Chesterfield canal - mooring

[cheshire~rose]

HBROK, you do not say whether it is a residential or wide beam mooring you are looking at taking at W. Stockwith, if it is just a permanent mooring for a narrow gauge leisure boat it will be worth looking at Retford & Worksop Boat Club. The moorings are excellent value for money and the club is a really active boating and social community. 

There is usually a long waiting list to get space there but I think anyone applying now may find themselves towards the top of that list! 

[HBROK]

7 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

HBROK, you do not say whether it is a residential or wide beam mooring you are looking at taking at W. Stockwith, if it is just a permanent mooring for a narrow gauge leisure boat it will be worth looking at Retford & Worksop Boat Club. The moorings are excellent value for money and the club is a really active boating and social community. 

There is usually a long waiting list to get space there but I think anyone applying now may find themselves towards the top of that list! 

Hi Rose

apologies, yes it's for a narrow boat, no more than 58' on the Waterside mooring site  there is a space available in front of the pub £1855'ish seems like a lot to me but I am a tight Yorkshireman.

I am considering Goole Boathouse and Thorne is just starting to be silly money in comparison, ideally I want to be no more than 45 minutes from the Brigg area especially if I need to do some work on the boat.

I do like the clubby type mooring ethos but I don't really want to commit to work party's and the like although it depends on what is required in return for the cheaper mooring. I wont be one to just go sit on the boat in a marina, I want to be out and about.

[cheshire~rose]

Well Google Maps suggests Brigg is 45 minutes from Clayworth so it ticks that box. 

When we moved there (almost 4 years ago now) our previous mooring was considered very good value in the midlands and we worked out that if we paid the joining fee for the club and our first year mooring it would break even then, if we decided we liked it and stayed we would be quids in each following year. Now I can't imagine ever moving as I love it so much there. 

There has to be some commitment with a boat club or else nothing would ever get done but so long as folks give a bit of their time using whatever their skills are to do something for the club and show a willingness to attend some of the social functions they are happy. They have 3 maintenance days a year (we have never managed to get to all three yet!) and all members are asked to cover one Saturday night bar duty a year. Personally I quite enjoy doing bar duty and will step in to cover any that can't be covered by other members for any reason. Personally I don't see being involved with doing stuff for the club is a hardship but rather something I enjoy doing. I know not all feel the same but there is a cost benefit to work out whether it might be worth it for you. Perhaps come along to the club and take a look? There is an informal games night this Saturday (darts, table tennis, pool etc) and if you wanted to come along and get a feel for the place I would be happy to sign you in - PM me if you want more info 

[HBROK]

4 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:

Well Google Maps suggests Brigg is 45 minutes from Clayworth so it ticks that box. 

When we moved there (almost 4 years ago now) our previous mooring was considered very good value in the midlands and we worked out that if we paid the joining fee for the club and our first year mooring it would break even then, if we decided we liked it and stayed we would be quids in each following year. Now I can't imagine ever moving as I love it so much there. 

There has to be some commitment with a boat club or else nothing would ever get done but so long as folks give a bit of their time using whatever their skills are to do something for the club and show a willingness to attend some of the social functions they are happy. They have 3 maintenance days a year (we have never managed to get to all three yet!) and all members are asked to cover one Saturday night bar duty a year. Personally I quite enjoy doing bar duty and will step in to cover any that can't be covered by other members for any reason. Personally I don't see being involved with doing stuff for the club is a hardship but rather something I enjoy doing. I know not all feel the same but there is a cost benefit to work out whether it might be worth it for you. Perhaps come along to the club and take a look? There is an informal games night this Saturday (darts, table tennis, pool etc) and if you wanted to come along and get a feel for the place I would be happy to sign you in - PM me if you want more info 

 

Thank you for your offer that is very kind. However heading further down the Chesterfield limits my travel when I'm generally only available to sail a couple of days a week, although I had have a look on google and it looks very nice.

The furthest I have travelled on the Chesterfield is only to Drakeholes tunnel.

[cheshire~rose]

Well if you do take up that mooring at W, Stockwith the club is only 4-5 hours chug away from you and with decent real ale at just £2 a pint it would be a shame not to come and visit. 

It is worth remembering that is you can only take your boat out a couple of days a week the tides may be restrictive for you, we will usually try and get to Stocky the day before we leave the canal and then find ourselves waiting around for a tide at 11am or something. It is only a short hop to Torksey or Keadby but, if you lock in at either of them then you are beholden to a tide to lock out again the next day. Of course there is always the pontoon at Gainsborough or Dunham Rack which are fine too but the options are fairly limited. 

Most of our lot, if they just have a day or two, go to Drakeholes, W. Stockwith, Retford, the lovely rural moorings below Gringley, on The Smeath or the visitor mooring at Charlies Lock. 4 days gets you to Shireoaks and back or 6 days to the head of navigation (assuming you don't want to stop and explore too much along the way) 

Edited October 23, 2017 by cheshire~rose
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