YOU have to admire Pamela Smith and Nick Brown of the National Bargee Travellers Association, staging a demonstration against a boater's eviction from the Wharf at Bradford On Avon.
The two boaters used the Canal & River Trust event where the public were invited to inspect a drained lock waving placards and handing out leaflets protesting against the eviction of a boat and its owner from the wharf, Alan Tilbury reports.
Staying in one place
Of course it is the old, old chestnut, where boaters take out a continuous cruiser licence then simply defy the rules by staying in one place, using it as a permanent free mooring.It was in 2015 that the trust introduced new rules stating that boat owners without a permanent mooring taking out a continuous cruiser licence need to travel around 15 or so miles every 14 days, that of course the evicted boater did not do.
Seize and destroy boats
Pamela Smith told the Wiltshire Times:
"If boaters are deemed to not be complying with the rules then the Trust can seize and destroy boats, which would leave people homeless.
"The Trust can also make the decision not to renew someone's licence. The trust keeps an eye on the patterns in which boaters move and the distances they do."
Stay a little longer
However, Matthew Symonds, Boating Strategy & Engagement Manager at the Trust, points out:
"We want boaters to talk to us if they are struggling. For example if someone is ill or has broken down we can arrange for them to stay in one place for a little longer. We can put boaters with more severe difficulties in touch with the places that can help, like Citizens Advice or specialist organisations, and we often agree different arrangements on a case-by-case basis.
"The waterways are for everyone and we need to manage them fairly otherwise it would be chaotic in popular places like Bath: it would be neither fair nor feasible for everyone to bob around a small area indefinitely, for potentially very long term reasons like work or school.
"A roaming lifestyle can be wonderful but comes with its own challenges and we'd urge people to think hard about the practicalities before they begin a life afloat."