I stayed inside the basin for about a week in June 2018. I moored directly opposite the entrance which means that I was moored next to a gap in the fence by the road and next to a private car park. The locals were all very friendly. One told me that a person used to permanently moor his boat inside the basin, but about 10 years ago he sold his house (poesumably with the mooring) and moved to Stourport. Since then very few boats have moored there. Another told me that when he purchased his house (a decade ago) the council were selling permament moorings for about £2,000.
I talked to some of the active local fishermen. They have recently cleared a lot of the water lilies and are keen for boats to visit the basin as they are aware that it will help to prevent it silting up.
In all there were about 60 rings in the quays along the bank of the Birmingham Old Main Line canal either side of the basin entrance and next to public footpaths, and around 50 within the basin, so it is unlikely that there will be a need to double moor! There was no CRT or council signs on the canal bank or in the basin. This is a Sandwell wide problem that a Sandwell council sponsored report highlighted because it deters visiting boaters ("Canals in Sandwell: Report of the Partnerships and External Scrutiny Panel", page 29).
The water was clear so it was possible to see down several feet. Most of the basin appears to be deep enough to take narrowboats as do the moorings along the bank of the canal either side of the entrance to the basin. There were two places where the mooring appeared to be problematic thanks to rubbish dumped in the water causing it to be shallow. At the far left of the quay and the far left end of the basin (as seen when entering the basin left/port side) .
There are also similar rings on the Birmingham Old Main Line canal at Tipton Junction (to Pitchfork Bridge) just to the right of the entrance to the canal that leads to the Dudley Tunnel and Black Country Museum. At the CRT moorings next to the Black Country Museum, and on the towpath leading up to them, there are CRT signs that prohibit mooring for more than 48 hours. So I assume that due to the absence of signs that a boat can moor at Dudley Port/Tividale Basin or Tipton Junction- Pitchfork Bridge for two weeks per to the usual CRT mooring policy.
