Boaters campaign to stay afloat
Narrowboats and rowboats arranged on the Regent’s Canal near Broadway Market to spell out the word ‘HOME’. Photograph: Hackney Citizen
A community of local boaters came together on Saturday 30 April to draw attention to the impending threat to their way of life. They arranged their boats to form the word ‘home’ in Regent’s Canal in protest at plans by British Waterways to change the charges that some boaters in the Lea Valley area pay.
A troupe of boat-dwelling artists from Collectif and then…circus theatre also staged a live performance of trapeze art and clowning whilst other members of the community collected signatures on a petition opposing the changes.
Many of those who live afloat ‘cruise’ from place to place; with permanent residential moorings costing up to £10,000 a year or more, a nomadic way of life is the only option for some. Under the new rules, the Lee is divided into four ‘neighbourhoods’ and those with Continuous Cruiser licences will be not be able to spend more 14 continuous days or more than 61 days a year in any one neighbourhood. If they break this rule they will be subject to charges of £40 a day (£20 if paid in advance or on the day).
The boaters argue that the new regulations will destroy their community and make it very difficult for many of them to continue to live on the water.
Isabelle Rodker, who has lived afloat for a number of years, says: “you step onto the waterways in London and you go into a different world. People live much more simply. This is a special way of living, a low-impact way.
“The new rules will force many people to give up their homes, as it will be very difficult to sustain a life in London. Many boaters work in London and would have to begin enormous commutes. Boaters who have children in local schools would either have to uproot their families or give up their boats.”
Fellow boat-dweller Jon Pook believes that the new proposals infringe the boaters’ human rights. “When you start making it difficult for people to get their kids to school and get to work, then you are getting into a human rights grey area”.
Pook also fears that the new regulations could endanger the electoral rights of continuous cruisers. Under electoral law, a person without a permanent residence has to demonstrate a ‘local connection’ with a particular constituency in order to be included on the electoral register, and it is unclear whether someone who lives only sporadically in a constituency would qualify.
British Waterways argues that the capital’s canals and rivers suffer from over-congestion, and the new measures are designed to lessen this problem. The consultation document outlining their plans notes that one of the reasons the River Lea/Regent’s Canal area has been singled out for special measures is because: “Research has indicated high demand for visitor moorings during the 2012 Olympics, particularly along the Regent’s and Hertford Union Canals; during the summer of 2012, BW (British Waterways) will be offering reserved berths along the towpaths in these locations and also on the lower reaches of the Lea”.
Many of the boaters disagree that congestion is a serious problem, pointing out that there are long stretches of canals with very few mooring pins. Some also feel that the new measures are partially designed to ‘cleanse’ the waterways in advance of the 2012 Games. Boater Mike Wells maintains that “the powers that be, including British Waterways, are out to destroy any kind of authenticity in our borough; authenticity is the enemy of the Olympics.”
In a statement, British Waterways said: “As part of a consultation on proposals to introduce a new moorings management plan for the River Lee, River Stort and the Hertford Union Canal, British Waterways has been calling upon local authorities, residents, boaters and all who use the waterways to send in their responses. The plan was drafted in response to the increased number of boats mooring in the area – an increase of nearly 40% over the past four years.
“To date, British Waterways has had an excellent response to its on-going consultation. However in light of events, most significantly the spate of public holidays and the local government elections, British Waterways has decided to extend the deadline to Tuesday 31 May to ensure that all interested parties have ample opportunity to respond.”
The draft proposals were published for public consultation on 15 February and can be downloaded here (external site).
“An excellent response” says BW. Not at any meeting I attended. Anything other than an “excellent response” is being ignored perhaps?
This really just brings the Lee into line with the rest of the country- after all, the continuous cruising rules have been in place for many years, and are routinely flouted on the Lee (along with the Kennet and Avon in general). Bridge hopping is not continuous cruising- it is supposed to be a an extended cruise around the majority of the system, not confined to a short length of waterway.
The majority of us who hold continuous cruising licences do indeed try and cruise a substantial portion of the canal system- and do not spend 14 days in one place, move a short distance for 14 days, and then move back- which is what, unfortunately, many of these boats do- and rarely, if ever, leave the River Lee. You cannot remain on one navigation, or in a small geographical area, and legitimately hold a continuous cruising licence. Avoiding substantial mooring charges is not an excuse to just pay a normal licence fee and declare yourself a continuous cruiser- after all, signing up for such a licence does include the terms and conditions very clearly- and so they are in breach of contract…
Mark is absolutely spot on. On applying for a continuous cruising licence you undertake to use your boat for bona fide navigation of the waterways system, not to use it as a cheap abode. On the Kennet and Avon B.W. have now obtained a judgement against a bogus continuous cruiser and he now has to remove his boat from their waters. As a continuous cruiser who sticks to the rules I find most annoying that these people abuse the system and cry “human rights” when something goes against them.
B.W.’s next step will be to up the cost of a continuous cruising licence by a considerable amount, £1,500 has been suggested, I fail to see why genuine cruisers should be penalised because of the dishonesty of a tiny minority, and yes, signing an agreement and then not sticking to it is dishonest.
To be honest I am a boater who plays by the rules.
This is akin to pitching a tent in hyde park, getting away with it for a year or so then complaining about your human rights when the police move you on. idiots!
When I bought my boat I took into account the astronomical mooring rates in central and knew i could not afford them. As such I am on a residential berth on the outskirts of London which is far cheaper than central and I have an hours commute each way.
I could save myself £3500 a year in mooring if i just cruised around central but I know i would then not have a permanent address and would run the risk of my boat being taken away for flouting the rules on the license.
Buying a cheap boat does not give you the right to cheap housing in the centre of our capital city, anyone who thinks otherwise is just lying to themselves.
Go read the rules on your license, you cannot stay in one place for more than 14 days, then you must cruise on. All BW are doing here is clarifying the how far you have to go in london as many are just flouting them so they don’t have to pay their way.
@ Mark-Graham and James—>you are all spot on,but there are always those who twist and bend the rules,this behaviour is in keeping with the wish to form a floating artists ghetto or suchlike at the expence of others.An Australian friend of mine who had a narrowboat on hire for a year cruising our canals remarked on this very thing last month.
So it seems we have lured the bigots out into the open! I would dare to suggest that the above comments have their origins in the BW board of directors and have little or no relation to the views of the home moorers, cruising clubs, rowers and other users of the river Lea. In fact, I would like to extend an invitation to the above commentators to spend a little time on the Lea – if they have the guts! The truth of the matter is that BW have utterly neglected their responsi bilities with regard to the management of the waterways in London. NO patrol notices had been issued for the last TWO YEARS prior to the announcement of the Lea and Stort mooring plan.. My argument is this – if there were no traffic wardens, everyone would park on the double yellow lines, yourselves included. And this is LONDON we’re talking about. There has been a massive influx of boats duing the last couple of years that have never seen or spoken to a member of BW towpath staff. Having said that, the majority of CCers in the city move every 14 days between 30 or so locations throughout the year. Can you really call this bridge hopping? We hurt NO-ONE and we abide by the letter of the law. In a city of 8 million people you would think a couple of hundred law abiding boaters would be able to live their peaceful lives without being harrased by petty minded people who clearly have nothing else to do with their time. So come and meet us, Smith, Mark, Graham, James and Jed. And think again.
This comment has been removed by a moderator following a complaint.
I felt i had to write in to counter the extreme views of the first couple of comments. Once again people are happy to trot out the same tired stereotypes of continuous cruisers. Have the people who posted these comments actually taken the time to visit the waterways of London? Did you make an effort to speak or get to know any of the so called liveaboard boaters in London or on the lea? I can assure them that one of the warmest welcomes would have been forthcoming. Yes there are a couple of “bad apples” that spoil things for everyone, but i’m sure they would have found a community of normal people with a shared love for the waterways and the way we have all chosen to live. Many of us cannot spend all year cruising the system, no matter how much we would like to. Little things like work, schools, medical care etc seem to get in the way. I assume that the writers of the first comments are either retired or wealthy enough to be able to cruise full time? If BW price the current young generation off the water where will the next generation of people living and caring for the water come from. Maybe we should reserve the right to live on a boat to the lucky few with enough wealth to be able to afford it.
Or maybe its time to put aside crass stereotypes and find out for yourself who we all are and what we stand for as a community?
I have just read the comment posted by Dean Likely and would like to make it clear that this view is not representative in any way of the majority of London boaters. Comments like this just reinforce the tired old stereotypes that we are trying to move away from…
I’ve been living as a continuous cruiser on the River Lea for a year moving every 14days and had no problem with BW. THe river has a dead end so it’s not realistic to expect people to somehow move further. BW issue licences for river only which acknowledges this. All boaters pay licence fees according to the length and soon also width of their boats. THis money shoulr follow boaters so facilities are properly maintained. Boaters living in marinas pay extra for the security, facilities such as showers, water, shop and often includes mains hook up. CC do not have such facilities and manage to live low impact lives using solar, wind, engine power etc. We do not do any harm but actually make towpaths safer for passers by and also increase the number of moorings by increasing the safety of less used mooring spots in London. Furthermore in London there is a community of cc boaters which is a valuable part of the boating community.
The warmness of welcome has nothing to do with the fact that a CC’ers license is not a ticket to live in London without moving on a bona fide navigation…
The license is not an alternative to cheap housing, it is a means for boaters to tour the inland waterways of the UK without the need for a home mooring. It is more appropriate to individuals who do not work in a fixed geographical location and do not have children as moving on an ongoing journey is not very responsible if you have these commitments to uphold.
Does no one else find Jon’s comment threatening and libelous?
I agree with you Dean. And I also agree with the first few posters. This doesn’t mean I work on the board of directors for BW or that I am a bigot.
I am a CC, based in London, but I do cruise within the guidelines of my licence. Yes, the canal is a lovely place to live, and there are some friendly people. It is also a great Low impact lifestyle (if you dont include the huge amounts of diesel I use to heat and propel my boat)
I do “have the guts” to spend a little time on the Lea, I am on it at this very moment. This doesn’t mean I will have the same opinion as people such as Jon. the one place I do not have the guts to go is the area around Springfield marina because there is never any space. Can you imagine if I pulled uP and saId to someone ” I noticed you have been in that one position for a month/a year/etc, do you mind moving on so I can share this stretch of towpath with you?”
I think the towpath should be there for all to share, and the current situation means rules cannot be enforced efficiently and people can take the P—.
I think the neighborhoods need to be defined,
Dear Mr Likely, Your stupidity knows no bounds. Of course Jon’s comments are neither threatening or libelous. Are you saying you want to take him to court?
That would be very amusing!
I move between 12 locations around the area affected by the proposals and have been told by the Patrol Officers that we are not a (the) problem to BW. Also since no ticket has ever been issued during my year on the water I can only assume there is no problem (also just to remind you I have been told this much by a representative).
It is definitely (as mentioned by said representative) the boaters who do not move at all or who obviously move between 2 locations or whatever that are the problem.
Your pointless bleatings which are actually for the most part hear say are annoying and counter intuitive to a sensible argument. You cannot blame everyone with a CC licence in London.
Continuous Cruising as BW would like it to be is impossible for everyone unless you are actually rich (possible Tory then! ;)) or retired with a large enough pension to afford a boat… please remember this lifestyle, for us anyhow, is by no means a cheap way to live…
Just to further this… we will be getting a mooring because we have a baby who was born on the boat and are lucky enough to have found a mooring to put our boat on. IT WILL cost nearly 10000 and not everyone can afford a quarter of that.
If it wasn’t for people who care (NOT BW) then the waterways that we know wouldn’t exist today with even water in them and a place for you to get high and mighty about!
SHUT UP AND LET LIVE.
“If it wasn’t for people who care (NOT BW) then the waterways that we know wouldn’t exist today with even water in them and a place for you to get high and mighty about!”
Can this comment be explained in more detail please, because I find it quite confusing? I am not saying it is not true, I am saying that I am ignorant of this so would like you to explain about these people who care, saving the river from non existence and BW having nothing at all to do with things such as upkeep.
Sorry if you don’t know what I’m talking about but they can’t even fix a pump out machine (stonebridge) an electric lock (stonebridge) or put in new gates to save water and to keep the canals a decent height so your boat is always floating (everywhere) or even most simple task of all, empty the bin at gunmakers gate et al, which is helpfully branded BW so I know that is something our licence fees should pay for.
I wonder what the HSE would say or even Tower Hamlets as it’s their Borough, or does rat infestation and disease not matter a bit more than moving a few boats on a bit?
I’m not just talking about now, I’m also talking about the history of the waterways as I have become the font of knowledge from one such hour long documentary that explains everything.
All thanks to the IWA in my view.
I didn’t mean they don’t have branded boats and employees working on the canals but oddly enough I never see them upgrading locks around here. I can’t see any working in Mile End or Victoria park. Are they having tea? where actually are they, apart from the towpath between tottenham and bow making it look pretty for the water taxi to ferry the paying customers to the olympics next year and kindly upgrading the tow path around hackney wick with gates up to stop access for pedestrians and all while it’s done.
which you won’t see because there’s an exclusion zone there around the olympics or so they say.
watch this documentary and see if you think the waterways would exist if it hadn’t been for British Waterways in the earlier years not the year that the 65 act came in but before that.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01173hf/The_Golden_Age_of_Canals/
after you watch this, please only make another comment if you can actually see a reasonable flaw in my or this argument. it’s an hour long but very interesting and I cant see any reason to say silly things like the word ‘biased’, I think it’s safe to say it’s just true. BW didn’t want to do it so ordinary people just did and against the law too!
edit:
watch this documentary and see if you think the waterways would exist if it ‘had’ been for British Waterways ‘getting their way’ in the earlier years not the year that the 65 act came in but before that.
All of these arguments are to do with interpretation. The Shiny Boaters and British Waterways believe they can interpret it one way, and boaters in London with ties to the city another way.
There is no right way to interpret it.
There is no legal clarification of the “rules”. The rules are just guidance. Because of this and along with British Waterways failure to enforce the powers they already have, cultures have flourished.
However the guidance is interpreted, what does it matter to you as individuals? As Jon says, we hurt no one, and are a valuable and integral part of London and the local communities in which we moor up in every few weeks.
Most Continuous Cruisers in London, such as the ones depicted in this article, move every two weeks regardless of enforcement staff moving them on.
The very few boats that just sit in one place for months on end is an issue for British Waterways to deal with, and get little sympathy from any type of boater wanting to moor somewhere.
amazing… just nearly had a fight with some kids in mile end who tried to untie my boat!
This guy is so aggressive – fighting with kids, I saw this happen, the kids weren’t anywhere near his boat, he just came at them with a bat!
they were having a picnic.
I’ve seen graham (Teeson – I think it is) blogs before and he is a right-wing activist and in bed with British Waterways (BW) and the IWA.
He knows that BW admit in their new mooring proposals document that a boater can in all good faith believe they have complied with the requirements of their licence when they move their boat and is intentionally misrepresenting the case of London Boaters for his own ends. No boater with a continuous cruising licence is breaking the terms of their licence unless BW prove otherwise. To date I know of no such case in London. BW also admit in the same document that they have not enforced the existing powers they have to regulate boat movement properly in London.
So you know about one boater in Bath who broke the rules Graham. Big deal – do you know of any in London?
London Boaters are a diverse, vibrant community and love and respect our waterways and the majority of people who come into contact with us know this is true, whether this be at Victoria Park, Springfield, Broadway market or other locations in London.
Those above who comment otherwise need to get their facts correct before they put their bigoted views up for scrutiny.
I would just like to point out that Francine is right about Springfield – I don’t moor there because there is usually no space. However i would like to point out a couple of things – most of the boats that have been at Springfield for over a year (and there are a few) are unoccupied most of the time – either for sale or just left there. The remaining space, with maybe the exception of one boat, is taken up by law abiding boaters, residential or otherwise. I am lucky enough to have been able to cruise a substantial portion of the national network over the years, enough to know that you are not always going to find space to moor exactly where you want to and that your cruising plan has to allow for a little flexibility. Just south of Springfield are miles of casual towpath mooring with ample room to moor in some of East London’s finest locations. Not really a problem in my view. And as for Springfield, if BW did their job properly, instead of inventing even more complex and unmanageable hare-brained schemes, there would be no more problem.
To Smith, I would like to understand what you mean by your comments – its possible I may have misunderstood you and if so I apologise lumping you in with the bigots (no other word for it, I’m afraid).
And as for Dean Likely, who else, in your view, isn’t responsible enough to have children? Angry parent boaters will arm their kids with water pistols and form a queue… If I’m there, I promise to point and laugh…
No surprise here then – Jon – you are actually proposing and sponsoring a systematic campaign of violence and aggression against me and more over co opting minors to enact your hard line militant right wing views. Classy.
Incidenally – A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs…
Too right Dean, Jon sounds like a thug.
I think its about time the east london waterways got cleaned up, particularly befoe the eyes of the world are turned this way for the Olympics.
Dean, you sound like a big girl.
Corrie, calm down dear and don’t be so shallow and short-termist. The Olympics are only on for a month.
Dean Likely, I am neither right wing (ha!) or a thug. I have threatened you with nothing more than a water pistol gag – grow up and get a sense of humour! Thank you for your definition of a Bigot – it describes precisely the kind of attitude that is so vehemently opposed to the presence of a particular group of people that hold different beliefs to mainstream society. In your definition I use the word correctly. I would like to re-iterate that your glib comment regarding people’s work and family arrangements is deeply offensive and your arrogance is unbelievable. You are treading dangerous water when you start to criticise the way people conduct their private lives – and no, this is not a threat, merely a statement of fact. Admit it – the water pistol gag was funnier.
The water pistol gag was funnier than what ?
What are your surnames?
Dean I’m going to come round and slap your impertinent bottom until it is red and send you to bed early if you persist
I had to stop the kids from untying my boat. prior to that they were throwing stones at someone on a bench. this may have been amusing to you but I have the responsibility of my 6 month old girl and I will do my utmost to protect her if our lives are threatened. You would too. I am not aggressive and I did not fight them. I am still sure it is better to live on a boat than a council estate. I can’t even think of sending her to school in London having seen what I have done. … incidentally she was born on the boat in Victoria Park due to the quality of care from the NHS which is about to get worse in the hands of your beloved Tories!
Thankfully the paramedics were fantastic and she was healthy. If we weren’t allowed to be in the area due to current rules then it would have been hard to get to the birth center at all.
Honest questions: What is your problem??
Why do you think you are better than us?
I am tired of your pointless bleating. DO YOU REALLY have nothing better in your lives than complaining about decent (some not of course) people who just want to get on and enjoy theirs.
If you really think this city needs cleaning up then why not turn your attention to the real problem that many children rather go out in gangs and terrorise people than go to school and learn something and eat badly while they’re doing it.
It’s the governments fault and not ours. The bored teenagers that break into boats as well as houses and steal cars and untie boats are the ones who need their image sorting, before as you say ‘the eyes of the world are turned this way’.
What is so shabby about hackney wick and the people who live in it? Probably the olympic site and the immense dust and the roads they closed, the canal they commanded and the trees they cut down on the tow path, the houses and the businesses they demolished to do it all!
Why are we worse than that or the gangs, that will turn their attention to the tourists as well as you and me when the time comes?
…If the olympics (that destroyed many peoples lives before it will destroy ours) is so important.
The olympics is a costly exercise and it will last a month.
Another question: Why the f**k do you all care so much about CCers in London? Like matey said, if you wanna live in springfield fine then go there and get a spot… there is loads of space opposite the long line of moorings towards tottenham or just south of there. lea bridge road is a nice place to live with decent transport links. Not that you’d use them cos you don’t LIVE here.
If you really want a relaxing place to stay then you really must absolutely have to moor up by the Filter Beds for a week! 😉 then you’ll see who the real f**king problem are on the Lee. Or perhaps go for a cycle in tottenham and get beaten up really badly for your bicycle or be thrown into the canal after being lumped on the head with a hammer by some guys you saw off earlier (not me this happened to someone else) have your car broken into in Stonebridge. Boat window smashed by tottenham lock. Perhaps if you like Hackney Wick your missus will like the attention from some kids in a passing car who get out and follow her down the tow path to your boat. Have fun when you finally get to cruise in London on your lonely waterways where nobody knows anyone and your all fair game to the closest gang! Please be my guest because that is seriously what you will eventually end up with if you keep on at your relentless f’in cleansing act… except you’ll be getting rid of the good guys.
These IMPORTANT issues affect EVERYONE.
Thanks. hopefully haven’t ranted too much but there are far more important things in all our lives and this world…
Sorry I didn’t want to upset anyone – I can see you all feel very passionately and are highly informed about these things that I understand little about and have no experience of.
In particular your comments about it being better to live on a boat than in a council estate have made me see the error of my ways. I see now I was wrong to think I was better than you when in fact you are better than me. (It was so obvious all along!)
I will strive to move out of my estate and into a more enlightened form of accomodation.
Also I will unjoin all the gangs I am a member of.
My sincerest apologies to everyone for wasting their time with my foolishness.
Does anyone have a boat / caravan for sale? I could pay in volunteer work (Cleaning, cooking, dancing etc)
Please don’t administer a spanking Steve, I won’t post here again.
Oh and kudos to the Hackney Citezen for their continued services to excellent journalism, are they not really the true heros here.
Have British Waterways given any indication of if / when they will release a revised proposal or is this a ‘done deal’?
No hard feeling are meant by myself or Typicalccer, Dean.
Typicalccer has a really important point about the value of a community of boaters who stick together as apposed to passing boaters who have no vested interest in protecting their surroundings.
The integrity and cohesion of the live-aboard boating community with continuous-cruiser licences (CC) in London is a great asset to my own and others safety along the towpath in the areas where boaters regularly stay and where they know each other and therefore have a vested interest in looking after the canal and in acting together to prevent crime and gangs of disillusioned, disaffected youths (Victoria Park, in particular) from running amuck. I personally have intervened to prevent crime and nuisance on several occasions. Once myself and another boater stopped a group of teenagers beating-up a tramp at Victoria Park, and called the police when the same youths were causing trouble at a later date (one of the teenagers had a knife in his hand). These particular youths no longer hang-around Victoria Park. I have got out of bed in the middle of the night to investigate noises that could have been a break-in on another boat causing two men to run off and leave the generator they were carrying away on the towpath. I called the police and the generator was returned to its owner. There are other occasions I could mention where I have intervened like this at Victoria Park. Kensal Green is another area where boaters should actively be encouraged to stay for as long as they want because that stretch of canal would be ambush-ally were it not for live-aboard boaters. There was a serious, documented, gang-rape in the past at Kensal Green, before boaters regularly stayed there – the presence of live-aboard boaters who regularly stay there is a very desirable asset to the safety of all waterway users. Indeed live-aboard boaters even set up hourly patrols in the night in response to a recent spate of break-ins and a mugging at Kensal Green.
Ditto the Olympics: after the Olympics are finished, unless there is heavy security, that huge corporate space abutting the tow-path could well become a place of dread it boaters are not allowed to stay regularly there.
All the best.
Steve
The ‘rules’ don’t apply in the same way – the Lee & Stort is a pretty much orphaned branch off the main network. It’s gone from being a crime-ridden no-go area for most of us into a thriving linear park, and a lot of that is down to the people living on the water.
Have you ever compared a town centre where people live above the shops, and one where they don’t? Completely different, especially in the evening. The same applies to the canal. We have a strong, established community here, who don’t need to be moved on or punished in any way. There’s no reason for it, so don’t do it.
I was at the event, the strong sense of community was overwheming and quite lovely. I remember my auntie lived on a marina, and I I always felt quite unwelcome. I don’t understand this attitude that people have that living cheaply (in monetary terms) is wrong, or those that get on their high horse because they choose to live a more expensive life. Since living in London, the more people I meet, the more I am realising that the people who live cheaper more simple lives tend to be the most welcoming and have the strongest communities. I do not get this from my work, but it is something I crave and would like to find.
Thank God for people like Jon and Typical CCer. It’s a testament to strength of character that they are willing to engage in a bit of gentle, humorous baiting whilst their way of life that is under threat. I’ve no idea why people would kick up such a fuss if BW have only taken until now to decide to define zones, which clearly will tell you it’s revenue motivated.
This whole argument has nothing to do with making things safer and cleaner for non boaters. If so then why on earth would BW sit by for years and watch people build a community before throwing them out. BW has to accept responsibility for this as well. There is plenty of space for everyone if they are flexible. And they pretty much have to be. If there was a bit more honesty about the motivations behind all this then i’m sure a compromise could be reached.