Mooring Tender Result

[GeoffS]

I was very interested to see the final result of this tender:

 

https://mooringtenders.waterscape.com/searc...d=319&type=

[Dominic M]

I was very interested to see the final result of this tender:

 

https://mooringtenders.waterscape.com/searc...d=319&type=

£18k over the next 3 years for a towpath mooring. Crazy! Why not go the extra mile and buy a canalside field freehold?

 

BW stated that the purpose of the tendering trial was to try and establish a true market value. This doesn't do that - it merely demonstrates that one individual was prepared to pay whatever it took to secure that mooring. It doesn't mean that anyone else is prepared to, or can afford to.

[Lady Muck]

It's daft - if they put the other prices up there to reflect that - will the other boaters be able to afford it? We are paying 3k a year in London for a fully serviced marina mooring. If it goes up to those kinds of prices we won't be able to afford it, neither will most of our neighbours....

[StoneHenge]

I am glad most people are not paying or bidding these ridiculous prices, but it does worry me if they set a precedent in one area, will it affect everyone else. Doesn't seem fair. Or is this BW's way of pricing us all off the water so they can fill it all in and sell it off to toff property developers instead?

[Denis R]

I imagine that although the mooring is described as 'long term', at that crazy bid figure the winning madman, sorry bidder, probably intends living aboard full-time residential and therefore equates the £500 a month to an equivalent flat rental.

They must be wealthy and/or b****y desperate to get afloat!

[alan_fincher]

This is frightening, and I hope to God it doesn't represent the future trend for moorings on our "patch". If it does, we'll certainly be priced off the canals.

 

We regularly go down through Marsworth on a day out with the boat, (in fact we did so yesterday), so we know these moorings well.

 

It's a pretty enough spot, but this is a towpath mooring, which although there is a sanitary station and water and refuse point reasonably nearby, are otherwise pretty devoid of facilities. There is no parking, it's most definitely not secure, and IIRC that towpath gets fairly ponded at times. Obviously there's no land-line power, which is why you regularly have to suffer the drone of generators along there.

 

Mind you the boats moored just above the lock, rather than just below it, seem to enjoy virtually identical benefits, but at £6000 per annum less. Although I can't condone it, I can understand why people follow that route.

Edited June 12, 2008 by alan_fincher

[NB Alnwick]

This is frightening, and I hope to God it doesn't represent the future trend for moorings on our "patch". If it does, we'll certainly be priced off the canals.

 

Actually, despite the lack of facilities, I would say that a towpath mooring has got to be worth more than a marina mooring. Just my opinion, but I would not be willing to pay more for a marina mooring than I would for a place along the canal.

[Dominic M]

This is frightening, and I hope to God it doesn't represent the future trend for moorings on our "patch". If it does, we'll certainly be priced off the canals.

 

We regularly go down through Marsworth on a day out with the boat, (in fact we did so yesterday), so we know these moorings well.

 

It's a pretty enough spot, but this is a towpath mooring, which although there is a sanitary station and water and refuse point reasonably nearby, are otherwise pretty devoid of facilities. There is no parking, it's most definitely not secure, and IIRC that towpath gets fairly ponded at times. Obviously there's no land-line power, which is why you regularly have to suffer the drone of generators along there.

 

Mind you the boats moored just above the lock, rather than just below it, seem to enjoy virtually identical benefits, but at £6000 per annum less. Although I can't condone it, I can understand why people follow that route.

Of course the bid could be a hoax. If the bidder does not pay then presumably it gets offered to the second highest bidder, who was only offering a paltry £3,600.

Edited June 12, 2008 by Dominic M

[carlt]

If he is intending to live aboard then it's going to be a bit of a blow if a planning officer knocks on his boat, asking if he has planning permission.

[alan_fincher]

Actually, despite the lack of facilities, I would say that a towpath mooring has got to be worth more than a marina mooring. Just my opinion, but I would not be willing to pay more for a marina mooring than I would for a place along the canal.

Yes, I fully accept that some would prefer a non-secure non serviced linear towpath mooring to being packed in like sardines on jetties in a marina.

 

However, I think, however strong your views, if you assume prices charged up to now have at least to some extent reflected demand, then probably the balance is to people preferring the marina.

 

Unless I'm doing my sums wrong, the bidder here could have his boat bank-side for £6000 pa, or in a local marina berth for nearer £3600.

 

Given they ain't meant to be living on it, they have got to want that towpath mooring pretty badly to pay such a premium.

 

It's not rocket science to assume that when marina owners see BW bringing in £6K pa for a strip of waterside grass (or mud), they will think they can raise their prices to match. Because of the lack of many canalside moorings, it's not like marina based people can suddenly move on to one. They'll ultimately have two choices - pay up or sell up. (Or "continuous cruise" ?.....)

 

Guess who makes money out of "sell up". Yes, the marina owner who's brokerage you'll probably end up using.

[GeoffS]

As for it being a hoax, I doubt it, because as I remember to register to make bids you have to give payment details and you are charged 5% of your bid regardless. £300 is a lot for a hoax. Hopefully it is a one off to secure something that was really wanted. The facilities are not that easy to use and it is a very busy and noisy area although probably quite sought after. I cant even think where the nearest diesel and pump out facilities would be!

[alan_fincher]

I cant even think where the nearest diesel and pump out facilities would be!

Nicholson's shows pump-out at Grebe Canal Cruises, Pitstone Wharf (2 locks and under 2 miles).

 

It does't seem to show diesel, though I think they do it, (as they must have it for their own fleet).

 

Going the other way, it's Cow Roast Marina, (7 locks, and about 4 miles).

 

I'm pretty certain self pump-out is forbidden at the sanitary station at the old piling depot, but I could be wrong. (But if you can afford £6K for a mooring you probaly don't want to be pumping your own poo....).

 

I wonder how close to the pub that "slot" is - you are right, it can get quite noisy.

 

Assuming they have a car, where do the "residents" of these boats park it, though ?

[WJM]

"...to try and establish a true market value. This doesn't do that - it merely demonstrates that one individual was prepared to pay whatever it took to secure that mooring"

 

 

That is the definition of true market value - the value of something is what somebody is prepared to pay for it.

[Dominic M]

As for it being a hoax, I doubt it, because as I remember to register to make bids you have to give payment details and you are charged 5% of your bid regardless. £300 is a lot for a hoax. Hopefully it is a one off to secure something that was really wanted. The facilities are not that easy to use and it is a very busy and noisy area although probably quite sought after. I cant even think where the nearest diesel and pump out facilities would be!

Fair point. It was just a thought. I haven't read the small print of BW's tendering process to be honest. Perhaps the bid was made whilst under the influence!

[GeoffS]

There is an empty place a max of 200 yards down from the pub. That towpath is very popular with visitors generally. There is no official parking apart from the pay and display in the Resovoir visitors car park although I suspect there is an unofficial arrangement with the pub to use the back end of their car park.

[Dominic M]

"...to try and establish a true market value. This doesn't do that - it merely demonstrates that one individual was prepared to pay whatever it took to secure that mooring"

 

That is the definition of true market value - the value of something is what somebody is prepared to pay for it.

No it isn't. They said they were trying to establish the market value of their long term moorings (plural). A silly price for just one of them does not indicate that that is the market value of all long term moorings operated by BW in the Marsworth area.

[WJM]

I have just taken on a mooring on the Thames that has been empty for 10 years - that is, paid for and left empty. Somebody living close to the mooring got sick of looking at the typical 15 foot high festering tupperware heaps that rot along this stretch, so he paid for the mooring himself so could see the river instead.

 

Perhaps this is a nearby resident sick of looking at scruffy boats?

 

 

 

(Dominick - that is the value of that mooring at this time - period)

Edited June 12, 2008 by WJM

[Dominic M]

(Dominick - that is the value of that mooring at this time - period)

Absolutely. That is not what I was saying however - full stop.

[carlt]

(Dominick - that is the value of that mooring at this time - period)

As the next highest bid was £2.4k lower, it is the price a fool will pay. If you agree that this is the true value....

 

An intelligent bidder would carry out some sort of research to arrive at a price a bit higher than the 2nd highest bid.

 

The true value would be around the £2.5k mark, where most of the intelligent bidders pitched in.

[alan_fincher]

Tongue firmly in cheek, but.....

 

Isn't the true market value of a similar mooring at Marsworth is now £3,600, not £6000 ?

 

After all the £6000 man now has his spot, so the person still looking who was prepared to offer the most after that is the one bidding £3,600.

 

Joking apart.....

 

If I was on those moorings, with a similar length boat, paying the former going flat rate, of perhaps £2k per year, I'd be pretty concerned about what the future holds. (Well I am, anyway )

[Silkhay]

I'm not saying it is the case but recently on the G&S we had somebody not read the instructions and put down the bid for the whole 3 years, perhaps this is the same. Needless to say it went to the second bidder

[LEO]

Hi,

 

I really cant't believe this figure - it's a busy towpath, no security, no parking (the Tring Reservoirs park nearby is £1.50 per day), makes one shudder to think what effect this will have on mooring fees locally.

 

One wonders if it is a widebeam boat, but whoever it is has lots of money (perhaps) but no sense (definately).

 

Does it really equate to £18000 for 3 years..................... whoever it is will have no friends locally for screwing things up for us all.

 

Albi.

[WJM]

"... whoever it is will have no friends locally for screwing things up for us all."

 

Nonsense! All the other moorings will be sold under the same system but will likely attract much lower bids. And if BW were to return to fixed price sales, and they used this as the sustainable market value price, they would sell nothing. This one exceptional bid will make no difference to the surrounding moorings.

[carlt]

Nonsense! All the other moorings will be sold under the same system but will likely attract much lower bids. And if BW were to return to fixed price sales, and they used this as the sustainable market value price, they would sell nothing. This one exceptional bid will make no difference to the surrounding moorings.

So it's not the value of the mooring, then?

[alan_fincher]

One wonders if it is a widebeam boat..............

 

Nope!

 

Although there are widebeams on this stretch, including an L&L short boat, the tender details for this one say max width 2.1 metres.