Mooring, continuously moving or not.
They seem to have their knickers in a twist again and once again I am siding with the continuous cruisers. Having done continuous cruising, marina mooring and linear moorings I am with the continuous cruiser.
Canal boat magazine published a letter suggesting continuous cruisers should pay a mooring licence. This is rather crazy as a mooring licence is there so individuals can moor in a particular area for longer than the specified bank time of 48hrs, 7days, or 14days.
Continuous cruisers have no need for a mooring licence. They don't moor longer than those periods in a particular area. I wonder why this keeps coming up?! Continuous cruising is not the soft option people seem to think it is. Having to move ones boat rain or shine, health wealth, illness, poorness is not an easy number. If there is a family emergency it can take ages to get to a loved ones side. To visit a pharmacy, a Dr, a hospital, a friend can take forever. If a continuous cruiser needs to moor up for a period of time they do, usually (as far as i can gather) in a marina, a temporary linear mooring, or on dry land. Then they pay.
Paying to moor up for longer than the backside allows is something they do when they need to it. I may be a minority but I rather like continuous cruisers. They are out on the cut constantly, monitoring, reporting problems, teaming together to clear or report things when they come up. I am pretty sure they look after the bank better as well. Mooring carefully and considerately. They also see a lot of the system which means they can make helpful comparisons and see how the waterways are changing for better or worse as time goes by. Not only that, but with blogger we all get to share in it.
I have spent nigh on a year moored up not really boating anywhere and during that time my attitude became half land, half boat, and now I am out and about I am reminded how fortunate I am to have a mooring at all. Continuous cruising isn't as easy as people think. I don't think they should have to pay more to moor. Why single them out? They don't need to pay unless, like marina and linear moorings, they want to stay in one place longer than the specified time.
To charge continuous cruisers means that everyone should be charged to moor on the bank. I wonder whether that will come in, all moorings cost, even the 24hour, 7 and 14 day moorings. Would non continuous cruisers like that? On the waterways everyone needs everyone.
This ridiculous segregation of pointing that one group gets it easier than another group is nothing short of insane. People are people and make the choices they make and the reasons for that are not public knowledge, they are private between the boater and the licensing/mooring authorities.
At least while people are busy slitting eachothers throats they are too busy to remember about the waterways? Gone are the days when boaters can delight in eachothers different freedoms?
My father, when I was younger, pointed out to me that when I held my hand up and pointed at someone else as if they were a problem there were three fingers pointing back at me. It seems to me that more often than not that criticism lies in our own hearts, not in the lives of others.
Canal boat magazine published a letter suggesting continuous cruisers should pay a mooring licence. This is rather crazy as a mooring licence is there so individuals can moor in a particular area for longer than the specified bank time of 48hrs, 7days, or 14days.
Continuous cruisers have no need for a mooring licence. They don't moor longer than those periods in a particular area. I wonder why this keeps coming up?! Continuous cruising is not the soft option people seem to think it is. Having to move ones boat rain or shine, health wealth, illness, poorness is not an easy number. If there is a family emergency it can take ages to get to a loved ones side. To visit a pharmacy, a Dr, a hospital, a friend can take forever. If a continuous cruiser needs to moor up for a period of time they do, usually (as far as i can gather) in a marina, a temporary linear mooring, or on dry land. Then they pay.
Paying to moor up for longer than the backside allows is something they do when they need to it. I may be a minority but I rather like continuous cruisers. They are out on the cut constantly, monitoring, reporting problems, teaming together to clear or report things when they come up. I am pretty sure they look after the bank better as well. Mooring carefully and considerately. They also see a lot of the system which means they can make helpful comparisons and see how the waterways are changing for better or worse as time goes by. Not only that, but with blogger we all get to share in it.
I have spent nigh on a year moored up not really boating anywhere and during that time my attitude became half land, half boat, and now I am out and about I am reminded how fortunate I am to have a mooring at all. Continuous cruising isn't as easy as people think. I don't think they should have to pay more to moor. Why single them out? They don't need to pay unless, like marina and linear moorings, they want to stay in one place longer than the specified time.
To charge continuous cruisers means that everyone should be charged to moor on the bank. I wonder whether that will come in, all moorings cost, even the 24hour, 7 and 14 day moorings. Would non continuous cruisers like that? On the waterways everyone needs everyone.
This ridiculous segregation of pointing that one group gets it easier than another group is nothing short of insane. People are people and make the choices they make and the reasons for that are not public knowledge, they are private between the boater and the licensing/mooring authorities.
At least while people are busy slitting eachothers throats they are too busy to remember about the waterways? Gone are the days when boaters can delight in eachothers different freedoms?
My father, when I was younger, pointed out to me that when I held my hand up and pointed at someone else as if they were a problem there were three fingers pointing back at me. It seems to me that more often than not that criticism lies in our own hearts, not in the lives of others.
posted by MortimerBones at
8:19 AM
8 Comments:
I personnally think the CCers are the people using the canals for the closest to what they where designed for. Tom moor in a marina is as to having a house. Some I have seen look as if they have never left. I have always said and stick to this, that BW and C&RT need to get 100% license fees first and foremost, stop those that evade the rules now before they look at new rules and regulations. As to anything the foundations need to be strong before change will work. The wooly answer of the boats are checked etc is rubbish, on a 12 day trip on the L&L countless 2009 and 2010 licenses showing. As a CCer I will abide by the rules laid down for travelling inbetween areas. I think the main problem seen against CCers is those that yoyo for work.
Totally agree with your thinking, why pick on the boaters that use the whole system, and can compare each area. The majority dont moor too long anywhere so no need for permenant mooring. The only thing I have a problem with, is that I am not one of them.
Hear hear Bones. People talk as if paying for a mooring is some kind of tax, but it's an optional extra - and does bring a lot of advantages for those than can afford it.
I agree with Tony - we met someone on a northern canal with a brand new luxury widebeam whose 'continuous cruise' was a short stretch between the winding hole, local pub and the waterpoint - where he told me it took him two hours to fill up! "BW told me I should get a marina mooring" he told me "but that's two grand a year. "They offered me a bankside mooring for over a grand - didn't even have a tap. Why should I bother?"
Telling him that other boaters do it and he's abusing the system would have probably got me a punch on the nose.
Of course he's far from alone in that attitude. Tough enforcement is the real answer. I'm not bothered about people who potter about within a smallish area but there are a significant minority who just moor up in one spot as long as they can get away with it.
Trouble is that enforcement takes time and costs money - our money.
Completely agree with all you say Bones.
We have a costly mooring, but we live aboard and still work, and as Sarah says, it has it's advantages.
Seeking to penalise C-Cers is just the thin end of the wedge.
They will eventually be apply it to us all.
I agree, it's the beginning of the end if they start to charge the constant cruisers. It is hard work moving all the time, but I think most constant cruisers do move all the time or as much as is possible.
There isnt the infrastructure to enforce this mooring fee/licence idea though. if theres a waterways licence for cc'ers, then they will all book into a marina or even just pay a marina a bribe to say that they have a permanent mooring there when they get their standard licence.
the problem with constant 'moorers' is always by waterpoints, transports links and towns/cities.
you can see by looking at a map where people will congregate. and its a minority of boaters, so surely easier to deal with locally, instead of blanket sweeping everyone with an unsuitable mooring fee?
I have to admit to being a tiny bit annoyed with the constant moorers around london, I did my best to stick to the rules, but each time i passed through an area, it was full with the same old faces, same boats, with all manner of things on the tow path making it feel unwelcoming.
So refreshing to read this - we are a young couple and wanting to be continuous cruisers. I have been scared reading about continuous cruising - not because of the extra work involved, moving rain, shine, frost or snow. Its more about the bad press - I couldnt work out the justification to why all the bad press though, so I have kept faith. I agree with a lot of what people are saying here - using the canals for what they are for. Being more connected to the canals is an important part of why we want to become live a board boaters. Yes I can imagine CC's to look after the banks more as they have to use them and think of the other CC's who will be using them next. Why live in a marina and not take your boat out at all? I think this would depress me, its a machine and wants to be used. Great article, just what I needed to read to help me keep faith. Meg
So refreshing to read this - we are a young couple and wanting to be continuous cruisers. I have been scared reading about continuous cruising - not because of the extra work involved, moving rain, shine, frost or snow. Its more about the bad press - I couldnt work out the justification to why all the bad press though, so I have kept faith. I agree with a lot of what people are saying here - using the canals for what they are for. Being more connected to the canals is an important part of why we want to become live a board boaters. Yes I can imagine CC's to look after the banks more as they have to use them and think of the other CC's who will be using them next. Why live in a marina and not take your boat out at all? I think this would depress me, its a machine and wants to be used. Great article, just what I needed to read to help me keep faith. Meg
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