Living on cruising moorings?

[Stevethetrain]

I've been told this happens alot and is a standard way round the lack of residential moorings on the grand union but i have my doubts.

 

Your own experiences please.

[Grace and Favour]

No,

This could never happen, you're right to have your doubts, as everyone may tell you

[bottle]

I live on 'cruising moorings' (I think you are talking about all canal towpaths that are not designated as 'long term moorings') but then I am a bona fide Continuous Cruiser and comply with the rules and guidelines.

 

You may be thinking of 'continuous moorers', not on designated moorings,this is against all rules and guidelines.

 

There are those that do it and seem to get away with it, at the moment.

[sueb]

It does depend what you are talking about. Some live on BW paid for 'leisure 'moorings. They haven't got planning permission and can be turned off at any time. Some live in Marinas that turn a blind eye to the regs and can also be turned out at any time. There was a mass turn out from Barton Turn marina after a boater called an ambulance and it couldn't get in. It only takes one person on the bank to complain to the local council and you are in trouble. If you are happy to live with this degree of uncertainty it is possible.

Sue

[alan_fincher]

I took it that the OP was asking about living on a paid for, permanent, mooring, but which did not have full residential status ?

 

Perhaps they could clarify that this is what they mean, rather than hopping between tow-path moorings, with no home base, (which has very different considerations).

 

If the former, then it does happen a lot, but unless your mooring agreement has clarity about what is allowed, it is, as people have said, often a case of a blind eye being turned, and you can't really complain if one day the council or some other authority try and put a stop to it.

 

Some "non residential" arrangements are more formalised, e.g. you can spend up to 4 days a week, (or perhaps 11 months a year) on board in the moorings, but have to be able to demonstrate you are not there full time.

 

A minefield really.

 

You'll get no better information than by trying to solicit the views of people already using the mooring site in question, (but try to make it look like you are a boater, not someone investigating the situation with a view to possibly changing it, or people may clam up!....)

[Nightwatch]

Many years ago my sister was thinking of buying a static caravan. There were 'site' rules that she couldn't live there and there was a short period when the caravan had to be vacant, say, two months, can't remember.

 

If this is a similar situation to on-line moorings, could the boat be moved away for such a period?

 

Martyn

[cotswoldsman]

I live on 'cruising moorings' (I think you are talking about all canal towpaths that are not designated as 'long term moorings') but then I am a bona fide Continuous Cruiser and comply with the rules and guidelines.

 

You may be thinking of 'continuous moorers', not on designated moorings,this is against all rules and guidelines.

 

There are those that do it and seem to get away with it, at the moment.

 

Do you know something I don't? is this about to change?

[KeithL]

bw mooring agreements have something like 'not to used as your main residence' as one of the rules, no mention of how many days or nights you can stay onboard though, what does it matter the boat is still there even if your not.

[Stevethetrain]

It is something I am wondering about as I want the security of a marina but there appears to be a lack of residential moorings.

[Lady Muck]

bw mooring agreements have something like 'not to used as your main residence' as one of the rules, no mention of how

many days or nights you can stay onboard though, what does it matter the boat is still there even if your not.

 

My long term mooring agreement doesn't say anything at all - for the site terms and conditions you are aupposed to contact your local authority - but who does that? I dont know anyone that did it...

[KeithL]

My long term mooring agreement doesn't say anything at all - for the site terms and conditions you are aupposed to contact your local authority - but who does that? I dont know anyone that did it...

your right theres nothing in the agreement, i must of read that on the waterscape site underneath each mooring listed for tender

[Midnight Rider]

It does depend what you are talking about. Some live on BW paid for 'leisure 'moorings. They haven't got planning permission and can be turned off at any time. Some live in Marinas that turn a blind eye to the regs and can also be turned out at any time. There was a mass turn out from Barton Turn marina after a boater called an ambulance and it couldn't get in. It only takes one person on the bank to complain to the local council and you are in trouble. If you are happy to live with this degree of uncertainty it is possible.

Sue

Sue, if you co-operate with the marina & it's rules, I don't see how you can be turned out at any time.

 

When looking for a mooring, the last thing you want to do is mention 'Residential' or 'Liveaboard'. Many marinas have rates for 'high users' or something similar & if you take your boat out every now & again, can provide a land based address (a relative?) & stick to the rules, everyone (inside the marina at least) is happy.

 

Tony

[SimonRNABO]

I'd urge great caution about the potential risks of living on a mooring that doesn't have planning permission. Ultimately you are vulnerable to action from the planning authority at any time. Most people in this situation aren't there through choice but because it's the only option available. There is a huge shortage of residential moorings and it seems little political will to do anything about it.

 

In my view BW treat residential boaters with poorly concealed contempt even if like me you have a residential mooring and are paying them £6000 a year. (Those who know me will know I've been grumbling and lobbying on that front for many years!)

 

Some moorings operators take a laisez faire view. Others are strict about no live-aboards. It's their right to make that call either way. But any laisez faire attitude will of neccessity change if and when they get a planning notice served on them.

 

If you do think about taking on a non-residential mooring with any intention of living there, do your home work locally, especially talk to other boaters based in the area. Some places are much more tolerant and accepting of the reality than others.

 

Don't be fooled - you can usually be legitimately asked to leave most moorings at very short notice. This is the most common call for advice I get from boaters with my NABO hat on. In my experince there is very little one can do if the moorings operator for whatever reason does not want you there any more.

Edited October 4, 2010 by SimonRNABO

[Midnight Rider]

Simon, whilst I wouldn't disagree with you -- you have far more experience in mooring matters than me -- I have never known anyone who abides by the mooring rules, pays their dues & does not fall out with the management, to have been shown the door.

 

There are too many spare berths available at the moment for good customers to be turned away.

 

Unless every marina/moorings work to the same usage policy & it is strictly enforced, I see no real problem at the moment.

 

Tony

[alan_fincher]

There are too many spare berths available at the moment for good customers to be turned away.

Some marinas, even though they have spare berths, have tried introducing a "high user" surcharge for people they know to be largely living aboard, even though the moorings do not have full residential status, (so could be said to be profiteering from a situation they probably should not be allowing in the first place).

 

They are not throwing people out, but people are being forced to quit some of these places, because their costs have risen so much, and they can no longer afford to be there.

 

Our area has a new breed of "continuous cruisers", who probably would not be there, had marinas not got greedy, and had limited increases to all users to just those justified by RPI or other inflation measures.

 

EDITED: for typo

Edited October 4, 2010 by alan_fincher

[drunkensailor]

It is something I am wondering about as I want the security of a marina but there appears to be a lack of residential moorings.

 

Look, it's a great life, but it's also an insecure one. Especially if you're on the fiddle.

 

Many people get away with living on non-residential moorings for years. But if you want to do that, you have to accept that you might end up being thrown out; security of tenure in houses is protected by law, but ultimately what you are considering is outside of it.

 

It's unlikely, but it could happen, especially if you are in an area where demand for moorings outstrips supply.

 

I would suggest a boat isn't for you if you don't think you could live on the towpath.

Edited October 4, 2010 by drunkensailor

[Stevethetrain]

My concern with towpath living is that I need to remain in the London area to get to work, I have little problems with ccing but it will be difficult to only visit each area only once a year.

[Lady Muck]

Cant you just bid for one of the ones at Engineers Wharf? They can't give them away. Dekazer used to moor there. They are residential. You might think they are expensive but a leisure mooring for a 50 footer in my marina was still 4095!

[drunkensailor]

My concern with towpath living is that I need to remain in the London area to get to work, I have little problems with ccing but it will be difficult to only visit each area only once a year.

You can't be a CCer according to BW's guidelines and at the same time live in London. You can move around London, or you can do something that is technically (if not morally) a fiddle. You'll probably get away with it, but no-one can say you'll always get away with it. If there is a situation where private firms start taking over BW's jobs (unlikely, but not impossible) enforcement could become much, much stricter.

 

I'm not saying don't do it. Just be aware that this is a possibility; anyone that says everything will be fine is wrong.

[matty40s]

Cant you just bid for one of the ones at Engineers Wharf? They can't give them away. Dekazer used to moor there. They are residential.

 

I wouldn't call £5k reserve price giving them away........

 

I did ask BW a month ago if any of the vacant berths at Engineers would be available for Winter Moorings , even at a pro-rata fee if they weren't let. The answer was no, they wanted to fill them permanently. "If they don't go at auction???",, "Err, no, we will just re-auction them".

So the money is tight, and getting tighter, and they would rather sit there with 5 or 6?? empty spaces on the hope that someone MIGHT come along and fill them all.

[magpie patrick]

My concern with towpath living is that I need to remain in the London area to get to work, I have little problems with ccing but it will be difficult to only visit each area only once a year.

 

Carlt will be along at some point to describe how far you can go out and still commute to London. That will be cheaper than a London Mooring.

 

You can not realistically CC around London, too many people are doing it already

 

Why not move north, CCing around Birmingham is much more practical

[Lady Muck]

If I was the OP Id be trying to get any mooring in London at all. I know so many boaters who have said they'll cc in London and then try to get a mooring and three, four years on they are still ccing.

[Stevethetrain]

My problem is that I work for London Underground and can only move soo far out but I really want to join the madcap community that survives on the canals despite a tory government in power.

[matty40s]

Steve,

if thats the case and you get free transport (lucky B ) you can go up as far as Watford,Croxley Green,Rickmansworth,Uxbridge,Cowley,Northolt,if there's someone on the boat Park Royal,Kensal Green,Little Venice,Paddington Basin,Camden,Islington,victoria Park,limehouse,Brentford,etc etc you can go up the Lee'nsnort.

you buy a boat to enjoy the waterways, not find a way to beat the system.

[carlt]

Carlt will be along at some point to describe how far you can go out and still commute to London. That will be cheaper than a London Mooring.

 

You can not realistically CC around London, too many people are doing it already

 

Why not move north, CCing around Birmingham is much more practical

I've commuted from Milton Keynes, to London (I lived in Towcester, at the time).My ex commuted from Northampton.

 

When ccing I worked full time in Rugby and the actual proportion of the network, I could cover whilst still being an hour's commute, was more than enough to keep BW happy.