Glenda says the BW man told her that they would be putting up No Mooring signs at this pleasant spot just inside the Slough Arm.
Apparently there had been complaints from boaters mooring inside the adjacent Packet Boat Marina about boats moored outside continuously for free, running their engines at all hours etc.Now I'm not one to defend people who continuously moor on visitor moorings, taking up room for travelling boats that need a short stop, but to close these moorings would be unreasonable. These are the only decent towpath moorings on the Slough arm, and I would have though quite out of sight and earshot from boats inside the marina as you can see in this picture.
Every boat on the move needs somewhere to stop, it's what we pay our licences for. And we all from time to time need to run our engines whilst stationary to get power and hot water.
I suspect the complainers might be folk who hardly ever leave the marina. It is regrettable that some people who don't "use" their boat should hold sway over those who do. By all means ban overstayers, but don't penalise everyone else. I would have no objection at all to signs limiting mooring to 7 days or thereabouts. Let's hope that's the intention because to lose this pleasant sheltered spot is unnecessary.
4 comments:
Oh dear, for some reason this doesn't surprise me. We don't spend a lot of time in the marina so we've never noticed any problems with engine noise, or drastic overstaying for that matter. The only thing we have observed is that boats sometimes brest up opposite the marina entrance which makes the turn awkward. So, from our perspective, keep the marina entrance free and it's live and let live. I agree that it would be terrible shame to lose the moorings there.
Sue
Sounds like unnecessary over reaction to me. There are few enough mooring places for stop overs, so it seems unreasonable to spoil it for the many because of just a few. I think your plan is a good one, Neil, and as Sue says, not to have them mooring up abreast.
Sorry, that's me, VallyP. My son-in-law has been using my computer...I'll have to sign in as myself again. Sorry!
By the way, I was very sad to hear about the drowned boater. What a terrible shame, but I think you suspected as much in the end, didn't you? What a tragedy.
so BW have actually taken heed? I find it incredible that BW will make a length of accessible towpath that doesn't block obstruction a no-go area just because some idiot doesn't like boats mooring there?
I don't find it incredible at all that there's people in marina who see fit to complain about people getting a mooring 'for free'. I hesitate to use the word that expresses what I think of such people... (who will continue to think they're justified and right whatever you call them).
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