Things To Consider

If you are in the process of buying a new narrow boat you are going to need to find moorings. If you like the idea of mooring in a marina there are certain things you should look out for.

In this article we will highlight things to consider when you visit a marina with the intention of mooring your boat there.

Choosing A Marina

If you are going to moor in a marina there are certain things you should look at before you sign on the dotted line.

Finding the right moorings for you and your boat is an important part of owning a narrow boat; you wouldn’t buy an expensive sports car and park it just anywhere.  The same goes for your narrow boat you need to make sure that the marina is right.

Location

Let’s start with the location – you need to consider whether it’s important that the marina is close to your home (if you aren’t a liveaboard)  How far are you prepared to travel to get to your boat each time you want to use it?

The other thing to consider is which area of the UK canal network you would like to cruise. If you want to cruise the South of the country for example; then having your boat in this area to start with will mean you will spend less time actually getting to the area you want to be in and you will be able to spend more time actually cruising the area, rather than spending valuable time trying to get there and of course back!

Facilities

The basics you should expect from a marina are washrooms, sewage disposal, mains electricity, safe walkways and access to buy gas and coal. Other facilities which are desirable would be a chandlery, café and easy access to the local shops.



How far away are you from a local village or town? It’s nice to be in the middle of nowhere but if you need something, then popping to the shops is going to be rather difficult if the nearest town is miles away!

Is there access to public transport?

Check out the marinas security, do they have CCTV? You want to know that when you leave your narrow boat it's going to be safe.  Ask the management what security measures they have in place.

Access

Being able to access your boat is very important.  Don’t take it for granted that you will have your own pontoon.  Ideally you want to make sure that you will be able to get your boat in and out of it's mooring without needing the marina to move other boats out of your way.


Check out how easy it is to get things from your car to the boat, is there parking near your mooring?

What’s included?

Know exactly what is included in your mooring fees.  There’s nothing worse than being sent an additional bill you weren’t expecting to get.  Some marinas include water and electricity, others make an extra charge for this or meter your usage.

Marina Recommendations

Ask other moorers how happy they are at the marina, how do the management deal with problems, has there been any security problems.  If other people are happy to recommend and aren’t telling you to sail away then this is a good sign.

When you have bought your boat and found moorings, you will need to apply for a mooring licence from The Canal and River Trust.