A fine mess
SUSIE Mercer [Boating Trade Manager South who closed Upton moorings to boaters] is suggesting in a strong flow on the Severn that boaters should moor at Upper Lode Lock, writes Amy Dickerson.
She refers to this as Lower Lode, but I cannot find it, so I presume she means Upper Lode. There is a booze cruise that visits this mooring and they insist they have the right to moor there, not us humble boaters.
£30 a night
The Ashleworth mooring she suggests is against a wall, is not a CaRT mooring but is a pub mooring with space for one boat. The Marina at Upton charges about £30 per night for a 60ft narrowboat to moor there. Can we send a bill to CaRT for such an expense if forced to moor there?
Why has she not told the Avon Belle to operate from there? She has had tape, that is a slip hazard, to be referred as 'Slip Tape' put down to mark out the Avon Belle's territory on the pontoon. This has been put down over the non-slip material on the pontoons. Boaters have informed me that there is a big gap with no mooring cleats for us to moor on, yet the Avon Belle has numerous mooring cleats. I also have a witness to the Avon Belle operator being verbally aggressive to another boater who slipped on the Slip Tape.
Does not care
My point about her not understanding the concerns of boaters still stands. In fact I now believe she does not care about boaters travelling on the Severn. She has dug herself a big hole which she refuses to climb out of.
Maybe she would be better taking gardening leave and CaRT giving us our visitor mooring back. If not then direct action comes to mind whereby us boaters occupy the mooring. I would suggest that taking away part of our Visitor Mooring at Upton is not legal, like that of the South East Visitor Mooring changes, and as such CaRT should tell the operator of the Avon Belle to build into his business plan a suitable means for loading and offloading passengers. The ramp at Upton is steep. How long before a wheelchair user ends up in the Severn or smashed up against a moored boat?
All in all—a fine mess.