Loss of visitor moorings in central London

[tony_lavelle]

Having recently tried to organise a club rally to London I discovered that most of the marinas have stopped accepting visitors, leaving only St Kats, which is eye-wateringly expensive and has limited capacity to get boats in and out through the lock.

Limehouse (now run by Aquavista) has stopped accepting visitors. South Dock Marina is converting its visitor berths to residential. Gallions Point Marina closed two years ago. West India Dock will only accept very large groups (because of the cost of opening the Blue Bridge) and the man in charge is impossible to contact.

Am I missing something?

 

[Chris_d]

Unfortunately its seems to be getting worse rather than better, St Kats is great but expensive and the entrance window is always tight on timing. There is Imperial Wharf but that has let most of its space to permanent berth holders and visitors seem less welcome, all sorts if minimum conditions to be met now.
Chiswick pier not exactly central but is always welcoming, but only space for one visitor last year.

 

[boatone]

No, you're not missing anything.

However, the Harbourmaster for West India Dock gave a presentation at a recent ATYC meeting and was adamant that WID is "open for business". There were several complaints about difficulty contacting them but he insisted the info is on their website.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

If you get a canal and river trust visitor licence you can use Limehouse lock and moor on the wall or round the corner in the refugee camp.

It is a bit 'different' to a marina and subject to air draft restrictions if you leave the marina basin but can be done. No services or gate access but it is a way of getting into central London on a boat.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Bandit country around here don't ask me how I know this.

 

[PeterBoater]

It's true that South Dock had planning permission to go 'all residential' (permission self-awarded, as Southwark Council owns it), but they will definitely still accept visitors where there are spaces, including club cruises (information checked with them only two weeks ago). The matter of very limited marina berths on the Tidal Thames was raised yesterday at the PLA Stakeholders Forum but the question was dodged by the PLA, who claimed that there were plenty of unused moorings available, missing the point that mid-river moorings with no shore access are next to useless.
St Katharine and South Dock are expensive, and about the same price, but good value when compared with Inner London hotel prices, or indeed the price of anything in the City.
Imperial is expensive, limited visitor berthing and no facilities at all. Hermitage has about three visitor berths, has some facilities but very uncomfortable due to waves and wash; effectively unusable for smaller boats.
There are long-term plans for Gallions to be replaced but don't hold your breath.
I was told a year or so ago that each lock/bridge cycle at WID was over £400 but that's unconfirmed.

 

[nfluester]

we managed to get into south dock at easter but they don't have a great deal of visitor space. one other that i haven't heard much about is Chelsea harbour has anyone tried or got details on there

 

[Chris_d]

we managed to get into south dock at easter but they don't have a great deal of visitor space. one other that i haven't heard much about is Chelsea harbour has anyone tried or got details on there

I will stand corrected but even the berth holders in Chelsea Harbour can't get in or out, its a non starter for visitors.

 

[oldgit]

From experience getting a price for the average Mobo and perhaps half a dozen of similar vessels into WIDDYDOCK will prove challenging for the coming generation of quantum computors, let alone mere humans.
A RCC club member attended the meeting hopefully he will report back.

 

[tony_lavelle]

If you get a canal and river trust visitor licence you can use Limehouse lock and moor on the wall or round the corner in the refugee camp.

It is a bit 'different' to a marina and subject to air draft restrictions if you leave the marina basin but can be done. No services or gate access but it is a way of getting into central London on a boat.

What is the max air draft to get through the bridge from Limehouse Basin? I have seen various figures quoted. all pretty low.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

It is quite low. I have not actually measured the bridges but around 8ft6 ish. Not high enough for flybridge cruisers.

 

[Cantata]

To respond to the OP and perhaps confirm some of the responses above -
Yes, Limehouse will not take any visitor bookings. They told me it’s because of loss of business caused over the last couple of years by no-shows. I think however that if you turn up in a boat outside and ask nicely for a visitor berth they will probably take you in if they have a space.
West India is certainly open to visitors and, these days, not necessarily limited to groups.
South Dock too emphasised to me that they have no intention of closing to visitors, despite rumours to the contrary, and will take single or group bookings if they have space at the time.
Hope this helps.

 

[PeterBoater]

To respond to the OP and perhaps confirm some of the responses above -
Yes, Limehouse will not take any visitor bookings. They told me it’s because of loss of business caused over the last couple of years by no-shows. I think however that if you turn up in a boat outside and ask nicely for a visitor berth they will probably take you in if they have a space.
West India is certainly open to visitors and, these days, not necessarily limited to groups.
South Dock too emphasised to me that they have no intention of closing to visitors, despite rumours to the contrary, and will take single or group bookings if they have space at the time.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the confirmation but is there official confirmation of the cost of a lock/bridge cycle at WID?

 

[Cantata]

Didn’t ask! I was merely seeking confirmation of visitor arrangements. Not my business to know what their overheads are.

 

[PeterBoater]

Didn’t ask! I was merely seeking confirmation of visitor arrangements. Not my business to know what their overheads are.

Cross purposes here? I was referring to the lock/bridge charge(s) made to visitors; not an overhead but part of the visitor arrangements. If it is as told to me, admittedly second hand, over £400 per cycle, then it rules out WID as a destination unless in the unlikely event of a flotilla of about forty boats or more. That charge is in addition to berthing fees. Oldgit of this parish, or someone else from his club, might know more.

 

[oldgit]

Somebody within CaRT who would prefer not to be indentified, said that the cost of lifting the bridge,the disruption of traffic flow on the A2106 plus the cost of using the lock has been a bit of a bone of contention.
Two of us have attempted to book club cruises into WID in the past and eventually decided that just about anywhere else would be easier to arrange .......... this despite the vast amounts of money and the hordes of girls we would have been forced to endure in the process.

Still amazes that no organisation in London , one of the most amazing capitols in the world , by anybody with a boat and therefore probably with serious money to spend are totally unaware of the prospects of exploiting this money tree.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I saw a few narrow boats in WID quite recently. It was not a large group. Maybe they know someone or tagged along to get through the lock.

I would hazard a guess that although the CRT may own the lock and the dock ? the Canary Wharf Qatar estate might have something to say about too many plebs cluttering up the moorings there. I think they mostly like ugly super yachts.

Suspect their money tree is a lot larger than operating moorings for small craft.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

I don't know what sort of capacity Greenwich Yacht Club have for visitors but might be worth asking as it is pretty well located you can zoom into central London on the clipper from North Greenwich pier there or pop across on the cable car and get the DLR.

I suppose their infrastructure won't handle large groups.

Hurlingham Yacht club ?

 

[oldgit]

From experience any overnight mooring on any bouy on the tidal river outside a marina is not a pleasant experience .
You might well be treated to the arrival of the ARCO AVON at 02.00 and be able to enjoy the sounds of the ballast being discharged to keep you entertained until the sun creeps over the horizon at dawn.
As for any estuary bound tug/barge in bit of a hurry that is a just icing on the cake.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

It would be interesting to ask Limehouse what the deal is with the public mooring wall. The St Pancras Cruising Club occasionally get the whole section booked for their cruises. They are narrow boats with canal licences but I don't see why a load of visitors with one week CRT visitor licences could not book the wall for a night or two.

Its only about £30 for a week visitor onto the Limehouse part of CRT water in a 30ft boat so it does seem to be a feasible option.

Worth investigating I think.