Marinas and Moorings on the GU

[Psycloud]

Hi All

 

We are awaiting a survey on our first boat on Monday and should all be fine we will be looking for somewhere to moor over the winter (with electric hookup) on the Grand Union somewhere between Milton Keynes and Tring (we will be staying on the boat for most of this period). I have called MK Marina but they don't have room for a 68' boat at present.

 

Is there a comprehensive list of marinas and moorings for this area?

 

Many thanks

 

David

[Alan de Enfield]

Try Cowroast but prehaps better not to say you are a liveaboard.

 

http://www.bwml.co.uk/marinas/cowroast

[Psycloud]

Try Cowroast but prehaps better not to say you are a liveaboard.

 

http://www.bwml.co.uk/marinas/cowroast

 

Thanks for that. Presumably if you are "caught" living aboard they will ask you to leave and you will lose your money?

[Alan de Enfield]

If you pay for 'residential' then there is no problems, if you pay for a 'leisure' mooring and live aboard you risk being asked to leave.

 

Many Marinas will say nowt if you 'keep your head down' - Cowroast do not have residential berths but they do have 'grade 1' moorings at £5000 per annum.

 

See link for definition of grades

 

http://www.bwml.co.uk/uploads/pdf-docs/2012_BWML_Mooring_Types_Summary_Document.pdf

[Guest]

Thanks for that. Presumably if you are "caught" living aboard they will ask you to leave and you will lose your money?

 

Define being 'caught'

 

- it goes on the length and breadth of the system, don't ask too many questions and you will be told no lies...

[Psycloud]

If you pay for 'residential' then there is no problems, if you pay for a 'leisure' mooring and live aboard you risk being asked to leave.

 

Many Marinas will say nowt if you 'keep your head down' - Cowroast do not have residential berths but they do have 'grade 1' moorings at £5000 per annum.

 

See link for definition of grades

 

http://www.bwml.co.uk/uploads/pdf-docs/2012_BWML_Mooring_Types_Summary_Document.pdf

 

This may fit our needs Is there a good 3g signal (as per my other post) at this Marina?

EDIT: I see on 3's coverage map that the signal should be good however I am sceptical of these maps as Vodafone say we should have a good signal at our house yet we have none lol

 

Define being 'caught'

 

- it goes on the length and breadth of the system, don't ask too many questions and you will be told no lies...

 

Mum's the word

Edited September 1, 2012 by Psycloud

[koukouvagia]

This may fit our needs Is there a good 3g signal (as per my other post) at this Marina?

EDIT: I see on 3's coverage map that the signal should be good however I am sceptical of these maps as Vodafone say we should have a good signal at our house yet we have none lol

 

 

 

We moor opposite Cowroast and between us family members use 3, Vodafone and Orange/TMobile and O2 on a variety of devices. There is no problem with any of these. Indeed the 3 MiFi is very fast (up to 4kbps). We bung it anywhere in the boat - doesn't seem at all fussy.

[alan_fincher]

We moor opposite Cowroast and between us family members use 3, Vodafone and Orange/TMobile and O2 on a variety of devices. There is no problem with any of these. Indeed the 3 MiFi is very fast (up to 4kbps). We bung it anywhere in the boat - doesn't seem at all fussy.

Cow Roast also has it's own wireless network, I believe, but the 3 signal is good there anyway.

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

Just an aside ..... are you THE Psycloud of GSX1400 fame ?

 

Malc.

[Psycloud]

[quote name='Serenity Malc' timestamp='1346747258' post='933448']
Yello,

Just an aside ..... are you THE Psycloud of GSX1400 fame ?

Malc.
[/quote]

Hi Malc - yes, the very same Obviously no longer part of the GSX1400.org site that I started all those years ago - choosing now to swap the 150mph thrill for a 3mph adventure Hope you are well!

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

Wishing you and yours happy days on the water my friend

 

 

Cheers dude .... Malc.

[bigcol]

Hi there

 

As far as im told Milton marina has some vacant berths available having spoke to the owner this evening.

 

Richard Goosey the owner is the gentleman to Speak to.

 

Richard has given me the Okay to put his mobile number on the forum 07891957635

 

there are winter berths, residential berths etc

 

Col

Edited September 9, 2012 by bigcol

[Tiller Slave]

Winter Mooring sare still avaialable at Saltisford Canal Centre, Warwick, both residential and non residential, run by a small canal charity.

 

Winter Moorers pay a fee for the 17 weeks based on boat length,

 

Period from 1 November through to 28 February ￡9.88 per foot, ex vat, ￡11.86 inclusive of VAT ( Additional weeks charged proportionately).

 

For full details see http://www.saltisfordcanal.co.uk/

[cotswoldsman]

Try Cowroast but prehaps better not to say you are a liveaboard.

 

http://www.bwml.co.uk/marinas/cowroast

 

If it is just for the Winter period surely Living Aboard does not matter?

 

Winter Mooring sare still avaialable at Saltisford Canal Centre, Warwick, both residential and non residential, run by a small canal charity.

 

Winter Moorers pay a fee for the 17 weeks based on boat length,

 

Period from 1 November through to 28 February ￡9.88 per foot, ex vat, ￡11.86 inclusive of VAT ( Additional weeks charged proportionately).

 

For full details see http://www.saltisfordcanal.co.uk/

 

That is three posts with the same information getting a bit tiresome

[LEO]

If it is just for the Winter period surely Living Aboard does not matter?

 

Cowroast used to have a relaxed policy on residential moorers but since BWML took over this has changed. They have cleared out all residential boats, even those allowed for security purposes.

 

A friend who had been there for years had to leave (which at 70 plus caused him great inconvenience).

 

BWML seem only to be interested in the moorings, they have sublet the Chandlery (this includes fuel sales, pump out and gas sales), the engineering workshop and boat sales. I suspect a caretaker has been retained to maintain the site.

 

L.

[Starcoaster]

I was under the impression though that as long as you could provide an alternative land address (be it parents, kids, whatever) then you could stay on your grade 1 leisure mooring 365 days a year if you wanted to?

[LEO]

I was under the impression though that as long as you could provide an alternative land address (be it parents, kids, whatever) then you could stay on your grade 1 leisure mooring 365 days a year if you wanted to?

 

Possibly true, but at Cowroast there are 2 mooring sites, those in the Marina and a few on a BW (CART) linear site. The linear site may well have relaxations but the BWML moorings have adopted a hard line.

 

Not sure if this is local arrangement or if this policy has expanded nationally.

 

BW are poor property managers - letting leisure moorings to 365day occupants deprives them of a lot of income.

 

L.

[sueb]

Possibly true, but at Cowroast there are 2 mooring sites, those in the Marina and a few on a BW (CART) linear site. The linear site may well have relaxations but the BWML moorings have adopted a hard line.

 

Not sure if this is local arrangement or if this policy has expanded nationally.

 

BW are poor property managers - letting leisure moorings to 365day occupants deprives them of a lot of income.

 

L.

It is the planning authorities who are the problem

[Starcoaster]

Thanks, but I'm still a bit confused with this because it categorically says on the BWML site

"Grade One

Non residential leisure mooring allowing unlimited use."

 

Which I thought meant that a grade one leisure mooring gave totally unlimited access/ right to use providing you can provide or demonstrate access to another address- so what is it exactly that is being cracked down upon in the marina? People on grade one moorings (or grade two?) and if grade one, how/ on what basis?

Edited September 15, 2012 by Starcoaster

[tillergirl]

Are we not entering the time of year when lots of marinas will be taking winter moorers???

[LEO]

Thanks, but I'm still a bit confused with this because it categorically says on the BWML site

"Grade One

Non residential leisure mooring allowing unlimited use."

 

Which I thought meant that a grade one leisure mooring gave totally unlimited access/ right to use providing you can provide or demonstrate access to another address- so what is it exactly that is being cracked down upon in the marina? People on grade one moorings (or grade two?) and if grade one, how/ on what basis?

 

Confused?, so am I- - under the previous ownership it reached the stage where a large number of marina occupants were having post delivered to the marina office - obviously they lived there (my friend had been living there quite happily, and paying a premium of about 25% for the priviledge of doing so for about 15 years). This arrangement finished upon change of ownership.

 

As far as I am aware there are no residential boats in the marina - I will make enquiries and get back to you.

 

Not many boats locally take up marina winter moorings, in the past BW have allocated some winter moorings below the lock but really why bother? nationally BW (CART) have a poor policy enforcing the 14 day rule so why pay. Marina occupancy rates are also high locally so there may not be spare berths.

 

L.

[Starcoaster]

Cheers Leo, I'd be interested to find out.

[David Schweizer]

It is the planning authorities who are the problem

Why are they a "problem" ?

 

The Planning Authority is the elected Local Authority which amongst many other things has the statutory responsibiilty to uphold Planning Law.

 

Amongst its duties is the granting (or refusal) of all residential planning applications, which must comply with the requirements of both current legislation and the Local Structure Plan. If either of those does not permit residential accomodaition, the Planning Authority has no alternatuive but to refuse consent.

 

Also within it duties rests the responsibity to rectify any abuses of Planning Legislation, which includes the removal of any residential accomodation for which Planning Consent has not been granted. There are numerous case examples of houses being demolished where Planning Consent has not been granted and where retrospective Consent has been refused. At least a boat can be moved which is far less drastic than destruction.

 

I offer no opinion on the issue, but it is important that people understand the rules before they make bland statements about those with a legal responsibiity to uphopld them..

Edited September 16, 2012 by David Schweizer