Illegal mooring on the Macclesfield Canal

IF THE Canal & River Trust want to see illegal mooring then the licence people should take a visit to the Macclesfield Canal where I moor my narrowboat.

There are numerous unlicenced boats, many hiding with no name or index number and most of them overstayers on the same patch for month after month.

Turning a blind eye

It is obvious to all, as I read your own Victor Swift noticed when he cruised the Macc earlier this year, that the licence department of CaRT is turning a blind eye to overstayers, as some have been there for years to my knowledge, with Bosley to High Line being the favoured stretch.

Paying nearly £2,000 a year for mooring in a marina, I have been talking to others who are considering saving ourselves all this cash by picking a good [towpath] mooring and staying there.  It is quite clear that I would not be bothered by any enforcement.

Inducement

The problem is now so rife it makes you wonder if some of those responsible for enforcement, not perhaps being too well paid, are accepting some sort of inducement from these overstayers, that I understand from social media does happen.

But whatever, it is making others think of doing the same.

[The writer is well known to us, having contributed to narrowboatworld many times, so as requested we have acceded not to include his name.]