Losing our rights

[DanTribe]

The thread about the land grab at Mistley set me wondering about whether we, as a seafaring nation, have lost our right of access to the sea.
I can remember when there was about ten public launching places on the Crouch, now only one I think, at Hullbridge.
Similiar thing has happened on the Blackwater.
Is this a general trend nationwide?
I'm talking about places where you had a right to free access, not paid for and controlled by companies or jobsworths.
Dan

 

[tillergirl]

There is probably an inevitabilty about this. If you think back to what we were being told - when was it - 30 years ago, we were all being told that the silicon chip would liberate us rather like the plough liberated an earlier generation - then it was the escape from the daily grind of growing enough food for your family to do other things - so the silicon chip was going to do the work for us and provide extra leisure time for us all. So it happened and with it the creation of a new industry of leisure facilities. So people have bought up the facilities to provide new business opportunities and since everybody needs new sources of income etc, etc, etc. Don't get me wrong, I don't like it but I suspect that it is unstoppable except in rare circumstances where there is either enough local energy - on Mersea here after a long fight a section of land has been secured as a village green in the face of developers - or some local benefactor who is able to afford and willing to maintain the status quo. I fear that 'we' may also be responsible by failing to use facilities. I note that in the first edition of East Coast Rivers, Jack Coote points out that nobody bothered then to go to Mistley. The marina to marina kind of sailing doesn't help and I am as guilty as the rest. For the first few years of our boating we anchored everywhere and had tinned stew. Now its let pop over to the Green Man for a Steak and s*d the dinghy and the hard, lets pull into the marina and pay £2 for a short stay! I know that's a bit of a drift from public landing spots but I guess its the same principle. I guess we should acknowledge that change is inevitable and always with us and look around to identify and secure those things that are worth securing. The trouble is that getting support is difficult until things are about to disappear and generally that's left it too late.

Oh dear, how depressing.

 

[MikeBz]

There are some locations (thankfully still few) where you are supposed to pay dues just to sail (or row) around on the creek/river/sea, irrespective of where you launch from. This is a gross infringement of our basic rights IMHO, nobody owns the river!

Mike

 

[johnalison]

Although I'm all in favour of good access in principle, the situation now is that launching-ramps now attract speedboats and jet-skis which didn't exist 40-odd years ago. Creating new launching-areas in the upper reaches of our rivers, especially at sites of new housing-developments will increase the disturbance to wildlife, and more importantly, to me.

 

[sailorman]

At Ramsholt we fought & WON /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif the Land owner for access to the Hard

 

[DanTribe]

I agree, it's a two edged sword.
I used to have a mooring at North Fambridge next to the landing where water skiers launched. We were threfore happy when the yard barricaded the ramp, even though we queried their right to do so.
However, if I now want to launch a sailing dinghy for an occassional sail, I have to pay launching fees. [and harbour dues], or join a sailing club to use their private facilities.

 

[Vamoose]

As I recall when I was a boy back in the dark ages (50's & 60's) Bsea hard was FOC to use.. As so I think were the scrubbing posts (But I am open to correction on that one)

 

[Athene V30]

B'sea scrubbing posts are still free, well I haven't paid there but I do have a mooring through the Harbour Commisioners. You do have to pay to launch a boat on the hard.

 

[Auntie Helen]

We paid £6 for the scrubbing posts. Normal price £12 but we were a bit late so didn't actually reach the post /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif so they gave us a discount.

 

[Athene V30]

I'll keep quiet then! I suppose I have tended to use them in February to April rather than mid summer (whatever that is!) so maybe the 'Hard Master' hasn't been about!

Obviously he isn't that hard! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif