Canal & River Trust publishes winter moorings information

[Ray T]

PRESS RELEASE

 

6 September 2019  

 

CANAL & RIVER TRUST PUBLISHES WINTER MOORINGS INFORMATION

 

The Canal & River Trust is today publishing the list of sites it will be offering for winter moorings in 2019-20. 

 

Matthew Symonds, national boating manager at Canal & River Trust, said: “Cruising in winter is a wonderful experience – on many stretches it can feel like you’ve got the waterways almost to yourself.  However every year around 10% of continuous cruisers decide that they want to moor their boats in one place for the winter months and choose to take a winter mooring from the Trust, while others may choose to overwinter with the many other mooring providers.

 

“We’ve had a rationalisation of our winter moorings offer and have removed sites where no winter moorings were sold last year.  This year we’ll be offering winter moorings between November and the end of February at around 100 sites compared to 135 in 2018.

 

“We are also announcing that we’ll be reviewing the future provision of winter moorings by the Trust.  We recognise that winter moorings are appreciated by some cruising boaters, but we know that for others the ability to moor for the maximum 14 days, free of charge, on the towpath all year round is also important.  Also, with so many other winter mooring providers who may be better placed to offer this service to boaters, we will be working with our navigation advisory group to consider the longer term options for winter mooring.” 

 

The Trust’s winter moorings will be available from 1 November 2019 to 29 February 2020.  A final list of the sites and prices can be found at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/winter-moorings. 

 

The Trust’s winter moorings are divided into seven price bands reflecting each site’s relative attractiveness, for example location and facilities, the level of demand from boaters, and to ensure the Trust stays in line with the pricing of both private mooring operators and its own long-term mooring sites.  All winter mooring permits will be charged at a ‘per metre, per month’ rate, and boaters will be able to book the spots in increments of one month.  

 

All price bands have had a 3% inflation increase applied for 2019/20.  36 sites have moved into lower price bands and 25 have moved into higher price bands, the rest stay the same.  Two new price bands have been added this year.

 

The 2019/20 price bands are as follows:

• Band 0:  £20 – new band
• Band 1:  £18.50
• Band 2: £16.50
• Band 3:  £14.30
• Band 4:  £10.60
• Band 5:  £8.50 – new band
• Band 6:  £6.90

 

Bookings for the Trust’s winter moorings will open at 6am on Tuesday 1 October and will be made through the Trust’s boat licensing site on a first-come, first-served basis: https://licensing.canalrivertrust.org.uk/Account/Register. 

 

Boaters will be able to look at sites on the online booking system from Monday 9 September. 

 

If you have any questions about the Trust’s winter moorings please call customer services on 0303 040 4040 or email wintermoorings@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact:

Fran Read, national press officer, Canal & River Trust

m 07796 610 427 e fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk

[dor]

They are apparently closing some sites through lack of uptake.  In Nantwich the winter mooring was close to the visitors mooring.  Several boats last winter just sat on the visitor mooring, occasionally turning round or going for water.

Why would anyone pay for a winter mooring when they can stop for six months for free, apparently unchallenged by CRT?