Pay & display!!

[Csail]

If you ever visit Cardiff Bay you need to get a 'pay & display' ticket for your boat? They are council pontoons but is it right to have to pay (£1 hour) & can they legally tow your boat away if you don't pay (as i did a few days ago just nipping to the shop)

 

[Searush]

I saw all those empty pontoons on BBC Breakfast the other day & wonder why no-one was using them! Don't the idiots EVER learn from the Frogs? Cheap town centre moorings encourage trade. That means local businesses thrive & can pay their rates/ employ local people etc etc. Empty, hi-cost pontoons simply cost 'em money to manage/ maintain!!!!

Doh! Politicians & Council employees understand economics about as well as my 4 year-old grand kids!

 

[Sailing_Matt]

We moored a Bav 27 there last Saturday as the French market was there. Hundreds of people about. Lots of boats tied up. One boat Mrs Chris (a motor boat) followed us all the way to Bristol (and beat us). Unfortunately supply and demand. Lots of boats there when its sunny or something on but not much there if the weather is bad. Nice place to tie up though. Many pubs, Tesco metro, restaurants, etc...

 

[Cornishman]

Don't blame the council employees! I was one once, and we had about as much frustration as you do with the councils themselves.
My job? Seamanship instructor and i/c yachts maintenance for the former Plymouth School of Maritime Studies. My official title? Local Government Officer - what a laugh.

 

[graham]

I dont really object too much to paying.It costs more to park your car in the city.Also on busy weekends it keeps a turnover of boats so you can usually get on.

I have found the council guys are allways friendly enough.

 

[Lakesailor]

Think Blair and Brown and then reduce it down to town council level.
The people who stand as councillors are usually as clued up as Capt Mainwearing on Dad's Army.
Often small business people themselves they see everything in terms of making a bit of profit here and cutting a cost there.
If you ever get a big landlord involved in other businesses (and councils are businesses) the concept of "fixed-income/reduce-overheads" takes on a whole new meaning.

Again a case of anyone who wants to be in power should never be allowed to be.

 

[graham]

I think that if the average Joe Bloggs non boating struggling council taxpayer thought he was funding free facilities for "rich"yachties pleasure there could be a considerable amount of discontent about it.

 

[Lakesailor]

Exactly. Just who do these council bods think they are protecting?
By allowing the rich yachties free access to the retail therapy areas the economy will benefit and more traders will want a piece of the action allowing more for business rates and less empty shops.

 

[Csail]

I don't mind paying at all but seems a bit silly when the HA called their patrol boat to check if i had a ticket mid week, raining and windy , no other boats about....all i did was nip to Tesco to grab lunch then straight off again (on my own)
Can they impound boats though?

 

[snowleopard]

Re: Pay & display!!

There is another side to the coin- At Saltash there is a council pontoon with free car park and slipway. Ideal you would have thought for dropping off and picking up crew, especially as we are on a drying mooring. Unfortunately, because it is free, some locals use it as a semi-permanent berth and you can never get alongside. Grrr.
I have on occasion threatened to raft up my 40' x 23' on their 25 footers.

 

[graham]

In some areas I would agree with you but there are definitely no boarded up shops in the Bay area of Cardiff. Land is sold by the square inch these days /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[graham]

I thin k they would only take that drastic action if a boat was left for days on end .If there was no threat then as Snowleopard says the pontoons wou;d fill up with chancers looking for a free permanent berth.

They have never bothered me for more money if we come back a bit into the second hour,maybe Im lucky.

 

[Lizzie_B]

£1 an hour is still only £24 a day. Is it length related or a flat rate charge?

Compares very favourably with Solent overnight rates let alone the short stay rates?

And it is quite a big lock to operate at certain stages of the tide to get into the Bay.
Is that free or are you charged for it?
Never been there except by car.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Maybe they should have cheaper low season rates to keep the pontoons full as possible.

 

[fireball]

Chi Harbour have a few harbour run pontoons - these are all free for a short period (20 mins at Itchenor) to allow you to drop off/pickup crew or fill with water ... or just get an ice cream!! ...

 

[duncan]

the Itchenor one is the only time I have ever seen people actually hurry to get off the pontoon to let waiting boats tie up - and more than once. I have also seen boats on there hours but that's another story.......