Two new slum boats

L

Lower Limit 1909

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 May 2016
Messages
193
Visit site
Just arriving at Teddington Lock travelling upstream as I write. Neither with any propulsion so both under tow (and cover of darkness with no navigation lights).

1 x narrow boat with added scaffolding on top and 1 x beat up Cabin Cruiser.

Is there any requirement for these towed vessels to have a Licence or do they just buy a one day pass then stay or do they simply insist on their right to passage through the lock?

Anyway - two new neighbours for the rest cluttering up the river bewteen Teddington and Molsey.
 
Anything that floats needs a licence. They may buy a day ticket then wait until they get caught by the compliance team. Or they may just not bother. The duty keeper should attempt to sell them a licence bu if they refuse to buy there's nothing he can do other than report it to the Shepperton Office.
 
Lower Limit 1909 said:
Just arriving at Teddington Lock travelling upstream as I write. Neither with any propulsion so both under tow (and cover of darkness with no navigation lights). 1 x narrow boat with added scaffolding on top and 1 x beat up Cabin Cruiser. Is there any requirement for these towed vessels to have a Licence or do they just buy a one day pass then stay or do they simply insist on their right to passage through the lock? Anyway - two new neighbours for the rest cluttering up the river bewteen Teddington and Molsey.
Click to expand...

Why do you assume they are anything other than wayfarers going about their own affairs as best they can? There are many undesirables and indeed criminals with nav lights and engines and many honest men with failed equipment. Why the prejudice?

The UK is fairly restrictive in its access to water as I know as a kayaker and sailor.
 
Oh great. There are already six of them moored alongside each other on the TVM moorings and they've been there for many months. The public moorings by the The Mill have been cleared by the council but the same boats have tied up from the bridge to the Hogsmill where it's no mooring. One NB has been on Horsefair Quays 24hr moorings for at least 3 months.
The whole area has become what Reading Tesco was, I wouldn't leave my boat unnatended, even If I could find a space. Being the only licenced boat would attract attention.
Kingston council has never replied to an email enquiry or returned a phone call.regarding this issue.
 
oldmanofthehills said:
Why do you assume they are anything other than wayfarers going about their own affairs as best they can? There are many undesirables and indeed criminals with nav lights and engines and many honest men with failed equipment. Why the prejudice?
Click to expand...

Agreed. However, it takes many years of neglect combined with some deliberate 'distressing' to achieve that particular 'look'. E.G; Fertiliser bags as glass replacement. Not an isolated equipment failure.

It's observation - not prejudice.

I see boats without lights and boats with failed equipment being towed regularly. I've been in both positions myself more than once. This is different.

I hope you are right and I am wrong, but it would be a case of hope over experience when it comes to such vessels.
 
Ladybirdgaffcutter said:
Scaffolding on top of a narrowboat, really? "I say sir, isn't that rather risky?"
Click to expand...

Arranged as a kind of waist height railing around the edge of the roof. A worthy - if ugly and historically incongruent - H&S add on.

I can't help but feel it would rather hinder one of the few advantages that Narrow Boats have in Lock, but I suspect 'navigating' the waterways is not the raison d'être for such a vessel.
 
Lower Limit 1909 said:
Arranged as a kind of waist height railing around the edge of the roof. A worthy - if ugly and historically incongruent - H&S add on.

I can't help but feel it would rather hinder one of the few advantages that Narrow Boats have in Lock, but I suspect 'navigating' the waterways is not the raison d'être for such a vessel.
Click to expand...
 
Silly old me having just shelled out over £300 pounds for a 2019 EA Thames License I made my way to the Upper Thames for the first time since before Christmas! and what do I find all the old usual suspects moored in every available space along the Town side of the river ! With obviously no intention of moving and knowing full well that the EA won’t take any action to move them along what’s the point of putting notices on the bank stating that the moring is limited to the first 24 hours .
The people that live on these boats are totally selfish and have absolutely no consideration for any other river users in my opinion the EA and Kingston Council are totally useless I’d love to know what we are paying for in a license fee for certainly not for the use of moorings that are supposedly regulated .
 
You enter the Thames at Teddington and pay practically nothing for a 1 day visitor pass.
Thereafter you tie up the EA (once they have found you) for years whilst you enjoy totally free living whilst polluting the river with all your waste products.
The various councils are not interested because if they become involved, they may be incumbent on finding you alternative onshore accommodation.
The EA have no resources so safe there.
Welcome to the Thames. The liveaboard’s haven!!
 
All the time the main effort is to avoid facing the problem head on and pass the buck to the poor bugger and or council next door, not much will change.On shore at least the goverment have got some sort of plan to get to grips with the problem of unauthorised settlements.
Something similar for waterways and navigations perhaps, but this would mean local authorities being made responsible for actually providing mooring sites !
Can hear the petition against clipboards being loaded with forms from here. :)
 
Last edited:
Are the EA and the various councils aiding and abetting a criminal act by their obvious refusal to deal with this problem?
Perhaps some legal eagle could advise on this and maybe we could bring a private prosecution through the ATYC or TMBA.
I would be more than willing to contribute to costs, having written to EA several years ago and been fobbed off. Also had verbal abuse from unregistered owner.
Portland Bill
 
Portland Billy said:
Are the EA and the various councils aiding and abetting a criminal act by their obvious refusal to deal with this problem?
Perhaps some legal eagle could advise on this and maybe we could bring a private prosecution through the ATYC or TMBA.
I would be more than willing to contribute to costs, having written to EA several years ago and been fobbed off. Also had verbal abuse from unregistered owner.
Portland Bill
Click to expand...

Mooring against property owned by others is a civil trespass matter, not criminal. Discharging untreated sewage into the river is a criminal offence but the EA regards the odd turd or ten to be good for the river's ecology and only a very minor matter (quoting the waterways manager at RUG8 in autumn 2015 if memory serves correctly).

I look forward to the EA prosecuting itself for permitting unauthorised pollution.
 
There must be some positive way that registered boat owners can pressure the EA etc. to act.
Why are the authorities so bloody useless in enforcing their own regulations!
 
Portland Billy said:
Are the EA and the various councils aiding and abetting a criminal act by their obvious refusal to deal with this problem?
Perhaps some legal eagle could advise on this and maybe we could bring a private prosecution through the ATYC or TMBA.
I would be more than willing to contribute to costs, having written to EA several years ago and been fobbed off. Also had verbal abuse from unregistered owner.
Portland Bill
Click to expand...

This is a problem which equally raised the ire of folks on terra firma countrywide . Exactly the same issues of trespass and sewage .
There was some attempt made to solve it it .This did involve local councils providing limited facilities for those wishing to indulge in this lifestyle.
Did not solve the problem entirely.

Love to hear any suggestions other than..... "Lets get up a (financial) posse and run them out of town" .......Partner :)
We are fairly lucky down here because there is a selection of boat yards,both licenced and unofficial which do cater for the undoubted demand.
 
Last edited:
The simple answer is to get the responsible authorities to do their job.
Also pursuade the 'settlers' to abide by the rules. But we've been trying this for years with no result.
So unless pressure can be brought to bear the situation can only escalate. So come on TMBA and ATYC etc!
 
Portland Billy said:
The simple answer is to get the responsible authorities to do their job.
Also pursuade the 'settlers' to abide by the rules. But we've been trying this for years with no result.
So unless pressure can be brought to bear the situation can only escalate. So come on TMBA and ATYC etc!
Click to expand...

Two gone from Molsey lock this morning?
 
People will be familiar with the bright orange lifeboats that have become popular liveaboards and airbnb rentals up and down the Thames.

As I write a very slow moning 'flotilla' comprising 2 of the orange lifeboats connected by a floating pontoon - total length 70 - 80 foot or so - is approaching Teddington Lock travelling upstream.

I realise this is not a first as Trotman has long been deploying modular pontoons to connect his floating doss houses to the bank

Now it's got to the point where these permanent liveaboards are adding large pontoons to their infrastructure to group boats together it realy is a new phase of taking the p*ss. The many 'boats' with no means of propulsion is one thing. Illegally moored pontoons is a whole new territory (literally).

If you are Teddington to Moseley right now it should be easy to spot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top