Solving the mooring problem

WITH continuous mooring looking more like a hanging offence than an issue of leisure boating I think the answer to the problem is simple. Stop treating it as a Section 8 issue and instead treat it as a parking offence, writes Graham Phillips.

Surely if Canal & River Trust issued 'parking tickets' with fines relating to (for instance) £20 per overstated night payable as an extension to the boater's next licence fee, CaRT would directly increase its income and reduce substantial legal costs, etc. etc.

Revoking licence

CaRT could also introduce a 'Three strikes and you are out' policy (or points on the licence) for the worst offenders. The next stage being revoking the continuous cruising licence and replacing it with a standard cruising license for which boaters would be obliged to either find a home mooring or remove their boat from CaRT waters.

Only then would expensive legal enforcement action have to be taken if the boater didn't comply with the rules.

Concentrate on problem areas

As far as enforcement is concerned, to begin with, concentrate only on honeypot or problem areas and once these are sorted extend the enforcement to the more rural spots.

Surely that is a win win situation.