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New Year at Bancroft Basin


Steelman

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Hello people...

We're on the water at New Year this year. We're moored at Hill Farm Marina at Wooten Wawen and are thinking of visiting Stratford for New Year. I've read somewhere that the pontoons in the basin are given over to long term moorings in the winter months.. Is this the case? I can't find any more details about this. Feed back much appreciated.  

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57 minutes ago, Steelman said:

I've read somewhere that the pontoons in the basin are given over to long term moorings in the winter months.. Is this the case?

This list: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/refresh/media/thumbnail/40721-201920-winter-moorings-price-list.pdf shows only four berths given over to winter moorings at Bancroft, so only a small proportion of the total.

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The CRT winter mooring location list shows that there are 4 berths given over to winter moorings, so plenty left for visitor moorings..  What I am not so sure about is if Bancroft Basin the 48 hour all year round or if it reverts to 14 days in the winter.

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We were in Stratford back  in June for a Rally on the river and there was NO enforcement of the 48hr moorings in the basin, which made for some very selfish people making private and hire boaters alike being denied a genuine visit unless they paid to go on the Avon. 

 

For what it's worth, the river bank moorings on the Avon from the rowing club down to the lock belong to the town council, who also don't manage them and the whole thing is a joke.

The Avon people in the visitor centre said they used to collect the town mooring fees but have given up.

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9 minutes ago, rustynewbery said:

We were in Stratford back  in June for a Rally on the river and there was NO enforcement of the 48hr moorings in the basin, which made for some very selfish people making private and hire boaters alike being denied a genuine visit unless they paid to go on the Avon. 

 

For what it's worth, the river bank moorings on the Avon from the rowing club down to the lock belong to the town council, who also don't manage them and the whole thing is a joke.

The Avon people in the visitor centre said they used to collect the town mooring fees but have given up.

Was that just because there was a rally on?

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1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Only time I've been to Stratford there was nowhere to moor without going on the river, which I didn't want to do, so I just turned round, had a sandwich and buggered off back up the locks. 

You were unlucky, although we only just got in the basin in the summer a few days before the river festival.  Apart from during the river festival, and assuming the river is not being naughty, then it is worth the £5 to moor overnight on the river. I guess being practical, at this time of year the information boat will not be there, so there is no one to pay anyway

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When we were there earlier this year, the trip boat operator in the Basin would not allow any boat longer than 50ft to moor on any of the 3 pontoons furthest from the river, claiming that the trip boat needed the space clear for manoeuvring. He claimed it had been agreed with CRT but I think he was lying.

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3 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

When we were there earlier this year, the trip boat operator in the Basin would not allow any boat longer than 50ft to moor on any of the 3 pontoons furthest from the river, claiming that the trip boat needed the space clear for manoeuvring. He claimed it had been agreed with CRT but I think he was lying.

That doesn't surprise me.  We were there a month or so ago and there were 2 boat "drivers": one was OK, the other seemed to think that the throttle only had full ahead, full reverse and off positions and as a result used most of the basin to perform his manoeuvres. 

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41 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

When we were there earlier this year, the trip boat operator in the Basin would not allow any boat longer than 50ft to moor on any of the 3 pontoons furthest from the river, claiming that the trip boat needed the space clear for manoeuvring. He claimed it had been agreed with CRT but I think he was lying.

There is a sign about limiting the length on just the last pontoon I think.

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Many thanks for your replies...

Weather dependent, I may head on down. We've been down twice this year already and it is pleasant. With regards the boat length on the last mooring, I think there was a sign but didn't notice it until I was almost moored up & notified by the pleasure cruiser skipper!! No worries anyway a we were the only ones in the basin for the 2 nights. 

 

  

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27 minutes ago, john6767 said:

There is a sign about limiting the length on just the last pontoon I think.

Yes I think that is correct. We avoided that one, and the next one, and when we tried to come in to moor on the one after that he came running around the Badin, waving his arms and shouting at us to moor somewhere else. Luckily there was still one other space available.

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13 hours ago, john6767 said:

There is a sign about limiting the length on just the last pontoon I think.

The sign says under 60ft on the end pontoon and no breasting up. We have moored or 57ft boat there on the last two occasions we've visited.

One of the trip boat steerers is very keen on the throttle, I hope he never gets a blade full as he heads flat out towards the wall.

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1 hour ago, rustynewbery said:

Yes the pontoons are signed but you can also moor alongside the bank, room I think for 2 full length boats.

 

It's not just the trip boats - full length boats can be a challenge to get off any of the pontoons. 

Indeed. I moor stern-in, so if I am then proceeding down to the river I simply go down the lock backwards which saves a lot of manoeuvring. A few years ago when I was doing this, watched by a large crowd of gongoozlers, a loud American voice boomed out from the crowd "Hey Buddy, are you going up or down in the lock?" to which I simply relied "Yes I am."

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Isn’t it easiest when going from canal to river to go on the pontoon forwards, and when going from river to canal to go on the pontoon backwards.

 

If exiting the basin the same way you came then go on the pontoon as above, and when leaving turn round in the wide area where the trip boats turn.

 

 

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1 hour ago, john6767 said:

Isn’t it easiest when going from canal to river to go on the pontoon forwards ...

Not if you use the rear doors of the boat to get on and off (and have even successfully trained the dog to believe that the front doors will not allow a dog through even if they are open)

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1 hour ago, Keeping Up said:

Not if you use the rear doors of the boat to get on and off (and have even successfully trained the dog to believe that the front doors will not allow a dog through even if they are open)

OK, then that would be a problem!

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