Dorney lake moorings

[Portland Billy]

Two slum boats currently taking up half the space at Dorney Lake 24/48 hr moorings (opposite Windsor Racecourse).
One of them has been there about a month.
Who is supposed to look after this site ?

 

[Bran]

Two slum boats currently taking up half the space at Dorney Lake 24/48 hr moorings (opposite Windsor Racecourse).
One of them has been there about a month.
Who is supposed to look after this site ?

It’s an EA mooring, I’ve been there a couple of times over the last couple of months. Seen the boat you mentioned, I only hope the EA catch up eventually, they did on a small boat there last year, at least it had a ticket on it.

 

[Mark26]

It is one of my favourite spots as well, and I think the two boats in question have been there much longer than Portland Billy suggests.
The moorings on the bank downstream of it seem to have long term moorers as well.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Just as another boater I had a word with the bloke on the barge downstream end of the bollard mooring a while ago.
To the effect of "don't moor there because people like and use this as a short stay mooring and you will annoy other boaters". He did indicate that they were leaving but its still there.

EA don't do all that much of late. They do need to be more proactive about this particular topic because it is causing problems up and down the River.

We don't want District Enforcement parasites about but it does need some management. The EA have quite a lot of patrol boats so why don't they get used?

When I was a teenager in the late 80s/90s we had police AND Thames Water patrol boats almost every day up and down the River.

The moorings below the bollards are slightly different because there is nothing to tie up to so it's not a spot which would attract casual visitors. Also there is the whole Eton story in the area and who owns what.

People should not be staying on visitor moorings with bollards for more than a day or two. It's basic common sense and good manners to moor somewhere else.

Both of which are lacking these days unfortunately.

It's understandable in mid winter for safety but it's June now.

 

[Barge]

In fairness they are patrolling and ticketing more boats; but that is the easy bit. Tackling the p-takers is a different thing altogether.

 

[boatone]

Trying to achieve a functional moorings management approach has been a major issue for a good few years now. Inadequate EA resources (particularly staff), little generation of direct income as first 24 hours must be free, understandable reluctance to pursue expensive legal remedy and, as others have suggested, changing public attitudes to reasonable behaviour are all part of the mix.
I believe the vast majority of boaters act responsibly and comply as best they can (difficult to pay a lock keeper if there isn't one on duty) and TMBA, and other boating representation groups continue to pursue whenever possible.