Basically, it looks like the CRT don't want the water version of a piece of inland waste ground littered with caravans and ford transit pickups. Can't see the problem myself.

I don’t think I have ever seen a pair of blue jeans look so good in my entire life !!

Seems to me like CRT is trying to prevent its waterways from becoming cluttered shantytowns, without directly coming out and saying it.

I'm a continuous cruiser. Never had an issue with CRT. Once had an engine problem. Informed them. No problems. Not saying CRT doesn't have an agenda regarding making money. Canals cost. And there all looking after themselves. Living on the road for 38 years met many like this.( travellers) everything for nothing. Everyone against them. How about other boater's who want to moor..... Bit of give and take.

As a professional mariner and lifetime recreational boater, I noticed the lack of care of most of those boats, and the lack of seamanship in their appearance. I suspect those people just prefer boat living because it is cheap, and would pitch a tent on a town common if they could get away with it. As far as moving 15 miles a year, I row my dingy farther than that in a year, just going to and from my sailboat. The sailboat goes far, far greater distances than 20 miles. A boat is a mobile home. If they want to stay in a single place all the time, they should pay for a flat. How much sympathy would they get living in a truck which never moves, parked on the public right of way. It is very similar.

This sequel to "Tales of the Riverbank" certainly has a more gritty feel.

Oh come on the CRT website says the range needed for the licence is 20 miles in a year as far as I can tell. About 0.38 miles a week. If you need to remail in one place then get a home mooring. Simple.

OK I've watched this right through and for the life of me I can't see the problem. I have just confirmed with the CRT that licencees are just being asked to move a minimum of 20 miles 'within the life of the licence' if they don't have a home mooring. If she has an annual licence, that's 20 miles p.a. With that licence, she avoids paying Council Tax and has access to free amenities. I'm not too upset that her 'way of life' is 'under threat' if that way of life is ignoring very, very mild requirements. And the shameless putting it in terms of the impact on her child... good grief! She is choosing to flout the laid-back rules, therefore she is the one impacting her child!

I don't really think that moving 2 odd miles a month is a problem, But, in saying that it is highly likely that our lovely wonderful government hates the thought that someone somewhere is "off grid"

I continuously cruised for my first 8 years of living on my boat. I cruised an average of 300 miles a year travelling mostly round Yorkshire and I stayed 1 to 2 weeks at every stop. I have now had a mooring 6 years, but cruise 9 months of the year... had just one ticket from CRT but was cleared with a phone call ! . This year I spent the winter away from my mooring, fancied a change . I've cruised roughly 70 miles this year up to now.

Has anyone noticed the elephant in the room? Great doco and my respect to people who chose their own way. But no mention of the obvious reasons that they are getting harassed by the authorities.

I think bad examples of both sides were used in this video as most of the live aboards here were bums living in death traps and the guy representing CRT was an arragant Ponce

Panda and cub. Nuff said. Let me draw attention to their accents. Very well spoken. Rich parents, safety net. They are playing at life whilst you and I live it.

I'm a livaboard continuous cruiser, shock horror is that I couldn't agree less with this film. I've been positively welcomed by the CaRT people I've met. I move regularly and have never, ever had any issues (other than the time my licence had fallen off my window, which is kind of fair enough) My personal take on this is that too many people for too long ignored and flouted the rules in the 1995 act of Parliament. These people are now finding that the rules are being enforced, the rules haven't changed. The people saying a distance should be given should realise that when a distance was inputted into the T&Cs people fought against it stating that as no distance is in the 1995 act it couldn't be legally enforceable and so it was removed and the guidance of 15-20 miles inputted. Do people here really feel that 15-20 miles per year is a struggle to comply with? I make that kind of move every two weeks (other than the last 2 months as I needed to stay put to deal with a family crisis. The local enforcement officer stated I would be okay to stay but I paid for a mooring anyway because I like to stay within the spirit of the act) Another shock horror, I manage to hold down a job in a permanent place whilst having a range of around 100 miles a year. Trust me its not gentrification of the system otherwise I would definitely be in enforcement! If you need to stay in one place, you can, pay for a mooring. If you want to cc then move, to comply with the guidance its less than a mile every two weeks. I know hundreds of boaters that manage it. I hate the fact that some parts of the system are difficult for me to use as having two dogs means I don't feel comfortable not being along the tow path so parts of the K&A and London are pretty much no go for me as the numbers of people barely moving means I struggle to get in. I must say though the CaRT employee on the film doesn't really do them any favours. No one I've met from them has come across as quite so pompus and up themselves as he does. Really sorry guys but move it or lose it.

Play by the rules, keep your boat in a good working safe condition, don't take over walk ways and land with planting veggies and other lifestyle choices, pay your fees and all will be ok with the World. Take the piss and this happens.

I lived next to the boaters in Hackney Wick for 10 years. Many boats would not move and they would trash the surroundings. Their dogs would attack people and many of the boats were just floating scrap yards. There was fires on the tow path and just stuff dumped for everyone else to deal with. It's these type of boaters who kick up a fuss. If these people respected the cruising rule and had some respect for others and the surroundings I don't think CRT would have any issue. Its the dumping of trash, stationary boats, abusive behaviour and general unpleasantness which is the issue. It doesn't cost anything to be tidy and respectful of others. There are a few on the canals who think they are hard done by even though they act like clowns and spoil it for many.

You good folks need to get that public administrator down to the river and have dinner on the boats with him so he can know you and see you. Paper notices are not efficient. Face to face conversations are much better. Once he sees the families, children, pets, and ingenuity, he will begin to have compassion. Great video. Tried to sign petition but does not take my zip code.

They want to get the rabble off the canals. Be interesting to see if any of the orders have links with complaints. Eg, standards of boat, those aboard etc

I often wondered where all the New age travellers went!

ALL of us live in societies in which laws are passed, good or bad depending on one's point of view. The laws passed that the CRT were (are) trying to comply with (simply having one MOVE their Narrowboat to a different mooring further up or down the canal) really doesn't seem too unreasonable.

im a live aboard boater, and live in a marina. These people who moan on and on about the CRT and continuous cruising...well I have little sympathy. If you have a family and school to consider then you cant be a continuous cruiser..if you want to remain say 5-6 miles from a base you cant...Marinas are not that expensive...55p to 70p per foot per week +vat..I pay around £3000 per year... for that I get all handy facilities..water..shop..power if I want it...I can come and go as I please, take off for a couple of weeks of peaceful cruising then come back....total freedom. The CRT give me no hassle at all...and my boat/home is safe.Its the hillbilly types who want it all and pay little or preferably nothing, and live in a heap of junk who are the problem.

Everywhere you live, you pay. You pay for a house, or you pay rent and all the associated costs with go with that. So here we have a group of people without home moorings, who thus fall into the category of continuous cruising, who don't actually continually cruise. They want to live essentially rent free, moving from one 14 day mooring to another and the same general vicinity. If you are moored for more time than you cruise, then that process is not continuous, and is a breach of the Act. C&RT is a statutory authority with a mandate to enforce the rules. If you comply with those rules you wont have an issue. The term continuous cruising means just that; you cruise continually. *It does not mean* that you move from one 14 day mooring to another in the same area, in your quest to live "rent free".

7:00 I f**king love that pedal-powered propeller set-up!

A simple way to resolve all this would be to have GPS fitted as part of a Continuous Cruising licence and then it can bee seen if the rules are being met.

Just follow the rules. See, Isn't that easy.

Just heard the comment 'We are not a public body' in response to the question about Human Rights Act. CRT appear to be acting as a public body and hide behind being a charity? Housing Associations up and down the country are not for profit organisations but are still accountable under the Human Rights Act. The live-aboard community could be classed as part of the travelling community who have been recognised by law as a minority group. It should be for a court to decide if someone is to be evicted from land or canal. If CRT are removing boats that people live in without a court order then they are probably breaking the law themselves. It seems that when it comes to it CRT are not able to carry out their threat of removing a live-aboard boat as they probably know they do not have the power to do so and don't want to test the case in law as they do not feel the court would act in their favour.

Love the propel system

I don't really understand what the problem is here. I love the thought of living aboard a narrow boat and have considered it myself. I don't think it's fair that people park up and live in one spot, making it harder for others to moor up when they are travelling the canals. Why is it so hard to move by 20 miles per year? If you are in a fixed position you need to pay for a mooring, if you are travelling then keep moving. It seems simple to me, so maybe I'm missing something.

This is going the same way as it went with the land travellers.

Dipping eggs good luck to you all love and best wishes cub xxx🤔

Canals are man made, over two hundred years old and need maintenance. No licence fees no repairs and no water would mean that they would be left sitting in a muddy ditch. Maybe that wouldn't bother them but the rest of us would not like it. They don't move because they want to live without paying. Try camping on the edge of the road or overnight in a layby see what happens!

We got a hire boat on this canal - the live aboard folk are so diverse friendly and part of the canal culture - there part of the reason we wanted the holiday on the canal in the first place - we will always remember the hippy like couple with a tribe of kids completely at one with nature handing us fresh baked rolls

Feel sorry for the boaters hope cub gets his toys back & more

I think the only way to solve this is to provide affordable housing or affordable moorings. The continuous cruiser argument is never going to work if you really want to live in the same place. Are you mooring to break your journey or journeying to move your mooring?

Pedal-powered boats should be granted permanent canal rights and a stipend. More inland waterways should be constructed. Such a beautiful way of life should be nurtured and protected. I was too bummed out to continue ...sold the boat ...

She has a good attitude and sense of humour and what a way to bring up a youngster! Amongst nature, movement and time. I hope Bev and Cub are able to live freely and set this good example. It makes me curious about the history of live aboard boaters - what trades did they offer? What trades do those featured in this film offer? Societies function best and people are left alone when they are useful.

The condition of the boats in this film speak volumes ? No mention of boat safety certificates or insurance here !

Hello The Janiepooh. I have updated the link, it now works, thanks for letting me know

Some floating wrecks on this clip

I lived on a boat near to these people for a summer. I loved it, but I did have the benefit of a 'home mooring'. I've also kayaked from Bristol to London on the K&A, several times, and met some of the people in this video on my journeys and enjoyed the company and hospitality of them all.

If it is their property and they issue a license to be on their property they can make the rules. If you don't like those rules then move it to a river or off the CRT property. You can cash your benefit check somewhere away from the canal system.

At the end of the day these folks living rent free. Free water, free toilet dump. Just obey the rules. They are there to help everyone live as they wish.

Hi everybody I'm not too good at reading and writing but I would like to know that you're all okay and what was the outcome Best wishes to all. 🌟🙏🌟

Well, how other people live is of no particular concern to others, IF THEY LIVE ON THEIR OWN LAND IN ISOLATION, don't use public roads or ANY other services which they don't pay for, and don't expect others to subsidise them. However this is not possible. There are very few countries where anarchy is encouraged, the UK is not one of them, for very good reasons. They are "entitled" to this that and the other, ie take take take.

i don't blame them. if people don't try to skirt the rules they would not have to define and redefine the rules. keeping your boat in running order and meet minimum standard is a must.

The laws need to be sorted for CC Narrowboaters as the C&RT will continue to just make it up as they go, they just seem to be interested in lining there pockets, selling assets, holiday boaters & marinas.

I can understand that the CRT is wanting to get rid of the New Age Travellers. I suspect they would also like to get rid of all liveaboards.

Any comments regarding the child's education,health and well being, ambitions, other plans or concerns?

Is there a update to what has happened to Bev and cub ?

are long boats like camper in the us, you can camp four 14 days you have to move:{

*That may well be a very green approach to powering a barge, but what happens when you come to an uphill bit ?*

Anybody able to get hold of bev? I would like to convert my cruiser into peddle power. I'd love some help from her friend to do it.

I think these kinda people are very selfish. Canals are for everyone to enjoy, meaning certain things have to be trade-off or sacrificed for everyone to be happy. They're not alone in this and everyone have to abide by the laws and rules. If you want a permanent spot rent a mooring, it's quiet simple. Can understand why CRT are pushing these kinda people to move 20 miles per year, they don't want shantytowns or surroundings to be destroyed. If 20 miles is such a great sacrifice for them maybe they shouldn't live on a boat. It doesn't cost money to keep things clean and tidy.

Lots of boats require lots of rules. You can’t expect a few to provide the upkeep for the many. If. Left to your own means there would be tent cities or the equivalent of all along the water ways..

Is this only on the Kennet and Avon? Anytime I see these types of reports it always seems to be this canal

Stunningly beautiful hair.

Just spoken to the CRT was told as a Continuous cruiser you need to do over 20 miles per year thats 1.6 miles a month so Im finding it hard to see why they are trying to enforce other distances on people Im wanting to be a live aboard but dont think Ill bother plus Id contact the CEO of the trust who according to Third sector is on a good wage over £100,000 a year also heard they want to change froma charity to a Business

anyone knows what's the music playing in the end of the video?

I’m for River dwellers. Just a thought .... gps locators are cheap these days. Fitting one to your boat and inviting the authorities to track your movements would provide absolute proof of distance travelled and provide a continuous record. What a wonderful life and education this child is having ,articulate engaged and interested. Well done that mum

Should've gone up north. The folk are nicer. This vlog upset me dearly and I won't be venturing to the K &A despite all the lovely live a boards. You should all travel to the Leeds to Liverpool

Just like towns that don't allow crappy looking places you'd think they'd do the same with boats

There are a lot of recent comments on this post, but no updates on how any of these people are doing now nearly two years on.

As a keen cyclist I'd love to see a further developed version of the bike powered boat!

The link to the petition ends in an error page on the 38degrees website.

crushing

I can't see a problem, why do some people think that they are a special case. Come on move be normal

How deep are the canals are?

Whilst I have great sympathy for these people, such action can be avoided by doing a bit of travel occasionally. I support any self-created community in Britain, but if they organised they could travel as a group to meet the 'continuous cruising' requirement. I wonder whether this rule is designed to stop groups of boaters just setting up home permanently in an area, which appears reasonable, as it seems most here want. Perhaps small residential marinas are needed. Loved the time lapse of the dog, very creative. The child should have been only in the background, only spoken of and not taken part.

I am less concerned about how people live their life and more concerned how people treat others

No problem. As long as the boat folk contribute as much to society as they take from it then it is all good and fair.

If I were a continuous cruiser, I would try and maintain a community spirit by getting all my boater friends, if at all possible, to move together, on the same day each time. Do people do this?

18:00 it seems pretty cruel to put one's children out of reach of medical support and schools. Surely an inappropriate lifestyle?

We're being ruled, lawed, regulated, legislated, fined & taxed to death, by governments, corporations, organisations, trust. Every aspect of our lives are controlled by someone. Be it work or pleasure, its under some legislation, regulation or law.

As long as they follow our guidance which does not specify a minimum distance , try argue that in court - clear as mud .

What doesn't add up is that she's selling up to live in a van, presumably to move and travel, but her whole issue with the CRT is that they're trying to stop her being stationary.

you can quote all the European rules if you like it doesn't really matter because the CRT will be the CRT and if you don't move your boat you will get in trouble, Simple that's want signed on for when brought your licence and quoting EU rules in a few years won't matter anyway as by that time the UK would have left it and EU human rights have been voted away.

Just occurred to me- if you are bent on staying in one spot for too long as per the rules, while there is no minimum distance specified to move, just move say a mile or perhaps half, don't take the piss and move a boat length, and the 'problem' may fade away? BTW, I would add a clause if specfying a minimum distance, similar to some parking restrictions, like 'no return for 6 months'. Compromise is better than defeat.

Maybe these people should pay an annual fee that actually covers the cost of maintaining the waterways.

I can see why she's fighting the section 8 but unfortunately if everyone perceived that they were entitled to live on a boat on a canal then the canals would be nose to tail with boats. Not only would this impinge on other boaters it would create an unacceptable social enclave. As she home schooled Cub, there was no reason for her to stay in such a limited area so I really can't fathom why she did. She could have cruised miles and miles and kept within the Cart licence and Cart wouldn't have had s case. I get that boat life is an affordable and romantic option but it does need policing and rules of we aren't too end up with hippy communes

It is a very simple rule to follow, just move as you are should.. People like this want to live outside the rules but the problem is we end up creating rules because of people like this... Live in peace and conform

If there is a legitimate reason that itinerant houseboats must be moved periodically, and by legitimate, I mean reasons that address issues of health, safety and security of the boaters and residents of the surrounding communities, then these requirements MUST be codified into enforceable law and not left to the whim of some unelected twit. Everyone potentially impacted by such law must be given reasonable opportunity to offer testimony, pro and con, regarding the need for such law and all testimony so given must be equally weighted, without regard of the person's socioeconomic status, political or corporate affiliation. Only after these rules have been codified into law and those affected been given a reasonable period of time to prepare for it, should the various regulatory agencies begin gradual, stepwise enforcement. For the past two centuries and change, this process was the bedrock of the legal system in my country (USA). During the last century, this began to change as more career politicians and fewer statesmen were elected to public office. The statesman seeks political office with the lofty goal of enabling as many citizens as possible participate in, and benefit from, a limited government. The politician seeking office does so with self enrichment and self empowerment as the ultimate goal. The statesman sees in each and every citizen, a person with a set of skills and the potential to make everyday life a little more comfortable and enjoyable for the rest of us. The career politician sees in each of us... a potential vote. This political paradigm shift saw the move away from the rule of law to rule by regulation, edict, "mission creep" and executive order, with subsequent enforcement by bureaucrat. Instead of swearing allegiance to the constitutional rule of Law, professional weasels such as the representative of the CRT interviewed in the video owe their allegiance only to the questionable agencies that pay them out of the public till. They are unelected and thus, answerable to nobody. The tenet of "government only with the consent of the governed" has been effectively eliminated, so that the power to ruin lives and devastate entire communities has been concentrated in the hands of a plethora of power drunk tin pot bureaucracies ranging from POA's HOA's, zoning boards, school boards, adjustment boards, tax appraisal districts and perhaps the worst abuser of political power on the planet, the California State Legislature.

Yes there are 2 sides to this story in fact more than 2 really. First it is wrong that the moving distance / requirements are very vague. But then again I learnt from a very early age that we have to conform as children and indeed all through our lives. Yes we do not like it at times but if honest it has to be like that. The canals were built for the purpose of moving goods etc around. And then came the train and other modes of transport. Thus the decline. The people who lived on them worked very hard indeed. And without much room to live as the boat was used for goods. Later a lot fell into such a state and some disappeared forever. Then various people / groups made the effort and time to get the canals back again. And yes this time for leisure and tourism. That is why we still have them and they exist as they do today. We would all like to live for free. But that is not how the world works. And indeed if everyone felt like that and did it. What would we have? A free for all? No schools, hospitals, Doctors etc etc. Unless you are lucky to win the lottery, rich or whatever that is our lot. I call it the big wheel of life. I love all forms of water including canals. And the history behind them. Who built them and who worked on them. Watching this film and seeing the state / condition of some of these boats. The mess and how the tow paths are being used / taken over. It is not right. It comes across as shameless. After all the water ways and country side are and should be there for all. I can see and understand that their way of life although cheap has other benefits. And in an ideal world fine. Perhaps as a collective / community they need to get together and try and sort the moving of boats out. Another answer might be to try and buy land / marina and run it their way. Although that will most likely be impossible. I see in the comments reference made about Capitalists. Being a realist and thinking about the whole picture. I suppose the capitalist might be 1 in a thousand whom takes a chance. Invent something or what ever and employ people. In some case thousands of people and along the way makes lots of money. The world needs them. If not for them progress would never got off the ground. Yes we need the road sweeper and also the brain surgeon. Both are just as important. But they can not be paid the same. If they were what would be the point of studying all those years to be a brain surgeon. There would be far to many road sweepers. Wright or wrong money and indeed prestige is why people work hard to better / improve their lives. There has to be an incentive. And in most cases that is it. But if we all want what we have today and more so for the future then it has to continue like that. Life is not a fairy tale sadly. But conform has to be the way forward.

The trust website lists the requirements for continuous cruising to be movement from neighborhood to neighborhood, every 14 days (unless the area moored in has requirements for shorter periods, or weather, maintenance, or ill health preclude the ordinary 14 day movement). The included language lists that such movement must be understood to be from A to B to C, shuttling (i.e. going from A to B then back to A) is not permitted unless coming to the end and returning along a waterway. Of course there are many areas where mooring for only short periods has become the norm, as cites like London wish to increase tourist and visitor traffic rather than allow for alternative lifestyle arrangements. Is it not possible for those wishing to have this life as shown in your video, to meet the continuous movement requirement as set out in the 2012 document? Is it not possible to have pressure put upon the trust not to decrease the areas available for regular continuous cruising mooring rather than the shorter period moorings that have been popping up? I know that the continuous mooring requirement may be difficult for developing and maintaining employment, health, and community relationships, but could not the gathering of those wishing to live this way, and arranging to work together to support each other while trying to meet the requirements of the licensing agreement be a possible choice?

I love the canal barges but some people are free loaders they don't shan't to pay for the upkeep of the canals

B. River Thames I’m not going home right now because of

Maybe if they had the money for upkeep of their boats and could follow the rules about moving, as they are supposed to, there would be no problems. I watch lots of Narrowboat channels here on KZfaq and they never seem to have a problem, but then again, they do follow the RULES. As for the women who had to move into a Van, she's going to find out there are a lot of rules for how long she can stay in one place and where she can legally stay.

17:00 if it is not working for you then go.....

The real problem here is Squatter Boaters refusing to navigate from A to B to C to D. No . . . these Squatters are simply going from A to B and back to A, travelling a short distance and never really leaving the area. They want to live near London on the cheap, trash up the area, and create an eyesore for the 99% who are more than happy to comply with reasonable rule.

After watching the video, I thought I had seen another example of a badly managed company/official entity in the UK (where I come from). After reading a selection of comments, I can see there *appears to be* a bias in the film which shows the official entity to be the unreasonable party. I suggest anyone, like me, who is thinking about a life on a canal boat, read a good selection of comments below before settling too quickly on either 'side'. I feel that anyone who has a sense of fairplay will agree that, within the scope of what is presented in the video, no one is being bullied by the CRT. I could be wrong.

The CRT are only wanting the nice pretty boats from the hire fleets and the new boaters who have just bought brand new hulls, they see the older hulls as eyesores, If they could they would have the vintage hulls scrapped and have a strict number of new hulls per year and then they'd increase the costs of licensing to force those on limited budgets off the canals.

She’s selling the boat? Who’s going to buy that?

I have power, hear me roar.

"Bona fide navigation" is a key phase in the law. You are genuinely navigating (moving on/travelling) the canals and river ways or you're not. Living in a relatively small navigation zone, would not be considered a bona fide navigation of the waterways and therefore an abuse of the law. Economic Housing Marinas and Ports developed by government for those boat owners with lower incomes could be potentially operated at as "Not For Profit" facilities. Pay for what you use and avoid clashes with the CRT over navigation issues. Just a thought for debate.

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE X

In the video, she states they have to move every 14 days and she has been on that boat in that area for 12 years. How far has she moved, or has she stayed in the same proximity for all of those years? She also states that she has no control, when on the bike. No wonder her license was supsended!

How far do yall have to move

Creating a scrap yard on the canal bank is not what narrowboat life should be about. If your boat looks like it’s ready to sink then get a job for a while and make it better for your child’s sake.

Just posh your boats up into BUSINESSES!!! ...plenty of resources around ...and then invest in some home moorings which can be used in WINTER

Aqua Gypsies

Wow seems they also getting Greedy on Water lmao