Anchoring Tips and Moorings for Canal Boats

Finding suitable location for anchoring or mooring certainly depends on the size and type of houseboat and where you want to find wharf. You will have to wait for long hours especially in the popular docks. Below you will find a summary of major kinds of berthing which is available. Their suitability is dependent on the kind of vessel you have.

Canal moorings or canal boat marinas in UK are owned by the governing local canal authority offering maximum length of stay and they guarantee fair usage to all the houseboat owners. You would need to apply directly to concerned governing authority for the authorization to berth.

Private river mooring is connected to private land and so you need to directly contact owner to negotiate lease or sale. River mooring is influenced by tides of the river, thus you have to be quite aware of this as it may affect your access to the houseboat and periods at which you can cast off. Different kinds of the river mooring involve all the tides, mud berth and half tide. Moreover, you have to take into Account River’s current activity and how it could affect your houseboat. Try to know whether the river has some high activity when there is constant traffic, because this makes the vessels move against the pontoons and the other boats being moored along side. It might also disturb you and everyone on board and cause major damage to boat such as wear and tear.

Finding wharf with residential moorings could actually be difficult and staying longer is generally discouraged, that apparently will not be good when you want to stay there for long. Many berthing locations however give leisure moorings that offer perhaps highest level of the boat security with security guards, CCTV cameras and other kinds of amenities. Swinging moorings is often least costly types of a houseboat berthing. It is called as swinging mooring because the boat is attached to a buoy in a harbor or in an estuary and thus the boat will swing in tide’s direction because it just moves in or out. Way in to this kind of mooring should be made by smaller watercraft like row boat or dinghy. Thus, there are some drawbacks to such kind of arrangements at the same time.

1. When you are mooring at sandy beach, and then approach it at an idle and slow pace, to an area protected from wind or away from wide areas of the open water, like cove.2. Place anchors on the beach at 45 degree angle from cleats on the boat stern.3. Dig the two foot holes and bury anchors with the points towards as well as down the boat.4. Check anchor lines very carefully every morning and night for the tightness. You would have to adjust anchor lines as water rises or falls.

In case you want to know about marina berths and other related information, then go through our range of articles and blog posts. I am sure it will be of great help to you in case you are in search of right moorings or marina berths.

Liverpool Marina is completely unique, the tranquil surroundings are something that are very rarely found in the normal hustle and bustle of a major City Centre.