pied a terre west of London

[itinerant baker]

I'm looking for a pied a terre mooring west of London, ideally between Slough and Heathrow/ Rickmansworth and Woking though I'll consider other areas. Anyone got anything to recommend (or avoid). PM's welcomed if you don't want to shout about it on the open board for any reason.

 

I won't be there all the time, I just need a base as I'd get more work around London if I had somewhere to stay.

 

Haven't got a boat yet, but I'm probably going to be looking for something like a 25ft cruiser for now - though I'd like to upgrade to something bigger at some point.

 

I often work odd hours so access would need to be flexible, though I'd also want security because I wouldn't be there all the time.

 

 

Cheers in advance.

[Chris J W]

You could try High Line Yachting on The Iver.

[carlt]

If your buns are moist I'm sure you'll get offers from all over.

 

(sorry, couldn't resist)

[itinerant baker]

Cheers Chris will look into them - anyone on here moor with them? Have had a look at them on Google earth, and the Slough Branch and Northolt yards don't look to be in the most salubrious neck of the woods! Anyone been there and care to comment? Other than that they are very well placed for what I need.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry Carl, my buns don't come out all that moist, but my bread is always well risen.

[debbifiggy]

You could try High Line Yachting on The Iver.

Packet Boat marina is in a similar area, there are also BW moorings at Brentford and I think there are also moorings at Engineers Wharf near Northolt but they might all be taken now. check out www.waterscape.com and click on the moorings link as they list non-BW mooring providers too.

D

Edited February 23, 2008 by debbifiggy

[Chris J W]

Cheers Chris will look into them - anyone on here moor with them? Have had a look at them on Google earth, and the Slough Branch and Northolt yards don't look to be in the most salubrious neck of the woods! Anyone been there and care to comment? Other than that they are very well placed for what I need.

Sorry Carl, my buns don't come out all that moist, but my bread is always well risen.

 

Saltyspalsh and (I think) Moomin'Papa are there, and I got "Jean Margaret" from there. It's not too bad a place and is pretty secure having gates at the both ends of the tow path.

 

Langley (Not Kings Langley as I had said) is OK for supplies etc, but the pubs aren't up to much IMHO.

Edited February 24, 2008 by Chris J W

[itinerant baker]

So if Packet Boat Marina is the large basin you can see on google earth, which is High Lines area at that junction?

[Chris J W]

So if Packet Boat Marina is the large basin you can see on google earth, which is High Lines area at that junction?

 

It's HERE - Their online moorings run from Station Road down to Hollow Hill Lane - Edit to add; their mooring is on the North side, secure gates at both ends, and the tow path is on the South side. (Nicholsons' Guide 1, Page 38)

 

(Would help if I'd said "Langley" at first in a previous post and not "Kings Langley")

Edited February 24, 2008 by Chris J W

[Amduck]

I'm looking for a pied a terre mooring west of London,

 

 

? or should that be pied au l'eau? Long time since O level French, so that's probably completely wrong!

[MoominPapa]

It's HERE - Their online moorings run from Station Road down to Hollow Hill Lane - Edit to add; their mooring is on the North side, secure gates at both ends, and the tow path is on the South side. (Nicholsons' Guide 1, Page 38)

Indeed, Melaleuca is currently moored at HIgh Line Yachting, Iver. It's as Chris describes, with secure gates (including access to the carpark/yard). I wouldn't describe the Slough arm as the most picturesque bit of canal ever, but it gets better as you go East towards the main line. I've found John Bolsom at Highline very good and straightforward to deal with and their prices are (I believe) quite competitive for the area. Our main complaint is that car access is only available at the Eastern end, so you can easily end up carry stuff a long way down the path. A space close to the yard doesn't have this problem. obviously.

 

Cheers,

 

MP.

[bonganbiru]

The packet boat marina sounds ideal for you really. I have a mooring there and find it quite good in terms of location and security. We don't use the mooring much because we cruiise between visitor moorings in london, but it's a good place to leave the boat when going on holiday and nice to have a secure place to use as a last resort or in case of work needing to be done on the boat. I will shortly be selling my 57ft narrowboat with a mooring there if you're interested?

[saltysplash]

Hey up

 

High line at Iver is our home and for us it couldnt be better. As secure as any marina with cctv, gates and plenty of residents to keep thier eyes on fings. Highline deliver coal/gas and stuff to boats twice weekly and even take away your rubbish as and when requested.

 

A reasonable chandlery. boat services on hand, and for us a 10 min walk to Langley BR Stn to get us into Paddington intime for work at Lambeth.

 

Staff are all very freindly and lots of helpful friendly neighbours.

 

 

As for the area, Langley is one big kinda housing estate but has all the requirements such as banks post offices a decent sized budgens and off licences inc a rather good chippy (which in the south of england is very rare) For the far east style takeaways we go into Iver.

 

Moomin.....if ever there's no wheel barrows at the boatyard please feel free to borrow our trolly

[WJM]

Something I struggle to understand - I was told about a year ago that the marina I am in is now full, all the moorings are now rented out. Yet I can count six or eight spaces that have never had a boat in them. I am told they have been rented out by by people who dont yet have a boat, it is being built or they are still looking for a second hand boat. A year is a long time and it seems a strange way to spend four or five grand!

[blackrose]

Something I struggle to understand - I was told about a year ago that the marina I am in is now full, all the moorings are now rented out. Yet I can count six or eight spaces that have never had a boat in them. I am told they have been rented out by by people who dont yet have a boat, it is being built or they are still looking for a second hand boat. A year is a long time and it seems a strange way to spend four or five grand!

 

I couldn't work that one out either... perhaps they backed out? Mind you a few boats have left recently and the BW "Moorings Available" signs have gone back up.

[bottle]

Slightly

 

Perhaps those that have the empty moorings are like me, the boat was originally supposed to be in the water by now but through no fault of the builders or mine (outside influences) the boat is still not in the water and will probably be another 10 months.

[blackrose]

Slightly

 

Perhaps those that have the empty moorings are like me, the boat was originally supposed to be in the water by now but through no fault of the builders or mine (outside influences) the boat is still not in the water and will probably be another 10 months.

 

So how long will the build have taken in total? It must be a very high quality boat - mine was thrown together in 6 weeks!

[bottle]

So how long will the build have taken in total? It must be a very high quality boat - mine was thrown together in 6 weeks!

 

It was ordered at Crick 2005 (although we had already been in contact with our builder) due for build start Spring 2007 (they had a two year waiting for a slot then, maybe more now) but as said outside influences caused delays, the shell should now be with the fitter in June/July and ready about Christmas.

[WJM]

Why dont you try another supplier? You have already missed three boating seasons, you wont live forever you know! :-)

[bottle]

Why dont you try another supplier? You have already missed three boating seasons, you wont live forever you know! :-)

 

I know but I like the way they build their boats and they will do it the way I want it.

[wrigglefingers]

I know but I like the way they build their boats and they will do it the way I want it.

 

If it's any consolation, Bottle, Cobbett was ordered in September 2007, will be started in October and completed by May 2010 ready for painting (about another 5-6 weeks as Phil's team are doing it).

 

On topic though - I had friends who secured a short-term mooring at High Line and really liked it a few years back. They followed the call of the wild though and disappeared into the Shropshire Wastes muttering about the stress of working in London although commuting into London wasn't amongst their principal gripes.

 

Shep

 

PS I'm sorry to have missed you at the weekend - will meet up soon.

[WJM]

You both must love to live dangerously - you sure are giving them plenty of opportunity to go bust! On that timescale, a crisis that hasn't even started yet could swallow up your money.

[bottle]

It may be dangerous and familiarity with the builder could lull 'you' into a false sense of security, I have now known my builder for over 3 years, I am as sure as I can be that my builder will complete my boat.

 

It is a husband and wife team (with others), he is the 'engineer' and she is the 'business brain'

 

They make a good team and the 'workers' are excellent in all they do.

 

Yes it is frustrating that we are not on the water, we will appreciate it even more when we are.

 

 

 

Shep, I did 'see' you the at the weekend but somehow we did not actually get to talk. Hope to meet up soon.

[itinerant baker]

It's HERE - Their online moorings run from Station Road down to Hollow Hill Lane

Cheers Chris, I thought they had something at the same point on the GU as Packet Boat Marina, if you look at their locations section on their website it mentions it but it looks like the same place.

 

? or should that be pied au l'eau?

Strictly speaking it probably is - but I don't want to get wet feet!

 

Packet Boat marina is in a similar area, there are also BW moorings at Brentford and I think there are also moorings at Engineers Wharf near Northolt but they might all be taken now. check out www.waterscape.com and click on the moorings link as they list non-BW mooring providers too.

ta, that's a useful link that I'd found before but overlooked until you reminded me.

 

 

Also, thanks to MoominPapa, Bonganbiru, Saltysplash (will look out for that chippy next time I'm there) and Wrigglefingers for the first or close to first hand experiences - I'll be seriously considering High Line. One thing I have noticed from Google Earth is that a lot of the boats moored there seem to be doubled up, how does this work on a practical level.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone got any recommendations for anywhere further south? What's the Thames like - expensive?

[Chris J W]

Also, thanks to MoominPapa, Bonganbiru, Saltysplash (will look out for that chippy next time I'm there) and Wrigglefingers for the first or close to first hand experiences - I'll be seriously considering High Line. One thing I have noticed from Google Earth is that a lot of the boats moored there seem to be doubled up, how does this work on a practical level.

 

AFAIK the breasted boat is generally a "Non-Residential" boat moored up next to a "Residential"

[MoominPapa]

AFAIK the breasted boat is generally a "Non-Residential" boat moored up next to a "Residential"

That's the way it works at High-Line. Non-res (they call them "cruising") on the outside.

 

MP.