Winter Moorings prove popular

[Paul C]

I too like Matty have been noticing empty winter moorings. I was surprised that Stoke Bruene wasn't nose to tail when I got there once I saw the winter mooring designation.

I'm now at lower Cosgrove and there's no one on the designated moorings here either.

 

Good news for a non-winter moorer really.

 

They only rent out 50% of the visitor mooring length don't they?

[WotEver]

Percent derives from the Latin Centum, as in Percentum, parts of a century 100.

Anything expressed as more than 100% is just wrong.

To say that "Anything expressed as more than 100% is just wrong" shows mathematical ignorance. As you correctly point out, percentum means 'parts of 100'. Effectively it is nothing more than a ratio between two numbers. So something which is 50% of X is half as big as X. Something which is 150% of X is half as big again, or X x 1.5 if you prefer. Or 150 hundredths, which would be written 150/100. All of those >100% examples being perfectly acceptable.

[BruceinSanity]

I too like Matty have been noticing empty winter moorings. I was surprised that Stoke Bruene wasn't nose to tail when I got there once I saw the winter mooring designation.

I'm now at lower Cosgrove and there's no one on the designated moorings here either.

 

Good news for a non-winter moorer really.

 

I notice Willington VMs are not winter moorings this year – not surprised they're very noisy – but they've left some old signs up saying they are. It's bad enough CRT littering the place with signs without them leaving incorrect ones up as well.

[sirweste]

 

They only rent out 50% of the visitor mooring length don't they?

 

Dunno, the winter designation ran from near the museum to into the trees, stopping a few boat length shy of the turning 'ole I think. Basically all the spots nearer town and so the spots that see the winter sunshine.

[alan_fincher]

I too like Matty have been noticing empty winter moorings. I was surprised that Stoke Bruene wasn't nose to tail when I got there once I saw the winter mooring designation.

I'm now at lower Cosgrove and there's no one on the designated moorings here either.

 

They usually struggle to sell any winter moorings at Stoke Bruerne - I believe it may have been none last year, but haven't heard about this year.

 

From memory the price charged was probably at the highest rate, (but again I don't know about this year). and Stoke Bruerne has no real shop, little public parking and only very intermittent public transport.

[Cheshire cat]

Not always the case (though it is for people that have more recently started company pension contributions) which is why so many companies have a black hole in their pension funds. It depends what type of scheme they have - final salary or defined contribution.

 

There's lots of reasons why there are black holes, some of them political which I won't pursue. Just look at the maths though.

 

You pay 6% and it's matched by your employer. 12% of salary in total. If you retire on half salary you and your employer have to contribute for four and a bit years just to cover the first year of payout.

 

Most teachers I know who went the distance retired at 60. If you are planning on living to be 80 that's 20 years of pension which will take 83 years of work to save up for.

 

Yes I know the money is invested and that will improve the situation but the payout is at final salary whereas the pay in was at current salary. Of course that imbalance is reduced to some extent by the fact that some of your colleagues will pass away early but even so the calculations don't look good from the perspective of the funds that need to be conjured up.

 

Edited for spelling

 

No wonder things have had to change.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Cheshire cat

[matty40s]

 

They only rent out 50% of the visitor mooring length don't they?

Above Alrewas there are probably 400 yards of winter moorings, some piling, the rest crappy bank, there are 3 boats there. There are only 3 boats on the moorings in Alrewas itself.

Fradley only had 4 boats moored(Coventry and T&M down the locks), not sure if there were Winter moorings there or not.

Burton had 3 boats on Shobnall Fields, used to be the Winter mooring zone, but no signs up.

Tamworth had about 4 boats near to the CRT offices moorings WM.

Huddlesford had no boats on WM

Atherstone had no signage I could see - no boats in long pound above lock 6 which used to be the WM.

Polesworth had 1 boat on 100m of signed WM

Hawkesbury Junction had no boats on WM, and no boats towpath side on the N Oxford, a few on the Coventry further out though.

Braunston WM was full - about 8 boats, although whether they are all WMoorers is another question.

No boats on Newbold (Rugby) WM, two above Elliots Field retail park WM and the same Willow Wren hire boat as last year on the WM below Hillmorton.

3 boats on the WM at Norton Junction, same 3 as last year.

None at the Stowe Hill water point - 1 last year.

None i Weedon itself.

[David Mack]

Quite. Or to put it another way, if the investment gains on your pension just keep pace with inflation, and you want to live for 20 years in retirement on a pension of 2/3 salary, then over your 40 year working life you and your employer between you have to put away 1/3 of salary each year.

 

Scary!

[matty40s]

 

I used to wear a big silly blue hat and we payed 11%........worth it though, but at the time it was nearly as much as my mortgage

 

hope the pension is worth it...

[MoominPapa]

I doubt it. As I understand it, when an employee receives a pension at the end of so many years' service, they get back what they have put in over the years. I think I paid 6% of my salary into the Teachers' Superannuation fund during my career.

It's much, much more complicated than that, and employers, as well as employees do normally contribute.

 

MP. (Former pension scheme trustee)

[Jerra]

I think I paid 6% of my salary into the Teachers' Superannuation fund during my career.

Currently between 7.4% and 11.7% depending where you are on the pay scale.

 

EDIT to add employers contribution brings this up to 26%

Edited December 6, 2016 by Jerra

[Mike Todd]

Percentage represents the sum or total

Logically the total should be the new figure of 522 permits sold and the old figure of 194 can then be expressed as a percentage of the sum.

522/100=5.22

5.22 = 1%

194/5.22 = 37.16% of the total

The statement should read as; last year was 63% less permits were sold

Since we wre trying to be correct here, am I right in thinking that should be fewer rather then less?

[WotEver]

Since we wre trying to be correct here, am I right in thinking that should be fewer rather then less?

Yes

[Murflynn]

Wont the money go on paying the bosses pensions?

no, not bosses' pension: £150K will only pay one boss's pension

[Athy]

Currently between 7.4% and 11.7% depending where you are on the pay scale.

 

 

I really can't remember, as I left teaching over 10 years ago, in my early 50s. For my last couple of years' service I was on top of main scale + a responsibility allowance, so I may have been contributing more than 6%.

 

 

Hawkesbury Junction had no boats on WM, and no boats towpath side on the N Oxford, a few on the Coventry further out though.

 

...a scene which those of us who go through there, and seek to moor there, during the summer can only dream of. The Oxford side is habitually choc-a-bloc up to and beyond the bend by the time we arrive.

[Jerra]

I really can't remember, as I left teaching over 10 years ago, in my early 50s. For my last couple of years' service I was on top of main scale + a responsibility allowance, so I may have been contributing more than 6%.

I can't remember when it increased I was just making sure that those with no experience/knowledge of the profession knew the current situation.

[Dave Payne]

Above Alrewas there are probably 400 yards of winter moorings, some piling, the rest crappy bank, there are 3 boats there. There are only 3 boats on the moorings in Alrewas itself.

Fradley only had 4 boats moored(Coventry and T&M down the locks), not sure if there were Winter moorings there or not.

Burton had 3 boats on Shobnall Fields, used to be the Winter mooring zone, but no signs up.

Tamworth had about 4 boats near to the CRT offices moorings WM.

Huddlesford had no boats on WM

Atherstone had no signage I could see - no boats in long pound above lock 6 which used to be the WM.

Polesworth had 1 boat on 100m of signed WM

Hawkesbury Junction had no boats on WM, and no boats towpath side on the N Oxford, a few on the Coventry further out though.

Braunston WM was full - about 8 boats, although whether they are all WMoorers is another question.

No boats on Newbold (Rugby) WM, two above Elliots Field retail park WM and the same Willow Wren hire boat as last year on the WM below Hillmorton.

3 boats on the WM at Norton Junction, same 3 as last year.

None at the Stowe Hill water point - 1 last year.

None i Weedon itself.

Hawkesbury has had a couple of boats on the WM over the last couple of weeks, but they vanished on saturday/sunday, not sure if they were permitted to moor there, but there is only two boat spaces anyway between the pump house bridge and the first water point.

Atherton top VM is not signposted neither is hartshill which has been the last couple of tears.

[Captain Pegg]

It's looks like three boats are wintering in Droitwich this year. Only two of them on the winter permit moorings though. I think that's the same situation as last year.

 

JP

[sirweste]

Busy winter mooring yesterday at lower Cosgrove....

 

[matty40s]

No wm at Shardlow, only two boats on the towpath altogether. 1 boat above Weston Lock signed WM.

Sawley Cut is over 250m signed WM with just 4 boats.

[Athy]

Atherton top

Modesty forbids me to comment.

[Dave Payne]

Modesty forbids me to comment.

Spullchuck!

 

You missed the years/tears?

[Athy]

Spullchuck!

 

You missed the years/tears?

No, I didn't. But that's not my name. Atherton is.

[Ray T]

Apologies, yesterday’s press release about winter moorings was issued with an error. Please see the amended version below.

 

Regards

Jonathan

 

 

5 December 2016

 

WINTER MOORINGS PROVE POPULAR

 

As winter settles in the Canal & River Trust is reporting that more boaters than ever before are taking up moorings for the season, with the number of winter mooring permits sold rising 15% year-on-year to 522 (2015: 454 permits).

 

The Trust picked a range of winter mooring sites across the country to offer boaters as wide a choice as possible, which took into account boaters’ feedback on last year’s winter mooring spots. This collaborative approach has meant that this year winter moorings have been taken up at 104 locations.

 

Winter moorings provide a service for boaters who may not want to cruise as the nights grow longer and the weather can be grim. The proceeds from winter mooring sales go back into the waterways to provide for their care, and this year £250,500 has been raised so far (2015: £183,000).

 

Mike Grimes, head of boating at Canal & River Trust, said: “While the canals in winter can be extremely beautiful the conditions can turn challenging and some boaters want the assurance of a particular mooring to keep their boat. We’ve spent a lot of time working on what we can offer boaters, and listening to what they want. I’m pleased the moorings have proved so popular. There are still some spots available so if the recent cold snap has cooled the prospects of cruising, do take a look at our website and see if you can find a winter mooring that appeals to you.”

 

Winter moorings are available until 31 March 2017, and a list of the sites and prices can be found at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/winter-moorings. Bookings for the winter moorings can be made through the Trust’s boat licensing site: https://licensing.canalrivertrust.org.uk/Account/Register.

 

If you have any questions about winter moorings please call customer services on 0303 040 4040 or email wintermoorings@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact:

Fran Read, national press officer, Canal & River Trust

m 07796 610 427 e fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

 

Notes to editors

Winter mooring sites have been ranked according to the following criteria.

 

Band 1: £15 per meter/per month – a visitor mooring site with mooring rings or bollards, in/within walking distance of a popular village/town/location with local amenities. There are good facilities at or nearby (including water, elsan, pumpout and rubbish facilities) and good public transport links (for example the site is close to a station/public transport routes or, in London, is in travel zone 1-4).

 

Band 2: £13.50 per metre/per month – a visitor mooring site with mooring rings or bollards, in/within walking distance of a popular village/town/location with local amenities. This site has good facilities (most including water, elsan, pumpout and rubbish facilities).

 

Band 3: £10.00 per metre/per month – this could be a visitor mooring or towpath site with some facilities on site or within a short cruise. The site is likely to be quite close to a village or town.

 

Band 4: £6.50 per metre/per month – a quieter towpath location, which doesn’t have any facilities on site.

[rubblequeen]

There are winter moorings at Bardney, Lincs on the River Witham. I live at the next village Southrey and wondered what the response might be from CRT if I asked if there could be a winter mooring at Southrey. Good visitor moorings there and quite infrequently used.

I have a marina mooring in the midlands which I would keep and happy to pay the winter mooring fees as this would allow me to do some internal refurb without hours of driving during the bad weather.