Ellesmere Port Mooring

[robtheplod]

Hi All

 

We hope to pop up to the museum on the boat in the next few weeks and looking at the booking system. There seems to be 6 berths... are any recommended over the others??  thanks!!

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

NWM1, or NWM2. Closest to the museum, least overshadowed by the rather ugly and tall hotel building.

[PeterF]

Nos 1 and 2 are further from the Holiday Inn which has air conditioning units outside that make some noise. However when we visited last year we got No 6 bevause it was the only one left and the ac did not bother us.

Edited October 1, 2023 by PeterF

[Paul C]

2 minutes ago, PeterF said:

Nos 1 and 2 are further from the Holiday Inn which has air conditioning units outside that make some noise. However when we visited last year we got No 6 bevause it was the only one left and the ac did not bother us.

Were they occupied though? 

 

It costs £10/night to moor, which includes museum entry for 2 adults. It costs £11.75 each adult, to enter the museum. Guess which one we did (and didn't go thru the locks and moor at the bottom....)

[PeterF]

2 minutes ago, Paul C said:

Were they occupied though? 

 

It costs £10/night to moor, which includes museum entry for 2 adults. It costs £11.75 each adult, to enter the museum. Guess which one we did (and didn't go thru the locks and moor at the bottom....)

From memory all 6 boats were in, but now you mention the costs it is a good saving regardless. When we stayed the VMs just outside the museum were also.pretty full.

[adam1uk]

The booking system must have been brought in since we were last there ten years ago.  We had come in from the Ship Canal, and just picked a vacant spot — which, looking at the photo, wasn’t any of the ones they’re using now.  The mooring was about the only thing we did that day that didn’t need booking!

[Tony1]

 

I used to prefer VM1 as I think its the only one with rings at both ends, and they fitted my 50fter pretty well.

If I remember right, most of those spots need you to use pins (although I think they go will into the ground easily, so its not a problem).

The end spots are also easier to get in and out when its windy and all the spots are occupied- spots 2 and 4 can be a bit tricky to reverse out of (or into) in a high wind.

Its quite something seeing that big black coaster looming high up behind you in spots 2 and 4, and I was a tad nervous one night when the wind really got up and it started pulling around on its mooring ropes. 

I was there a few times off season and on many nights I was the only visitor boat in there, and it was quite an atmospheric place to be on still nights, after the hotel restaurant was closed and it was all quiet. 

On the summer days local fishing enthusiasts would often climb over the gate and come down to fish in the basin, but I never felt threatened by any of them, even when in there alone. 

The staff will probably warn you about it, but just in case- keep clear of the sunk vessels on the right as you come out of the lower lock.

The normal exit point after the place closes is through the bins area (uses a standard key), but they might give you the number for the lock on the gate that is near to the pub- it's a bit closer for reaching the shops etc. 

If you're staying there for a while, fill up with water before you go in. The times I came up through the locks to get water, there was always a boat moored on the water point (and always another boat next to it), which was a pain. 

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by Tony1

[gabble]

It was a bit chaotic earlier in the year when we visited. We’d booked NWM1 but ended up straddling NWM2 as well as there was a (needless) floating boom thing adrift in the way. Tied it up as best we could. Any of the berths would have been fine. Nice audience at the hotel as we did a neat pirouette in the basin after leaving the lock. That was after waiting 45 minutes for a demonstration boat to vacate the lock it was moored in ahead of a lock demo. Pretty quiet all in all. A surprisingly peaceful mooring. The whole site seemed a bit unloved really, sunken boats, lack of maintenance. Bit of a shame. But nice to moor amongst the history.  
 

As previously mentioned there is a door out into the real world via a BWB key at the top  level past the old cottages. If going out onto the ship canal, remember the swing bridge needs booking with the council. There is a (non obvious) water point on the side of the building at the top of the locks. The visitor centre seems happy enough for crewe to wander through with lock keys to get to the lock, no other way…

 

gabble

[robtheplod]

Just back and had a lovely time at Ellesmere port and the museum!

 

Surprised by Chester to Ellesmere port is a lovely trip and noticed it has a tarmaced path all the way - lots of walkers on which was nice to see. We ended up doing both an 'Ellesmere Port shuffle' (with crowds as CRT used us two for a dem!) and a 'Chester Shuffle' - after Bunbury not sure how many more shuffles we can take!

 

Had a 'jeeeeeesssss' moment when i opened the bow door on the following morning, and also met a CRT volunteer dog at Chester!

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by robtheplod

[Tony1]

 

That basin can be a wind trap when it gets blowy. In fact its the only time one of my big solar panels has been blown clean off the roof (although that was because I stupidly forgot to lower it when I knew high winds were coming).

I was moored in front of Cuddington a couple of times during stormy weather, and it was a bit unnerving to come out at night and watch her huge shadowy bulk begin to move towards you with the gusts, and strain against those big ropes. 

I couldn't help but go and check out her mooring ropes next mooring, just to make sure. 

[junior]

Can you not moor around the walls of the lower basin any more?

[GRLMK38]

We moored in NWM1 and my travelling companion moored in NWM2 last week.  The other bookable moorings were unoccupied for the two days but other random boats were moored on other moorings.

 

I was disappointed that we had to use mooring pins (with plenty of buried concrete!) due to the lack of rings/spacing of the existing mooring rings. I would describe the arrangements as "no frills".

 

You will need to fill up with water by the cafe, before dropping down into the basin or on the Weaver if using the MSC. If you need an Elsan, that's hidden behind a portacabin on the opposite side to the cafe.

 

One plus point was finding "Home and Dry Laundry" just up the road. A friendly and quality service at decent rates and turned around in less than 24 hours.

 

 

[PeterF]

1 hour ago, junior said:

Can you not moor around the walls of the lower basin any more?

No, you can only moor on the islands ( for want of a better description) outside the Holiday Inn, there are chains / floating barriers at the end of the islands preventing access to the basin.

[Annie cariad]

Bit basic ,Elsan a bugger to find ,pins needed , hotel air con hmmm . Stay again NO ....

[enigmatic]

The free moorings at the top are an option as well, although the one with the view has a very noisy electric car charging thing next to it

Edited November 8, 2023 by enigmatic

[Dav and Pen]

Never needed to book when we first went there 1978. We even left the boat there for a few days and went to see Penny’s father on Anglesey. Think they thought we were part of the wrecked boat collection