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THERE is absolute chaos on the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal as the 'refugee' boaters within the Olympics restriction zone descend on the area.
 As reported in narrowboatworld those without official moorings that are within the 15 miles zone have had to move out, with many descending on the area around Little Venice in the hope of finding continued free moorings.
The ex mooring warden at Camden Town, Simon Grindrod, has taken up the offer of mooring at Kensal Green for the duration of the Olympics, and writes:
Found chaos
Last night we headed down to Little Venice for water to find chaos. Boats moored out to Harrow Road Bridge and the visitor mooring double moored.
Talking to boaters on the bank some of the moorers had paid £360 to stay at Little Venice or or Kings Cross, though strangely no one fancied the later because of the amount of break-ins. So there were non paying and paying boaters all mixed in a nice muddle.
Cleared out
We needed to stop the night, but you've guessed it—no visitor mooring. So I write this from the pontoons in a very nearly empty Paddington Basin. All boats were cleared out from here yesterday, but in normal British Waterways (CART) style there is no signage to say I cannot moor.
Now unless I missed a change, my licence fee means I can moor here as it is a visitor mooring. So until they sort themselves out and provide space for a visiting boat we might just stay awhile!
(Oddly Black Prince boats seem exempt from the rules...)
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