Gongoozler: Mooring and signage

Published: Friday, 16 March 2018

WALKING along towpaths I notice that there is often no standardisation of the signage to distinguish between short and longer term moorings.

Yes, there are small signs which show some indication but, particularly where lacking in paint or obscured by vegetation, they do not deliver a clear message.

Not beyond the ability

Surely it is not beyond the ability of the navigation authorities to deliver a clear and unequivocal message similar to that delivered on the UK roads and streets.

Here are a few suggestions for the canal authorities:

♦ Decide what time periods will apply where—and standardise them
♦ Use different coloured paint for differing time periods.
♦ Where possible paint relevant colour on / under mooring bollards or rings or, in some instances, on the piling or concrete.

Examples might be:

♦ No mooring—solid red paint
♦ Very restricted mooring e.g. water points—red and yellow stripes
♦ 48 hours—solid yellow
♦ Seven days—yellow and green stripes
♦ 14 days—yellow and blue stripes
♦ No limit—solid blue (only applied in urban areas) with an arrow indication the direction (to save painting long lengths).

If the correct decisions are made about time period, their location and paint colouring it should be clear to all how long a boat may remain at a mooring.

Policies could be enforced

Then the navigation authority can consider how its policies could be enforced if overstaying is shown still to be a problem.

Oh yes, don’t tell us that paint will spoil the heritage aspect—it appears to be acceptable for ducks and cyclists! Installation of this would be a great summer task for all the friends and volunteers we read about in the publicity.