Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQ links are designed to explain more about the different types of moorings we offer and answer the queries you may have.
1. General Information About Waterside Mooring
2. Auctions - Long Term Moorings
How Mooring Auctions Work
Bidding
The Highest Bidder
3. Buy-It-Now - Long Term Moorings
How the Buy-It-Now system works
Buying
The Buyer
1. General Information About Waterside Mooring
General Information About Waterside Mooring
Q. Why the name change?
The Canal & River Trust is a navigation authority which fulfils statutory functions on the one hand, but also chooses to provide and manage long term, permanent moorings across its network as part of its commercial activities on the other. The Trust has no statutory duty to provide long term moorings.
The name change for our long term permanent moorings is intended to allow our customers to more easily distinguish between temporary or casual mooring in the course of navigation (e.g. use of visitor moorings or short term moorings provided at service facilities), these being part of our statutory role and long term moorings for paying customers’ private benefit, that we provide to earn a commercial return (e.g. long term, permanent moorings which are directly managed by the Trust). Any profit derived from this activity is re-invested back into the Trust to contribute towards the substantial cost of managing our 2,000 mile network of canals and rivers.
Q. Are you still part of the Canal & River Trust?
Yes. Waterside Mooring is a new name for long term moorings managed directly by the Canal & River Trust.
Q. If you’re a charity, why aren’t you offering affordable moorings?
The Trust undertakes a wide range of activities, all of which aim to further its charitable purposes for public benefit. However, in charity law terms, providing on-line long term moorings could be seen as using the Trust’s charitable resources to provide a potentially significant personal benefit to individuals (i.e. the exclusive use of an area of waterway and land for a fixed period). The Trust cannot use its assets to effectively subsidise this personal benefit by offering its moorings to customers at a rate below the market value as this would be in breach of charity law.
Q. I’m a current moorings customer, what changes will I notice?
We intend to publish more information for customers covering our mooring site facilities, standards and specifications. Members of staff from our Moorings Team will be carrying out more frequent site visits to check for defects and to meet customers in person. Our site signs will be refreshed with the new name and we will also be launching a new mooring vacancy website should you wish to move to another site run by the Canal & River Trust. .
Q. Are you planning on increasing the number of mooring sites?
We have an On-line Mooring Policy which means that we will reduce one on-line mooring for every 10 berths created off-line in a marina. Whilst this policy places certain restrictions on us in establishing new on-line mooring sites, we do have plans to create more mooring sites in high demand areas such as London where it meets the criteria stated in the Policy. However, at the same time we may take the decision to close some of our sites which are now less popular with only one or two boats remaining.
Q. Can I live on my boat at one of your mooring sites?
Only if the site is a designated residential site or the Trust has given its consent to you living on it. Typically these sites will be where there is either formal planning consent for residential use or where residential use is historically established so that planning permission is no longer required for the change of use.
A leisure site is determined by us to be a mooring site for the storage of boats between leisure use, customers may well spend weekends on the site, and occasionally longer periods, but it is not sold as, or intended to be suitable for long term residential use. The site will not have local authority planning consent for residential use, neither will it have the level of facilities and service expected of such a mooring. As such the offer that we have is only intended to meet the needs of a leisure boater.
Q. How come there are so few residential sites?
Creating residential mooring sites is very difficult due to a number of factors. For security reasons, residential moorings are best suited on the non-towpath side of the waterway. However, the Canal & River Trust rarely owns the off-side land which adjoins the canal or river so schemes can only be progressed by the landowner (with our consent as we own the water). In addition, full time, long-term use of a mooring as a sole or main residence may require planning permission as a material change in use of the waterway unless the residential use is historically established so that planning permission is no longer required.
Q. How do I get in touch with the local manager responsible for the site I’m interested in?
All of the local mooring managers’ details can be found on each site vacancy or by clicking this link https://www.watersidemooring.com/Features/View/25/meet-the-team
Alternatively, if you call our Customer Services contact telephone number 0303 040 4040 giving a location or waterway name, they will be able to give you the Mooring Managers contact details.
Q. What happens to the profits made from moorings?
All of the profits from the long term moorings that we manage are spent on the Trust’s charitable activities, principally waterway maintenance and repair.
Q.What is my notice period if I want to give up mooring?
Two months in writing. Please sign into your account and click ‘CANCEL MY MOORING’ and complete the online form. Alternatively please complete our Notice to terminate your mooring agreement form - click to download
2. Mooring Auctions
Bidding
The highest bidder
Q. How does the auction system work?
Selected Waterside Mooring vacancies at long term mooring sites are advertised for auction. When a vacancy becomes available it will be checked against set criteria (details below) and, if suitable, advertised at auction. The mooring vacancy will be listed on the website for 14 days with the auction closing date and time. Mooring agreements allocated through the auction system are typically for three years (unless indicated). Bids must be submitted online at www.watersidemooring.com and the bidding history can be viewed while the auction is open. There is no limit to the number of bids a user can make, as long as bids are above the current highest. Alternatively users can make a maximum bid and leave the system to bid in £5 increments automatically on their behalf.
Please note, credit/debit card details are required to submit a bid.
We recommend you place a bid in good time to allow time for your debit/credit card to be validated and confirmed. Please do not do this at the last minute as you may be disappointed if your card is not processed for any reason and your bid is not then registered.
Q. What happens after the auction has ended?
Immediately after the auction ends, a confirmation email will be sent to you to confirm if you are the highest bidder. At the same time the first payment, a fee equivalent to the first month's mooring fee, will be taken from your nominated credit/debit card.
You will then have 7 days to complete the application online and submit your payment option form (see below). If you fail to complete the application within this time you will be defaulted and the mooring will be offered to the second highest bidder. If you are defaulted your first payment will be refunded.
In some circumstances, we may choose to re-auction the berth, if this is the case all the original qualifying bidders will be welcome to take part.
Once the completed application is submitted we will check that the highest bidder satisfies our requirements and if everything is in order we accept the offer and complete the mooring agreement.
Q. Can I submit a bid without registering?
No, you must be registered on the website and have a customer number assigned before you can secure a mooring vacancy. If you are registered in My Trust on the Canal & River Trust website the same log-in details will work here.
If you are registering as a may customer you will not have a customer number assigned to your account and will be unable to secure a mooring. For this reason we recommend checking your details in My Account once you have registered. If you do not have a customer number on your account please contact us on 0303 040 404040 or at waterside.mooring-enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Q. How can I find out about vacancies that match my needs?
If you have registered and have opted to watch a mooring site or mooring you will be sent email notifications when a vacancy is advertised. You can amend your watches at any time via ‘My Account’.
Q. I am moving house - do I need to change my registration details?
Yes. It is important that you keep your information up to date by editing your details via the ‘My Account’ section of the website. You must change your personal details before you submit a bid.
Q. Do you ever withdraw mooring vacancies?
Yes, but only for good reason and this happens very rarely.
We may have to withdraw a mooring vacancy if there are problems on the waterway or at the mooring site, such as bank collapses, or if it is needed unexpectedly for operational reasons.
Bidding
Q. What exactly will I be bidding for?
You will be bidding for consent to moor at the mooring site for a fixed period (either one or three years, depending on the mooring) at a fixed price (your bid amount). You must read the Mooring Agreement Terms & Conditions, which is the agreement for our auctioned moorings, and the local site rules if applicable. You will be bound by these terms and conditions so please read them carefully.
Q. How will I know what amount to bid?
It is up to you to judge what the mooring is worth to you. The bidding starts at the published price for the mooring vacancy.
The amount you bid should be the maximum amount you are willing to pay annually for the fixed period of the contract (either one or three years). For example; if you are willing to pay £1000 each year you should bid £1000, not £3000. (The actual amount that you choose to pay per year may vary slightly depending on the payment option that you choose). When deciding how much to bid please bear in mind that you are bidding for a fixed term, fixed price contract which is invoiced when your application is processed. The price you pay will not change through the term of the contract, even if there is a change in the published price during that time.
Q. Do I bid for the entire length of the mooring vacancy? What if my boat is smaller than the space available?
Yes, you are bidding for the full length of the vacancy. We do not accept bids on a per metre basis, even if your boat is smaller than the advertised vacancy.
From time to time our mooring managers review the gaps between boats at each mooring site and where it is possible to shuffle boats to make better use of the water space, there may be the opportunity to downsize if you wish. Requests should be made in writing with the appropriate mooring manager. We will consider all written requests periodically but do not guarantee that all will be successful.
The maximum length advertised on a mooring vacancy is the maximum length available at the mooring site.
Boats that are bigger than the advertised space cannot be accommodated.
Q. What am I committing to when I bid?
When you submit a bid on a vacancy you make an offer to us for a permit to moor at the mooring site and you are offering to pay us the amount you bid each year for the term of the agreement. If we accept your bid this creates a legally binding contract. You must complete the mooring application online within 7 days of securing the mooring.
Q. At what point is my bid registered?
For online users your bid is registered when it is correctly submitted on this website, directly into the auction administration system. Users are required to enter credit/debit card details in order to submit a bid.
For offline users, it is only registered when your bid is submitted into the system on your behalf by the Mooring Co-ordinator. Users are required to enter credit/card details in order to submit a bid.
Q. Can I retract my bid once submitted?
No. Once your bid is submitted into the auction system it cannot be withdrawn. If you win, a fee equivalent to the first's month's mooring fee, is automatically taken from the credit/debit card details you entered when bidding. However, you have the right to cancel the agreement up to a maximum of 14 days from the date of your winning bid.
Q. Can I increase my bid at any point?
Yes. When submitting a bid you can select to be notified by email if you are outbid. You will then be able to enter a higher bid. It is recommended to check the website for the most up to date bidding on a vacancy.
Alternatively, you can simply enter a maximum bid and then allow the system to bid on your behalf up to this maximum. You can increase your maximum amount at any time while the auction is still running.
Users will only be required to enter their credit/debit card details once.
Q. How does maximum bidding work?
The system bids on your behalf up to the amount that you specify, your maximum bid. For example; if the current highest price is £500 and you enter a bid of £1000 your first bid will automatically be entered as £505 and you will be the highest bidder (the bid increment is always £5). If another user submits a bid of £510 your bid will automatically increase to £515 to maintain your position as highest bidder, and so on up to your maximum bid of £1000.
If another prospective purchaser has entered a maximum bid into the system for the same vacancy your bid amount, if higher, will be entered at £5 above that maximum. For example; if the current highest price is £500 and you enter a maximum bid of £1000 but another user has entered a maximum bid of £700 your bid will automatically be entered as £705.
If the bidding does not reach your maximum bid you only pay the amount reached through the bidding, which may not be as high as your maximum bid amount.
Please note, any bid amount you enter that is higher than the current highest shown will be treated as a maximum bid.
Q. Is there any way I can avoid being outbid at the last minute?
All auctions are set to close at 1pm. The maximum bid goes some way to preventing a user being outbid at the very last minute as a maximum bid amount will already have been set. However, if you wish to enter your bids manually rather than use the maximum bid facility it is advisable to be on the website monitoring the bidding.
Q. What requirements does the highest bidder need to satisfy? What happens if they do not satisfy the requirements and their offer is not accepted?
Clause 2.27 of the Terms and Conditions for Bidding specify the requirements that the highest bidder must satisfy. These are summarised below but you should read the full terms and conditions. We may contact you for verification of certain information.
We may accept your offer if you are the highest bidder provided that you satisfy the criteria set out in clause 2.33 below. Any acceptance by us of your offer is conditional upon you satisfying all the relevant criteria and requests for further information. We may contact you during the fourteen (14) days after the Auction End Date for verification of certain information in this respect.
2.33 The terms and conditions of the Mooring Agreement shall not come into force unless and until the following conditions have been satisfied:
(a) if you already own a Boat
- have a valid and up-to-date Boat Licence and Boat Safety Certificate and that your Boat is fit for navigation on any of The Trust’s Waterways where it is intended to be used; and< > are the owner or lawful keeper of the Boat (together with, if applicable, any other person who is the owner or lawful keeper);
(b) You
- do not owe us or the Canal & River Trust any money, including but not limited to, in respect of Mooring Fees, Boat Licence fees, Boat removal costs, damages or other associated costs; and
have not in the five years prior to submitting your offer failed to comply with navigation rules, relevant legislation or bye-laws and regulations, or failed to comply with the terms and conditions of any agreements with us (including Boat Licence or mooring agreement terms and conditions) to which we have drawn your attention.We may consider that one or more previous incidents of non-compliance, even if followed by compliance, justifies a decision by us not to accept your offer; or
- have not, at any time in the last five (5) years, removed your Boat from The Trust’s Waterways or property under any statutory powers or in accordance with a court order, or in accordance with any Boat Licence or Mooring Agreement terms and conditions;< > have passed an independent credit check if we consider it reasonable to carry out a credit check;
your Boat fits the dimensions of the Mooring Vacancy, the Mooring Site and The Trust’s Waterways;
if defined in the local rules (site rules) for the Mooring, your Boat is suitable for the Mooring and, if specified, you must send us a current photograph of your Boat for our approval with your Mooring Application Form;
- have complied with the terms of this Agreement;
in relation to the Auction Bidding Process, you have responded to our requests for further information and have not provided false information.
We will not accept your offer if:
- If you fail to satisfy the criteria set out in clause 2.33 above we will contact the bidder who offered the next highest Bid Price in order to establish whether that bidder wishes to re-open their offer. If they do and if all the criteria set out in clause 2.33 above are met, we will accept the next highest offer. This process will be repeated if the next highest offer also fails to meet the criteria in clause 2.33 above until the Mooring Vacancy is allocated (unless we withdraw the Mooring Vacancy in accordance with clause 2.9 above, or because subsequent offers fall below the Published Price).
Q. If I default on an auction will it affect any future auctions I wish to take part in?
Defaulting on an auction will not be prevented from bidding on other auctions or securing moorings through the Buy It Now or Short Term systems.
Q. Can I bid if I do not yet own a boat?
Yes. However, if we accept your offer, you must be prepared to pay for the mooring from the specified Mooring Agreement start date, rather than wait for your boat to be ready to put onto the mooring.
Q. Can I bid for different vacancies at the same time?
You can bid for different mooring vacancies at the same time but submitting a bid for different vacancies does not retract any previous bids. You will be required to enter credit/debit card details for each auction you wish to submit a bid on and you will be charged a fee equivalent to the first month's payment of the mooring fee for each successful auction you win. For this reason, we recommend that you wait for the outcome of one auction before submitting a bid for another vacancy.
Q. Is my bid amount or identity displayed on the website or known to Trust staff?
Bidder’s identities are not disclosed at any stage. Immediately after the auction closes the identity of the highest bidder only will be made available to the mooring manager and other Trust staff. Offline customer’s bids are entered into the auction administration system by the admin team who will therefore be aware of the bidder’s identity.
Q. Can I bid for someone else who wants the mooring vacancy?
No, you may only bid for yourself as this will be the name on the Mooring Agreement if we accept your bid. The Canal & River Trust licence for the boat must also be in your name therefore only you are allowed to occupy the mooring with your boat.
Q. What if I do not want a three year agreement?
The earliest point at which you can terminate the agreement is at the end of the second month of the mooring period, at which point you may terminate this agreement by giving two months’ notice in writing. Please note, notice is taken from the day of the month your contract started on. Please sign into your account and click ‘CANCEL MY MOORING’ and complete the online form. Alternatively please complete our Notice to terminate your mooring agreement form - click to download
The highest bidder
Q. How will I know if I have secured the mooring or not?
Immediately after the auction closes a confirmation email will be sent you. The first payment, a fee equivalent to the first month's mooring fee, will be taken automatically using the credit/debit card details entered when submitting your bid and you will have 7 days to complete the application online.
Q. What happens if I am the highest bidder?
Immediately after the auction closes a confirmation email will be sent you. The first payment, a fee equivalent to the first month's mooring fee, will be taken automatically using the credit/debit card details entered when submitting your bid and you will have 7 days to complete the application online.
Before we accept your offer we will check that you satisfy the requirements set out in the Terms and Conditions for Bidding. We may carry an independent credit check. If specified in the Mooring Vacancy Details and site rules you will need to send us a current photograph of your boat for approval. We may contact you for verification of certain information.
The mooring agreement is timed to start 15 days after the auction closing date unless otherwise specified on the vacancy details. Only when we have processed your application and are satisfied that you meet our requirements will your mooring invoice be sent to you. You may wish to contact the mooring sales manager to discuss any local arrangements. Please note, due to credit checks and direct debit set-up the application process can take up to 15 working days (from date of receipt in our office).
At the end of the fixed term of the agreement (either one or three years), if you want to stay on the mooring, we will normally offer you a standard Mooring Agreement (at present, annually renewable).
Q. What if the highest bidder pulls out?
If the highest bidder defaults, or we do not accept their offer, we will contact the next highest bidder to see if they would like to re-open their highest offer. They will have seven days to complete the Mooring Application online.
As stated previously, in some circumstances, we may choose to re-auction the berth, if this is the case all the original qualifying bidders will be welcome to take part.
Q. What are the payment options?
They are (A) first payment by credit or debit card followed by monthly payments by direct debit, (B) an annual payment by credit or debit card and (C) one single payment to cover the full term of the agreement by credit or debit card.
Q. If my offer is accepted can I transfer or rent the mooring to someone else?
No. Clause 4.6 of the Mooring Agreement Terms and Conditions says that the mooring is personal to you and you may not assign it to anyone else. If you decide to sell your boat you must give us notice, surrender the mooring and remove your boat from the mooring.
3. Buy-it-Now - Long Term Moorings
Buying
What am I committing to when I Buy It Now?
What requirements does the 'buyer' need to satisfy? What happens if they do not satisfy the requirements and their offer is not accepted?
If I default on a Buy It Now vacancy can I bid or 'buy' again in the future?
Can I 'buy' for someone else who wants the mooring?
What if I do not want a twelve month agreement?
The Buyer
Best Offer
Q. How does the Buy It Now system work?
The majority of Waterside Mooring vacancies at long term mooring sites are advertised for sale via the Buy It Now system. When the vacancy becomes available it will be advertised on the website www.watersidemooring.com and sold on a first come, first served basis. Contracts allocated through the Buy It Now system are for 12 months.
When the vacancy is listed for sale email notifications will be sent to users who have selected to watch the mooring site. ,.
Users must be registered on the website and signed in to their account before they can watch mooring sites or secure a mooring.
Users can secure moorings by pressing the ‘Buy’ button shown on the available mooring. The application process is completed online and payment must be submitted with the application to secure the mooring. Please note, until the payment has been made and confirmation received the mooring is available for sale.
Once the completed application is submitted we will check that the 'buyer' satisfies our requirements and if everything is in order we accept the offer and complete the 12 month mooring agreement.
Q. Can I Buy It Now without registering?
No, you must be registered on the website and have a customer number assigned before you can secure a mooring vacancy. If you are registered in My Trust on the Canal & River Trust website the same log-in details will work here.
If you are registering as a new customer you will not have a customer number assigned to your account and will be unable to secure a mooring. For this reason we recommend checking your details in My Account once you have registered. If you do not have a customer number on your account please contact us on 0303 040 404040 or at waterside.mooring-enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Q. Will I be notified when vacancies are advertised?
If you have registered and opted to watch a mooring site you will be sent email notifications when a vacancy is advertised. You can amend your watches at any time via ‘My Account’.
Q. Are mooring vacancies ever withdrawn from sale?
Yes, but only for good reason and this happens very rarely.
We may have to withdraw a mooring vacancy if there are problems on the waterway or at the mooring site, such as bank collapses, or if it is needed unexpectedly for operational reasons.
Buying
Q. What exactly will I be 'buying'?
You will be 'buying' a permit to moor at the mooring site for a twelve month period at a fixed price. You must read the Buy It Now Mooring Agreement Terms & Conditions and the local site rules if applicable.
Q. Will I be 'buying' the entire length of the vacancy? What if my boat is smaller?
Yes, you will 'buy' the entire length of the mooring vacancy as vacancies are not advertised on a per metre basis.
From time to time our mooring managers review the gaps between boats at each mooring site and where it is possible to shuffle boats to make better use of the water space; there may be the opportunity to downsize if you wish. Requests should be made in writing with the appropriate mooring manager. We will consider all written requests periodically but we cannot guarantee that they will be successful.
The maximum dimensions advertised on a mooring vacancy is the maximum length, width and depth available at the mooring site.
Boats that are bigger than the advertised space cannot be accommodated.
Q. What am I committing to when I Buy It Now?
When you 'buy' a vacancy you make an offer to us for a permit to moor at the mooring site and you are offering to pay us the mooring fee for twelve months. If we accept your offer this creates a legally binding contract. You must complete the mooring application online and make the payment to remove the mooring from sale.
Q. What requirements does the highest bidder need to satisfy? What happens if they do not satisfy the requirements and their offer is not accepted?
Clause 2.19 of the Buy-It-Now Terms and Conditions specify the requirements that the buyer must satisfy. These are summarised below but you should read the full terms and conditions. We may contact you for verification of certain information.
(a) if you already own a Boat,
- have a valid and up-to-date Boat Licence and Boat Safety Certificate and that your Boat is fit for navigation on any waterway where it is intended to be used;
- are the owner or lawful keeper of the Boat (together with if applicable, any other person who is the owner or lawful keeper).
- do not owe us or the Canal & River Trust any money including but not limited to in respect of Mooring fees, Boat Licence fees, boat removal costs, damages or other associated costs; and have not in the five years prior to submitting your offer failed to comply with navigation rules, relevantlegislation or bye-laws and regulations, or failed to comply with the terms and conditions of any agreements with us (including Boat Licence or mooring agreement terms and conditions) to which we have drawn your attention;
We may consider that one or more previous incidents of non-compliance, even if followed by compliance, justifies a decision by us not to accept your Buy It Now Offer; and
(b) have not, at any time in the five years, prior to your Buy It Now Offer, removed your Boat from The Trust’s Waterways or property under any statutory powers or in accordance with a court order or in accordance with any terms and conditions of any mooring or Boat Licence agreement you may have had with the Canal & River Trust; and
(c) have passed an independent credit check if we consider it reasonable to carry out a credit check; and
your Boat fits the dimensions of the Mooring Vacancy, the Mooring Site and The Trust’s Waterways and, if required by us, you must send us a current photograph of your Boat for our approval with your Mooring Application Form;
(d) have truthfully responded to any requests for information we have made in order to satisfy ourselves that the criteria for accepting your Buy It Now Offer are met; and
(e) have a Mooring Application Form completed by you on the Website or by information you have provided to us as an off-line purchaser; and
(f) have a Mooring Application Form completed by you on the Website or by information you have provided to us as an off-line purchaser; and
(h) along with the Mooring Application Form you have paid us the First Payment.
Q. If I default on a Buy It Now vacancy can I bid or 'buy' again in the future?
Yes, defaulting on a Buy It Now vacancy will not prevent you from securing a mooring in future.
Q. Can I ‘buy’ if I do not yet own a boat?
Yes. However, if we accept your offer, you must be prepared to pay for the mooring from the specified Mooring Agreement start date, rather than wait for your boat to be ready to put onto the mooring.
Q. Can I 'buy' if I am currently bidding on an auctioned vacancy?
It is possible to 'buy' a vacancy whilst bidding on auctioned vacancies but you must be aware that 'buying' a vacancy will not cancel any current bids you have running. You will be charged the equivalent of one month of the contract value for each successful auction you win. For this reason, we recommend that you wait for the outcome of one auction before securing another vacancy.
Q. Can I 'buy' for someone else who wants the mooring?
No, you may only 'buy' for yourself as this will be the name on the Mooring Agreement if we accept your offer. The Canal & River Trust licence for the boat must also be in your name therefore only you are allowed to occupy the mooring with your boat.
Q. What if I do not want a twelve month agreement?
You can cancel the agreement although the earliest point at which you can terminate the agreement is at the end of the second month of the mooring period, at which point you may terminate the agreement by giving two months’ notice in writing.
Please sign into your account and click ‘CANCEL MY MOORING’ and complete the online form. Alternatively please complete our Notice to terminate your mooring agreement form - click to download
Please note, notice is taken from the day of the month your contract started on.
Q. At the end of my first 12 months, do I have to go on the website a buy the mooring again?
No. At the end of the twelve month agreement, if you want to stay on the mooring, we will normally offer you a standard Mooring Agreement (at present, annually renewable).
The price paid, either at auction or Buy It Now is for the berth price (the berth size purchased cannot be reduced), and is the price (subject to any inflationary increase) that will be charged on all future renewals.
The Buyer
Q. How will I know if I have completed the process correctly?
A confirmation email will be sent to you when you have completed the Buy it Now process. You must complete the mooring application online and make the payment to remove the mooring from sale.
Please note, until the payment has been made and confirmation received the mooring is available for sale.
Q. What are the payment options?
They are (A) first payment by credit or debit card followed by 11 monthly payments by direct debit (we may research your credit history before allowing this option), (B) one single payment to cover the full twelve month term by credit or debit card.
Q. Can I rent or transfer the mooring to someone else?
No. Clause 4.6 of the Mooring Agreement Terms & Conditions says that the mooring is personal to you and you may not assign it to anyone else. If you decide to sell your boat you must give us notice. Please sign into your account and click ‘CANCEL MY MOORING’ and complete the online form. Alternatively please complete our Notice to terminate your mooring agreement form - click to download , and remove your boat from the mooring.
Best Offer
Q. How does the Best Offer system work?
We may, at our discretion, open mooring vacancies to best offers. If this option is available it will be shown on the vacancy details.
When a user submits a Best Offer an email will be sent directly to the mooring sales manager for the site who will consider whether to accept or reject the offer. The mooring sales manager will make every effort to consider the offer as soon as possible and an email will be sent to the user to confirm the outcome once the decision is made.
If your Best Offer is accepted you must sign in to your account and complete the mooring application and payment within 7 days.
Q. Can the mooring be sold while my offer is being considered?
Yes. The mooring vacancy will remain on sale until a mooring application and payment is submitted. The vacancy will be removed from sale if your offer is accepted but will be automatically relisted if your application and payment is not submitted within 7 days.
4. Short Term Moorings
How does the Short Term Mooring system work?
Can I 'buy' without registering?
Are the vacancies on sale for a limited time?
What exactly will I be 'buying'?
How can 'buy' the length of space I need only?
What am I committing to when I buy?
Can I 'buy' if I am currently bidding on an auctioned mooring?
Can I 'buy' for someone else who wants the mooring?
How long will my mooring agreement be for?
How will I know I have completed the short term priocess correctly?
Can I rent or transfer the mooring to someone else?
How will I know where my mooring is on the site?
What happens if stoppages prevent me from reaching the mooring?
What happens if I decide to leave the mooring?
What happens at the end of my contract?
Q. How does the Short Term Mooring system work?
Selected Waterside Mooring long term mooring sites offer mooring space for short term permits.
When the space becomes available it will be advertised on the website and sold on a first come, first served basis. Contracts allocated through the Short Term system are for 3, 6 or 9 months.
When the vacancy is listed for sale email notifications will be sent to users who have selected to watch the mooring site.
Users must be registered on the website and signed in to their account before they can watch mooring sites or secure a mooring.
Users can secure moorings by pressing the ‘Buy’ button shown on the available mooring. The application process is completed online and must be submitted with the payment for the short term permit to be secured. The first three months must be paid in full for all permit lengths.
Once the completed application is submitted we will check that the 'buyer' satisfies our requirements and if everything is in order we accept the offer and complete the mooring agreement.
Q. Can I 'buy' without registering?
No, you must be registered on the website and have a customer number assigned before you can secure a mooring vacancy. If you are registered in My Trust on the Canal & River Trust website the same log-in details will work here.
If you are registering as a new customer you will not have a customer number assigned to your account and will be unable to secure a mooring. For this reason we recommend checking your details in My Account once you have registered. If you do not have a customer number on your account please contact us on 0303 040 404040 or at waterside.mooring-enquiries@canalrivertrust.org.uk.
Q. Are the vacancies on sale for a limited time?
All moorings are sold on a first come, first served basis. New mooring sites may be added to the website and those already available may be removed at our discretion.
Short term moorings will be available at selected sites and we cannot guarantee space at your preferred site at any given time.
Q. What exactly will I be 'buying'?
You will be ‘buying’ a permit to moor at the mooring site for a 3, 6 or 9 month period at a fixed price. You must read the Standard Mooring Agreement Terms & Conditions and the local site rules if applicable.
Q. How can 'buy' the length of space I need only?
Short Term moorings are priced per metre, per month. Your boat details must be entered on the application process to calculate the price and ensure you by sufficient space for your boat.
Q. What am I committing to when I buy?
When you 'buy' a short term mooring agreement you make an offer to us to moor at the mooring site and you are offering to pay us the mooring fee for the length of agreement selected. If we accept your offer this creates a legally binding contract. You must complete the mooring application online and make the payment to remove the mooring from sale.
Q. Can I 'buy' if I am currently bidding on an auctioned mooring?
It is possible to 'buy' a short term agreement whilst bidding on auctioned vacancies but you must be aware that 'buying' a vacancy will not cancel any current bids you have running. You will be charged a fee equivalent to the first month's mooring fee for each successful auction you win. For this reason, we recommend that you wait for the outcome of one auction before submitting a bid for another vacancy.
Q. Can I 'buy' for someone else who wants the mooring?
No, you may only 'buy' for yourself as this will be the name on the Mooring Agreement if we accept your offer. The Canal & River Trust licence for the boat must also be in your name therefore only you are allowed to occupy the mooring with your boat.
Q. How long will my mooring agreement be for?
When securing a short term mooring agreement you will be able to select the contract length. The contract length options are 3, 6 or 9 months. You will also choose the month you wish the contract to start. All contracts must start from the 1st of the month you choose. The first three months must be paid in full for all contract lengths.
As the short term mooring moorings will be allocated on a first come, first served basis availability at a specific mooring site cannot be guaranteed.
Q. How will I know I have completed the short term process correctly?
A confirmation email will be sent to you when you have completed the short term process. You must complete the mooring application online and make the payment to remove the mooring from sale.
Please note, until the payment has been made and confirmation received the short term agreement is available for sale.
Q. What are the payment options?
They are (A) 3 months fee by credit or debit card followed by equal monthly payments by direct debit (we may research your credit history before allowing this option), (B) one single payment to cover the full permit by credit or debit card.
Option (A) is only available on 6 or 9 month permits.
Q. Can I rent or transfer the mooring to someone else?
No. Clause 4.6 of the Mooring Agreement Terms & Conditions says that the mooring is personal to you and you may not assign it to anyone else. If you decide to sell your boat you must give us notice, surrender the mooring permit (if you have been issued one) and remove your boat from the mooring.
Q. How will I know where my mooring is on the site?
You will not be allocated a specific space at the mooring site (unless indicated otherwise). By securing a short term mooring agreement you are buying the right to moor at the site, not at a specific space at the site.
Q. What happens if stoppages prevent me from reaching the mooring?
It is the responsibility of boaters to check the Canal & River Trust's national stoppage programme, which may prevent you from reaching a mooring site, before securing a short term mooring agreement. Stoppages can be checked at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices
Refunds will not be given if you are unable to moor at your allocated short term mooring because of delays or restrictions caused by stoppages.
Q. What happens if I decide to leave the mooring?
The Short Term Mooring agreement can be terminated after three (3) months by giving us two (2) months' notice in writing. Please sign into your account and click ‘CANCEL MY MOORING’ and complete the online form. Alternatively please complete our Notice to terminate your mooring agreement form - click to download
If you terminate the Short Term Mooring booking in accordance with our terms and conditions, we will credit full, unused months providing you write to us enclosing the booking confirmation. If you are paying by Direct Debit you should not simply cancel it without telling us.
Three month permits are not refundable.
Q. What happens at the end of my contract?
You will be expected to leave the mooring site when your agreement expires. If you wish to remain at the site, provided there are mooring vacancies, it will be necessary for you to secure another mooring agreement through the website.