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Mooring needed. Cheshire East preferred. And ideally within 30 minutes of Stoke...


northern

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A long story short is I'm having a boat surveyed in two weeks and I'm still in need of a mooring.  I currently live near Nantwich and put my name down at both Overwater (preferred option) and Swanley Bridge many months ago.  I'm still not at the top of either marina's list and there's no end in sight.  The farm moorings at Swanley Bridge where I've moored previously have nothing either, and likewise, I've been at the top of their list for months too without a single boat having departed.  I suppose this is the time of year when people start to return from the cruising season and look for a winter mooring so not a great time to secure somewhere.

 

Anyhow, I'm looking for somewhere that'll tolerate 'extended stayers', I'm quite happy to stay under the radar and not draw any attention to myself.  Constant cruising isn't an option either, as I need a fixed base for work.

 

Subject to a decent survey and the sale going through, I'm looking for somewhere that could accommodate a 60ft narrowboat.  I'd prefer to stay in the Cheshire area, ideally on the Shropshire Union or Llangollen, or even the Middlewich.  I'm not too keen on Northwich / Middlewich.

 

I work in Stoke so ideally no more than 30 minutes drive away.  In all honesty I'd prefer a rural/semi-rural online / non-marina based, non-towpath side mooring, amongst other boats.  Hook-up is much preferred too.   So long as there's car parking.  Farm moorings would be fine.   

 

I've not tried Barbridge Marina yet but would rather avoid due to no hook-up and the awkward shelf, plus many of the moorings mean a hell of a trek to their car park.  Constant cruising, even temporarily, isn't really an option due to owning a car which would attract far too much attention if left anywhere other than somewhere private.  

 

I'm getting to the stage where I'm thinking of knocking on suitable doors to see if they'd take me on as an end of land moorer!

 

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.  Google map links are even better if it's not a business / marina.

 

Thank you.

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Pie Eater said:

What about Venetian Marina which is a couple of miles from Barbridge.

Thanks.  Nice enough marina but they charge a massive premium for liveaboards, the waiting list is huge and there's council tax to pay.  So it's on the avoid list I'm afraid.

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Crows Nest Lock on the  T&M between Middlewich and Sandbach. Farm moorings.

There is an unused serviced mooring at the cottage below Minshull Lock before Aqueduct Marina too. Where they used to sell produce.

Edited by Tracy D'arth
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7 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Try Top Farm,Croughton north of Chester. I used to live on there. There's also Cowbrook Farm on the Macc that had liveaboards and so do Macclesfield and Heritage Marinas on the Macclesfield. South of Stoke there's Aston and Great Hayward marinas.

 

Thank you.  Top Farm is too far out unfortunately.  But will try Cowrook Farm.

 

Not sure whether GH is liveaboard friendly but I know Aston is.  

 

Hoping to find somewhere on the SU even if Staffs based.

5 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Crows Nest Lock on the  T&M between Middlewich and Sandbach. Farm moorings.

There is an unused serviced mooring at the cottage below Minshull Lock before Aqueduct Marina too. Where they used to sell produce.

Thank you.  The one at Minshull Lock looks great.  Might have to knock on their door.  Assume it belongs to the cottage or at least they'll be able to point me in the right direction.  

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1 hour ago, northern said:

A long story short is I'm having a boat surveyed in two weeks and I'm still in need of a mooring.  I currently live near Nantwich and put my name down at both Overwater (preferred option) and Swanley Bridge many months ago.  I'm still not at the top of either marina's list and there's no end in sight.  The farm moorings at Swanley Bridge where I've moored previously have nothing either, and likewise, I've been at the top of their list for months too without a single boat having departed.  I suppose this is the time of year when people start to return from the cruising season and look for a winter mooring so not a great time to secure somewhere.

 

Anyhow, I'm looking for somewhere that'll tolerate 'extended stayers', I'm quite happy to stay under the radar and not draw any attention to myself.  Constant cruising isn't an option either, as I need a fixed base for work.

 

Subject to a decent survey and the sale going through, I'm looking for somewhere that could accommodate a 60ft narrowboat.  I'd prefer to stay in the Cheshire area, ideally on the Shropshire Union or Llangollen, or even the Middlewich.  I'm not too keen on Northwich / Middlewich.

 

I work in Stoke so ideally no more than 30 minutes drive away.  In all honesty I'd prefer a rural/semi-rural online / non-marina based, non-towpath side mooring, amongst other boats.  Hook-up is much preferred too.   So long as there's car parking.  Farm moorings would be fine.   

 

I've not tried Barbridge Marina yet but would rather avoid due to no hook-up and the awkward shelf, plus many of the moorings mean a hell of a trek to their car park.  Constant cruising, even temporarily, isn't really an option due to owning a car which would attract far too much attention if left anywhere other than somewhere private.  

 

I'm getting to the stage where I'm thinking of knocking on suitable doors to see if they'd take me on as an end of land moorer!

 

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.  Google map links are even better if it's not a business / marina.

 

Thank you.

 

 

You could try Oakwood Marina, we moor there and I think there should be space.

 

Steve

 

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1 minute ago, Neil2 said:

Aston Marina and Aqueduct both have "extended stayers", in both cases so long as you do move the boat occasionally they don't seem to mind.  

Thanks.

 

I like Aqueduct.   Bloody expensive though, and no better than Swanley or Overwater.  Aston looks OK too.

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6 minutes ago, northern said:

Thanks.

 

I like Aqueduct.   Bloody expensive though, and no better than Swanley or Overwater.  Aston looks OK too.

 

I'm no fan of Aqueduct but they do have quite a laid back attitude to liveaboards.  Aston marina would be my choice.

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13 hours ago, northern said:

Thanks.  Nice enough marina but they charge a massive premium for liveaboards, the waiting list is huge and there's council tax to pay.  So it's on the avoid list I'm afraid.

I really hope that you have not fallen for the myth that says that living on a boat is soooo much cheaper than in bricks and mortar. With so much publicity during lockdown, it does seem that demand has skyrocketed in some contexts and you do seem to have discovered that. We live in a largely market-driven economy and the inevitable consequence of increased demand, especially where supply is inelastic, is that there will be scarcity and price increases.

 

Whilst the market may well re-balance over time, bringing new moorings into service is a long term project and requires, generally, large dollops of investment at a time.

 

Solving the personal dilemma by 'under the radar' options is really a way of sugar coating the illegality of what is suggested. Not the best way of obtaining a relaxing way of life, I am afraid. 

 

I don't want to be a wet blanket and I realise that you came here genuinely looking for help but . . . 

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58 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

Solving the personal dilemma by 'under the radar' options is really a way of sugar coating the illegality of what is suggested. Not the best way of obtaining a relaxing way of life, I am afraid. 

 

Saying I want a marina mooring with services and "I'm going to be residential, but don't want to pay much and don't want to pay council tax';.

You cannot CC as you need to be in a fixed place for work, but you cannot be too far away from your car as it is 'vey attractive' so must be in a prvate area ................

"My mooring must be in a realtively small geographical area" ................

 

Have you considered a house, it would meet all of your requirements, except having to pay CT.

Drive or garage to park your car securely etc etc

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1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

I really hope that you have not fallen for the myth that says that living on a boat is soooo much cheaper than in bricks and mortar. With so much publicity during lockdown, it does seem that demand has skyrocketed in some contexts and you do seem to have discovered that. We live in a largely market-driven economy and the inevitable consequence of increased demand, especially where supply is inelastic, is that there will be scarcity and price increases.

 

Whilst the market may well re-balance over time, bringing new moorings into service is a long term project and requires, generally, large dollops of investment at a time.

 

Solving the personal dilemma by 'under the radar' options is really a way of sugar coating the illegality of what is suggested. Not the best way of obtaining a relaxing way of life, I am afraid. 

 

I don't want to be a wet blanket and I realise that you came here genuinely looking for help but . . . 

 

Most of us on here know very well that it isn't any cheaper living on a boat than in a house, certainly not in the long term, but the killer of course these days is the capital cost.  In some parts of the country the discrepancy between buying a decent boat and a tiny house/flat is massive, you can't blame folk for opting to live on water.

 

But the problem is hardly anyone points out the significant drawbacks and the likes of Tim and Pru etc display all the virtues of life on the waterways with hardly a mention of the downsides.  Those who have managed to make a success of living full time on the canals are usually strong advocates whilst you rarely hear from those who have tried and failed, though I have met many of them personally.  

 

I have a young friend who is mid 20's with really good career prospects but still renting and he asked me what I thought about buying a boat to live on.  At the end of the conversation he decided to stay put, save like mad and wait for the inevitable housing market crash which I suspect is not far away.

 

 

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44 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

 

Most of us on here know very well that it isn't any cheaper living on a boat than in a house, certainly not in the long term, but the killer of course these days is the capital cost.  In some parts of the country the discrepancy between buying a decent boat and a tiny house/flat is massive, you can't blame folk for opting to live on water.

 

But the problem is hardly anyone points out the significant drawbacks and the likes of Tim and Pru etc display all the virtues of life on the waterways with hardly a mention of the downsides.  Those who have managed to make a success of living full time on the canals are usually strong advocates whilst you rarely hear from those who have tried and failed, though I have met many of them personally.  

 

I have a young friend who is mid 20's with really good career prospects but still renting and he asked me what I thought about buying a boat to live on.  At the end of the conversation he decided to stay put, save like mad and wait for the inevitable housing market crash which I suspect is not far away.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

I really hope that you have not fallen for the myth that says that living on a boat is soooo much cheaper than in bricks and mortar. With so much publicity during lockdown, it does seem that demand has skyrocketed in some contexts and you do seem to have discovered that. We live in a largely market-driven economy and the inevitable consequence of increased demand, especially where supply is inelastic, is that there will be scarcity and price increases.

 

Whilst the market may well re-balance over time, bringing new moorings into service is a long term project and requires, generally, large dollops of investment at a time.

 

Solving the personal dilemma by 'under the radar' options is really a way of sugar coating the illegality of what is suggested. Not the best way of obtaining a relaxing way of life, I am afraid. 

 

I don't want to be a wet blanket and I realise that you came here genuinely looking for help but . . . 

 

Thank you.  Don't worry, I know your comments are well intentioned, and they're well received.  

 

I've had a boat before, not to liveaboard but just for leisure, so I'm used to the associated costs.  I've not taken the decision to liveaboard lightly.  I've deliberated over it for a while.  I've done the sums and I know it doesn't make financial sense in so many ways.  A boat will depreciate or at best stay level in terms of worth for a while.  A house will always appreciate over time despite peaks and troughs.  But motivation to save money was definitely not a factor in the decision-making, although I do think I'll be slightly better off versus keeping a house.  I've met and spoken with many liveaboards, all of which say much the same.  But where people who've not had a boat before or choose to bury their heads come unstuck I'm guessing is their thoughts on everything being free/cheap once the boat's paid for when that's not the case.  This is a lifestyle choice.

 

My intentions are to give it a go for 12 months at least and see how it works out.  If it doesn't then it doesn't, I'll make my way back to land.  But at least I'd have given it a go.

 

In terms of the legalities, most marinas are open to what I'm looking for, so long as you disappear out onto the canals often enough, and that'd be my intention over the weekends.  I much prefer that than a marina.  It's just that a marina offers me more of what I need for more of the time.

Edited by northern
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3 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Saying I want a marina mooring with services and "I'm going to be residential, but don't want to pay much and don't want to pay council tax';.

You cannot CC as you need to be in a fixed place for work, but you cannot be too far away from your car as it is 'vey attractive' so must be in a prvate area ................

"My mooring must be in a realtively small geographical area" ................

 

Have you considered a house, it would meet all of your requirements, except having to pay CT.

Drive or garage to park your car securely etc etc

 

I'm struggling to understand your post.  You appear to be quoting things which have never been said.

 

I've not said that I don't want to pay too much.  You've misinterpreted what's been said.  I referenced the cost of one marina versus another.  You're confusing value for money and not wanting to pay too much.  If low cost was the intention I'd go to Barbridge again.

 

I also wouldn't call the entirety of Staffordshire and Cheshire relatively small in terms of geographical areas either.  But for clarity and to help you a little, it includes Norbury Wharf, Great Haywood, Swanley Bridge and Aston.  And that's before I start to include the farm moorings.

 

Having off road parking isn't exactly an enormous challenge when looking for a mooring.  I'm not suggesting I'm in need of CCTV and an armed guard, merely it's not too sensible to leave a car of value dumped down a country lane somewhere.   I suspect that when building marinas the owners' have in mind a greater demographic and target audience of just me, in order so they can turn a profit.  So perhaps I can't be the only one with such requirements.

 

You sound like you need to relax a bit 🙂

 

 

 

Edited by northern
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There are a good few people who manage to CC and hold down jobs in a fixed location, so that in itself is not a strict constraint, although it cant be easy- especially in Winter months. 

 

If the risk to the car is the main factor preventing you CCing, maybe you could consider selling it and buying a less desirable one? 

I must say I CC'd with my car from Aug-Nov last year, but I was working from the boat so that was ok. What I did find was that parking spaces were not that easy to find, and some that looked ok on google maps were no good when I got there in person.

It may be that you could scope out a few good parking places within a 30-50 mile radius, and move the boat between them every 2 weeks. I think the distance you need to move is very modest, maybe just 5 miles or so would be enough for each leg, as long as you don't go straight back to point A. 

 

One thing that might be worth mentioning is the idea of a slightly smaller boat. Mine is 50ft and I booked into Swanley Bridge with no delay, and ended up staying for 4 months, with empty berths both sides of me, and not a word was said about whether I was residential or not (in the way that you described- don't ask, don't tell). 

 

So it may be easier to find a berth if you go 50ft or less, although that also constrains your choice of boats....

I do apologise if I'm arguing a point here that you've already dismissed, but I would take a long hard look at whether you can compromise on something in order to make the CCing option viable (eg buy a different car). 

 

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44 minutes ago, northern said:

 

 

Thank you.  Don't worry, I know your comments are well intentioned, and they're well received.  

 

I've had a boat before, not to liveaboard but just for leisure, so I'm used to the associated costs.  I've not taken the decision to liveaboard lightly.  I've deliberated over it for a while.  I've done the sums and I know it doesn't make financial sense in so many ways.  A boat will depreciate or at best stay level in terms of worth for a while.  A house will always appreciate over time despite peaks and troughs.  But motivation to save money was definitely not a factor in the decision-making, although I do think I'll be slightly better off versus keeping a house.  I've met and spoken with many liveaboards, all of which say much the same.  But where people who've not had a boat before or choose to bury their heads come unstuck I'm guessing is their thoughts on everything being free/cheap once the boat's paid for when that's not the case.  This is a lifestyle choice.

 

My intentions are to give it a go for 12 months at least and see how it works out.  If it doesn't then it doesn't, I'll make my way back to land.  But at least I'd have given it a go.

 

In terms of the legalities, most marinas are open to what I'm looking for, so long as you disappear out onto the canals often enough, and that'd be my intention over the weekends.  I much prefer that than a marina.  It's just that a marina offers me more of what I need for more of the time.

 

I'd certainly have a look at Aston then, there are folk living on that marina who maybe only take their boat down the cut for a weekend every few months.  Nick, the guy who manages the marina, is a top bloke and really keeps on top of things.  I only know one guy who left in a huff and that was because he was challenged about letting his dogs crap all over the place.  Also, unlike many marinas Aston is very close to amenities - Stone is just a couple of miles away and the towpath is now excellent for walking/cycling all year round.  I think if we get another boat we'll probably go back there. 

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29 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

There are a good few people who manage to CC and hold down jobs in a fixed location, so that in itself is not a strict constraint, although it cant be easy- especially in Winter months. 

 

If the risk to the car is the main factor preventing you CCing, maybe you could consider selling it and buying a less desirable one? 

I must say I CC'd with my car from Aug-Nov last year, but I was working from the boat so that was ok. What I did find was that parking spaces were not that easy to find, and some that looked ok on google maps were no good when I got there in person.

It may be that you could scope out a few good parking places within a 30-50 mile radius, and move the boat between them every 2 weeks. I think the distance you need to move is very modest, maybe just 5 miles or so would be enough for each leg, as long as you don't go straight back to point A. 

 

One thing that might be worth mentioning is the idea of a slightly smaller boat. Mine is 50ft and I booked into Swanley Bridge with no delay, and ended up staying for 4 months, with empty berths both sides of me, and not a word was said about whether I was residential or not (in the way that you described- don't ask, don't tell). 

 

So it may be easier to find a berth if you go 50ft or less, although that also constrains your choice of boats....

I do apologise if I'm arguing a point here that you've already dismissed, but I would take a long hard look at whether you can compromise on something in order to make the CCing option viable (eg buy a different car). 

 

 

Thanks, Tony.

 

The car's a sticking point I'm afraid.  The reason being is that I get a very decent car allowance with work on top of my salary.  And with it comes all sorts of rules around the car's age, value etc, just so you don't end up running a cheap car and pocket the money.  So there's not much I can do here.

 

The boat I'm looking for a mooring for is undergoing a survey in 2 weeks.  I've put my name down months ahead of now, even before finding this boat, trying to be pragmatic, so I've done my best to sort things and not just let it all happen.  You're right though, a shorter boat's much easier to find a mooring for.  But finding a decent boat's already been a nightmare - I've been looking for 6 months - never mind anything that 50ft or fewer, they seem very rare!

 

Appreciate the advice though.  Thank you.

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Is the OP looking for a mooring that is 30 minutes from Stoke by car, or by boat? 😀

If the later, it restricts options quite a bit! Though 30 minutes by car in a rush hour doesn't get you far either. At one point I had to travel across Smoke on Stench regularly back when the D road (A500) still had the two roundabouts in it.

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19 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

 

I'd certainly have a look at Aston then, there are folk living on that marina who maybe only take their boat down the cut for a weekend every few months.  Nick, the guy who manages the marina, is a top bloke and really keeps on top of things.  I only know one guy who left in a huff and that was because he was challenged about letting his dogs crap all over the place.  Also, unlike many marinas Aston is very close to amenities - Stone is just a couple of miles away and the towpath is now excellent for walking/cycling all year round.  I think if we get another boat we'll probably go back there. 

 

Thanks, Neil.

 

I made the call this morning and I'm due a call back Wednesday.  It looks a really nice Marina.  I did a bit of reading up on it yesterday after your recommendation.  I've only ever been past rather than inside it but it looks promising and as nice as Swanley or Overwater.

 

I do like Overwater - being able to drop onto the Coole Pilates for a weekend, straight out of the marina, would be great.  Lovely spot.

1 minute ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Is the OP looking for a mooring that is 30 minutes from Stoke by car, or by boat? 😀

If the later, it restricts options quite a bit! Though 30 minutes by car in a rush hour doesn't get you far either. At one point I had to travel across Smoke on Stench regularly back when the D road (A500) still had the two roundabouts in it.

Ha!  Sorry - by car!

 

So as far south as Wheaton Aston and as far north as Nantwich(ish).  I like Norbury but they're full too.

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35 minutes ago, northern said:

The car's a sticking point I'm afraid.  The reason being is that I get a very decent car allowance with work on top of my salary.  And with it comes all sorts of rules around the car's age, value etc, just so you don't end up running a cheap car and pocket the money.  So there's not much I can do here.

Be aware that CCing a car is unlikely to go down well with insurers, particularly if it is a more expensive model. They may also not be too happy accepting a marina address (assuming the marina will allow you to declare it as your home address).

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