On Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:55:01 +0100, Brian on Harnser <[email protected]> wrote:
>I refuse to stay overnight and support >paying BW for towing path moorings. I have no objection to them digging >the pit, sorry marina, but not on the towing path. Thin end of wedges >come to mind. I'm afraid you're trying to fight the laws of economics. I believe your odds of winning are rather small. With no charges in a busy spot such as this, the moorings fill up earlier and earlier in the day, so when Joe Average boater arrives at tea-time, he has nowhere to tie up. With charges at the right level (which will differ from place to place, and maybe from month to month too), there will always be a few vacancies (for car parking, the target is usually between 5% and 10%, and I suspect this makes sense for moorings too). So the options for most boaters at popular spots will tend to be between free but unavailable, or paid-for and available. I prefer the latter, as I like to choose whether I will moor or not. With no vacancies, the choice has already been made for me. Those who prefer the former tend not to mind long walks or ever-shorter boating days or missing the popular stops. Note that this has *nothing* to do with whether the moorings in question are towpath or basin, as visitor moorings are effectively fungible (although their quality does vary of course -- e.g. some are quieter than others). Adrian
