Mooring At Wroxham

[Ray]

Having been unlucky with bridge heights our last couple of visits is there actually anywhere a privately owned boat can moor downstream of the bridge?

[NorfolkNog]

Assuming the ten quid at the Hotel Wroxham is not an option

I seem to remember someone mentioned that its possible to moor at what used to be Sabena - I assume its private moorings now. Don't know any details.

Faircraft Loynes is definitely a no no - they wont allow private craft. Tricky one.

[Ray]

I actually forgot about the hotel lol £10 is OK but I'd guess that booking is advisable. Also, being of a shy and retiring nature, mooring there is a bit of a goldfish bowl if you know what I mean 😁

[YnysMon]

According to the Broads Authority page on mooring spots there are 6 or so (I forget the actual number) BA allocated moorings at Barnes Brinkcraft. You have to phone them though to request, I don’t think they are in a specific area.

Has anyone done that?

 

 

 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

31 minutes ago, Ray said:

Having been unlucky with bridge heights our last couple of visits is there actually anywhere a privately owned boat can moor downstream of the bridge?

We`ve moored in Summercraft`s yard in Lightning before, £10.00 including 240 and water. Really pretty surroundings, good fishing, and nice and peaceful too.

[YnysMon]

I should have said ‘free BA moorings’ at Barnes. Seems an odd arrangement though, which is why I wondered if anyone has used them.

[Ray]

I'd be interested to know too.

[YnysMon]

Just rechecked the BA website. It says 

‘Moorings at Barnes Brinkcraft are not fixed, if you wish to moor here please speak to reception to be assigned a mooring.’

And there are 6 moorings apparently.

[NorfolkNog]

I can appreciate the goldfish bowl bit!! We have moored there in the past, its handy certainly.

I'm sure someone has moored at Sabena - just can't remember who. Could give them a bell.

https://www.sabenamarine.co.uk/contact-us.html

Summercraft certainly another option but a fair walk from the centre. I've never heard of anyone actually managing a mooring at Barnes - I don't think they make it very easy!

Is there the odd mooring on the café/dayboat bit just next to Hotel Wroxham?

 

[Meantime]

I'm fairly certain the moorings at Barnes are not free! As a part of planning conditions they had to provide a number of "visitor", not free moorings. After the planning condition was readdressed they are no longer in a fixed position but can be allocated at will by Barnes but there should be up to six visitor moorings available, but I'm 99.9% sure that are not, and never were free moorings. There are a few visitor moorings that have to be made available as a result of various planning applications around the network and after pressure by I think one of the members here, they are now listed on the BA website alongside the BA provided moorings, but that does not mean they are free. The idea was to ensure that over a period of time they do not get forgotten about. From memory there are two at the Richardsons moorings in Horning, the bit that was used by Freedom boats. Again as far as I'm aware they are visitor, but not free moorings.

Edited to add:

If you look at the BA list of moorings, where it has DP16 alongside the mooring, it has been provided as a part of a planning condition and charges may apply to moor there.

[rightsaidfred]

8 hours ago, EastCoastIPA said:

I'm fairly certain the moorings at Barnes are not free! As a part of planning conditions they had to provide a number of "visitor", not free moorings. After the planning condition was readdressed they are no longer in a fixed position but can be allocated at will by Barnes but there should be up to six visitor moorings available, but I'm 99.9% sure that are not, and never were free moorings. There are a few visitor moorings that have to be made available as a result of various planning applications around the network and after pressure by I think one of the members here, they are now listed on the BA website alongside the BA provided moorings, but that does not mean they are free. The idea was to ensure that over a period of time they do not get forgotten about. From memory there are two at the Richardsons moorings in Horning, the bit that was used by Freedom boats. Again as far as I'm aware they are visitor, but not free moorings.

Edited to add:

If you look at the BA list of moorings, where it has DP16 alongside the mooring, it has been provided as a part of a planning condition and charges may apply to moor there.

ECIPA is perfectly correct while the provision of public moorings is required under DP16 planning consent as a commercial yard they are not enforceable as free moorings and the proprietors are at liberty to set what ever charge they see fit.

Fred 

[vanessan]

I would be interested to know if anyone has ever managed to secure a ‘visitor’ mooring at Barnes. Seems to me to be a real get-out to offer 6 moorings but keep their location ‘floating’ - excuse the pun! No guarantee you’ll ever secure one if it doesn’t suit Barnes. 

[rightsaidfred]

Although I am no fan of theirs to be fair to Barnes they have always offered visitor moorings subject to space prior to this requirement at a reasonable fee, where this requirement under DP16 is really quite ludicrous is that any operator  concerned can easily get round it by making the charge so exorbitant no one will want to stop there, Herbert Woods seem to be going that way now with the way they have jacked their mooring fees up to private boats.

Fred

[petersjoy]

10 hours ago, NorfolkNog said:

Is there the odd mooring on the café/dayboat bit just next to Hotel Wroxham?

Yes, but it's £10 day mooring then another £10 to moor overnight.

[Meantime]

26 minutes ago, rightsaidfred said:

Although I am no fan of theirs to be fair to Barnes they have always offered visitor moorings subject to space prior to this requirement at a reasonable fee, where this requirement under DP16 is really quite ludicrous is that any operator  concerned can easily get round it by making the charge so exorbitant no one will want to stop there, Herbert Woods seem to be going that way now with the way they have jacked their mooring fees up to private boats.

Fred

I cannot remember the prices for moorings at Barnes, but they are displayed on the side of the green diesel tank on the quayside and are size dependant. I seem to remember that a 35ft mooring was £15. I have also seen private boats moored there.

With regards to Herbert Woods I don't think any of their mooring is subject to DP16 so the increase in mooring fee to £20 per night is as a result of something else. The fact that they have sold off a lot of mooring plots in recent years and continue to do so must be compressing the space in which they can moor their own and visiting hire craft, thus leading to less visitor space generally. There is enough free space available on the riverbank and the quiet moorings that I really cannot see anyone wanting to pay £20 to moor in the basin overnight.

Interestingly, the last time I was at Potter the 9th or 10th September there was a HW hire boat on the demasting mooring. By the time I went to leave Potter it had a BA contravention notice slapped on it's windscreen. From a distance it didn't appear to have the things you would normally have associated with hirers being on board, so I'm not sure who had moored it there. HW or a hirer. It did raise a question in my mind though. If a boat gets a contravention notice for mooring on a demasting mooring, or overstaying a 24hr mooring who gets penalised? Wouldn't be fair for the hire yard unless they were responsible, but would the BA really contact the hire yard to get the hirers details and then pursue the hirer? Probably the worst that happens is the aggravation of trying to peel the notice back off the boat!

[Cal]

We have always moored at the Barnes yard and they have never taken a fee from us. Although we have only usually stayed for a few hours until we have had enough air draft to get through the bridge,

[annv]

Mooring in Wroxham/Hoveton has become over priced for private boats so much so that we don't moor there any more unless we can moor at Wroxham hotel where you get your fee returned if you eat their, i use to like mooring in the cut at the side of the hotel and watch the antics of hirers on a windy day, they have now evan blocked this of now. Wroxham has become a no no now unless you can get under the bridge. John

[JawsOrca]

The very few times we've stopped in Wroxham we managed to get into the Hotel which I think is a fab mooring and makes a nice stop.  Otherwise we've always gone to the lovely summercraft which is a brilliant little yard with always very friendly people and I'm more than happy to pay whatever fee they demand, certainly one of the traditional broads yards. I'm no fan of Barnes and I really wouldn't moor there, I can't remember the sign but I'm sure reads along the lines of "Visiting moorings every other tuesday 4-5pm" hardly inviting but I guess that's the idea. 

Space is obviously the issue though and there's no way of improving that other than the hope that a yard closes down, which is certainly not what anyone wants and touch wood won't happen so perhaps wroxham is just one to visit by car/public transport. 

[Ray]

17 minutes ago, JawsOrca said:

Otherwise we've always gone to the lovely summercraft

Where is their yard please? Say I was traveling upriver is it easy to locate, I don't remember seeing a sign for them?

[JawsOrca]

1 minute ago, Ray said:

Where is their yard please? Say I was traveling upriver is it easy to locate, I don't remember seeing a sign for them?

Yeah it's not signed (thankfully as it keeps it hidden!) .. It's the second main dyke on the right from downstream.. takes a bit of finding but worth looking for.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Summercraft/@52.7085999,1.4116893,220m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d757e98e188f25:0x1bc2f1b5ca17f7be!8m2!3d52.7098126!4d1.4136795

 

[Ray]

Great stuff, many thanks, do you ring ahead or just turn up and take pot luck?

[JawsOrca]

Just now, Ray said:

Great stuff, many thanks, do you ring ahead or just turn up and take pot luck?

We normally just turn up although mainly out of season obviously not Friday's. I normally just land and don't tie up or anything until talking to them just out of politeness though. It's a nice quiet yard with lots of character.. :)  

[Ray]

Thanks again, great information, there's nothing as good as a personal recommendation 

[dnks34]

We pulled in there a few years back with a private boat looking for an overnight mooring and was told to get out before we had even landed.  

Very friendly indeed!

On the other hand Barnes have always been happy to accommodate us but we always rung ahead. 

[JawsOrca]

13 minutes ago, dnks34 said:

We pulled in there a few years back with a private boat looking for an overnight mooring and was told to get out before we had even landed.  

Very friendly indeed!

On the other hand Barnes have always been happy to accommodate us but we always rung ahead. 

Perhaps they was having a bad day :)  We've been in there probably 4 or 5 times and always felt welcome, we've only ever tried though when they are completely empty though.  Perhaps they recognise us now and the best advice is to call ahead.