Aylesbury Arm / Basin

[WJM]

Is the Aylesbury Basin open for mooring? I had heard that is was closed for building works last year. I am thinking of heading that way in the next week or so. Any other local knowledges that I should know about?

 

 

Also, just for amusement, I will take a spin down the Wendover Arm. It is only about a mile long? With room to wind a 60' at the end?

 

 

[David Schweizer]

Is the Aylesbury Basin open for mooring? I had heard that is was closed for building works last year. I am thinking of heading that way in the next week or so. Any other local knowledges that I should know about?

 

 

Also, just for amusement, I will take a spin down the Wendover Arm. It is only about a mile long? With room to wind a 60' at the end?

 

 

 

I was speaking to a member of the Aylesbury Canal Society a couple of weeks ago, and he told me that the basin is now open and that there are (free) spaces for visiting boats. He also told me that the new Club house was due to open at the end of July.

 

They have a website here :- http://www.aylesburycanal.org.uk/ with contact details in the drop down list unter the home page title.

Edited August 7, 2014 by David Schweizer

[GeoffS]

I went down there at Easter. The ACS has new facilities, effectively a marina, before you reach the basin (1 or 2 locks up from memory) and have moorings for visitors. In the basin itself there are pontoons and service moorings for visitors. When I was there the pontoons were very new with no one on them but I guess they are in use now. There was talk that CRT were going to charge for staying but I am not sure where that has got to. Alan Fincher commented on it in a minutes from a Waterways Partnership meeting recently.

 

The Wendover Arm is 1.5 miles long and plenty of room to turn 60ft although there are often several boats moored at the end. It is a lovely little trip well worth doing.

[WJM]

Thank you all once again. Great local knowledge.

 

There was a boat at Brentford Gauging Locks this morning, crew scratching their heads wondering how to operate the locks. Answer: BW Key. I have given a few BW keys there over the years!

[mark99]

I went down there at Easter. The ACS has new facilities, effectively a marina, before you reach the basin (1 or 2 locks up from memory) and have moorings for visitors. In the basin itself there are pontoons and service moorings for visitors. When I was there the pontoons were very new with no one on them but I guess they are in use now. There was talk that CRT were going to charge for staying but I am not sure where that has got to. Alan Fincher commented on it in a minutes from a Waterways Partnership meeting recently.

 

The Wendover Arm is 1.5 miles long and plenty of room to turn 60ft although there are often several boats moored at the end. It is a lovely little trip well worth doing.

 

 

The end of the basin has three water points and a elsan. Plus plenty of mooring.

[adam1uk]

We were at Aylesbury Basin on Monday. Nice new finger moorings, spitting distance to Waitrose, and just a short walk into town. There is still a building site alongside, and work is from 8am to 5pm. They were pouring concrete the afternoon we were there, and I gather a crane has now gone up.

 

Blog post about the trip down, with photo of the moorings in the basin is here: http://nbbriarrose.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/london-bound-day-4.html

 

We'd decided that we'd look at the basin at the end, and if we didn't like it return to the Aylesbury Canal Society basin at Circus Fields, two locks up. We were quite happy in the basin at the end.

 

The Wendover Arm is a great little side trip -- takes about half an hour to get to the current end. There's a big winding hole there, and both times we've been there have been fishermen who've commented on the quality of the turn!

[berth]

From a talk with the local CRT:

 

There will be free visitor moorings in the basin at the pontoons. Additionally there will be 5 long term moorings at the Hotel side.

Aylesbury Council wants to connect the basin more to the town center. Probably with a footbridge over the busy 4 lane-A-road.

[alan_fincher]

The pontoons in Aylesbury basin will not initially be charged for, but CRT seem determined that ultimately when they have electricity to them they want to charge. (The electricity will be some time coiming, as it depends on other building work being done first).

 

Through the South East partnership Boating Subgroup, I have objected to charging for mooring, and initially they said perhaps they would instead make the moorings free, but charge only for connecting to the electric. However I'm now told that the rules about reselling electricity preclude this approach, so they are back to wanting to (ultimately) make a nightly charge for mooring.

 

Whilst I have insisted that they minute that I am not in favour of this, I suspect I'm not going to win it, unless other people also voice disapproval.

 

I anybody does not want to see charged for moorings in Aylesbury basin, I strongly suggest you contact the manager of South East Waterways and tell him so.

[mark99]

Well it was barely open and one boat already seemed permanantly moored in the basin outside the Elsan and running his genny at all hours. So charging might keep that at bay.

 

ETA or we could wish for efficient and proper enforcement.

Edited August 7, 2014 by mark99

[alan_fincher]

Well it was barely open and one boat already seemed permanantly moored in the basin outside the Elsan and running his genny at all hours. So charging might keep that at bay.

If they weren't on the pontoons, then i'm not aware of any proposal that could introduce charging elsewhere in the basin.

 

I think the idea is that the pontoons will ultimately have power, (possibly water?) and certainly be secure, and this justifies charging for.

 

I'm actually interested in a sensible discussion from forum members about who would be prepared to pay. I wouldn't -on principle, not because I couldn't afford to! They quote Llangollen as their role model - I doubt a revitalised Aylesbury basin will ever have the popularity of Llangollen!

[starman]

Personally we enjoyed mooring at the Canal Society basin - friendly club atmosphere, electric at proper cost price and secure. Only a few mins walk into town. In fact we liked it so much we joined the Society - remember the Arm probably wouldn't exist without their efforts.

[mark99]

When we were there on and off for a month earlier this year, they had installed ducts ready for electric points/water etc on the towpath on the Waitrose side. Not sure if this was in anticipation for perm. longer term mooring or short term paid for visitor mooring.

 

The pontoons at Waitrose were behind a lockable gate and I don't recall any points for water/elect there.

 

The other side of Waitrose appears largely a service area for the excellent services there (water points/new elsan/toilet) and mooring that side is a bit limited as it's for services.

 

I'm not sure if the Arm would get a huge traffic however I am sure that if not enforced, it would gradually attract overstayers as it's a town centre, pleasant area, got water points, supermarket, train station and elsan.

 

The pontoons outside Waitrose would possibly be the obvious place to introduce a paid for mooring. Personally I would pay £5 per night just to guarantee an overnight stop in a town centre - only if the money went to keeping the area maintained to it's already high standard with ability to pre-book. Most of the time I prefer however to moor free in the middle of no-where and there are some great ones down that arm!.

 

We are going to Central London this week and to be certain of a mooring, we have booked a paid for mooring

at £8 per night. I wish there were more of them in London.

 

ETA - we paid the Aylesbury club for 4 weeks mooring (added security when we left to go back to work) when we went down there - recommended.

Edited August 8, 2014 by mark99

[mark99]

NB they have set the mooring rings at the basin in a vertical position in concrete - a better trip hazard next to deep water you could not wish for.

 

I saw a very young girl trip over a ring and fall in, the mother screamed a horrible scream and pulled the young girl from the canal virtually by her hair.

Edited August 8, 2014 by mark99

[David Mack]

NB they have set the mooring rings at the basin in a vertical position in concrete - a better trip hazard next to deep water you could not wish for.

 

 

Have you got any photos?

[BEngo]

The mooring rings are indeed dangerous.

 

CART and the Local council have plans for a restaurant boat (which would collect the overnight mooring fees,) and a trip boat. Since Aylesbury as a town has pretty well never been able to support a conventional independent restaurant (not a Pizza/pasta/continental cuisine chain) and the trip boat would run through the back of a light industrial estata and Tesco's car parks I rather doubt the commercial viability of either.

 

As well as the Waitrose at the end there is a Tesco Extar just above the bottom lock. Mooring rings provided

 

ACS will welcome you at Circus Field, with free moorings available for one or two weeks and longer term temporary ones by arrangement. Contacts as in the linky above.

 

The new clubhouse has not yet been handed over by the builders ( it is imminent,) but there are still laundry facilities and showers for those who need them.

 

 

N

 

N

[mark99]

Have you got any photos?

 

 

[alan_fincher]

The pontoons outside Waitrose would possibly be the obvious place to introduce a paid for mooring. Personally I would pay £5 per night just to guarantee an overnight stop in a town centre - only if the money went to keeping the area maintained to it's already high standard with ability to pre-book. Most of the time I prefer however to moor free in the middle of no-where and there are some great ones down that arm!.

 

I am not aware of any proposal that would allow pre-booking, and it is hard to see how it could possibly be administered.

 

I've not been there since the pontoons went in, but I think there are only 6 (possibly 8) spaces? It can hardly be anything that has a large amount of admin associated, or it will cost moor to do the charging than is ever made in fees.

 

Introducing paid moorings should not be used as a way of protecting those who can afford it from those who don't abide by the rules. The proper solution in areas where overstaying becomes a problem is proper enforcement, not forcing those who are "law abiding" to pay again for what they are already paying for.

Edited August 8, 2014 by alan_fincher

[mark99]

 

I am not aware of any proposal that would allow pre-booking, and it is hard to see how it could possibly be administered.

 

I've not been there since the pontoons went in, but I think there are only 6 (possibly 8) spaces? It can hardly be anything that has a large amount of admin associated, or it will cost moor to do the charging than is ever made in fees.

 

Introducing paid moorings should not be used as a way of protecting those who can afford it from those who don't abide by the rules. The proper solution in areas where overstaying becomes a problem is proper enforcement, not forcing those who are "law abiding" to pay again for what they are already paying for.

 

I agree with enforcement - but how about London and other busy city centres? even if everyone moved along perfectly within the "rules" supply and demand has made it a stress to consider going to London and be sure of finding a mooring. If they had say a dozen places able to be pre-booked I'm sure more would visit. Because - the obvious point - you could be sure of a place.

 

It's not beyond the wit of CaRT to have a central number to book a reserved town centre space with credit/debit card or even pay by phone. I just did it for London - phoned up and booked a space - the chap at the end just flicked through a diary and booked me in (not CaRT).

 

Lets be honest here - a lot of city centre and honey spot moorings can be stiched up by a clique using social media or mobiles so casuals like muggings me never get a look in.

Edited August 8, 2014 by mark99

[Tuscan]

The precedent is there at the Llangollen where you pay for a visitor mooring plus electric hookup. Compared with the £25 charge for just a towpath mooring elsewhere it's very good value. However there are alternative free visitor moorings and staff on site to collect your money there not that practical at Aylesbury. Another example of a joined up national policy on visitor moorings.

 

I agree with Alan that paid visitor moorings whatever the choice just starts the process of all popular visitor moorings only being available for those prepared to pay, volunteer collectors logging your boat with CRT sending an invoice for payment no doubt. This I fear is the future as CRT struggle to make up the shortfall in friends donations.

[jenlyn]

I agree with enforcement - but how about London and other busy city centres? even if everyone moved along perfectly within the "rules" supply and demand has made it a stress to consider going to London and be sure of finding a mooring. If they had say a dozen places able to be pre-booked I'm sure more would visit. Because - the obvious point - you could be sure of a place.

 

It's not beyond the wit of CaRT to have a central number to book a reserved town centre space with credit/debit card or even pay by phone. I just did it for London - phoned up and booked a space - the chap at the end just flicked through a diary and booked me in (not CaRT).

 

Lets be honest here - social media or mobiles so casuals like muggings me never get a look in.

a lot of city centre and honey spot moorings can be stitched up by a clique using money to get what they want.

Just because you don't have the ability to look at a problem and find solutions.

When it's busy, it's busy, just the same as a city centre car park.

[luctor et emergo]

 

 

Not clever, but no worse than ordinary bollards.

[mark99]

a lot of city centre and honey spot moorings can be stitched up by a clique using money to get what they want.

Just because you don't have the ability to look at a problem and find solutions.

When it's busy, it's busy, just the same as a city centre car park.

 

Let's hear your solution then.

 

What is wrong with making say 12 spots in London as a prebook facility. CaRt could monitor those twice - once at prebooking and once on the ground to see if there is a cartel develops like you suggest.

 

Do you just want it as it is? a headache for anyone considering going to Central London to visit - a shrug of the shoulders?.

Edited August 8, 2014 by mark99

[jenlyn]

Let's hear your solution then.

 

What is wrong with making say 12 spots in London as a prebook facility. CaRt could monitor those twice - once at prebooking and once on the ground to see if there is a cartel develops like you suggest.

 

Do you just want it as it is? a headache for anyone considering going to Central London to visit - a shrug of the shoulders?.

perhaps you would be better suited to caravaning.............

[mark99]

This I fear is the future as CRT struggle to make up the shortfall in friends donations.

 

Take Aylesbury.

 

Out of the 10 pontoon spaces, leave 7 for first come first served and three for reservation (or take any permutation). Prebook by phone if you want to be sure of a mooring. You got to be there by 6pm or they revert to free for all.

perhaps you would be better suited to caravaning.............

 

I'll take that as you don't have a meaningfull contribution.

Not clever, but no worse than ordinary bollards.

 

They are quite low and catch the unwary.

Edited August 8, 2014 by mark99

[jenlyn]

Take Aylesbury.

 

Out of the 10 pontoons, leave 7 for first come first served and three for reservation (or take any permutation). Prebook by phone if you want to be sure of a mooring. You got to be there by 6pm or they revert to free for all.

 

 

I'll take that as you don't have a meaningfull contribution.

take it how you like. :-)