Mooring Locations For A Widebeam

[Lisa009]

Hello everyone we have a 59 x 12 widebeam and are currently moored on the Thames near London and we are looking to move away from London somewhere quiet and safe it does not matter where we go we have no ties to London.

 

If anyone has any recommendations would be interested to hear.

 

Security and privacy is important to us and London has no appeal to us any more.

 

Thanks 

 

 

[Mike Tee]

If you are on a residential mooring that could be transferred, you may be walking (cruising!) away from a large cash sum. There are many widebeams currently on the market but few of them on London residential moorings (or any residential moorings). Might be worth thinking about selling up where you are and buying elsewhere, have a look on Apollo Duck.

If you are not on a residential mooring, forget I spoke!!

[baldlimey]

Are you looking for somewhere you can move to yourself or are you willing to get the boat lifted and moved by truck?

[Jen-in-Wellies]

31 minutes ago, baldlimey said:

Are you looking for somewhere you can move to yourself or are you willing to get the boat lifted and moved by truck?

This is a good point. Not London, but able to take a wide beam is a big place, so needs narrowing down a bit. Within the UK, or outside? Ireland and France are popular places to take a UK wide beam. The B word makes non UK options much more fraught and bureaucratic than they were, including the risk of huge VAT bills if you don't have the correct paperwork. Within the UK for wide beams you have the southern end of the English network, the northern end, the East Anglian, various isolated bits like the Chelmer and Blackwater in Essex and the River Medway in Kent and the lowland Scottish network. Can your boat handle a coastal sea passage safely? If so, travel between these and abroad can be done that way. If not, then it is crane and truck to move to another area.

 

Not sure if I should tell you that the northern English canals can take your boat on all but a couple of them, which have a 57'6" length limit, are extensive, less expensive and less crowded. Don't want too many more here!

Jen

Edited February 4, 2021 by Jen-in-Wellies

[blackrose]

On 04/02/2021 at 04:13, Lisa009 said:

 

Security and privacy is important to us and London has no appeal to us any more.

 

Security and privacy can still be found in and around London (at a price) as well as other areas of the country. Conversely moving out of London does not guarantee security or privacy.

 

I've had moorings for my widebeam in outer West London, Old Windsor on the Thames, Bidford on Avon in Warks and now the River Nene in Northamptonshire. The most secure of those was actually in London and the most private was on the Thames as it was a garden end mooring on a private island. But in general I'd say if you want privacy buy a detached house with a garden. In my experience living on a boat with a permanent mooring offers little privacy unless you lock yourself away inside the boat.

[Lisa009]

On 04/02/2021 at 07:47, Jen-in-Wellies said:

This is a good point. Not London, but able to take a wide beam is a big place, so needs narrowing down a bit. Within the UK, or outside? Ireland and France are popular places to take a UK wide beam. The B word makes non UK options much more fraught and bureaucratic than they were, including the risk of huge VAT bills if you don't have the correct paperwork. Within the UK for wide beams you have the southern end of the English network, the northern end, the East Anglian, various isolated bits like the Chelmer and Blackwater in Essex and the River Medway in Kent and the lowland Scottish network. Can your boat handle a coastal sea passage safely? If so, travel between these and abroad can be done that way. If not, then it is crane and truck to move to another area.

 

Not sure if I should tell you that the northern English canals can take your boat on all but a couple of them, which have a 57'6" length limit, are extensive, less expensive and less crowded. Don't want too many more here!

Jen

Hi there we love the north prefer it up there didn't think our boat could get that far.  

10 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Security and privacy can still be found in and around London (at a price) as well as other areas of the country. Conversely moving out of London does not guarantee security or privacy.

 

I've had moorings for my widebeam in outer West London, Old Windsor on the Thames, Bidford on Avon in Warks and now the River Nene in Northamptonshire. The most secure of those was actually in London and the most private was on the Thames as it was a garden end mooring on a private island. But in general I'd say if you want privacy buy a detached house with a garden. In my experience living on a boat with a permanent mooring offers little privacy unless you lock yourself away inside the boat.

Thanks interesting points.  What's it like where you are now ?out of interest do you prefer it to London ?

[blackrose]

My favourite mooring was on the Thames at Old Windsor. I was there for a few years. Still within proximity to London and I used to be able to get into central London in about 25 mins on my motorbike. I moved the boat to Warks for a job. The Avon was nice and rural but unless you move up north you're always going to find the waterways a bit restrictive on a widebeam. It depends how much you want to cruise of course. I think the only thing I miss about London is the Thames. 

 

I'm on the Nene now and it's hard work even for a longish narrowboat. So many overhanging trees and blind bends. To be honest this river is probably best enjoyed in a small plastic cruiser but if you just want to sit on your mooring it's fine on any boat.

 

By the way you can't get your boat up north unless you get it craned out and put on a lorry.

Edited February 6, 2021 by blackrose

[Lisa009]

Thanks blackrose old Windsor is nice know the area well hard to find mooring there though but have thought about there before 

[Bacchus]

You could try Richard Llewelyn at Bell Weir boats? He seems to rent a lot of moorings out at Runnymede.

[Lisa009]

Hi again have been in contact with him a few timesche is a nice guy but they are full right now thanks though