Waterside Mooring – Annual Price Review 2023/24

[Ianws]

I don't seem to have received the recent survey email but did receive this one this morning. 

 

Dear Customer Waterside Mooring – Annual Price Review 2023/24 Following our annual review of mooring prices, we have taken the decision to increase our mooring fees by 10% this year across all Waterside Mooring sites with the exception of those sites already on phased increases or where specific price changes have already been communicated.  Over the past year inflation has increased significantly to levels not experienced in recent years and is having a significant effect on the Trust’s costs including those attributable to our directly managed moorings business. Waterside Moorings is part of the Trust’s discretionary commercial business activities, meaning that all mooring profits we make are returned to the Trust so that our waterways are repaired and maintained for the enjoyment of all our customers.  This increase will be applied to mooring contract renewals on or after 1st April 2023. Whilst the price increase is in line with wider inflation, we are aware that this will be a significant increase for our customers, our staff are here to help and can be contacted via your local Sales & Customer Service Manager or via email at waterside.mooring-enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk We do hope that you choose to continue to moor your boat with Waterside Moorings, renewal documents will be sent to you around 6 weeks before your contract renewal date with a choice of upfront or monthly direct debit payment options. Yours sincerely Gareth Stephens Head of Business Boating & Waterside Mooring

[Ianws]

Try again to see if it fixes the formatting.

Dear Customer

Waterside Mooring – Annual Price Review 2023/24

Following our annual review of mooring prices, we have taken the decision to increase our mooring fees by 10% this year across all Waterside Mooring sites with the exception of those sites already on phased increases or where specific price changes have already been communicated. 

Over the past year inflation has increased significantly to levels not experienced in recent years and is having a significant effect on the Trust’s costs including those attributable to our directly managed moorings business. Waterside Moorings is part of the Trust’s discretionary commercial business activities, meaning that all mooring profits we make are returned to the Trust so that our waterways are repaired and maintained for the enjoyment of all our customers. 

This increase will be applied to mooring contract renewals on or after 1st April 2023.

Whilst the price increase is in line with wider inflation, we are aware that this will be a significant increase for our customers, our staff are here to help and can be contacted via your local Sales & Customer Service Manager or via email at waterside.mooring-enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk

We do hope that you choose to continue to moor your boat with Waterside Moorings, renewal documents will be sent to you around 6 weeks before your contract renewal date with a choice of upfront or monthly direct debit payment options.

Yours sincerely

Gareth Stephens

Head of Business Boating & Waterside Mooring

[cuthound]

36 minutes ago, Ianws said:

Try again to see if it fixes the formatting.

Dear Customer

Waterside Mooring – Annual Price Review 2023/24

Following our annual review of mooring prices, we have taken the decision to increase our mooring fees by 10% this year across all Waterside Mooring sites with the exception of those sites already on phased increases or where specific price changes have already been communicated. 

Over the past year inflation has increased significantly to levels not experienced in recent years and is having a significant effect on the Trust’s costs including those attributable to our directly managed moorings business. Waterside Moorings is part of the Trust’s discretionary commercial business activities, meaning that all mooring profits we make are returned to the Trust so that our waterways are repaired and maintained for the enjoyment of all our customers. 

This increase will be applied to mooring contract renewals on or after 1st April 2023.

Whilst the price increase is in line with wider inflation, we are aware that this will be a significant increase for our customers, our staff are here to help and can be contacted via your local Sales & Customer Service Manager or via email at waterside.mooring-enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk

We do hope that you choose to continue to moor your boat with Waterside Moorings, renewal documents will be sent to you around 6 weeks before your contract renewal date with a choice of upfront or monthly direct debit payment options.

Yours sincerely

Gareth Stephens

Head of Business Boating & Waterside Mooring

 

I got the same email.

[Rob-M]

Our marina operator have but mooring fees up by 10% so I guess most will be doing similar.

[GUMPY]

2 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Our marina operator have but mooring fees up by 10% so I guess most will be doing similar.

Ours has gone up 8.8%

 

[Ianws]

I understand marinas have increased costs to pass on. There's no extra cost to CRT where I'm moored but I understand  why they are looking to squeeze every pound they can get. Because they can and need the money. 

[matty40s]

It would be far better for Waterside Moorings to sort out their awful website, actually advertise empty moorings as soon as they become available, or even advertise upcoming ones(I know, it's a bit extreme for CRT).

If you go to the national map now, (on android anyway), it shows zero vacancies, even if you drill down to a known local mooring. You really have to delve if you want to find vacant moorings, and not all of those are shown anyway.

Perhaps once its sold off like BWML, it will have an improved capability, along with associated higher mooring fees. However, at present, it is not managed well, and not operated to maximise income potential, something that should be a priority at present.

[Ianws]

21 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It would be far better for Waterside Moorings to sort out their awful website, actually advertise empty moorings as soon as they become available, or even advertise upcoming ones(I know, it's a bit extreme for CRT).

If you go to the national map now, (on android anyway), it shows zero vacancies, even if you drill down to a known local mooring. You really have to delve if you want to find vacant moorings, and not all of those are shown anyway.

Perhaps once its sold off like BWML, it will have an improved capability, along with associated higher mooring fees. However, at present, it is not managed well, and not operated to maximise income potential, something that should be a priority at present.

 

My mooring is a private offside moor that they take an rhein extra slice for. Extra costs about 3x the actual mooring cost.

[mad dog n' Englishman]

41 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It would be far better for Waterside Moorings to sort out their awful website, actually advertise empty moorings as soon as they become available, or even advertise upcoming ones(I know, it's a bit extreme for CRT).

If you go to the national map now, (on android anyway), it shows zero vacancies, even if you drill down to a known local mooring. You really have to delve if you want to find vacant moorings, and not all of those are shown anyway.

Perhaps once its sold off like BWML, it will have an improved capability, along with associated higher mooring fees. However, at present, it is not managed well, and not operated to maximise income potential, something that should be a priority at present.

Buckby top lock, officially 12 mooring spaces. site shows 2 available spots. There are only 6 boats moored here and has been at this level since Feb22. Look at Waterside mooring site and it shows 10 occupied moorings. While I moored there it was never full but almost always showed , no vacancies.

[matty40s]

18 minutes ago, mad dog n' Englishman said:

Buckby top lock, officially 12 mooring spaces. site shows 2 available spots. There are only 6 boats moored here and has been at this level since Feb22. Look at Waterside mooring site and it shows 10 occupied moorings. While I moored there it was never full but almost always showed , no vacancies.

There is also 1 or even 2 boats moored that side which have not paid for moorings and moved over from the towpath side after 2 years there...

Ducketts Passage was quite succinct last time I spoke to him after leaving his 10 plus years  mooring,  "why should I pay to moor here when those Cn♡+$ dont" 

[mad dog n' Englishman]

Indeed, we where there for 10 years and gave up for same reason. looking at mooring site, it seems to be showing boat lengths that haven't been around for many years. Still web shows 10 moored boats and we know Crt wouldn't tell a lie.     Would they ?

[matty40s]

One problem seems to be is that if say, a 58foot mooring is advertised, and a 45 foot boat bids and takes the mooring, this then becomes a 45 foot mooring on the next sale of mooring. 

Lots of evidence of this in case anyone thinks I'm making CRT stuff up to be more interesting.😀

In fact, their own website shows pictures of this in the flesh.

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, Ianws said:

 

My mooring is a private offside moor that they take an rhein extra slice for. Extra costs about 3x the actual mooring cost.

Same here.

[Creaking Gate]

On 17/02/2023 at 20:30, matty40s said:

It would be far better for Waterside Moorings to sort out their awful website, actually advertise empty moorings as soon as they become available, or even advertise upcoming ones(I know, it's a bit extreme for CRT).

If you go to the national map now, (on android anyway), it shows zero vacancies, even if you drill down to a known local mooring. You really have to delve if you want to find vacant moorings, and not all of those are shown anyway.

Perhaps once its sold off like BWML, it will have an improved capability, along with associated higher mooring fees. However, at present, it is not managed well, and not operated to maximise income potential, something that should be a priority at present.

How would you know that - insider knowledge or more likely plain old guess work in a negative pursuit.  Most moorers ignore all the rules CRT impose on moorings but complain bitterly about any they [Waterside mooring] don't follow.  I left my CRT mooring it was so prevalent and to me CRT did nothing about that - they are guilty of that at least.   In one hand you claim they don't manage it properly but if they did, everybody would be up in arms about it.  

 

I happen to know that many berths are bought and paid for and left vacant as people travel around London or 'pick a city' - mooring prices are much cheaper in the rural locations and it allows people to roam in more expensive locations.  I say this because it was my exact compliant to them at the time, and this was their answer, well, teh part that not all people fill the berth they pay for at least (i added the bit about cruising cities).  I didn't believe it at 1st, but in a interesting conversation over a beer (or several) with an old mooring neighbour it stands up as true.   

 

Going further they cannot be listed until the old customer has gone in case they 'cool off' and wish to return.   Again, i know this as the mooring i wanted to go to, i couldn't and i was told this. Admittedly, that was 3 years ago but i can see no reason why it would change.  I've now since left any CRT moorings.

 

Mooring spaces is done by metre, so all they need to do with move boats about to free up space - The mooring is not location specific on a site at all and at any time, you can be moved to somewhere on the site (hence why i left). Its in the Terms and conditions i was told.  So using you're example 44ft boats coudl go in a 55ft space, and 11ft will just be moved somewhere else on the site, and then auctioned or whatever.   

Edited February 20, 2023 by Creaking Gate