boatone
Well-known member
Wanted to stay overnight at HC moorings last Saturday but almost nose to tail with Narrow Boats and no-one around to ask to bank up.
I have just sent the following email to Hampton Court Palace:
I am emailing you as you were helpful to me on a previous occasion relating to the river moorings.
You are probably aware that in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of Narrow Boats visiting the Thames.
As a result of this influx it is becoming more and more difficult to find free mooring space, particularly as the average narrow boat takes up rougly twice as much space as an average cruiser.
On several weekends recently, I have found the barge walk moorings to be predominantly occupied with NB's and beem unable to moor. The Environment Agency have engaged in a low key attempt to persuade boats to moor up alongside each other but this appears to be meeting with little success.
Is there anything you can do to try and encourage/require boats to raft up alongside each other in busy periods?
I personally don’t mind doing so but it is not uncommon for my requests to do so to be either ignored or, on occasion refused point blank!
Perhaps some prominent notices making it clear that rafting is a condition of mooring in busy periods?
Thanks for listening,
Can I suggest that we all engage in an email campaign sending something similar to the relevant mooring authority whenever we see moorings extensively occupied by single narrowboats in line?
Also, are we cruiser owners as welcoming as we should be when its busy? On the south coast its virtually impossible to stay anywhere outside a marina without rafting.
I have just sent the following email to Hampton Court Palace:
I am emailing you as you were helpful to me on a previous occasion relating to the river moorings.
You are probably aware that in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of Narrow Boats visiting the Thames.
As a result of this influx it is becoming more and more difficult to find free mooring space, particularly as the average narrow boat takes up rougly twice as much space as an average cruiser.
On several weekends recently, I have found the barge walk moorings to be predominantly occupied with NB's and beem unable to moor. The Environment Agency have engaged in a low key attempt to persuade boats to moor up alongside each other but this appears to be meeting with little success.
Is there anything you can do to try and encourage/require boats to raft up alongside each other in busy periods?
I personally don’t mind doing so but it is not uncommon for my requests to do so to be either ignored or, on occasion refused point blank!
Perhaps some prominent notices making it clear that rafting is a condition of mooring in busy periods?
Thanks for listening,
Can I suggest that we all engage in an email campaign sending something similar to the relevant mooring authority whenever we see moorings extensively occupied by single narrowboats in line?
Also, are we cruiser owners as welcoming as we should be when its busy? On the south coast its virtually impossible to stay anywhere outside a marina without rafting.