Mooring your boat

There are miles of free mooring along the banks and rivers and the open Broads, follow these simple rules and you should find you are able to moor your boat quietly and proficiently!

Always take your time, mooring is not a competition and if you rush you may lose control.

Always keep your speed down and approach moorings slowly.

Watch what the tide and wind is doing.

Always allocate your crew specific tasks and make sure that they understand their role.

Approaching a mooring

When you see the spot at which you wish to moor, follow these simple pointers:

1. Start to slow down
2. Approach the moorings against the tide – if you are not then drive past the spot, and turn around so that you are against the tide.  Don’t forget to maintain sufficient power to retain steering control.
3. As you enter the mooring space, go into neutral and glide in. As you come alongside move the gear lever into reverse and give a few short bursts of the throttle to bring you to  a standstill.
4. Your nominated crew member can then step carefully ashore with the bow mooring rope. Do not jump ashore, as the bank or quay may be slippery or uneven.  Tie up the bow rope but not too tightly at first.
5.  Because you have come in against the tide the stern will drift gently in. Tie the stern rope firmly and then retighten the bow rope.
6. Keep your engine running until you have safely moored up.

Mooring Stern On

You are asked to moor stern on to the bank in boatyard basins, some yacht stations and at Wroxham, Ranworth, Rockland and Womack staithes.  Unless signs say that you can, do not moor stern-on on any river.

1. Stop with the bow opposite the point at which you want to moor
2. Put the rudder hard over, and give the throttle a few bursts ahead to swing the stern in line with the mooring space.
3. Go slowly astern, but don’t go too slowly that you lose control of the steering

As your stern approaches the quay, a couple of quick throttle bursts ahead will bring you to a standstill

1. Your nominated crew member can then step ashore and tie up both stern ropes.
2. Keep your engine running until you have safely moored up.
3. Sometimes it is easier to jump onto the next boat with a rope and pull your boat in, but don’t forget to ask permission from the other boat owner.
4. If there is a strong crosswind or tide, make allowance for drifting.

Mooring Stern –on next to other craft

1. Go astern slowly towards the boat alongside which you wish to moor.
2. As you reach it, a couple of quick throttle bursts ahead will bring you to a standstill.
3. Your nominated crew member can step aboard the adjacent boat (ask permission first) with the stern rope, pull your boat into position and tie up.
4. Once the stern ropes are secured, lower the mud weight at the bows to prevent left/right movement.
5. Keep your engine running until you have safely moored up.

Double Mooring

Where the river is wide, you may moor two abreast, but do not obstruct the channel.  In particular, moor only in a single line near the railway bridge at Reedham as larger vehicles need to manoeuvre.

Anchoring with a mud weight

The mud weight allows you to moor in sheltered tide free water, e.g. Salhouse and Ranworth Broads.  When doing this, remember that the boat will swing  around the mud weight, as will any other boats with mud weights, so do not choose a place too near other boats or obstructing channels.  Do not be afraid to pay out a generous amount of rope which allows the mud weight to ‘set’ and prevent drifting.  Do not moor up for the night in this way if strong winds are forecast – as you may drift as your mud weight is dragged along with you.

Head up into the wind in the desired place, and bring the boat to a standstill. Make sure the weight is secured by its rope and the rope is attached to the deck cleat/ring at the other end, and then lower it.

If, when leaving a mooring the mud weight is difficult to lift, pull the rope as tight as possible, secure it to the cleat and, under power, move the boat slowly astern for a short distance.  This will free the weight from the mud.

Put the engine into neutral and raise the mud weight. Rinse off the surplus mud by swinging the weight to and fro in the water before stowing it carefully on deck.

Leaving a mooring

Assess wind and tide conditions (sometimes referred to as steam or current) and plan on the basis of the following guidance notes.  Ensure your crew know  their responsibilities.  Start the engine and while allowing it to warm up check that the ropes are knot and tangle free, easy to release (from onboard the boat if necessary) and not hanging over the side or stern.

1. Leaving with the tide or wind

Cast off the stern rope first and stow away.  Allow the stern to drift out from the quay or bank.  As you cast off the bow rope, engage the reverse gear and reverse into the main stream.  When clear engage forward gear and proceed.

2. Leaving against strong tide or wind

Adjust the boats position so that the stern rope is as near as possible at 90 degrees to the quay or bank and is easy to release.  Cast off the bow rope first.  Gently push the bow out as you step aboard (with the rope).  Cast off the stern rope, engage forward gear and steer a shallow angled course away from the mooring.  Too steep an angle, or too much power, may cause your stern to scrape along the quay or hit moored boats.

3.  Wind blowing onto bank and holding you in ‘Springing off’

Cast off stern rope and stow away.  Put the rudder hard over towards the bank or quay and go slow ahead on the throttle, gradually shortening the bow rope, as the stern swings out into the river, cast off the bow rope and go astern until well clear .  Swing the rudder hard over and proceed.

Remember these are not ‘hard and fast’ rules. There are possible variations depending on the strength of the tide and direction of the wind. The important thing is to assess the conditions and plan ahead.

Turning round in a narrow waterway

Your boat will pivot around on its nose if the bow rope is held still.  Approach the bank and when you are a few feet away, send someone ashore with a bow rope to hold the bow still.  Put the steering hard over towards the bank or quay and engage forward gear at tickover speed.  The stern will then swing round and boat will pivot on its bows.

Turning a moored boat

If you need to turn your boat round in a narrow dyke, this can be done from the shore using the ropes.  Be careful always to keep at least one rope to the shore, and use the wind/tide to help you swing the boat. Don’t try this if the current is too strong.

How to fix mooring ropes

The L-shaped rhond anchors provided to attach to mooring lines are meant for mooring  at soft banks where there are no mooring rings or posts. 

Points to check when mooring

1.    Hazards

When approaching the bank, watch out for any underwater obstructions, usually marked with red marker posts and for overhanging branches which might damage your windscreen or canopy.

2.    Fenders

Whenever you moor against a quay or made up bank, or double moor against other craft, make sure your fenders are adjusted so they protect the hull from chafing and do not obstruct any heating outlet.  Mooring for any length of time in tidal reaches may mean periodic adjustments.

3.    Tide

Make sure there is enough depth of water to prevent you going aground when the tide drops. 

Leave enough slack on the ropes to allow for any tidal rise and fall, which will increased as you get nearer to Great Yarmouth

4.    Dinghy

If mooring stern on, remember to unfasten your dinghy and pull it alongside to avoid crushing it

5.    Engines

To avoid damage to banks, do not run your engine in gear when moored.

6.    Footpaths

Do not moor up with ropes across a footpath.

Free 24 hour Mooring

You may also moor free for 24 hours at the following moorings: Aldeby Hall Staithe, Barton Turf, Beccles Bypass Bridge, Beccles Marsh, Belaugh Staithe, Bramerton Common, Cockshoot Dyke, Coltishall Common,  Deep Dyke, Deep Go Dyke, Dilham Staithe, Dutch Tea Gardens, Gay  Staithe, Geldeston Lock, Herringfleet, Horning Island, Horning Parish Staithe, Hoveton Viaduct, How Hill, Irstead Staithe, Langley Dyke, Ludham Bridge, Neatishead, Paddy’s Lane, Postwick Wharf, Potter Heigham, Martham Bank, Potter Heigham Repps Bank, Ranworth Staithe, Reedham Quay, Rockland St Mary Staithe, Somerleyton Staithe, St Olaves, Stokesby, Sutton Staithe, Thorpe Green, Thurne Mouth, Wayford Bridge, Whitlingham Country Park, Wroxham Broad Spit.

Other Moorings

A mooring fee is payable at Acle Moorings (opposite side of river to Horizon Craft), Port of Yarmouth Marina, Burgh Castle Marina, Horsey Mere, Oulton Broad, Salhouse Broad, Thurne and West Somerton.  A number of public houses with moorings charge for their usage overnight. The amount is usually about £5 and in most cases redeemable against purchases in the pub.

Beccles Yacht Station (01502) 712 225

£6.80 stern on, £9.75 side on for 24 hours

Great Yarmouth Yacht Station (01493) 842 794

£5 daytime mooring (10am-6pm)

£12 overnight (6pm-10am)

Norwich Yacht Station (01603) 612 980

£5 daytime mooring (10am-6pm)

£12 overnight (10am-6pm)

Oulton Broad Yacht Station (01502) 574 946

£6.80 stern on, £9.75 side on for 24 hours

All prices correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to confirmation.

DO NOT MOOR

1. Where there are red markers – these indicate underwater obstructions.                                                                                                                                
2. In the New Cut between Reedham and St Olaves – there are dangerous stakes submerged at high water
3. To navigation posts or buoys except in an emergency – these are only for channel markings and not constructed to hold a boat.
4. To large wooden structures (dolphins) which are for use by ships.
5. Where notices forbid it.
6. Lower reaches of rivers, where the current is very strong and the rise and fall of the tide is very large.

For more information on Moorings please checkout our Tour the Broads Section on this information page or view our interactive map to plan your journey Click Here