored opposite but I've never tried it. Maybe next time...

[waterdog]

Had similar on the Llangollen last week. we overnighted right at the end of the ellesmere basin and reversed back to the turning point / entrance to find a viking hire moored on the entrance to the other arm where the trip boat / cafe is. Managed to get round as boat is 56ft but it took about a 15 point turn, bit of a pain but no big issue, as we completed the turn someone from Jones the Boats appeared and gave the hire boat some "constructive advice"

 

Later on we moored at the bottom of Grindley Brook just after the lock landing then 2 Anglo Welsh boats moored overnight on the lock bollards, loads of room in front.

 

Not having a go at hire boats crews here but you have to wonder what the hire companies are telling them or what (if any) research the crews do before the trip.

[Psycloud]

 

I had a mild contratemps with a boater moored oppsite a winding hole which stopped me turning a few weeks back, at Fenny Compton. On suggesting to him his mooring opposite a winding hole was a bit of a nuisance, his response was that he was filling with water, and CRT shouldn't put water taps opposite winding holes if he wasn't supposed to stop there.

 

He had a point I suppose...

At Cosgrove the winding hole is directly below the bottom lock gates, and the waterpoint is on the lock landing. Yesterday the Mrs just about managed it with a boat coming down, one filling with water and another moored right on the bit that juts out at the end of the lock landing. Took plenty of to-ing and fro-ing but I was impressed nobody got knocked.

[Bod]

Yes mooring opposite a winding hole is plain thoughtless usually. It does not occur to inexperienced boaters that the big space opposite is for any specific purpose, they just found a hand mooring space!

 

I had a mild contratemps with a boater moored oppsite a winding hole which stopped me turning a few weeks back, at Fenny Compton. On suggesting to him his mooring opposite a winding hole was a bit of a nuisance, his response was that he was filling with water, and CRT shouldn't put water taps opposite winding holes if he wasn't supposed to stop there.

 

He had a point I suppose...

 

Inexperienced boaters.........I've come across long term live-aboards who must have very little experience.

 

Bod

[Athy]

 

 

I had a mild contratemps with a boater moored oppsite a winding hole which stopped me turning a few weeks back, at Fenny Compton. On suggesting to him his mooring opposite a winding hole was a bit of a nuisance, his response was that he was filling with water, and CRT shouldn't put water taps opposite winding holes if he wasn't supposed to stop there.

 

 

Not sure if he's still there, but for quite a while a local boat moored IN the winding hole (which is a quite long rectangular one, not V-shaped one). Apparently it was something to do with riparian rights, as he owned the house just beside the winding hole.

 

Inexperienced boaters.........I've come across long term live-aboards who must have very little experience.

 

Bod

Well, if they rarely move...

 

 

Ooh, controversial!

[MoominPapa]

I had a mild contratemps with a boater moored oppsite a winding hole which stopped me turning a few weeks back, at Fenny Compton. On suggesting to him his mooring opposite a winding hole was a bit of a nuisance, his response was that he was filling with water, and CRT shouldn't put water taps opposite winding holes if he wasn't supposed to stop there.

 

He had a point I suppose...

 

 

Before moving the water point at Fenny, CRT could remove the permanently moored boat on the offside of the winding hole, and the large amount of silt filling it. That would make life much easier.

 

MP.

[b0atman]

What about all them boats moored at Tixall winding hole

[MtB]

Not sure if he's still there, but for quite a while a local boat moored IN the winding hole (which is a quite long rectangular one, not V-shaped one). Apparently it was something to do with riparian rights, as he owned the house just beside the winding hole.

 

Yes he came on here explaining that, a year or two ago. It's gone anyway but I never found it an obstruction as with a 68ft boat I need to put the bow right into the gap in the piling at the left hand end to get around. Dunno how 71ft boats manage there...

 

Anyway for a winding hole to work it only needs to be triangular, so that moored boat was nver an obstruction. I expect he moved from getting fed up with being hit though!

[NickF]

I am sure it says not to do it in the boaters handbook.

 

I have also come across people fishing opposite winding holes. I don't think I improved their fishing experience on the two occasions it has happened to me where i needed to turn!

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Before moving the water point at Fenny, CRT could remove the permanently moored boat on the offside of the winding hole,

I don't think they can. Another question, What makes a bulge in the canal an official winding hole? IE. could CRT just say Fenny is not a winding hole if they feel like it.

[Ricco1]

I suspect that not mooring opposite a winding hole is a general guideline rather than an absolute. At Bugsworth mooring rings are provided at the winding hole, albeit a very big hole. At Whaley Bridge a couple of boaters have been given semi permanent moorings at the wharf at the end of the canal; a winding hole.

[b0atman]

the trip boat at Whaley Bridge has no problems turning .

[zenataomm]

I've been canal boating since 1966.

This has certainly been a problem since then to my experience.

[robdalej]

Winding holes maybe as , often there are no signs , so someone could moor opposite them by mistake but my pet hate is people mooring by bridge holes , often in a line , then cruise a mile up the canal and there will be loads of mooring spaces !

[Pykebird]

At Cosgrove the winding hole is directly below the bottom lock gates, and the waterpoint is on the lock landing. Yesterday the Mrs just about managed it with a boat coming down, one filling with water and another moored right on the bit that juts out at the end of the lock landing. Took plenty of to-ing and fro-ing but I was impressed nobody got knocked.

That's why there is a bench below and next to the lock ! Great fun to while away an afternoon watching proceedings!

[OldGoat]

Winding holes maybe as , often there are no signs , so someone could moor opposite them by mistake but my pet hate is people mooring by bridge holes , often in a line , then cruise a mile up the canal and there will be loads of mooring spaces !

 

Support your second comment,

as to the first - ? notices? who needs bleedin' notices, surely it's -expletive deleted- obvious??

[Ricco1]

the trip boat at Whaley Bridge has no problems turning .

 

You're right. The guy who steers it is a qualified boatmaster and turns in around easily, with about a foot to spare. But the boats that moor there get bashed quite regularly.

 

We're probably saying that it's perfectly ok to moor opposite a winding hole, as long as it's big enough.

[ditchcrawler]

I am moored a short way down from a winding hole. I have been here a week and in that time a succession of boats have moored directly opposite the winding hole, in some cases leading to frustrated and annoyed boaters having been unable to turn and having to continue on. Both hire and privately owned boats have moored blocking the winding hole. Surely common sense dictates that it is not a considerate mooring spot. Am I being unreasonable in expecting a winding hole to be left clear?

Like the one behind me tonight.

[StarUKKiwi]

You're right. The guy who steers it is a qualified boatmaster and turns in around easily, with about a foot to spare. But the boats that moor there get bashed quite regularly.

 

We're probably saying that it's perfectly ok to moor opposite a winding hole, as long as it's big enough.

Note both the coalboats manage there OK and it is quite a big wind.

[TheBiscuits]

We are dab hands at spotting a good clear deep mooring, and after stopping at it spotting the winding hole opposite!

 

I think the washwall gets more abuse from boats in a wannin' 'ole so they get repaired more often, and provide a better mooring opportunity.

 

We move on a bit when this happens, but I suppose some people don't notice or don't bother.