Mooring At Stokesby

[Davydine]

Hi everyone, 

We have two trips to The Broads booked for next year and one place I would like to visit is Stokesby, not least because the pub looks good! My only concern is the availability of moorings for the night and I am reluctant to book a table for dinner and then not be able to get a mooring. We are going at the end of April next year, so not high summer. I wondered what your experience of mooring at Stokesby is?

Thanks

David

[Ray]

This year was the first time I can remember turning up to find no mooring left at all, although for obvious reasons it was far from an ordinary year!

One thing about Stokesby is that it's a good spot to moor if crossing Breydon the next day and also a good place to stop if you've just crossed South to North 

If slack at Yarmouth is 1pm for example, then those traveling South have left and those traveling North haven't arrived giving you a better chance from midday until 2pm.

It's not an exact science lol but you probably will find a spot on most days anyway 👍

[BrundallNavy]

I think you can double moor here but maybe ask first. 

[Mouldy]

8 minutes ago, BrundallNavy said:

I think you can double moor here but maybe ask first. 

Yes, you can.  Obviously, the BA moorings are free, but both the farm and pub moorings are (or were when we were there last month), £8 overnight.

[vanessan]

There does seem to be quite a turnover at Stokesby, not so much at the BA moorings as they tend to get occupied very quickly and stay that way. As Ray said, it’s a good spot to moor for Breydon so popular in that respect. As with most moorings, there can be a lot of ‘git gaps’ so it might be possible to ask people to move up a bit to make a space.

[Davydine]

Thank you all, it sounds promising.

I knew that there was double mooring on the BA moorings, which may be handy as we will be with friends on two boats. Do you know if you can double moor on the pub or farm moorings?

@vanessanI think “git gaps” may be the best description I have ever heard to describe inconsiderate mooring!

[vanessan]

Just now, Davydine said:

Thank you all, it sounds promising.

I knew that there was double mooring on the BA moorings, which may be handy as we will be with friends on two boats. Do you know if you can double moor on the pub or farm moorings?

@vanessanI think “git gaps” may be the best description I have ever heard to describe inconsiderate mooring!

There always used to be signs at the farm moorings asking people to double moor at busy times, I think they’re still there. Not sure about the pub moorings though. Griff or grendel will probably know as I think they visit the Ferry Inn when on their lads week. 

[WherryNice]

Used the farm moorings last week, £8 overnight as stated, doubles permitted.

[Mouldy]

8 hours ago, Davydine said:

 

@vanessanI think “git gaps” may be the best description I have ever heard to describe inconsiderate mooring!

I actually don’t like the term ‘git gaps’ as they’ve not necessarily been left intentionally.  If someone has left a mooring in a 45 foot cruiser and I arrive to moor my 29 foot boat, there will be a gap at one end or the other.  Are the crews of the boats to the front or the stern supposed to pull their craft along to mine, especially if they’ve moored close to other craft and create more gaps?

Obviously, if they’ve been left intentionally, that’s different, but how can you tell?  It’s an issue, but as long as craft are differing lengths, gaps will be created as they arrive and depart.

[vanessan]

14 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

I actually don’t like the term ‘git gaps’ as they’ve not necessarily been left intentionally.

Agreed, but sadly there are too many times when the gaps have been left quite intentionally. One of the most common sights is a boat at the end of a mooring with one or two posts left free, sometimes so the occupants can fish from the bank. At the end of the day (literally!) at busy/peak times, there will be boats looking to moor, we all know that. There are a few selfish people who will ignore the fact that they could shuffle up and make room - it’s a case of ‘I’m alright Jack’. And I’ll add to that, private boats are probably worse than hire boats whose crew may not be as experienced. 

[grendel]

i like those gaps, at 26 foot they are quite often perfect for Water Rail.

I cant remember about the pub moorings, but I know last time we moored there we ended up triple moored side on to the concrete at the end of the BA moorings, sort of diagonal stern moored too, shuffling of fenders was required to keep the boats safe on that corner bit, but we managed it. we have also found that mooring across the front of stern moored boats is allowed (with permission from all of those you block in) at the staithe at ludham (womak), on lads week we have a tendency to get creative to fit 4 boats into a mooring, we have managed horning staithe with 4 boats paired up double moored.

[Davydine]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

I actually don’t like the term ‘git gaps’ as they’ve not necessarily been left intentionally.  If someone has left a mooring in a 45 foot cruiser and I arrive to moor my 29 foot boat, there will be a gap at one end or the other.  Are the crews of the boats to the front or the stern supposed to pull their craft along to mine, especially if they’ve moored close to other craft and create more gaps?

Obviously, if they’ve been left intentionally, that’s different, but how can you tell?  It’s an issue, but as long as craft are differing lengths, gaps will be created as they arrive and depart.

Mouldy, that is a very fair point, well made. I hadn't thought of it that way.

I suppose the one exception would be at the ends of a run of moorings when people moor on the second or third mooring post, rather than going right up to the end.

Edited to add that I should have read Vanessen's post who said more or less the same thing!

 

Edited October 8, 2021 by Davydine
Should learn to read before posting!

[vanessan]

31 minutes ago, Davydine said:

I suppose the one exception would be at the ends of a run of moorings when people moor on the second or third mooring post, rather than going right up to the end.

You’ve obviously noticed it too! 
I think that once settled into a mooring, people either can’t be bothered to move or don’t see why they should if it’s possible to create another boat space. ‘Git gaps’ has become a bit of an affectionate term with some, bit like ‘bathtubs’ 

[LizG]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

i like those gaps, at 26 foot they are quite often perfect for Water Rail.

 

You might struggle with 26 foot as WR is 27' 7"

[Mouldy]

30 minutes ago, vanessan said:

You’ve obviously noticed it too! 
I think that once settled into a mooring, people either can’t be bothered to move or don’t see why they should if it’s possible to create another boat space. ‘Git gaps’ has become a bit of an affectionate term with some, bit like ‘bathtubs’ 

I think ‘git gaps’ could be applied in those who moor at the ends, leaving space to fish from the bank for example, but a little derogatory to those who moor in a gap as their boat isn’t big enough to fill it.

Its a bit like the term ‘cockney,’ generically applied by some to anyone who originated south of Watford (not the Gap), however I personally don’t find Cockney offensive.  Just proves whoever said it doesn’t know what the true definition truly is.  😉😉

[Vaughan]

8 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Just proves whoever said it doesn’t know what the true definition truly is.  😉😉

I do! Born within the sound of Bow bells.

Which makes me a Cockney.

[Bikertov]

13 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

I do! Born within the sound of Bow bells.

Which makes me a Cockney.

You can take to the boy out of the East End, but you can't take the East End out of the boy !

Most true 'Cockneys' are proud of their roots, and so they should be.

[JanetAnne]

1 hour ago, LizG said:

You might struggle with 26 foot as WR is 27' 7"

Was...

His mooring techniques are improving though

[Smoggy]

They always fit with enough throttle, same with bridges.... 

[Cal]

10 hours ago, Davydine said:

Mouldy, that is a very fair point, well made. I hadn't thought of it that way.

I suppose the one exception would be at the ends of a run of moorings when people moor on the second or third mooring post, rather than going right up to the end.

Edited to add that I should have read Vanessen's post who said more or less the same thing!

 

We always used to sneak into those unused end moorings with our little Sealine. They were great moorings.

[vanessan]

1 hour ago, Cal said:

We always used to sneak into those unused end moorings with our little Sealine. They were great moorings.

Rather you than a fisherman. 

[SwanR]

On 08/10/2021 at 06:45, Mouldy said:

I actually don’t like the term ‘git gaps’ as they’ve not necessarily been left intentionally.  If someone has left a mooring in a 45 foot cruiser and I arrive to moor my 29 foot boat, there will be a gap at one end or the other.  Are the crews of the boats to the front or the stern supposed to pull their craft along to mine, especially if they’ve moored close to other craft and create more gaps?

Hallelujah! So well described. It’s exactly the point that I’m always trying to make when this comes up. Once we’re moored up for the day we can’t keep shifting around just because other folk come and go. 

As for Stokesby, always been full whenever we’ve tried to get in there. Are there posts or rings or anything for mooring up anywhere other than the BA moorings?

[vanessan]

30 minutes ago, SwanR said:

Are there posts or rings or anything for mooring up anywhere other than the BA moorings?

There are posts although in recent years they have deteriorated. However, part of the moorings has been refurbished so hopefully the rest will follow suit. 

[Broads01]

5 hours ago, SwanR said:

Hallelujah! So well described. It’s exactly the point that I’m always trying to make when this comes up. Once we’re moored up for the day we can’t keep shifting around just because other folk come and go. 

I agree, so never assume a boater is in the wrong if they've left a gap. However, there's an exception  to that which is when people moor towards the end of a mooring and don't pull up to the end post, leaving a quarter or half a boat's length in so doing.

[Smoggy]

I quite like when they leave a short gap at the end, I can tuck the tail on it and the rest can hang in the middle of nowhere,  I only care about the bit we get on and off from, the rest don't need a quay heading.