Pontoon moorings in Salthouse Dock, Liverpool.
Details are emerging of the arrangements that British Waterways is making for boats visiting Liverpool by way of the new canal link which opens shortly.
An announcement is expected in a few days about the date when boaters will be allowed to start using the new canal route. BW wants to ensure that facilities such as water points are available before boats arrive at the new pontoons in Salthouse Dock.
An important point for a boaters hoping to take their boats to Liverpool to know is that they must contact BW's Wigan office (01942 405700) to book a passage along the canal into Liverpool and to book a place on the mooring pontoons in Salthouse Dock. At the present time there are 150 boats on the waiting list so it is essential that anyone hoping to go to Liverpool gets onto this list.
There will be a change in the arrangements for the assisted passage into Liverpool. Boats had previously waited at Bridge 16 in Maghull for BW staff to operate 7 swing bridges. From this year boaters will operate 5 of these bridges themselves and will now wait for their assisted passage at Bridge 9 (Wango Lane). BW staff will now only operate the two very busy swing bridges at Wango Lane and Netherton.
The passage into Liverpool will be in two stages and boats will be required to moor overnight at Eldonian Village (the end of the canal's main line). The next day BW staff will assist boats down the 4 locks of the Stanley Dock Branch and the two new locks at Princes Dock and Mann Island.
Route of Liverpool Canal Link (based on BW map)
Boats travelling back up from Liverpool will also be assisted through the locks, moor overnight at Eldonian village and be assisted through the two swing bridges.
The assisted passages will operate 7 days a week.
Only six boats a day in each direction will be allowed through the assisted sections. The main limiting factor will be the number of berths available on the mooring pontoons. If more boats were allowed through each day there would not be enough moorings available.
Boats will be able to moor at Salthouse Dock for up to 14 days. Water and electricity will be available on the pontoons. There will be no mooring charge.
Special arrangements have been made with the Bridgewater Canal Company that will allow Bridgewater licensed boats an extension in the time they are allowed onto BW waters to enable them to take full advantage of the new moorings.
The moorings in Salthouse Dock are extremely convenient, with Paradise Street bus station just a couple of minutes walk away across the main road. John Lewis and the new Liverpool One shopping area are only 5 minutes or so walk. The nearby Albert Dock is home to the Tate Gallery, the Beatles Story, the Maritime Museum and a number of shops and eating places. The new Liverpool Museum at Mann Island opens in 2010.
Boaters phoning Wigan to book a journey to Liverpool will be sent a skipper's guide containing all the necessary information.
If you are thinking about approaching Liverpool from the Ship Canal and Eastham Lock you MUST phone BW's Wigan office (01942 405700) to book a mooring in Salthouse Dock. If you do not do this you may have to pay for a mooring in Liverpool Marina, which charges by the foot, making it expensive for narrowboats! Entry from the River Mersey is via Brunswick Dock. You need to telephone Liverpool Marina to arrange this and there is a charge for using the lock. Boats using the Ship Canal must meet their very strict requirements.
The arrangements outlined above are for the way the Canal Link will operate this year. BW will monitor the way things work and assess whether any modifications should be made in future.