"One Rule for One. . . . ."

Having your boat blacked and clean and shiny makes one sensitive!

Yesterday was a beautiful afternoon and the sunshine invited me to get back to our home mooring. This is very necessary for two reasons. Much though I love being in the centre of town, close to my favorite watering hole (General Foods Club- Boaters Welcome) and the bustle of the market and shopping centre the moorings are only 48hr and no return is allowed for 28 days. I must go or I will be overstaying! I agree that it isn't fair for a local boat like me to clog the moorings and prevent holiday makers and cruisers from enjoying this pleasant market town.

However, some boats do seem to return within 28 days with impunity. These are the hire boats who are just 3 days away from base. Banbury is an obvious target for a week's cruise from Stockton, Napton, Calcutt, Braunston and Lower Heyford. These pay a commercial license and understandably are apparently not bound by the local mooring conditions of the rest of us. There is a category of boat that also appear to be immune who pay the same license fee as us ordinary mortals. Stockton and Calcutt Marinas are the base for Ownerships. These craft appear in Banbury town centre on a very regular basis. I debated this subject with the crew of nb Soudley who were this week a lovely couple, a farmer and a doctor. Obviously in their allotted three weeks on the boat in a year they have three one week cruises available to them from Stockton. Banbury and back taking in the South Oxford, Blisworth and back via Braunston and north though Warwick and the Hatton Flight which takes a whole day out of the cruise. What they cannot arrange is the order that the various "owners" (twelve of them in this case) decide to do the trips. It's all about their personal preferences which is fair enough. Hence, their boat can be in town for three weeks on the trot or, at best, every three weeks. Whichever way it is it breaks BW's 28 day rule. However, nb Soudley's crew told me they had never got one of the Mooring Warden's very sticky Red Stickers (a penalty notice)!

What a surprise! We have.