Residential mooring widebeam K&A, Grand union

[Reddwarf]

Early stages of now looking for a mooring I'm buying a widebeam so clearway need marinas as well as canals that will fit. looking for marinas that have residential mooring ideally something rural. Just looking for marina names as there doesn't seem to be a simple way of finding a list of marinas that offer residential as well as suitable for widebeam

 

If people live on the marinas even better

 

Thanks

[Bunny]

Thames and Kennet at Reading seems to have liveaboards, quite expensive I believe . Richard Edwards ex Reading Marine on the Kennet and Avon has on line moorings above Aldermaston lock . No electric points , water below lock . Fuel , pump out, gas at abc , below lock. Moorings very competitive rate . Bunny .

[Drayke]

Thames and Kennet at Reading seems to have liveaboards, quite expensive I believe . Richard Edwards ex Reading Marine on the Kennet and Avon has on line moorings above Aldermaston lock . No electric points , water below lock . Fuel , pump out, gas at abc , below lock. Moorings very competitive rate . Bunny .

No liveaboards just frequent visitors.

[Bunny]

Ahh stand corrected . Wasn't there a bit of a stand off with E. A. about licenses for the Thames ?. 20 boat owners from two marinas, one near Reading that didn't leave the marina didn't pay for a licence because the water in the marinas didn't belong to the E.A. and they didn't leave the marina , so they didn't need a licence. Appeal judge agreed with them, must be some of the frequent visitors . Holiday homes maybe. Bunny .

[Reddwarf]

At this time looking for residential.

[Alan de Enfield]

At this time looking for residential.

 

But in a marina that doesn't allow 'residential' you will often find boats that appear to be 'lived' on but are actually used by 'frequent visitors.

 

You need to 'learn the language'

 

[Reddwarf]

At this time looking for residential.

Can anyone suggest any marinas to try

[MtB]

 

But in a marina that doesn't allow 'residential' you will often find boats that appear to be 'lived' on but are actually used by 'frequent visitors.

 

You need to 'learn the language'

 

 

 

True, but there IS a difference.

 

A marina that says 'YES' to boaters asking for residential will generally find themselves expected to receive mail deliveries for the boater in the office, to find the boater has registered for council tax there, and is pestering Royal Mail for a postcode for their mooring to give to banks, tax office etc etc.

 

'Frequent visitor' moorings may be to all intents and purposes residential, but the local council won't be asking them why they have boaters claiming residential when there is no planning permission, and the reception staff won't be having to run an unofficial mail sorting service.

 

Some 'frequent visitor' marinas will require sight of your council tax bill to prove you have a land based address, I believe.

[Reddwarf]

 

 

True, but there IS a difference.

 

A marina that says 'YES' to boaters asking for residential will generally find themselves expected to receive mail deliveries for the boater in the office, to find the boater has registered for council tax there, and is pestering Royal Mail for a postcode for their mooring to give to banks, tax office etc etc.

 

That's what I'm after. I will be selling the house and moving on-board as primary residence

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

True, but there IS a difference.

 

A marina that says 'YES' to boaters asking for residential will generally find themselves expected to receive mail deliveries for the boater in the office, to find the boater has registered for council tax there, and is pestering Royal Mail for a postcode for their mooring to give to banks, tax office etc etc.

 

'Frequent visitor' moorings may be to all intents and purposes residential, but the local council won't be asking them why they have boaters claiming residential when there is no planning permission, and the reception staff won't be having to run an unofficial mail sorting service.

 

Some 'frequent visitor' marinas will require sight of your council tax bill to prove you have a land based address, I believe.

 

All very true - and yes - BWML need to see a copy of your council tax bill to prove you have a 'primary residence'

 

Whilst I have no personal knowledge of the K&A, from reports, it does seem to be a 'problem area' with (recently) high levels of enforcement, and 'trial movement systems' to aid visitors and CCers to get moorings.

From reports on this forum and elsewhere there appears to be a vast shortage of 'proper / legal Residential moorings' across the whole area.

 

To the OP - are you restricted to the 'South', there are fully residential moorings available in the East Midlands / Midlands.

[Reddwarf]

I was hoping to stay linked to the K&A so grand union is also an option or any other water way that will link to K&A but I'm further restricted as it will be a widebeam 12ft. Would the CRT hold a list of marinas which offer official residential moorings?

 

Seems their should be a list somewhere surely

[Bunny]

There are usually CRT on line moorings at Tyle Mill ( k and a) avaliable ,handy water rubbish car park ect. Again under the radar liveaboards. May be worth taking a drive down and asking them . Ask at the post office ( Theale I think ) if they will accept your post . As far as Mr Edwards moorings are concerned,if you buy your fuel,gas ect from abc at Aldermaston and ask they are quite accommodating to your postal requirements. If your taking a drive that way , have a chat to the people on the boats in the Thames and Kennet marina. Bunny

Edited September 30, 2016 by Bunny

[Alan de Enfield]

. Would the CRT hold a list of marinas which offer official residential moorings?

 

 

 

Why would they?

 

Its like phoning Tesco and asking them for a list / phone numbers of all of the Aldi shops.

[Arphamoe]

Magazine Waterways World recently produced a booklet 'Moorings & Marinas Guide 2016-2017' if you try to find a copy. Includes details of residential sites. Devises seems to be the only KnA one showing legit!

[Reddwarf]

 

Why would they?

 

Its like phoning Tesco and asking them for a list / phone numbers of all of the Aldi shops.

Correct because Tesco don't want to send customers to Aldi. CRT surely are there to promote canal way or at least they could given they are collecting money from boaters. assisting new boaters to the waterway means they will increase their income also to help boaters comply with the regulations. So it would be more like phoning up Tesco and asking where their nearest store is to where you live.

 

But I'll take your point on board.

[Reddwarf]

Magazine Waterways World recently produced a booklet 'Moorings & Marinas Guide 2016-2017' if you try to find a copy. Includes details of residential sites. Devises seems to be the only KnA one showing legit!

Thanks I will try and get a copy. I was sensing there were few on the K&A.

[Alan de Enfield]

Correct because Tesco don't want to send customers to Aldi. CRT surely are there to promote canal way or at least they could given they are collecting money from boaters. assisting new boaters to the waterway means they will increase their income also to help boaters comply with the regulations. So it would be more like phoning up Tesco and asking where their nearest store is to where you live.

 

But I'll take your point on board.

 

But - C&RT have no knowledge of what marinas there are (unless they pay C&RT their 'access fee' - which many older marinas do not do), and even for the ones C&RT know about, they would have no knowledge of their ability to moor 'widebeams', or even if they had any vacancies (which would change day to day anyway).

 

I think that all the ones in your 'area' have been mentioned in this thread, but, really your only way to find out is to use the waterway magazines (or google), find marinas in your desired area and phone, and ask.

 

Be prepared - as 'legal' residential moorings in the 'South' fetch a premium price from (maybe) £8000 pa up to (London auctioned moorings) at £15,000pa depending on location and facilities required.

 

If you further restrict you requirements from 'Residential' + 'Widebeam' + 'K&A' to include availability of Electricity, water, & toilet emptying facilities you are again reducing the pool of available moorings.

 

Do you specifically (work, hospital, family etc) need to be near the K&A ?

There are plenty of widebeam boats (mine is 14 foot) and plenty of marinas with available widebeam residential moorings in the 'Midlands' and 'North' and the costs will be considerably lower than the 'Honey-Pot' South.

 

The Canals and Rivers (roughly) in a line across from Leicester to Birmingham Northwards are all 'widebeam' canals and historically for boats much wider than your 12 footer.

[Reddwarf]

I have family in the south so used that as a starting point but with only 1 residential marina on the K&A then that is very limiting. As said also looking at Grand union which hopefully have more marinas with available berths reluctant to go on the north side of the network as their is clearly no link for widebeams (nothing against the north side i hasten to add) suggested marinas that might have available/suitable berths would be appreciated. I can see why people spend so long moving onto a boat my head is spinning looking at boat builders i thought was complicated finding a mooring is even worse especially as i seem to be to fussy.

 

looked at marinas on the internet but some websites aren't that good. i have a couple of weeks off soon so hoping to get 3 or 5 possible marinas and visit them.

[ditchcrawler]

The marina I am at now,( no go to you as its the wrong place) Their planing states that you can only spend one period of 2 consecutive weeks on the boat, so I guess if you take the boat out every other Friday night its all OK

[Reddwarf]

The marina I am at now,( no go to you as its the wrong place) Their planing states that you can only spend one period of 2 consecutive weeks on the boat, so I guess if you take the boat out every other Friday night its all OKYes as i understand it that is the get around as you aren'

Yes as i understand it that is the get around. i guess it would depend on the marina. you would think that local councils would be keen to have permanent residential mooring after all I'm sure you can fit more people in a marina than on a housing estate or is it a case that marinas aren't interested in the extra grief?

[ditchcrawler]

Yes as i understand it that is the get around. i guess it would depend on the marina. you would think that local councils would be keen to have permanent residential mooring after all I'm sure you can fit more people in a marina than on a housing estate or is it a case that marinas aren't interested in the extra grief?

I don't think councils want people living on boats

[MtB]

I don't think councils want people living on boats

 

 

They certainly don't.

 

They think all boats are dirty hovels and the occupants need rescuing from their dreadful situation.

[David Mack]

The Canals and Rivers (roughly) in a line across from Leicester to Birmingham Northwards are all 'widebeam' canals and historically for boats much wider than your 12 footer.

North of Leicester - Market Harborough actually - is wide. But Birmingham is very much narrow. You have to get most of the way to Manchester to find wide canals in the northwest.

[Bunny]

Would another option be to have a winter mooring in a marina , then cruise the summer months moving every weekend ? . Bunny

[Ratty69]

Early stages of now looking for a mooring I'm buying a widebeam so clearway need marinas as well as canals that will fit. looking for marinas that have residential mooring ideally something rural. Just looking for marina names as there doesn't seem to be a simple way of finding a list of marinas that offer residential as well as suitable for widebeam

 

If people live on the marinas even better

 

Thanks

Hi Reddwarf .... I'm in the same boat *cough* and wondered how you've been getting on with your search.