where to moor near Oxford - break of cruise

[magpie patrick]

Okay, the never ending permutations keep changing

 

Due to work pressure the idea now is to move Lutine from Fenny Compton to the Oxford area this coming weekend, and then put her somewhere for two weeks before doing Oxford- Hungerford starting about the 12th September. Now I know I COULD leave her on any old towpath mooring for 2 weeks but I'm not that keen on that and anyway what's the betting that something will delay our return on the 12th for a couple of days taking me over 14 days

 

I notice there is a marina at Eynsham that might have room, do I need to continuously licence on the Thames if I'm in a marina? That would make it a very pricey option. Any other thoughts? I might make it back overnight about half way through the two weeks if there is a GOOD place to leave a boat (in the way that Great Haywood proved to be good - safe and not in the way)

 

Hungerford is practically commutable to Frome so there is not much issue of leaving a boat unattended once I get that far.

 

Thanks all! I will get this boat home one day...

[billS]

Lower Heyford is pretty good and right next to a railway station. There were plenty of moorings available last weekend. The only problem is that it is still a full days cruise to get from there to Oxford.

 

Thrupp is much closer, but 14 day moorings there are much harder to come by, You could try to get in touch with the Trupp Cruising Club and see if they have any space available for that period.

[Chalky]

We moored at Lower Heyford this summer and got the train to Oxford. Easy journey however the train is something like every hour.

[Lady Muck]

If you go to Eynsham, the man who takes money for visitor moorings above the bridge offered us a few months there, might be worth striking a deal with him. Lower Heyford as said. We once left our boat at Enslow Wharf for a month because of a family crisis, it was usual marina mooring price.

[magpie patrick]

Thanks folk, Lower Heyford or Enslow might work quite well if Sara needs to get back for rehearsals Monday evening...

 

I fancied Eynsham as it means doing an extra bit of Thames

[magnetman]

May also mean paying for two weeks of thames license. Worth checking. It is a nice bit of River to be fair

[Richard Fairhurst]

Whether or not you need to pay for a Thames registration while in a marina remains disputed. The EA says you do, others disagree. http://www.riverthamesnews.com/News905.html

[Bunny]

Try Charlotte at Sovereign wharf in Banbury . If she has room , reasonable rates and nice people . Can recommend Frouds Bridge on the K and A at Aldermaston . Friends have just had a successful temp mooring at Frys Island on the Thames at Reading . Bunny

[Mike Todd]

May also mean paying for two weeks of thames license. Worth checking. It is a nice bit of River to be fair

Last time we enquired about a similar arrangement we were firmly told that we needed to be licenced for the whole of the stay at a marina on the Thames.

 

Admittedly it was at a place that could not fully separate its boats from the river itself.

Edited August 24, 2016 by Mike Todd

[magnetman]

Try Charlotte at Sovereign wharf in Banbury . If she has room , reasonable rates and nice people . Can recommend Frouds Bridge on the K and A at Aldermaston . Friends have just had a successful temp mooring at Frys Island on the Thames at Reading . Bunny

If getting as far as Reading is an option Thames and Kennet would be worth checking - I have a feeling they may be outside of the license area as it is private water so one long day from Oxford down to there would just mean a single day license rather than the two weeks.

One VERY long day that is !!

 

There is a little basin beside Osney lock may be called Osney Marina? And Bossoms also at Oxford on the Thames.

[OldGoat]

Eynsham looked quite full when we passed by last week. You really need a licence - but have a word with them as to their attitude.

Sadly there are lots of unlicenced boats in Marinas up and down the Thames.

EA have a case outstanding so it's not set in stone (hence talk to Eynsham).

You could sneak up out of hours and buy a licence on your way down - or do the right thing, a two weeker won't break the bank. That part of the River is lovely.

Both Osney marinas are small and look full. Being opposite an EA office you won't get away without a licence.....

[Dave123]

We were allowed to go to Eynsham (it was Oxford cruisers then, not sure if it's still called that?) from the Oxford canal without a thames license a few years ago. The Thames lockie said it wasn't a problem as we were booked in there for a few weeks to have some work done. I guess the lockies know that they will catch you if you try and go much further without a license!

Edited August 24, 2016 by Dave123

[magnetman]

I think the ea had the regulations changed fairly recently re licensing. Previously the boat had to be 'in use' to require licensing but now that has been updated to include all boats as it was a grey area. this is as I understand it.

[Mike on the Wey]

If getting as far as Reading is an option Thames and Kennet would be worth checking - I have a feeling they may be outside of the license area as it is private water so one long day from Oxford down to there would just mean a single day license rather than the two weeks. One VERY long day that is !!

There is a little basin beside Osney lock may be called Osney Marina? And Bossoms also at Oxford on the Thames.

A one day licence is actually two days, as it runs until midnight on the day following the day of issue.

[John Margetts]

theres a 14 day spot just above the lock at Kings Cut. Oxford has no 14 day visitor moorings and Oxford city council is getting silly with boats on the Thames trying to stop us mooring even for the legal 24 hours. Eynsham Marina is a good option they are very accommodating and secure if they have vacancies. Depends on your licence bur you could get a month one although if you are going down to Hungerford you will need to go on the Thames anyway to get to the Kennet and Avon. Abingdon Marina on the Thames are also secure. You would also get moorings and the Thames and Kennet marina near Reading but they are expensive.

 

[Drayke]

There is also Better Boating at Caversham Reading, they may be able to help. 0118 947 9536 http://www.betterboating.co.uk

[Mike Todd]

If getting as far as Reading is an option Thames and Kennet would be worth checking - I have a feeling they may be outside of the license area as it is private water so one long day from Oxford down to there would just mean a single day license rather than the two weeks.

One VERY long day that is !!

 

There is a little basin beside Osney lock may be called Osney Marina? And Bossoms also at Oxford on the Thames.

Don't forget you get the day of issue for free, as I recall.

There is also Better Boating at Caversham Reading, they may be able to help. 0118 947 9536 http://www.betterboating.co.uk

Have used them before now but a licence is definitely needed there as the mooring is still on the river itself.

[Tim]

Abingdon!

[OldGoat]

Umm - I thought the OP wanted to go upstream where they have 'proper locks' at least for a short stay before he continues the journey to lesser realms... (he did specify)

In which case the yard above Eynsham is most suitable..

After that a run down to K&A could / should be done using a short term licence.

We can do Oxenford to Reading in a day and a half - or less if we get up jolly early and work the locks ourselves (better, but slower when on public power).

[magpie patrick]

Umm - I thought the OP wanted to go upstream where they have 'proper locks' at least for a short stay before he continues the journey to lesser realms... (he did specify)

In which case the yard above Eynsham is most suitable..

After that a run down to K&A could / should be done using a short term licence.

We can do Oxenford to Reading in a day and a half - or less if we get up jolly early and work the locks ourselves (better, but slower when on public power).

 

That bit oin bold is very useful to know

 

Yes, I did/do fancy a little venture upstream but it may be that Work gets in the way and we settle for Enslow area, which is why knowing a day and half will get us to Reading is useful - that will be early to mid September

 

 

theres a 14 day spot just above the lock at Kings Cut. Oxford has no 14 day visitor moorings and Oxford city council is getting silly with boats on the Thames trying to stop us mooring even for the legal 24 hours. Eynsham Marina is a good option they are very accommodating and secure if they have vacancies. Depends on your licence bur you could get a month one although if you are going down to Hungerford you will need to go on the Thames anyway to get to the Kennet and Avon. Abingdon Marina on the Thames are also secure. You would also get moorings and the Thames and Kennet marina near Reading but they are expensive.

 

 

Do you mean Duke's Cut? That could be veeerrry handy

[magnetman]

I think the mooring referred to is just out of dukes cut onto the Thames turn left then immediately above the lock opposite the layby - Kings Lock. It is on the Thames so definitely subject to having a Thames visitor license.

 

For lock cut moorings one phones the lock keeper for info and arrangements. Fee depends on boat length.

The moorings above Abingdon lock /weir are nice and bookable but again you will need a v16 license. They have power there which is not expensive (if it helps)

(Could be wrong - perhaps Kings Cut is somewhere else)

Edited August 25, 2016 by magnetman

[OldGoat]

magnetman, on 25 Aug 2016 - 8:19 PM, said:

I think the mooring referred to is just out of dukes cut onto the Thames turn left then immediately above the lock opposite the layby - Kings Lock. It is on the Thames so definitely subject to having a Thames visitor license.

 

For lock cut moorings one phones the lock keeper for info and arrangements. Fee depends on boat length.

The moorings above Abingdon lock /weir are nice and bookable but again you will need a v16 license. They have power there which is not expensive (if it helps)

(Could be wrong - perhaps Kings Cut is somewhere else)

 

I took it to me a muddle of terms - the thread switched between moorings on the canal (CaRT 14 day - there are no 14 day moorings on the river as such) and the river.

I suppose he could mean the moorings on King's Lock island - opposite the lock layby. They are very nice. The lock is in (a sort of) cut that cut off a meander.