So You Can Go Swimming!

[smellyloo]

20 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

No offence smellyloo but maybe if you did own and had experience of the way boat owners have been nailed to the wall with Toll increases theres the possibility you might feel differently about it. 

The Toll for my boat has risen 35% in 7 years, why would I not get anoid about people turning up and using the waterway for free!!

I am not suggesting as a non Toll payer your view is invalid but there are valid reasons some of us feel this way. 

Ok, I understand your annoyed with the BA for hiking up the tolls but please don't take it out on other users.

I pay road tax (i don't have a diesal so pay a lot) but I wouldn't ban diesal users and if they get away with low road tax good on them. I also don't want to see pedestrians or cyclists pay road tax even though I have to pay to use the roads.

I paid river tolls for 15 years whilst I owned a boat. I never resented paying it. I certainly would never have advercated that swimmers pay a river toll. Where would they stick the tolls paid sticker? Answers on bog paper please. LOL

[dnks34]

A swimming hat with a toll plaque and a reg number! 

I will go a step further, Tolls for water skis, one for each ski!!

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

A swimming hat with a toll plaque and a reg number! 

I will go a step further, Tolls for water skis, one for each ski!!

Swimming floats 50% of the swimmer toll; toll plaque and reg no of course!!

[Vaughan]

I repeat - please excuse me, I think I should never have started this.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

I repeat - please excuse me, I think I should never have started this.

I'm almost finished writing a book "Things I wish I'd never started". Just when it gets close to being finished I have another 5 chapters to write. The book is now very thick.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, smellyloo said:

I paid river tolls for 15 years whilst I owned a boat. I never resented paying it. I certainly would never have advercated that swimmers pay a river toll. Where would they stick the tolls paid sticker? Answers on bog paper please. LOL

The swimmers did pay for the privilege of taking part, £70 each to a Ltd company

[dnks34]

17 minutes ago, 40something said:

The swimmers did pay for the privilege of taking part, £70 each to a Ltd company

Who come next years event if numbers flourished may well be making a nice bit of bunce off the back of those who are paying for the upkeep!!  

Am I wrong in having an issue with this?! 

Is the Three Rivers Race carried out for profit? (Just out of interest) 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

Who come next years event if numbers flourished may well be making a nice bit of bunce off the back of those who are paying for the upkeep!!  

Am I wrong in having an issue with this?! 

Is the Three Rivers Race carried out for profit? (Just out of interest) 

All of the boats participating in the 3 rivers race have paid a toll to the BA which does contribute to the upkeep.

[dnks34]

I know but is there an actual entrance fee for the event and if so is that carried out for profitable interest, I am just asking as I wondered if this is the norm. 

[dnks34]

I have just checked, there is an entrance fee but as the boats being used are tolled I dont think trying to draw a comparison between the 2 events is the right way to look at it. 

[grendel]

my concern is still safety, allowing the swim to go ahead set a precedent, the normal view was swimming was not allowed, now swimming has happened, how can the Broads Authority stop someone swimming and say it is not allowed, add to that and having done the swim, some of the swimmers may well come back and take a swim up the river, but without the organization behind an organised swim, no safety boats to warn oncoming boats, no emergency services on hand.

And thats what I have a problem with, the precedence has now been set. I remember one member posted how he encountered two swimmers in the water, in such a position as to have blocked the whole river.

in the organised swim, the swimmers had bright coloured floats, to enable them to be easily seen, will these be used on an unorganised swim, all the safety measures of an organised swim will be missing, yet all the hazards we were concerned about will still remain.

I dont have a boat, I dont pay a toll, thus there is for me only the safety aspect to consider.

[batrabill]

I swim in the Broads quite often. I see others do it. Just a fact.

[dnks34]

So have I (seen) not actually got in myself but I very much doubt they were paying £70 a pop for it in waves of 30!!

I decided sometime ago that I could take care of my safety (and contribute to theirs) by keeping my boat off the Waveney that day and stopped being concerned about it but I do agree with you Grendel a precident has now been set.

I wonder what it will be next! 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, 40something said:

The swimmers did pay for the privilege of taking part, £70 each to a Ltd company

Granted, but how will those who have actually paid to maintain the river/banks etc. over the course they used benefit from the £70?

[batrabill]

So it’s the money....

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, batrabill said:

So it’s the money....

It was a response to comment that the participants paid £70 to an organisation that pocketed the money was some justification justification to use an  "arena" for an event provided and paid for by others who did not benefit at all from the monies received.. 

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

Granted, but how will those who have actually paid to maintain the river/banks etc. over the course they used benefit from the £70?

They wont, and its one of the issues I have with this, especially if it spreads to more events.

 

 

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, batrabill said:

So it’s the money....

Believe it or not, people can form views based on a number of factors combined.

[batrabill]

With the greatest respect the Norfolk and Sufffolk Broads are the result of investment over hundreds of years. The EA, all the councils, central Goverment. 

If find the argument that ‘we paid for it’  a bit childish. 

Its not YOUR river, any more than it’s MINE. It belongs to everyone and everyone has contributed in numerous ways. Since the money seems important to you let’s talk about that. It’s £45 to enter the 3rivers race which helps pay for lots of things, but most work is done by volunteers. The swim, had a much smaller pool of volunteers so much was paid for directly. (Source - a chat with the organiser online.)

I doubt very much if much money was made, if any. 

Perhaps the more grown up question is, if freeswimming is to become a regular thing, perhaps the BA could find a way of creating a contributing payment?

I imagine that this event was seen as a test so perhaps if it bugs you you should ask the BA. 

[vanessan]

Well I would rather like to know where the money went if you don’t think much was made. By my calculations there were 70 solo entries at £70 a time plus I think at least 10 relay teams at £90 each. Plus sales of merchandise. That’s a fair amount by my reckoning. I believe I saw that £265 went to the Waveney River Trust. I hope a few more charities benefitted as well, maybe you can answer that batrabill?

[JennyMorgan]

I have no doubt that the Waveney Swim has the potential to be a real earner, just as is a hire fleet so I don't see that as an issue.

However, there is the small issue of urinating, boat crews are not allowed to discharge their effluent into the river so their boats are fitted with holding tanks, are swimmers similarly equipped? 

 

 

Of course I write in jest, I think!

[batrabill]

 

18 minutes ago, vanessan said:

Well I would rather like to know where the money went if you don’t think much was made. By my calculations there were 70 solo entries at £70 a time plus I think at least 10 relay teams at £90 each. Plus sales of merchandise. That’s a fair amount by my reckoning. I believe I saw that £265 went to the Waveney River Trust. I hope a few more charities benefitted as well, maybe you can answer that batrabill?

No I cant be *****. Can you give me a reason I should do this for you? 

Why don't you ask the organiser when you want to know stuff, like I did.

[batrabill]

Just now, JennyMorgan said:

I have no doubt that the Waveney Swim has the potential to be a real earner, just as is a hire fleet so I don't see that as an issue.

However, there is the small issue of urinating, boat crews are not allowed to discharge their effluent into the river so their boats are fitted with holding tanks, are swimmers similarly equipped? 

 

 

Of course I write in jest, I think!

 

Anyone who has worn a wetsuit knows that on a cold day the warming effect is most welcome.

[JennyMorgan]

9 minutes ago, batrabill said:

 

Anyone who has worn a wetsuit knows that on a cold day the warming effect is most welcome.

Even with Number Two's?

[batrabill]

!