Saving space can be a problem

Whilst I can but agree with Kevin McNiff about selfish moorers who take up the space of two boats thus preventing another boat mooring, there is sometimes a reason for not being so close, writes Douglas Strong.

Over last week-end I found a pleasant space just above Audlem, with a very pleasant walk over fields, and so moored right up to the stern of the boat already there, realising that that would leave enough space for another boat.

Settled down

This was early afternoon and we settled down, but then a man came on his bike, put it on the roof of the boat we had moored up to and immediately started his boat's engine with the propeller in gear!  So not only had we to suffer the noise but the buffeting from the propeller that he had at fairly high revs.

I tried to reason with the man (no licence, name or index number on the boat, or I would have given its name) but he just replied that he was allowed to use the boat's engine up to 8pm, and shut the door in my face.  I had picked the particular mooring as it seemed peaceful, but no longer was.

Selfish in two ways

Neither the wife nor I were going to put up with that for hours, so we went up towards the flight as far away from him as we could. So boaters can be selfish in two ways—taking up the space of two boats or running their boat engines at high revs with propellers in gear.

I realise of course that this does not apply with your correspondent's complaint, as the boater in question moored in the middle of the two spaces then drove away.