Garden side mooring

[nealeST]

As there are plenty of houses with gardens that end on the side of canals I’m curious to know how much C&RT charge you to moor up on the end of your own land? Many properties I’ve seen even have their own landing with Armco and suitable provision for a boat. Not many seem to have the actual boat though. Replies much appreciated.

[frangar]

50% of the cheapest locally based CRT mooring…so it varies from area to area. You also have to apply  for permission from CRT to ask if your location is suitable. 
 

Note you now have to own the property and the boat. You can’t legally sublet or indeed liveaboard on an EoG mooring. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen. 
 

 

[nealeST]

Ok that’s interesting thanks. So find a property nearest a band 1… gives me something to think about. Presumably you only pay whilst your boat is tied up there? If you head off to cruise half the year? 

[frangar]

2 minutes ago, nealeST said:

Ok that’s interesting thanks. So find a property nearest a band 1… gives me something to think about. Presumably you only pay whilst your boat is tied up there? If you head off to cruise half the year? 

Nope. You pay for the whole year unless you give the mooring up then you would reapply as I understand it….and go thro the process again. It’s £95 to have CRT consider your application. 
 

You need to submit property details/deeds that show your name. You can apply for permission before you own the property to check it would be allowed. You aren’t guaranteed water depth etc and if any pilling or construction is required that needs to be agreed with CRT and comply with their design guidelines. 
 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

You pay all year.

It is a long process to get approval for mooring, £90 for the searches, non refundable.

They will not guarantee the water depth. Approval lapses when you stop paying or the property changes ownership.

I think you currently pay by the metre, 50% of the nearest boat mooring area rate.

Beware, most areas you cannot automatically have access over the canal side ransom strip of around 2m which gives C&RT access to the bank no matter what. Nor are you allowed to put anything on that land.

[dmr]

and sometimes the canal is just not deep enough on the non towpath side. You could remove some silt (though officially this requires testing and all sorts of approval) but you can not dig into the clay bed of the canal.

[frangar]

3 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

You pay all year.

It is a long process to get approval for mooring, £90 for the searches, non refundable.

They will not guarantee the water depth. Approval lapses when you stop paying or the property changes ownership.

I think you currently pay by the metre, 50% of the nearest boat mooring area rate.

Beware, most areas you cannot automatically have access over the canal side ransom strip of around 2m which gives C&RT access to the bank no matter what. Nor are you allowed to put anything on that land.

I have to say the approval by CRT for my new mooring has been the most stress free part of the whole process of buying the property! I also don’t have a ransom strip but this might mean I’m liable for any repairs to the bank as needed. 
 

It has surprised me on how helpful CRT have been over my application…and as the mooring right was part of the condition of my offer on the property they also turned it round really quickly. 

[nealeST]

Probably explains why you don’t see so many actual boats then. Thanks for the info.

[Hudds Lad]

I'm sure @cuthound can tell you all about it  

[cuthound]

2 hours ago, nealeST said:

As there are plenty of houses with gardens that end on the side of canals I’m curious to know how much C&RT charge you to moor up on the end of your own land? Many properties I’ve seen even have their own landing with Armco and suitable provision for a boat. Not many seem to have the actual boat though. Replies much appreciated.

 

I have an end of garden mooring. CRT charge 50% of the nearest local CRT mooring with equivalent facilities (usually none).

 

Mine is about 25% of the local marina's charges but the only facilities I have are those I provide myself. You are also responsible for any dredging if required, which as you have to use their approved contractors will cost £000's.

[nealeST]

Sounds like you are happy with your arrangement. At 25% than a local marina you are on a winner. Dredging sounds like a serious drawback though. I’m thinking well into the future…imagining I could find a house on the canal and rent it out whilst I go off and live aboard…with the security of a land base to return to  when I get too old and not necessarily give up my boat….

[Tracy D'arth]

9 minutes ago, nealeST said:

Sounds like you are happy with your arrangement. At 25% than a local marina you are on a winner. Dredging sounds like a serious drawback though. I’m thinking well into the future…imagining I could find a house on the canal and rent it out whilst I go off and live aboard…with the security of a land base to return to  when I get too old and not necessarily give up my boat….

An end of garden mooring is for the use of the property owner only with a named boat owned by the property owner only.

If you rent off the property you may have problems holding on to the mooring. I would check if this suits your proposed use with you absent from the property.

Dredging is by a C&RT approved contractor only who must be Achilles registered.

[Adam]

2 hours ago, nealeST said:

Sounds like you are happy with your arrangement. At 25% than a local marina you are on a winner. Dredging sounds like a serious drawback though. I’m thinking well into the future…imagining I could find a house on the canal and rent it out whilst I go off and live aboard…with the security of a land base to return to  when I get too old and not necessarily give up my boat….

If your only renting the property out you are the "property owner" and "boat owner". double check the terminology.

 

Regardless if you get it approved while your there, and continue payment i doubt CRT would notice nor care, unless you have a bored boat owning neighbour.

[dmr]

2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

An end of garden mooring is for the use of the property owner only with a named boat owned by the property owner only.

If you rent off the property you may have problems holding on to the mooring. I would check if this suits your proposed use with you absent from the property.

Dredging is by a C&RT approved contractor only who must be Achilles registered.

 

Dredging usually costs a fortune, the dredging itself is not too bad but the modern way of doing things is to bring hoppers and tugs in by road and crane, so its £10,000 before the work even starts.

 

[frangar]

11 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

Dredging usually costs a fortune, the dredging itself is not too bad but the modern way of doing things is to bring hoppers and tugs in by road and crane, so its £10,000 before the work even starts.

 

I amused various estate agents greatly by doing depth soundings at properties we looked at…it’s also worth measuring the length of the properties water frontage…something else estate agents don’t seem to be able to do….

[dmr]

Just now, frangar said:

I amused various estate agents greatly by doing depth soundings at properties we looked at…it’s also worth measuring the length of the properties water frontage…something else estate agents don’t seem to be able to do….

 

Before moving to the cut I had a house with a garden down to the (tidal) Itchen estuary. A valuation from one estate agent remarked "there is a huge expanse of mud at the bottom of the garden but it probably won't detract too much from the value of the house." 😀

[nealeST]

Stirling Moss used to say that when his professional driving career ended he was faced with finding a profession that people with no qualifications could apply for. He found two options, being a member of parliament or an estate agent….thankfully he chose neither and continued to make his living as a living legend….

[frangar]

12 hours ago, dmr said:

 

Before moving to the cut I had a house with a garden down to the (tidal) Itchen estuary. A valuation from one estate agent remarked "there is a huge expanse of mud at the bottom of the garden but it probably won't detract too much from the value of the house." 😀

The general lack of awareness from estate agents about EoG moorings is breathtaking. I’ve been told

I need to speak to the water board….that I can just put a boat there and so on. Considering it often adds a premium to the property you think they would be more aware of such things but there again having had 6 months of dealing with what should have been a straightforward transaction I really shouldn’t be surprised about anything. 

[cuthound]

17 hours ago, dmr said:

 

Dredging usually costs a fortune, the dredging itself is not too bad but the modern way of doing things is to bring hoppers and tugs in by road and crane, so its £10,000 before the work even starts.

 

 

Very likely, 10 years ago CRT advised me that if my mooring needed dredging it would be at least £6,000.

[David Mack]

17 hours ago, dmr said:

 

Dredging usually costs a fortune, the dredging itself is not too bad but the modern way of doing things is to bring hoppers and tugs in by road and crane, so its £10,000 before the work even starts.

 

Would CRT permit dredging from the land (if you have suitable access and don't mind all the mess it will make)?

[Bacchus]

I know some people who live around a little creek off the Thames that silts up; the EA have rules about dredging, but seemingly not about testing outboard motors whilst tethered to the bank... a synchronised test of four or five outboards usually does the trick...

[cuthound]

33 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Would CRT permit dredging from the land (if you have suitable access and don't mind all the mess it will make)?

 

I don't know but I was told that if dredging was required (fortunately it wasn't) thn I would have to use contractors on their approved list.

[jonathanA]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

Would CRT permit dredging from the land (if you have suitable access and don't mind all the mess it will make)?

You'd certainly have to submit a works proposal to crt ( £500 for starters) and include a risk assessment and method statement. Whether they'd let you do it I don't know, if they did they'd want public liability insurance in place and suspect they would want you to jump through other hoops.  

 

Funny how I need a lots revs when leaving/arriving at my mooring.

 

I might just wash my digger bucket in the canal next time I have one at my mooring....

[dmr]

Dredging from the land (with a digger) runs the risk of digging into the clay lining unless you know what you are doing. There is also the issue of raising a plume of silt which is very much frowned upon. This is why "dredging by running the engine in gear" is a bit antisocial as it can make trouble downstream and is not too good for the ecology.  Moving silt is much easier and safer if the pound can be drained. There are also regulations about removing contaminated silt (and the associated testing). 

It is not unknown for local boaters and/or volunteers to drain a pound to remove rocks and rubbish (and maybe relocate a bit of silt 😀) with CRT approval. A risk assessment would be required and probably insurance. If you are on good terms with the local on the ground team things just might be possible.

[David Mack]

2 minutes ago, dmr said:

Dredging from the land (with a digger) runs the risk of digging into the clay lining unless you know what you are doing. There is also the issue of raising a plume of silt which is very much frowned upon.

But don't those issues arise equally when dredging from the water? A floating dredger is only an excavator mounted on a workboat.