Victor: Putting the cat amongst the pigeons

SURELY some perspective ought to be brought to the outcry over the South East mooring consultation and the vociferous few.

It seems a very popular bandwagon at the moment to decry Sally Ash's efforts to contain what is basically little more than the problem of continuous moorers (I invented the phase so I'm ignoring the present embargo!) overstaying—often permanently—at popular visitor moorings.

Her suggestion that these selfish people could be charged for such overstaying has put them into overdrive, with the most outrageous comments ever heard.

In the 18 years of boating, though not in the area in question, I have cruised into Bath twice, and can sympathise with the complaints of visiting boaters, encountering lines of what really are illegal moorers, doing so on nothing more than continuous cruiser licences.  The only space we could find to moor was on the river.

On many other waterways we have had difficulty mooring at such as shopping centres, with often having to put up with someone purposely running a propeller or our being told they were 'moorings for local people', or some such, meaning of course the boaters who had illegally taken root—outside Sainsbury's at Huddersfield was a prime example.

And remember, this was never in the height of the season, but in either early May or in September.

The excuses

Local newspapers love the 'human interest' of 'children not being able to attend school' and such like, peddled out by the boaters who when all is said and done agreed to move every 14 days and not return for a given period when they took out their licences—but of course 'forget' to tell the newspapers this, and the writers haven't the sense to check before rushing into print, with the 'terrible difficulties' of those who are basically, and often stated, freeloaders.

Of course the internet is a very handy medium, with so minded boaters very quickly rushing in to add their signature to any hare brained petition that will allow them to 'get away with it'.

Consultation

So there has been a consultation eh?  Why?  The only people likely to respond are those affected, giving an extremely biased opinion. Yet everybody knows the problem.  Simply do something about it.

I know of areas where there has been an active patrol officer, and within months he has had his area cleared—that is all it needs, but it seems alas that the powers-that-be are not capable of such organisation any longer.

Remember the boater at Willington?  He was on the best 48 hours mooring for over six months, and a health hazard too, but nothing was done, until drunk, he fell overboard.

The solution

The solution is very simple, as others have implied—if a boater does not wish to pay for a mooring but instead cruise the system, then fine, get a  continuous cruiser licence, and everyone is happy.

But then don't expect to be able to completely ignore the terms of that licence, when you have agreed to move within every 14 days.

One thing or the other—you have the choice.  If you don't abide then expect the consequences, and a hefty fine (in place of a mooring charge) seems a good idea Sally.

Victor Swift

[Sorry but the embargo on 'continuous moorers/cruisers' still stands. Not fair is it?—Editor.]