Boat fees up again

[Captain Coochie]

£946.68 a year for a mid river mooring . It used to be quite cheap when i bought Cuchilo , cheap enough not to worry anyway but nearly 1k a year for a chain on the river bed

 

[Cliveshep]

Probably a genuine antique chain though so value for money?

My mooring on the River Wey was private, since the National Trust took it back over a year ago they have doubled the price. They have ripped out and replaced the old decaying mooring trot and provided new but will NOT allow the fitting of mooring rings as before so ropes can easily be slipped up and off the round poles along the edge by the local yobs who think it is funny to set my boat adrift. Also, passing NB's cause a wash, the boat surges, ropes slip down the bottom thus tightening up and cause deck fitting damage. The only solution is leave lots of slack, this then allows the boat sufficient free movement to then be brought up with a jerk causing damage again that way.

A symptom of the times I'm afraid, increase prices, decrease services and value, all done by a load of jobsworths working to the "book". Taking a leaf out of our Gordie's book!

 

[boatone]

the National Trust took it back over a year ago they have doubled the price. They have ripped out and replaced the old decaying mooring trot and provided new but will NOT allow the fitting of mooring rings as before so ropes can easily be slipped up and off the round poles along the edge by the local yobs who think it is funny to set my boat adrift.

Sorry to hear of your probs with the NT folk. I kept a Norman 32 on the fingers at Addlestone for several years and hand no problems with vandalism and found the Dapdune Wharf peeps always helpful if I had any issues.

I presume you are on the stretch alongside the business park? Have you discussed the problem with your insurers to see if they will open a dialogue with the NT?

Difficult to understand why they should be so difficult if the problems are clearly detrimental to your enjoyment of the mooring and can be easily solved.

 

[byron]

Clive., Do they still sell those rubber snubbers. You pass your mooring line through leaving a slack area with the snubber taking the tension. Then if there is any wash the rubber just expands to take up the force.

 

[Cliveshep]

Clive., Do they still sell those rubber snubbers. You pass your mooring line through leaving a slack area with the snubber taking the tension. Then if there is any wash the rubber just expands to take up the force.

Well Byron, at present I've got stainless rings/plates through bolted to the posts at bow, midships and stern with bow & stern lines and fore/aft springs all nicely spliced as permanent dock-lines. The location on the moorings (as said backing onto the business park) was set by the National Trust Foreman who placed the boat there as my original place was so shallow I had a groove in the mud for the keel, and as it is a wide beam boat (10'6") the keel was 5' odd out from the mooring which was itself 5' out from the bank. The Trust never dredged the silt bank out and sometimes I couldn't get the boat off the mooring as it was stuck in this groove and all I could do was back into the boat behind or the one in front. Likewise, sometimes it was a real pain to get back in.

As I say, the Trust foreman placed the boat in a deep bit, told me that this was now my permanent position and gave permission for the rings, inspected after I had completed and said it was a good and acceptable job from the Trust's point of view. Since then the Manager has decided that I must move back to my old spot, which he said they would dredge out as the dredger wopuld be passing after Christmas, BUT that I must remove all steelwork, make good holes, and rely on just dropping the ropes over the posts and would NOT be allowed to refit the rings.

He won't budge on that in spite of letters of explanation together with sketches explaining that, as the Ocean is much higher than everything else there, the deck cleats, especially at the bow, are above the posts and catwalk by around 4ft so the ropes lead downwards. Most of my letters have been answered by the accounts lady, a Ms. Kirk, who even had the cheek to send a sketch of the use of springs to prevent surging and finished up by telling me my boat was totally unsuitable for the Wey by reason of it's size.

This is patent sophistry as their own blurb gives a depth to Guildford of 3ft, a headroom of 7ft and beam of 14ft and length of 71 ft. I draw 2'9", air draft of 7', beam 10'6" and we always read 1.5m on the sounder. Some of the bridges get tight if the levels are up but even in flood we get to above Guildford and do it regularly in Summer. I have been on that river since 1972 on and off with a variety of boats over the years so have some experience. I'm going to pay the manager a visit in his office when he gets back in and try to reason with him over the issue as I cannot see any reason for not fitting rings at an appropriate height on a permanent mooring. They have really p1ssed me off over this, I followed their official Navigation Foreman's advice and guidance and it has now bitten me.

 

[byron]

Quite natural, what better than an Accounts Clerk to answer boating issues of a technical nature. Had you issue been in a financial area then a Park Ranger would have been delegated to deal with it.

Don't forget these people have two years at College qualifying for a Degree on How to be a d1ckhead.

 

[TrueBlue]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again

The National Trust are just NOT interested in boaters.
They're happy to take an income, but their policy on their users leaves a lot to be desired:-

• The channel is deliberately V shaped (note the serifs), said to be to encourage the growth of lesser-spotted-bladder-wort along the edges. So mooring places are few and far between, and probably also to stop boats passing.
• The river is closed at lunchtime.
• And at 6 p.m.
• The Commodore of the BBC screams if you dare to go past his clubhouse
• If you dare to get "home" as darkness falls, the thought police will report you to your length steward / marina.
• The lock gear has a brilliant design by Machiavelli (or perhaps Locatelli), but is very very heavy to operate.
• What the hell very few boats dare to move anyway.
  NT pay more attention to tree huggers, walkers and cyclists - who pay nothing for the privilege, and not a lot to the boating community, who do.

(a bit tongue in cheek...)

On the other hand "we" should be grateful that the NT rescued it from abandonment as a navigation.
and try to keep it running.
When Vince was in charge some sense prevailed.

We voted with our keel and left some five years ago, to a mooring which was overall slightly cheaper, but miles and miles away from home.

So be grateful. The river is just not suitable for anything other than small outboard powered cruisers.

However, I can understand the current management being averse to hardware being screwed in to their beloved posts. Water gets trapped behind the plates, and invades along the screws.

Rather than fight - you'll never win as the NT is not answerable to anyone - what about fixing a rope in the form of a whipping around the post so that it's incredibly difficult to pull it off? Leave a loop at the bottom to attach your lines?

You rail about narrowboats causing wash. It's not that they are inconsiderate, it's more a combination of NT policy and the fact that your particular section while being wide, the navigable channel, is exceeding narrow. NBs feel, OK decent width, I'll keep left and proceed. Result - wash hits the nearside bank, bounces off and throws your deep drafted boat about. The track looks similar to the length between the farm bridge and Town lock, where boats can go faster without creating much wash - so they continue at the same speed.

 

[Cliveshep]

Hey True Blue, you clearly know the stretch I moor on, and also know my mate Vince who to my mind is a bit of a star and I'm really sorry he left and retired although Illeta Col is still going well. We do still keep in touch though.

You found a cheaper mooring? Can I ask where please as I'm considering moving off. Actually, to be honest, this is probably my nearest bit of water to keep the boat where I can pop down from Sandhurst in around 25 mins to do a bit of work if I have to and I love the quiet and peaceful bits of the wider river sections where we often anchor fore and aft for a weekend and just chill out.

I don't rail on about narrow boats particularly, but they do displace an awful lot of water on the move and as you say often come very close aboard in passing. Otherwise, like me, they often just moor up and stay still the whole weekend enjoying the tranquility.

This is how I'm moored at present and is what the Trust now object to:

 

[sarabande]

CliveS

I see a possible solution. Could you pass a chain from your boat round the piling underneath the deck of the pontoon and back onboard, where you lock it off ?

If the chain is inside a length of plastic pipe, no chafing !

 

[TrueBlue]

Hey True Blue, you clearly know the stretch I moor on, and also know my mate Vince who to my mind is a bit of a star and I'm really sorry he left and retired although Illeta Col is still going well. We do still keep in touch though.


Vince was an absolute saint, nothing to much trouble; unlocked Cartbridge wharf for me and a giant crane at short notice, and relocked it later at dead of night. He made the Wey bearable for me. I hope he's still around somewhere. A real river person


You found a cheaper mooring? Can I ask where please as I'm considering moving off. Actually, to be honest, this is probably my nearest bit of water to keep the boat where I can pop down from Sandhurst in around 25 mins to do a bit of work if I have to and I love the quiet and peaceful bits of the wider river sections where we often anchor fore and aft for a weekend and just chill out.

I was comparing prices at Pyrford Marina where we spent 4 happy years until the "caravan people" bought in. So my prices were based on the last year that we were there

I don't rail on about narrow boats particularly, but they do displace an awful lot of water on the move and as you say often come very close aboard in passing. Otherwise, like me, they often just moor up and stay still the whole weekend enjoying the tranquillity.

I take your point, but the Wey Navigation was built for broad beam barges, and they kept the channel to a reasonable profile. Changing times reduced it to a cruiser way until NBs were discovered as "weekend residences". However, by that time all the online mooring infrastructure was installed - which is just not suitable for LTTT passing traffic. Blame NT not NBs (in general)
This is how I'm moored at present and is what the Trust now object to:

Boy, oh Boy, oh Boy, that green stuff (in your pics) is positively luxurious compared to what was there when we left. It was planked, no posts, and most of the planking was missing. A good case for Elf 'n Safety.

Your picture reinforce my point. The poles are pine and very soft. Your bolts will accelerate any rotting - seen it, done it. Mark you a rope whipping won't be a lot better, but if it fits with NT rules.....

I don't think you realise how lucky you are. A good mooring on the Wey is like hen's teeth. I'm still waiting for one at Thames Lock, and they don't come up often. Probably won't move now as we love where we are, just double the travelling time from home.

If it were me I'd be inclined to come to an amicable agreement, with ropes and capping on the staging (if allowed) in the equation.
I have to compromise where we are; the staging is at the wrong height, difficult to rig springs and on and on, but a polite word with the management has worked well (if not wonders) and my salvation is up to me.

Count your blessings m'lad.

 

[Cliveshep]

CliveS

I see a possible solution. Could you pass a chain from your boat round the piling underneath the deck of the pontoon and back onboard, where you lock it off ?

If the chain is inside a length of plastic pipe, no chafing !

The problem is that one does not want the attachment point for a mooring to be so low that vertical movement is restricted, as it is at present the dock-lines are level (ish) with the decks which is ideal. A chain not only has no give in it but is explicitly rejected by Trust mooring regulations as they want to be able to move a boat in an emergency. I've had complaints on that issue back in the days of Vince.

TruBlue, I'm going down to Dapdune in Tuesday when the Trust Navigation Manager gets back from Christmas leave in an effort to persuade him to re-consider his or his accounts lady's decision. I'll be armed with pics and also contents of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts legislation as ammunition. Otherwise, a rope binding holding the ring on the top of the post might be the way to go although far less satisfactory in the long run. It is otherwise a smashing mooring, I've been on that stretch on and off with different boats since the mid 70's and in fact since Vince first constructed it. It' a shame that how we moor to it has become the subject of such restrictive and foolish rules, especially considering the amount paid for the mooring.

If you still moor on the Wey, this year, if you see me about (and mine is the only Ocean 30 on the Wey so not hard to spot), do please stop and say "Hi!" won't you?

 

[Forbsie]

CliveShep, that's not Vince and Big Dave that you're talking about, is it?

 

[Cliveshep]

CliveShep, that's not Vince and Big Dave that you're talking about, is it?

Vince USED to be the Trust foreman, he's retired. A real character and a smashing bloke. Current foreman now lives in the lock cottage where Vince used to live, chap called Steve, real nice lad, and it's a shame that the Nav Manager, chap called John Gibson, has had cause to over-rule him in this matter. I know some of the other lads, mostly by sight, who work on the navigation, all old watermen as far as I can tell, especially the chap who has a live-aboard up by the M25 crossing and with whom I always exchange greetings. Trouble is I'm hopeless remembering names, just remember faces.

Edit: just checked and you're on Eel Pie, so yes, the same Vince Locatelli of Illeta Col Marine fame who has a slip on Eel Pie.