IT IS surely essential that the 'continuous moorer' problem, which is getting completely out of control, thus blighting the whole of the waterways, must be settled.
Time and time again we learn that those selfish few, who believe they can do as they wish without hindrance, are simply 'getting away with it' by permanently mooring on visitor moorings and restricting cruising boaters, hire boaters and genuine continuous cruisers from finding space after a day's cruising.
Sally Ash
Canal & River Trust's Head of Mooring, Sally Ash, is at present attempting to achieve results in this matter, and although perhaps her methods may leave something to be desired, she should be allowed to attempt a solution.
A great problem is the ill informed Press, that quickly catch on to any story concerning children not being able to attend school and ill people unable to reach their doctor, not realising that those same people conjuring up these stories have agreed by obtaining continuous cruiser licences that they should not be permanently moored there anyway, but should by moving around the system.
Valuable weapon
The internet is a valuable weapon that these illegal moorers use, rushing into petitions, so worded by the illegal boaters to draw in the genuine continuous cruiser as being somehow involved, often tarring them with the same brush.
Narrowboatworld too, is perhaps guilty of hindering the attempt to bring a solution, since its condemnation of the methods being used to bring about the change is perhaps justified.
Violent
But by far the worst is the intimidation by the more aggressive of the continuous moorers, who quickly resort to violence to protect their status quo. The ones ensconced on the visitor moorings at Brentford being a prime example, where even the mooring warden dare not venture, with one swinging a length of wood at a boater who dared to attempt to moor at 'their' moorings.
Many believe the present rules suffice, but are not enforced, so whatever rules are brought in they must be rigorously enforced. Where there is the possibility of violence, it cannot be expected for an employee to risk injury, so the police must be involved, but one way or another this growing problem must be dealt with to make the moorings once again available for their proper use, and certainly not for those that want them solely for themselves at absolutely no cost.
With the finances of the moment, that is a selfish luxury that CaRT cannot afford.
Tom Crossley, Editor, narrowboatworld