Bridgewater winter moorings

[DeanS]

Dear Boat Owner

 

Castlefield Marina Winter Moorings 01^st November 2015 to 31^st March 2016

 

We are pleased to announce that we are granting a small number of temporary winter moorings within Castlefield, Manchester.

 

The winter mooring fee will be £250 per calendar month per craft irrespective of length. This fee includes a Bridgewater Canal licence for the duration of the temporary winter mooring.

 

To be considered you must;

• Complete an application form
• Be fully insured
• Have a current Boat Safety Scheme certificate or Declaration of Conformity

 

If successful you will be required to sign a temporary winter mooring licence agreement. Craft without a Bridgewater Canal boat number will be charged the standard £16.50 for the supply of Bridgewater Canal boat number plate.

 

In order to apply for a temporary winter mooring permit or register your interest in a future long term pleasure craft moorings please contact the Bridgewater Canal team on 0161 629 8200 between 2pm and 4pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively you can send an email at any time to bridgewatercanal@peel.co.uk

 

Please note that under section 9 of the Manchester Ship Canal Company Act 1960 the Bridgewater Canal Company have the authority to remove and sell or scrap a vessel that is on the Canal without permission.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Peter Parkinson

Bridgewater Canal General Manager

[Peter-Bullfinch]

The letter alludes to possible longer term arrangements being available. Do you think this will reduce the availability of visitor moorings especially on the popular coal yard curved arm? I wonder if the Elsan and water point will be repaired and reopened too?

[frangar]

If there is one place on the entire system that needs less visitor moorings it's Manchester! What it does need is some of the "visiting" boats moving on from castle field and freeing up some space for boats that actually move!!

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Richard10002]

You have to wonder why the "Enforcement Officer" is so nasty and aggressive with many, but several boats seem to be allowed to remain in Castlefield on a long term basis.... particularly when you consider that the Canal Company have the right to dispose of them???

[frangar]

You have to wonder why the "Enforcement Officer" is so nasty and aggressive with many, but several boats seem to be allowed to remain in Castlefield on a long term basis.... particularly when you consider that the Canal Company have the right to dispose of them???

 

Indeed!!

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Liam]

The letter alludes to possible longer term arrangements being available. Do you think this will reduce the availability of visitor moorings especially on the popular coal yard curved arm? I wonder if the Elsan and water point will be repaired and reopened too?

The water point is working and hasn't been out of action, its just the Elsan and toilets which have been closed and will not be re-opened. There is also another water point under the viaduct towards Liverpool street outside the outdoor stage area.

[ditchcrawler]

So are you going to apply?

[ValandPete]

I take it that "Marina" is used to mean what I would call a basin? So the nearest Elsan is Worsley?

 

Val

[Richard10002]

The water point is working and hasn't been out of action, its just the Elsan and toilets which have been closed and will not be re-opened. There is also another water point under the viaduct towards Liverpool street outside the outdoor stage area.

I've heard third hand that the Elsan and toilets are very clean and work fine, but are merely locked up so no-one can use them?

 

Given that, up till now, every boat with a Bridgewater licence had to have a home mooring, (presumably with an Elsan and water facility), it did not particularly matter. Visiting boats could use one of the boatyards facilities, (Stretford, Outrington??).

 

I wonder what the boats that seem not to move from Castlefield do with their waste??

Edited November 1, 2015 by Richard10002

[haggis]

I've heard third hand that the Elsan and toilets are very clean and work fine, but are merely locked up so no-one can use them?

 

 

When we were there in September, I am a fairly sure the toilet and elsan were boarded up, not just locked.

 

Haggis

[Derek Porteous]

I've heard third hand that the Elsan and toilets are very clean and work fine, but are merely locked up so no-one can use them?

 

Given that, up till now, every boat with a Bridgewater licence had to have a home mooring, (presumably with an Elsan and water facility), it did not particularly matter. Visiting boats could use one of the boatyards facilities, (Stretford, Outrington??).

 

I wonder what the boats that seem not to move from Castlefield do with their waste??

Mmmm . The Elsan and toilets left an awful lot to be desired when we were there last year. And yes, they were locked /boarded up when we were there this year.

 

And yes, we also wondered what the boats that seem not to move from Castlefield do with their waste.............but we can guess.

[Liam]

The toilets and Elsan point were cleaned regularly and kept spotless.

 

The problem is, as mentioned before on this forum is that all sewage waste had to be piped up to the road behind Potato wharf.

 

Whilst this was a pain before the development came to be, when Peel Holdings sold the land they lost access to the man hole covers for said sewage pipe so it ended up costing Peel alot of money to clear blockages.

 

That in itself can be understood as you'd only expect a blockage once in a blue moon...

 

Wrong unfortunately! Some of the things that people put down the toilet was unbelievable. Excuse the language but shitty nappies, engine oil and paint have been poured down the elsan point.

 

I can more than understand Peel for closing the facility because of this but it's their own fault for not retaining access.

 

What they do need to do is to provide alternative facilities elsewhere. It's difficult to do this in Castlefield as if it's not in the conservation area it's not connected to a mains sewer.

 

On the other hand you could provide an elsan point 10ft away from some boats and they will still tip it in the canal, as witnessed several times whilst in Castlefield personally.

[DeanS]

"....permit or register your interest in a future long term pleasure craft moorings...."

 

pleasure craft = not liveaboard I think?

[pearley]

If there is one place on the entire system that needs less visitor moorings it's Manchester! What it does need is some of the "visiting" boats moving on from castle field and freeing up some space for boats that actually move!!

Cheers

Gareth

Arrived in Castlefield this morning and after filling with water moved round to the Potato Wharf? to moor. The first thing you notice is a widebeam hotel boat moored then several signs stating that this or that spot is a reserved mooring for the boat named in the sign. I saw 3 or 4 of these but there are probably more as some of the signs are screwed to the washwall.

 

Talking to a boater in one of these moorings most of the 7 or 8 boats currently moored have reserved moorings and new signs on posts are to be erected soon to show the extent of these. He thought there was no real impact on the amount of space available for visitors as all the overstayers have gone due to the vigorous enforcement.

 

He also tells me that a new sanitary station is planned near Pomona Lock.

 

The length above Lock 92 is full of boats all the way to Deansgate, some breasted up.

Edited August 17, 2016 by pearley

[Pie Eater]

The problem is that as more and more boats reserve moorings there will be even less room for visitors to moor.

 

Does Manchester not want any visiting boats?

 

Steve

[dogless]

We love visiting Manchester and have stayed in Castlefield several times in the past, on one occasion for 5 nights.

 

The rules are now being enforced, and if we wish to do that again, we will have to buy a weeks licence. So be it.

 

People buy Thames licences and Avon licences every year without a murmur.

 

Is it just the change in enforcement people object to ?

 

Rog

[frangar]

The problem is that as more and more boats reserve moorings there will be even less room for visitors to moor.

Does Manchester not want any visiting boats?

Steve

I don't think peel want boats at all....even less ones that might move.....what's really needed is more visitor moorings in Castlefield,....not less....it's mad that they are being made into permanent moorings....I for one don't fancy going into the centre knowing there's unlikely to be space to moor somewhere that's even half safe.....it's not even like you can pop some pins in on othe bits of the towpath.....

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[pearley]

At Little Bollington, The Old No. 3, are several boats that are paying Peel for the privilege of mooring near the water tap. There is one boat moored outside Barton Park/Trafford Centre who is paying to stay there and a couple of boats on the offside near Bridgewater Marina who look as if they are there permanently. In the other hand we have seen 3 boats with enforcement notices attached.

 

Some friends arrived at Castlefield on Monday midday who said they just squeezed in, on the other hand we arrived about 10.30am on Wednesday and there was space for another 6 or 7 boats.

[Liam]

Peel are currently looking at the possibility of putting a barrier across "Castlefield Marina" so only permanent moorers will be able to access it.

 

All visitor moorings will now be round the other side in the Staffordshire arm outside the Y Club.

[frangar]

Peel are currently looking at the possibility of putting a barrier across "Castlefield Marina" so only permanent moorers will be able to access it.

 

All visitor moorings will now be round the other side in the Staffordshire arm outside the Y Club.

So visiting boats get the noisy end plus probably no mooring when events are on or at least the joy of people all over your boat......what a genius idea that is! Great way to encourage more visiting boats....I feel an email to peel & the councils tourism officer coming on.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth.

[pearley]

And if you overstay this is what you find on your boat, even if you've already paid for extra time.

 

They really don't want visitors.