Rivers
Berths available
Bishop Meadow L1
Loughborough, Leicestershire · River Soar
£3,272 a year for a 10m cruiser
Small boat moorings that allow liveaboards in England
Places that take small boats. Dinghies, day boats and RIBs. Moorings where the site says you can live on board, outright or by arrangement. Residential moorings often need planning consent and pay council tax; we show the terms as each site states them.
10 sites · 1 with space now · 1 with a waiting list · typical £1,078 a year for a 6m boat (£920–£1,825 across 5 published tariffs)
At a glance
- 10 sites: 3 on canals, 2 on rivers, 2 on estuaries and tidal rivers and 3 on the open coast.
- 1 of the 10 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Bishop Meadow L1.
- Keeping a waiting list: Whitby Marina.
- For a 6m boat, published prices run from £920 a year (Bembridge Harbour) to £1,825 a year (Hannover Pontoon); the middle of 5 is £1,078 a year.
- Longest boat taken: 50m (164ft) at Hartlepool Marina.
- Of the 10, 8 have electric hook-up, 3 a pump-out, 2 diesel, 2 a boat hoist and 3 visitor berths.
- Groups running more than one: Canal & River Trust (3).
Coast & harbours
Waiting list
Whitby Marina
Whitby, North Yorkshire · Whitby Harbour (North Sea)
Prices not published
Canals
Full
Abbot's Wharf L1
London, Greater London · Limehouse Cut
Prices not published
Estuaries & tidal rivers
Full
Blackwall Basin Moorings
London, Greater London · Blackwall Basin
Prices on request
Coast & harbours
Bembridge Harbour
St Helens, Isle of Wight · Bembridge Harbour
£3,800 a year for a 10m yacht
Canals
Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation
Chelmsford, Essex · Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation
£3,120 a year for a 57ft narrowboat
Estuaries & tidal rivers
Hannover Pontoon
Bristol, Bristol · Bristol Harbour
£3,042 a year for a 10m yacht
Coast & harbours
Hartlepool Marina
Hartlepool, County Durham · Tees Bay (North Sea)
£2,850 a year for a 10m yacht
Canals
Cowroast Waterside & Marina
Tring, Hertfordshire · Grand Union Canal
Prices on request
Rivers
Wyre Marina Boatyard
Pershore, Worcestershire · River Avon
Prices on request
Compared: prices for a 6m boat
| Site | Where | A year, 6m boat | Liveaboard | Space |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Meadow L1 | Loughborough, River Soar | £1,005 | Residential moorings with planning consent | Berths available |
| Whitby Marina | Whitby, Whitby Harbour (North Sea) | – | Liveaboards allowed | Waiting list |
| Abbot's Wharf L1 | London, Limehouse Cut | – | Residential moorings with planning consent | Full |
| Blackwall Basin Moorings | London, Blackwall Basin | On request | Residential moorings with planning consent | Full |
| Bembridge Harbour | St Helens, Bembridge Harbour | £920 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation | Chelmsford, Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation | £1,078 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Hannover Pontoon | Bristol, Bristol Harbour | £1,825 | Liveaboards allowed | Not reported |
| Hartlepool Marina | Hartlepool, Tees Bay (North Sea) | £1,710 | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
| Cowroast Waterside & Marina | Tring, Grand Union Canal | On request | Residential moorings with planning consent | Not reported |
| Wyre Marina Boatyard | Pershore, River Avon | On request | Liveaboard by arrangement | Not reported |
From each site's published tariff. "–" means the site doesn't say. Prices change; confirm with the site.
Questions
How much does a mooring for a 6m boat cost in England?
Across the 5 small boat moorings that allow liveaboards here that publish a price, a 6m boat costs from £920 a year at Bembridge Harbour to £1,825 a year at Hannover Pontoon. The middle figure is £1,078 a year. Check what each includes: electricity, water and VAT vary.
What are the cheapest small boat moorings that allow liveaboards in England?
For a 6m boat, Bembridge Harbour is cheapest at £920 a year in St Helens.
Which small boat moorings that allow liveaboards in England have space now?
1 of the 10 told us in the last six weeks they have space: Bishop Meadow L1. Each page shows the date they told us and what they have.
Can you live aboard at small boat moorings that allow liveaboards in England?
All 10 say you can: Bishop Meadow L1 (residential moorings with planning consent), Whitby Marina (liveaboards allowed), Abbot's Wharf L1 (residential moorings with planning consent), Blackwall Basin Moorings (residential moorings with planning consent), Bembridge Harbour (liveaboard by arrangement), Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation (liveaboard by arrangement), Hannover Pontoon (liveaboards allowed), Hartlepool Marina (liveaboard by arrangement) and 2 more. Living aboard can need planning consent and council tax; ask each site about its terms.
Do I need a licence as well as a mooring?
On top of the mooring fee: of these, 4 need a Canal & River Trust boat licence, 1 need an Avon Navigation Trust licence and 1 need the navigation's own licence. Coastal marinas usually need none.
Broader
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