Cam or Ouse

[Hannah Jones McVey]

Hi all,

 

We will be looking to buy a boat in September. My wife will be doing a PhD at Cambridge and I will be finding a job most likely in Cambridge or London (we won't be looking until I know). Currently I am keen on continuous cruising with perhaps a winter permit (1st question- do they do these on rivers as well as canals?), my wife is still nervous of it so wants to check out mooring. We will have the full amount of money to buy the boat so are no reliant on mooring to secure a mortgage.

 

This morning I have started looking at the Cam and Ouse as they seem between them to cover the areas that we are looking at the best. However I have only found mooring on the Cam for the center of Cambs and that seems to have plenty of issues around it and we wouldn't be looking for a city spot ideally.

 

We'd love to hear from anyone who moors or continually cruises on the Cam or Ouse....outside of the city. Is continuous cruising a viable option as long as you adhere to all the rules and have a plan in place? Would anyone recommend any areas for us to check out for mooring? Any links to blogs about living in the area? How often are their pump outs or water points along the more rural parts of the river?

 

Sorry, many questions, but if anyone is up to answering any of them I would be hugely grateful!

 

Thank you

[Phil Ambrose]

Hi and welcome, I moor in a marina at the top end of the river Lark and I do have freinds who CC on the Ouse but they all seem to centre about Ely as that is where the pumpout/elsan is. There are other pumpouts at Littleport and Denver but I have never known them to be working (I stand to be corrected)

In relative terms the rivers here are sparsly populated with boats and although there are water points dotted around that's about it.

I cannot speak for the Cam as I am only an occasioal visitor but we do have members down that way so just hang on and someone will be along shortly with much more info and advice.

Phil

[FadeToScarlet]

Hi all,

 

We will be looking to buy a boat in September. My wife will be doing a PhD at Cambridge and I will be finding a job most likely in Cambridge or London (we won't be looking until I know). Currently I am keen on continuous cruising with perhaps a winter permit (1st question- do they do these on rivers as well as canals?), my wife is still nervous of it so wants to check out mooring. We will have the full amount of money to buy the boat so are no reliant on mooring to secure a mortgage.

 

This morning I have started looking at the Cam and Ouse as they seem between them to cover the areas that we are looking at the best. However I have only found mooring on the Cam for the center of Cambs and that seems to have plenty of issues around it and we wouldn't be looking for a city spot ideally.

 

We'd love to hear from anyone who moors or continually cruises on the Cam or Ouse....outside of the city. Is continuous cruising a viable option as long as you adhere to all the rules and have a plan in place? Would anyone recommend any areas for us to check out for mooring? Any links to blogs about living in the area? How often are their pump outs or water points along the more rural parts of the river?

 

Sorry, many questions, but if anyone is up to answering any of them I would be hugely grateful!

 

Thank you

It is possible to CC on the Cam and the Ouse, but it is very, very hard work. We did it for 8 months, and the main difference is that moorings are 48 hour only, so you're moving every other day, and reasonably sparse, so it's often for a good hour and a half or so. Of course you can overstay, but this will generally annoy other people, and you may have enforcement action taken against you. There's also no such thing as a winter permit, so you have to do this year round. It isn't much fun in winter, when we did it, either.

 

Furthermore, there's a few people doing this and it's not always 100% guaranteed that there will be a space when you get there. There's moorings that are commutable by public transport to Cambridge at Downham market, Littleport, Ely, Little Thetford, two moorings in Waterbeach, and two moorings, often full, in Cambridge itself.

 

There are plenty more on the Ouse towards St Ives and Huntingdon, and there's a good bus service through the Guided Busway.

 

It's also very expensive to commute in by train to Cambridge on a regular basis.

 

There's not a huge amount of facilities either- on the Ouse itself, water points at Denver, Littleport, Ely and CMbridge, and pump outs and Elsan points at Ely and Cambridge.

 

It will be much less stressful to get a mooring. If you have a car, there are several options- Horningsea, a possibility of one by Bottisham lock, Tip Tree marina, Shrubb's Wharf marina, Upware marina, the Fish nod Duck marina, and Cathedral in Ely itself.

[Phil Ambrose]

Just to add that we do get people taking winter mooeings at our marina but tou would need a car. (Riverside Islans Marina, Isleham)

Phil

[Happy Go Lucky]

There are also moorings in the Middle Levels to be found. March has a good train service to Cambridge and (probably) London although you may not like the ticket prices. Other places will probably require a car.

 

They're not blogs but Marie Browne's books (Narrow Margins, Narrow Minds and Narrow Escape) are roughly based in the area.

[Phil Ambrose]

Yes Geoff is spot on with his advice regarding Marie Brown's books< well worth reading to get an insight into CCing and working and life living aboard in general. The books are full of humour too so get yourself onto Amazon and get all three books.

Phil

[Hannah Jones McVey]

_{Thank you so much all...I hadn't realised that I wouldn't be informed by email (probably missed a button somewhere!) so had thought I'd had no replies until I had an email from someone who'd spotted it today.}

 

 

_{Your advice is fantastic and I will be following up on it. I am trying at the moment to get in touch with the one boat with mooring near Cambs advertised...I can't imagine it is still available but if it is it may be worth going over budget for if it is going to be that hard to find something else.}

 

 

_{We are planning to walk the river around Waterbeech over the next month or so to see if we can find any leads to a mooring there...we make excellent cake and are very charming so I hope this may help!}

 

 

_{Alas a London commute from Cambridge will be long and expensive I know...but perhaps unavoidable as there are not many jobs in my line of work around at the moment.}

 

 

_{Thank you again for your advice...all that remains is to request that if ANYONE hears of ANYTHING just out of Cambridge please please let me know.}

 

Hi and welcome, I moor in a marina at the top end of the river Lark and I do have freinds who CC on the Ouse but they all seem to centre about Ely as that is where the pumpout/elsan is. There are other pumpouts at Littleport and Denver but I have never known them to be working (I stand to be corrected)
In relative terms the rivers here are sparsly populated with boats and although there are water points dotted around that's about it.
I cannot speak for the Cam as I am only an occasioal visitor but we do have members down that way so just hang on and someone will be along shortly with much more info and advice.
Phil

Thanks Phil...where is it that you moor? Many thanks H

[Phil Ambrose]

Hi Hannah, I moor at Riversde Island Marina, by Isleham lock.

Phil

[Traveller]

There are also moorings on the Little Ouse (Brandon Creek) and there are some live-aboards there. Facilities are not great however and you would need a car to get anywhere. The nearest towns are Littleport and Downham Market, which are some miles away.

Colin

[nbfiresprite]

 

_{Alas a London commute from Cambridge will be long and expensive I know...but perhaps unavoidable as there are not many jobs in my line of work around at the moment.}

 

 

Actual Cambridge is only 50 minutes from Kings Cross on the 'Cambridge Flyer'. The Liverpool Street route takes 20 minutes longer, But it is cheaper. The off-peak fare kicking in, on the 8.48am to Liverpool Street (£20.60 return). March is only 30 minutes from Cambridge, a Weekly season costs £63.50

[eggnostriva]

We have been at Ely cathedral marina for 3 years now. My wife works in Cambridge and enjoys the walk to the station. Ely is a lovely City with all amenities. It is not an inexpensive mooring, but you get what you pay for. We take our boat out at every opportunity and especially in the summer it can be difficult to find an overnight mooring.

We have been at Ely cathedral marina for 3 years now. My wife works in Cambridge and enjoys the walk to the station. Ely is a lovely City with all amenities. It is an inexpensive mooring, but you get what you pay for. We take our boat out at every opportunity and especially in the summer it can be difficult to find an overnight mooring.

[starman]

Bill Fen Marina at Ramsey in the Middle Level is probably still the cheapest anywhere within many miles. It is a very pretty spot. There are few vacancies but they might find a slot if they like the look of you.

 

PS Access to facilities (water and toilet emptying) cannot be over emphasised when mooring on these rivers which have pretty limited facilities

Edited February 11, 2015 by starman

[OldPeculier]

I know someone who is thinking of selling their boat on a residential mooring on the Old West near Stretham. PM if you are interested.

[FidoDido]

Lazy Otter at Streatham had quite a few vacant moorings when I last looked a few weeks ago - short journey down the A10 (lots of traffic though). There is a farmer with moorings by Stretham pump too just along the Old West. Fish and Duck have moorings, but I'd do a thorough search on here before you trouble their door...