cherish your harbour master - a rant!

I have to say I think charging for anchoring is going way too far; Lord Montagu might get away with it as he has absurd English autocratic control, and one can easily avoid his rip-off place when forewarned - but in other places how about we resist in protest ? If a few yotties make a stand and contact the local Chamber of Commerce explaining why their money won't be spent in Falmouth or anywhere else trying this piracy, maybe we could nip it in the bud before more places see another cash cow opportunity ?
 
Seajet said:
I have to say I think charging for anchoring is going way too far;
but in other places how about we resist in protest ? If a few yotties make a stand and contact the local Chamber of Commerce explaining why their money won't be spent in Falmouth or anywhere else trying this piracy, maybe we could nip it in the bud before more places see another cash cow opportunity ?
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Subscribe to the Seahorse trust & having to pay to anchor will not be a problem
 
cliff said:
Come to Scotland - drop your hook for free - no charges for anchoring anywhere. On second thoughts, just stay down in Englistan - we are becoming too crowded up here now, I mean last time I went out for the day I must have seen 2, no 3 other boats the whole day, and one of those was a cal-mac ferry.
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Err, bloody envy, this not fair,suggest that if owned by a Scottie any boat should be berthed in Scotland and not in England. English waters for English sailors, sure thing, but we will still be crowded out down here :-)
 
I see articles in the paper today about how 2014 was a record year for councils making money from car parking charges, and for police forces imposing speeding fines.....
I don''t see this as much different. They perceive us to be a captive audience that they can make money from. Now I can understand them needing to do something to deter people leaving their yachts for extended periods in prime locations otherwise you have some of the problems mentioned on the I.O.W....... however to fleece genuine visitors is just plain wrong and I for one am quite prepared to go elsewhere, not because of the cost but because of the principal.
 
It worked on Salcombe, and for that matter MDL Marina's Ratner moment " we'll squeeze ( raise prices ) until the pips squeak ! " - they did and as at Salcombe stayed away in droves, both have learned, if only Salcombe being a bit more sensible and MDL learning to jack up prices more discreetly !

Time has come to vote with keels in the cases of silly charges, and those for providing the square root of zero at traditional anchorages must be the most resistable surely ?
 
Seajet said:
It worked on Salcombe, and for that matter MDL Marina's Ratner moment " we'll squeeze ( raise prices ) until the pips squeak ! " - they did and as at Salcombe stayed away in droves, both have learned, if only Salcombe being a bit more sensible and MDL learning to jack up prices more discreetly !

Time has come to vote with keels in the cases of silly charges, and those for providing the square root of zero at traditional anchorages must be the most resistable surely ?
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Quite agree, well voiced :)
 
Triassic said:
I see articles in the paper today about how 2014 was a record year for councils making money from car parking charges, and for police forces imposing speeding fines.....
I don''t see this as much different. They perceive us to be a captive audience that they can make money from. Now I can understand them needing to do something to deter people leaving their yachts for extended periods in prime locations otherwise you have some of the problems mentioned on the I.O.W....... however to fleece genuine visitors is just plain wrong and I for one am quite prepared to go elsewhere, not because of the cost but because of the principal.
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How are visitors fees "fleecing visitors"? I have no need of visitors berths in my home town. It only seems fair that people who want to visit pay towards the facility they use. If I visit anywhere else, I expect to pay.
 
£15 to drop an anchor is not proportional to the service they provide. Here on the East Coast £20 gets you a secure pontoon in a marina with electricity and use of all the bathroom facilities. If they want to charge £5 then that might not be considered unreasonable, and put a 48 hour time limit on it to prevent people leaving their boats there permanently. Visitors come to a place and contribute to the local economy, they eat in the restaurants, shop in the shops, and drink in the pubs. Discourage them at your peril.
 
Seajet said:
It worked on Salcombe, and for that matter MDL Marina's Ratner moment " we'll squeeze ( raise prices ) until the pips squeak ! " - they did and as at Salcombe stayed away in droves, both have learned, if only Salcombe being a bit more sensible and MDL learning to jack up prices more discreetly !

Time has come to vote with keels in the cases of silly charges, and those for providing the square root of zero at traditional anchorages must be the most resistable surely ?
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Fowey is becoming the old Salcombe now. Anchoring has been prohibited now for a number of years and now their visitors fees soaring ...... Check out their website ,particularly fees for Mixtow .
 
Triassic said:
...Visitors come to a place and contribute to the local economy, they eat in the restaurants, shop in the shops, and drink in the pubs. Discourage them at your peril.
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I don't think anyone prepared to travel around looking for free anchoring is likely to contribute much to the local economy in the grand scheme of things, more likely to be found sat eating a Fray Bentos on board... ;)
 
99 % of the times when we're anchored, if the boat is safe we go in to the local pub / Indian restaurant / at least chippy for something to eat, and a grab around the local supermarket for anything we fancy - essentials are already on the boat - so we do contribute if it's a decent place to visit.
 
l'escargot said:
I don't think anyone prepared to travel around looking for free anchoring is likely to contribute much to the local economy in the grand scheme of things, more likely to be found sat eating a Fray Bentos on board... ;)
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Having seen your style of discussion elsewhere on this thread I'm not sure I can even be bothered to start with you, however I will simply refer you to my earlier post where I said it is not about the cost, it is the principal. I have also said I am quite happy to pay for some benefit that I receive, however I would like to able to elect to do so, not be forced to pay for them regardless of wether I use them or not as is the case when anchoring off Falmouth.
 
Triassic said:
Having seen your style of discussion elsewhere on this thread I'm not sure I can even be bothered to start with you, however I will simply refer you to my earlier post where I said it is not about the cost, it is the principal. I have also said I am quite happy to pay for some benefit that I receive, however I would like to able to elect to do so, not be forced to pay for them regardless of wether I use them or not as is the case when anchoring off Falmouth.
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Climb off down your high horse for a moment. If you want to anchor for free and exercise your principles, there are places you can do so. Clearly somewhere like Falmouth offers more than the free places, be it shelter, access to facilities, landing or whatever. So there is a cost. If it doesn't offer anything extra, why go there?
 
l'escargot said:
I don't think anyone prepared to travel around looking for free anchoring is likely to contribute much to the local economy in the grand scheme of things, more likely to be found sat eating a Fray Bentos on board... ;)
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Not everyone has an unbounded budget, you know, and those who are lumbered with huge visitor charges may well turn to FB rather than heading to a local pub for dinner.
 
Capt Popeye said:
Err, even Pound Shops and their employees have rights and feelings you know, they do provide a decent product at a decent price, especially for Sailors on voyages you know, who just might want to stock up.

What's the ....ism for anti Pound Shops these days, then ?
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Oh, I'm not anti pound shop but just pointing out the penny in the pound profit that goes straight to the national owners doesn't actually bring in much in the way of income to the local economy - they don't even seem to employ local people judging by their accents.

If I was to walk into the Wetherspoons, Morrisons or perhaps the pound shop and buy half a dozen Fray Bentos in that fine Naval town of Gosport and say "Treat me with a bit of deference, serf, I am a visiting sailor contributing to your local economy!" Once it had been translated, they would probably laugh at me. ;) I think sometimes people over estimate their "contribution"...
 
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