C
Chrusty1
Guest
Re: Oops -
"Chrusty, you are quite right that there have been adverse comments on here in the past regarding narrow boats but I think its unfair to say there is a prevalent attitude against them and I would hope the majority support this view."
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Well the adverse comments are fairly understandable even if I don't find them acceptable, and I am sure that not everybody feels the same, and I am also sure that tarbrushing is not the intention, even if sometimes it sounds that way.
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"I think its important to understand the background to the ill feeling that has arisen and which, in general, is not intended to tar all with the same brush.
A few years ago, in an effort to increase the use of the river, the Environment Agency started a positive encouragement programme designed to bring NB's onto the Thames as visitors and also co-operated with BW in introducing the Gold Licence. The IWA festival at Beale Park in 2003 (I think the first there?) encouraged many of them to visit the Thames for the first time and in their hundreds.
This 'invasion' had a significant impact on the traditional Thames users. Already suffering from a shortage of mooring space, suddenly 60 and 70 feet long NB's were taking up what few there were with a vengeance ie 1 NB space = 2 Cruiser spaces!
That year and for several since, we have certainly been unable to ignore this problem. The IWA was at Beal Park again in 2006 and now we hear will be again in 2010.
What would have a massive impact on dealing with this problem would be the NB's being prepared to raft up alongside each other instead of, as seems to be mainly the case, end to end (and often with a good few feet in between)."
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Yes I can see that moorings would be a contentious issue, and has Dave (sixpence) has already said, it probably comes about through ignorance of the situation. On narrow canals and waterways, rafting up is not common practice, in fact on most narrow waterways it would cause considerable difficulty, in that it would narrow the waterway to such an extent as to make it very difficult for two boats going in opposite direction to pass each other. Also it could due to displacement of water, put the bankside boats aground, albeit temporarily.
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"There are other issues - familiarity with a wider waterway with currents, behaviour in locks, some rogue liveaboards etc but I think the impact on mooring space is the most annoying one for those of us that pay a full annual licence fee to use the Thames."
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I take your points on board and have answered them in my previous post, so what to do about it??
Well, I would suggest that really it's a matter of communication and education isn't it? Now you Thames folk will know better than I what is achievable in that direction, but it seems to me that an approach to the IWA, BW and the EA, through your clubs or as individuals, outlining your concerns and asking them to perhaps produce a small handout explaining how the narrowboaters could limit the negative impact on other Thames users could be achieved?
A question, do you cruiser owners raft up to narrowboats ? Is it something you do or not?
One other thing, It's my view that changing the name of this forum to make it more inclusive to would be members might be a good thing, for instance, why not just call it the Inland Waterways Forum, it could then happily cater for boaters from the canals the rivers, lakes and the Broads etc?
All the above is just IMHO of course. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
"Chrusty, you are quite right that there have been adverse comments on here in the past regarding narrow boats but I think its unfair to say there is a prevalent attitude against them and I would hope the majority support this view."
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Well the adverse comments are fairly understandable even if I don't find them acceptable, and I am sure that not everybody feels the same, and I am also sure that tarbrushing is not the intention, even if sometimes it sounds that way.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"I think its important to understand the background to the ill feeling that has arisen and which, in general, is not intended to tar all with the same brush.
A few years ago, in an effort to increase the use of the river, the Environment Agency started a positive encouragement programme designed to bring NB's onto the Thames as visitors and also co-operated with BW in introducing the Gold Licence. The IWA festival at Beale Park in 2003 (I think the first there?) encouraged many of them to visit the Thames for the first time and in their hundreds.
This 'invasion' had a significant impact on the traditional Thames users. Already suffering from a shortage of mooring space, suddenly 60 and 70 feet long NB's were taking up what few there were with a vengeance ie 1 NB space = 2 Cruiser spaces!
That year and for several since, we have certainly been unable to ignore this problem. The IWA was at Beal Park again in 2006 and now we hear will be again in 2010.
What would have a massive impact on dealing with this problem would be the NB's being prepared to raft up alongside each other instead of, as seems to be mainly the case, end to end (and often with a good few feet in between)."
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Yes I can see that moorings would be a contentious issue, and has Dave (sixpence) has already said, it probably comes about through ignorance of the situation. On narrow canals and waterways, rafting up is not common practice, in fact on most narrow waterways it would cause considerable difficulty, in that it would narrow the waterway to such an extent as to make it very difficult for two boats going in opposite direction to pass each other. Also it could due to displacement of water, put the bankside boats aground, albeit temporarily.
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"There are other issues - familiarity with a wider waterway with currents, behaviour in locks, some rogue liveaboards etc but I think the impact on mooring space is the most annoying one for those of us that pay a full annual licence fee to use the Thames."
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I take your points on board and have answered them in my previous post, so what to do about it??
Well, I would suggest that really it's a matter of communication and education isn't it? Now you Thames folk will know better than I what is achievable in that direction, but it seems to me that an approach to the IWA, BW and the EA, through your clubs or as individuals, outlining your concerns and asking them to perhaps produce a small handout explaining how the narrowboaters could limit the negative impact on other Thames users could be achieved?
A question, do you cruiser owners raft up to narrowboats ? Is it something you do or not?
One other thing, It's my view that changing the name of this forum to make it more inclusive to would be members might be a good thing, for instance, why not just call it the Inland Waterways Forum, it could then happily cater for boaters from the canals the rivers, lakes and the Broads etc?
All the above is just IMHO of course. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
