Slumboats and Spring

[Quint]

You can tell Spring is coming ! Just like the Daffodils, skylarks and swallows etc the slumboats are returning to their spring and summer habitats. The first of the new seasons visitors has already arrived at Petersham , and now it’s just a question until the rest of the seasons visitors arrive !!!

 

[Portland Billy]

Why oh why !! Is nothing ever done to solve this problem ??
They clearly are not registered, have no BSS and are uninsured.
On a similar vein - it is some years since we ventured up river to Oxford ( a city we loved to visit ) but last visit was married by the town moorings being overrun by super lager pot smoking, unruly, unregistered narrow boat owners - would love to visit thi s year - but has anything changed ??

 

[Brayman]

Why oh why !! Is nothing ever done to solve this problem ??
They clearly are not registered, have no BSS and are uninsured.
On a similar vein - it is some years since we ventured up river to Oxford ( a city we loved to visit ) but last visit was married by the town moorings being overrun by super lager pot smoking, unruly, unregistered narrow boat owners - would love to visit thi s year - but has anything changed ??

We also used to love to visit Oxford every year by boat but as the town moorings became more and more inhospitable we ended up mooring at Abingdon and getting the bus into town for the day.

 

[thamesS23]

We also used to love to visit Oxford every year by boat but as the town moorings became more and more inhospitable we ended up mooring at Abingdon and getting the bus into town for the day.

Thats what we do every year on our holiday, although we now go to Oxford when we are moored at Benson Marina, as the bus stop is right outside the front door.

 

[Parabordi]

Thats what we do every year on our holiday, although we now go to Oxford when we are moored at Benson Marina, as the bus stop is right outside the front door.

We do the same but from Wallingford square.

 

[Chris_d]

Speaking as a local who has lived near Oxford all my life I find this slightly bizarre, go nearly there by boat but then get on a bus!

To answer the original question I went over Folly and Donnington bridges at the weekend and its probably worst than ever

 

[Parabordi]

Speaking as a local who has lived near Oxford all my life I find this slightly bizarre, go nearly there by boat but then get on a bus!

Well its never been exactly pretty in Oxford by the river. Either side yes, but centre no.

 

[The Glassman]

We too either stop off in Abingdon and take the bus to Oxford (free with our 'old f**ts' cards). If going beyond Oxford, we stop at the excellent East Street moorings.- where there's an M&S food shop in the Station or a big Waitrose 500 metres along the road. We used to like the 'Punter' pub, but last year it had become Vegan/Vegetarian only and was quite dire.

 

[Portland Billy]

It must be disappointing for hire boaters who would love to visit the city of dreaming spires only to discover a city of dealing dires !
I'm surprised the hire boat operators don't instigate some action - it seems the town council are toothless and EA can't be bothered with enforcement.
Situation normal !!

 

[Gavin E]

We were told by another boater - someone who apparently had direct access to the thoughts of the local council in Oxford - that the council has a policy of turning a blind eye to the boaters as its more cost efficient to leave them there than it is to re-home them.. He in fact said that some "boat owners' there had even received financial help to get their boats licensed etc.. how true any of this is i couldn't say.
When we cruised up there a couple of years back most of the boats didn't look like they would pass the boat safety and there weren't many river licences on show.

Makes you wonder why we bother paying out thousands in licences if others can just use the river for free with apparent impunity?

 

[The Glassman]

A lot of the Oxford problems stem from the re-development of the Jericho Basin on the Canal a few years ago. They tipped out loads of live-aboards etc when they did that. I think that Gavin's information is probably spot-on. They're 'out-of-sight and out of mind' there as far as most residents are concerned. I wouldn't leave my boat moored-up unattended anywhere between Iffley Lock and Folly Bridge. Up until last year at least, the East Street moorings have been very well controlled by the Osney Lockies. This is a very nice mooring, despite first appearances. The residents are friendly, it's not noisy and is very central. We use it a lot. Mark, the last resident Lockie left last year, so it depends on who takes it on - but fingers crossed.....

 

[Portland Billy]

I would assume the boats have holding tanks and use pump out facilities ???

 

[The Glassman]

We were once moored-up at Molesey Lock and Mr Trotman came to the pump-out station in a 16-17ft dory-type boat loaded with - obviously, containers of the rich and natural (?) and then spent most of the evening emptying them there. The whole area stunk for several hours!

 

[Time Out]

You can tell Spring is coming ! Just like the Daffodils, skylarks and swallows etc the slumboats are returning to their spring and summer habitats. The first of the new seasons visitors has already arrived at Petersham , and now it’s just a question until the rest of the seasons visitors arrive !!!

They just have moved from Ham recently. They were just below the Kingston / Richmond border. Richmond side obvs.

 

[Time Out]

Actually they are still there. Ham side opposite ish the Lensbury.

 

[oldgit]

Somebody recently arrived with this locally.
Houseboat at Lower Upnor.


Fortunately only took a couple months for everybody concerned to get their act together and an enforcement notice delivered.


In this case, the elusive owner may have bitten off more than he can chew and from a somewhat unexpected quarter.

 

[V1701]

You can tell Spring is coming ! Just like the Daffodils, skylarks and swallows etc the slumboats are returning to their spring and summer habitats. The first of the new seasons visitors has already arrived at Petersham , and now it’s just a question until the rest of the seasons visitors arrive !!!

Where do they go for the winter? Genuine question, just curious...

 

[Quint]

Well the owner of the Slumboatr Mr Trotman probably the Bahamas !!!

 

[Quint]

Mooring allowed Max 24 hours !!! Try 3 months without moving and counting !!! The EA have about as much authority and clout as Donald Duck !! Sorry, Donald, no offence meant .

 

[Time Out]

I walked past today and didn’t even notice it ?!