residential moorings

[Gman]

Good morning all.

 

I am considering purchasing a narrowboat. But it will be essential that I have a residential mooring. 

 

So far it has been difficult to find one and more frustrating when very few marinas don't even reply. 

 

I am bassed in Sufolk but would consider any with a radius of 60 miles 

 

It would be great if anyone could offer any help with this 

 

Graham

[mrsmelly]

8 minutes ago, graham2104@gmail.com said:

Good morning all.

 

I am considering purchasing a narrowboat. But it will be essential that I have a residential mooring. 

 

So far it has been difficult to find one and more frustrating when very few marinas don't even reply. 

 

I am bassed in Sufolk but would consider any with a radius of 60 miles 

 

It would be great if anyone could offer any help with this 

 

Graham

Having lived aboard since 1989 I havnt ever found the need for a residential mooring, in fact I would suggest avoiding like the plague.

Dont show yer email address on line!!!

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, graham2104@gmail.com said:

Good morning all.

 

I am considering purchasing a narrowboat. But it will be essential that I have a residential mooring. 

 

So far it has been difficult to find one and more frustrating when very few marinas don't even reply. 

 

I am bassed in Sufolk but would consider any with a radius of 60 miles 

 

It would be great if anyone could offer any help with this 

 

Graham

They are not easy to come by and I'd suggest within your search area you are even more restricted - in Cambridge (for example) there is a 10 year waiting list for a 'narrowboat' mooring and a 20 year waiting list for a 'wideboat' mooring.

 

https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/residential-boat-mooring-licence

 

You could look at the Haven or the Marina at Lowestoft but it is not really set up for narrowboats, but, there were a couple in there when we called in last year.

The marina is not the most salubrious of locations (access via a boat scrapyard) but is certainly a possibility.

Mooring at Lowestoft Haven for a 60 foot narrowboat would be about £5000 per annum but I don't know about their views on 'liveaboard' , you'd need to speak with them

 

http://www.lowestofthavenmarina.co.uk/Price_List/

 

The Marina is cheaper at around £3500 pa but again I don't know about live aboard usage.

 

https://www.lowestoftmarina.net/

 

 

[Sea Dog]

You will find that many of the marinas that do residential moorings pretend they don't to avoid the obligations and financial implications it brings.  I don't condone it, but if you want to get one of these "under the radar" residential moorings, you're going to have to ask different questions to allow them to preserve their stealth policy. I don't have his live aboard experience,  but agree with @mrsmelly - are you sure you would enjoy living I'm a marina, particularly one where the view from both sides of your boat is the side of another boat? I've had a berth like that and know my answer.

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

You will find that many of the marinas that do residential moorings pretend they don't to avoid the obligations and financial implications it brings.  I don't condone it, but if you want to get one of these "under the radar" residential moorings, you're going to have to ask different questions to allow them to preserve their stealth policy. I don't have his live aboard experience,  but agree with @mrsmelly - are you sure you would enjoy living I'm a marina, particularly one where the view from both sides of your boat is the side of another boat? I've had a berth like that and know my answer.

But the other question is "is there a concept of Continuous Cruising" on Non-C&RT waters ?.

 

If the answer is no, then there is no alternative to having a residential mooring somewhere.

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

But the other question is "is there a concept of Continuous Cruising" on Non-C&RT waters ?.

 

If the answer is no, then there is no alternative to having a residential mooring somewhere.

Well, there is an alternative Alan - don't live on a boat anywhere at all unless it's not only a true passion but also will fit within your work/lifestyle limitations.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Sea Dog said:

Well, there is an alternative Alan - don't live on a boat anywhere at all unless it's not only a true passion but also will fit within your work/lifestyle limitations.

True - and that is why C&RT say if it doesn't fit in with you work/lifestyle limitations you need a mooring

 

[Tracy D'arth]

 Do you have any experience of long term living on a boat?

 

Marinas are like living in a car park. But if you want all the facilities like shop, showers, loos bar/café then it would have to be.

Find a farm mooring, they will not give a damn if you live on and the views are better.

On line moorings are actively discouraged by C&RT and many fellow boaters who see them as obstructing their water-skiing joy. But they are much sought after.

Or find a house on the canal and see if you can organise an end of garden mooring with the owner.

 

Do bear in mind that you have absolutely no right of tenure living on a boat and there will be occasions when you have to sail off and find somewhere else..

[Arthur Marshall]

Farms do vary - I and many others lived happily at one on the Shroppie, the first one I moved to on the Macc was fine, then doubled the rent overnight for the liveaboards and my current one is adamantly against anyone living on board. Most don't advertise apart from a board on the mooring, so easiest way to find one is to cruise along and ask at each one. Hard to do without a boat though.

[alias]

6 hours ago, graham2104@gmail.com said:

Good morning all.

 

I am considering purchasing a narrowboat. But it will be essential that I have a residential mooring. 

 

So far it has been difficult to find one and more frustrating when very few marinas don't even reply. 

 

I am bassed in Sufolk but would consider any with a radius of 60 miles 

 

It would be great if anyone could offer any help with this 

 

Graham

Have you tried this one? http://www.riversideisland.co.uk/page4.html

[Graham Davis]

8 hours ago, Gman said:

Good morning all.

 

I am considering purchasing a narrowboat. But it will be essential that I have a residential mooring. 

 

So far it has been difficult to find one and more frustrating when very few marinas don't even reply. 

 

I am bassed in Sufolk but would consider any with a radius of 60 miles 

 

It would be great if anyone could offer any help with this 

 

Graham

Have you considered that there aren't many canals in Suffolk, and what there are aren't connected to the main network, so even if you did find somewhere you'd need a lorry to get it there?
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network

[Scholar Gypsy]

14 hours ago, Graham Davis said:

Have you considered that there aren't many canals in Suffolk, and what there are aren't connected to the main network, so even if you did find somewhere you'd need a lorry to get it there?
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network

Not so - several moorings near Isleham on the Lark are in Suffolk, and ditto on the Little Ouse. Several are farm moorings. (The Wissey is in Norfolk). 

 

I found Google Earth quite helpful, to help me work out where to go tramping along the towpath.  

 

Please send me a DM if you want more advice.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Scholar Gypsy

[David Mack]

19 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Most don't advertise apart from a board on the mooring, so easiest way to find one is to cruise along and ask at each one. Hard to do without a boat though.

Bicycle.

[Alan de Enfield]

41 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Bicycle.

 

Simples !

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

14 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Not so - several moorings near Isleham on the Lark are in Suffolk, and ditto on the Little Ouse. Several are farm moorings. (The Wissey is in Norfolk). 

 

I found Google Earth quite helpful, to help me work out where to go tramping along the towpath.  

 

Please send me a DM if you want more advice.

Thats the trouble, he said 60 miles radius of Suffolk, he didn't say which bit.

 

14 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Not so - several moorings near Isleham on the Lark are in Suffolk, and ditto on the Little Ouse. Several are farm moorings. (The Wissey is in Norfolk). 

 

I found Google Earth quite helpful, to help me work out where to go tramping along the towpath.  

 

Please send me a DM if you want more advice.

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Thats the trouble, he said 60 miles radius of Suffolk, he didn't say which bit.

 

 

 

(It's 50 odd miles from Southwold to Bury St Edmunds - both in Suffolk).

 

The OP's location would be of assistance to provide meaningful suggestions

[RichM]

If you move your boat frequently, who's to say you "live" there? After all, narrowboats are not built to be static. Truth is, many liveaboards with a permanent mooring don't always have a residential one. As mentioned on here, they are hard to come by often because of planning requirements etc.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2020 by RichM

[Jen-in-Wellies]

23 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Simples !

 

 

The perfect solution. CaRT encourage cycling, but towpath walkers don't like being mowed down by speeding cyclists. If it were deeper drafted, then we might get some canal maintenance too.

[mark99]

On 08/10/2020 at 09:02, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Simples !

 

 

Missing Biscuit.

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, mark99 said:

Missing Biscuit.

Cannot be beaten - there were 4, but by the time the picture was taken there was a 'missing Biscuit' (I know who you mean !!)

 

[ditchcrawler]

On 08/10/2020 at 09:02, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Simples !

 

 

A more expensive version