Struggling to find end of garden moorings - Leeds - Liverpool Canal

[Hanzbebe]

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know of any private moorings anywhere around Chorley area or within 5 miles either way.

 

It seems really impossible to get anywhere without having to go to White Bear Marina, but would prefer a end of garden leisure mooring.

 

Allanson Hall Farm - no moorings

Wheelton Boat Club - no moorings

Ellerbeck Narrowboats - no moorings

Botany Bay - no moorings.

 

It is really hard to find places by looking on the internet - as most of them don't come up.

 

So does anyone know of any nice farmers or places that do them around this area?

 

Or do you just keep looking until a CRT one possibly becomes available?

 

Thanks

[kevinl]

Things like that don't tend come up on the internet, the farmer sticks a sign up "mooring available" and waits for someone to turn up, word of mouth means it won't take long. As it's only 10 miles of canal you're interested track the canal on google earth and you should be able to see where the moorings are then go and look, nice bike ride or walk.

End of garden moorings tend to be small 30-40 feet in general (from what I've seen) although there are some full sized ones out there, but then the householder renting to a stranger, giving them access to their boat across their property, legalities if you slipped in the mud on their land and they have to pay CRT 50% of a marina fee means it's probably not worth their while getting involved. About the nearest I can think of is Riley Green which is a marina of sorts but allows long visits.

K

[Alan de Enfield]

Whilst its very nice and handy to have your boat a mile or two from home, it can affect your boat journey times.

 

We were originally looking to moor a 10 minute drive from home, but that would then have meant a minimum of 2 (probably, in reality, 3) days before we actually got onto the canal system (Up the Witham and Trent to Nottingham).

Instead we decided to moor half-an-hour (by car) from home and the boat journey is now just one-day, we are looking at the possibilty of moving into Nottingham/Loughborough area, and extra hour by car but saving another day boat travelling.

 

Just consider your cruising options / choices - will travelling half an hour by car open up more routes so that you are not travelling the same bit of canal for the first day and last day of any and every cruise.

[adam the wanderer]

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know of any private moorings anywhere around Chorley area or within 5 miles either way.

 

It seems really impossible to get anywhere without having to go to White Bear Marina, but would prefer a end of garden leisure mooring.

 

Allanson Hall Farm - no moorings

Wheelton Boat Club - no moorings

Ellerbeck Narrowboats - no moorings

Botany Bay - no moorings.

 

It is really hard to find places by looking on the internet - as most of them don't come up.

 

So does anyone know of any nice farmers or places that do them around this area?

 

Or do you just keep looking until a CRT one possibly becomes available?

 

Thanks

hi we have just got one on the llangollen canal, just keep going up and down looking and ask, good luck

[Mac of Cygnet]

I also can't see why the OP should want to moor on one 10 mile stretch of canal. Many non-liveaboards have their boat much further from their house than that. I live in Scotland, and travel a minimum of 200 miles by public transport to the boat (rather more at the moment as Cygnet is in the Fens) and it hasn't curtailed my boating activity. Nicknorman travels even further - from Aberdeen!

[Burgiesburnin]

Have a drive into Parbold and see what there is either side of the village.

A very nice pub, The Railway. Ask in there.

Alternatively, try around the Ring o Bells near Burscough

[Alan de Enfield]

I also can't see why the OP should want to moor on one 10 mile stretch of canal. Many non-liveaboards have their boat much further from their house than that. I live in Scotland, and travel a minimum of 200 miles by public transport to the boat (rather more at the moment as Cygnet is in the Fens) and it hasn't curtailed my boating activity. Nicknorman travels even further - from Aberdeen!

 

The OP will be a liveaboard, will not have a house and wants to be in the vicinity of Chorley.

Mooring to be available and used for 'long periods' with potentially 'longish cruises' in between.

[Hanzbebe]

Well also the other thing is - we don't drive so have to be within a certain distance - just weighing everything up

 

Do you get the boat before the mooring?

 

Or do you secure a mooring before a boat?

[BEngo]

Mooring first, especially in the current climate.

 

N

[Alan de Enfield]

Mooring first, especially in the current climate.

 

N

 

But - dont miss the ideal boat of your dreams - there are plenty of moorings out there, but you may have to spend some time in a Marina until the mooring of choice (rural, end of garden) becomes available.

 

If you dont drive and are living aboard, a 'rural' mooring may be a little difficult to cope with - you will be moving the boat to the nearest 'facilities' every couple of days to empty the cassette*, filling up with diesel to replace that used charging the batteries, fetching gas bottles and taking rubbish to the bins, stocking up on coal etc.

 

As a 'newbie' and just stepping 'down' from a house with all the faciities 'on tap', I would seriously look at taking the intermediate step and moor in a marina for 6 or 12 months (whilst looking for that perfect mooring) and get aclimatised to boat life.

 

* I know some boats have pump outs, but the boat the OP is considering has a cassette

[Athy]

As a fellow non-driver I appreciate Hannah's wish to find a mooring near home. But Chorley, where I believe she and her husband live, has a railway station with frequent trains to various destinations; perhaps it would be worth looking at moorings in, for example, the Manchester area, which has direct trains from Chorley?

[Guest]

Well also the other thing is - we don't drive so have to be within a certain distance - just weighing everything up

 

Do you get the boat before the mooring?

 

Or do you secure a mooring before a boat?

We started looking for a mooring 'proper' the day the offer way made on our boat was accepted. At that time we wanted a marina mooring and found one very quickly. If we had been looking for a CRT long term mooring in a particular place (which we now have) or an EOG mooring I would have begun looking even before we actually bought the boat.

 

You do as others have said have the option of taking a mooring in a less than ideal spot such as a marina until a spot in your preferred spot comes up.

 

If you do this watch out in the T&C's for any penalties if you terminate within a year, some marinas do not allow for monthly or quarterly payments and insist on a years up front and sometimes none of this is refundable if you leave within the year.

 

Best option (although it is more expensive overall) is to pay monthly, especially if you are not planning to stay and you say find something better after only a couple of months.

Edited July 6, 2014 by The Dog House

[RichardH]

In truth, they are pretty scarce in terms of length and being permitted (CRT do not automatically grant the right and insist on a survey).

 

There are a few nice ones around Adlington, some just outside Blackburn and then the odd few on the summit in Barnoldswick. After that I think I am correct in saying true EOG's (not farmers fields) are next at Silsden.

 

My advice would be to have a reckky on a bike and then be so cheeky as to knock on doors and ask if people would be interested in a few extra beans income for no effort. Some might be happy others less so at the prospect of you tramping across their garden with your stuff.

[Mac of Cygnet]

 

The OP will be a liveaboard, will not have a house and wants to be in the vicinity of Chorley.

Mooring to be available and used for 'long periods' with potentially 'longish cruises' in between.

 

Well the OP is looking for "an end of garden leisure mooring" specifically, and I just sort of assumed.....

[RichardH]

 

Well the OP is looking for "an end of garden leisure mooring" specifically, and I just sort of assumed.....

I must have missed that from the original post too. My understanding is that EOG's cannot be used for residential purpose.

[Athy]

I'm sure someone has led you up the garden path there. Surely it's up to the land (or garden) owner to stipulate the mooring's use.

[Mac of Cygnet]

I'm sure someone has led you up the garden path there. Surely it's up to the land (or garden) owner to stipulate the mooring's use.

 

I thought an "official" residential mooring had to have planning permission?

[Alan de Enfield]

Not claiming to know the answer but here is the question :

 

If the Farmer is happy for you liveaboard, and you are on the mooring for a couple of months, then cruise for a few weeks, then back on the mooring for a couple of months, then cruise for a month, then stay on the mooring for the Winter, then cruise again, is that residential ?

 

Many static caravan parks have 'leisure restrictions' (by the Local Council Planning Department) that the site can only be open 10 or 11 months of the year, ie all "residents" must leave the site, the water turned off etc.

Would this also be applicable to a mooring - where the boat owner could liveaboard but take (say) a marina mooring for 2 or 3 months in the Winter ?, or, leave the boat empty on its mooring and take a month (maybe over Christmas) staying with relatives, friends and maybe a cheap week in Spain

[Mac of Cygnet]

Not claiming to know the answer but here is the question :

 

If the Farmer is happy for you liveaboard, and you are on the mooring for a couple of months, then cruise for a few weeks, then back on the mooring for a couple of months, then cruise for a month, then stay on the mooring for the Winter, then cruise again, is that residential ?

 

Many static caravan parks have 'leisure restrictions' (by the Local Council Planning Department) that the site can only be open 10 or 11 months of the year, ie all "residents" must leave the site, the water turned off etc.

Would this also be applicable to a mooring - where the boat owner could liveaboard but take (say) a marina mooring for 2 or 3 months in the Winter ?, or, leave the boat empty on its mooring and take a month (maybe over Christmas) staying with relatives, friends and maybe a cheap week in Spain

 

Your description of the use is certainly consistent with a leisure mooring. I was replying to Athy's statement that it was up to the mooring's owner to stipulate its use, which it is of course, but I didn't think that would extend to "official" residential status.