What is going on at Tollesbury Marina

[alandalus11]

We had wanted to visit Tollesbury Marina for some time so on our travels this year had made plans to do so. Having spoken to others that had visited they all advised us not to because they had been sitting in mud. Now, I appreciate there are some that are happy to sit in mud but we are not in a position to be able to do so. After a quick call to the office at Tollesbury I was advised that there should be no problems on the hammerheads or further into the marina as there would be at least 1 to 1.5 Mtrs of water under our hull at low water.

Having been told this we decide to go and were given a choice of the hammerhead at the entrance with lovely views out across the creek or further in the marina with the promise of "plenty of water under the hull". We took the hammerhead and on our first low tide found a distinct lack of water. On checking the depth with my boat hook there was only 20 cm of water between the bottom of my hull and hard solid sand. Any shallower and my propellers would have been sandwiched between 8 tons of boat and hard sand. I checked the other berth we were offered and this had a total of 0.5 Mtrs of water so if we had taken this we would have been in the mud completely.

The picture shows the first two sets of finger pontoons as you enter the marina on the port side at low water.

Has anyone else had any problems at Tollesbury recently because the last time we visited which was probably about 6 years ago I don't recall it being this bad. Last time we visited we were on finger pontoons on the starboard side as you enter. Even this was in mud now. We love Tollesbury and would love to come again but not until the problems with dredging are resolved and certainly not until we can get an accurate answer as to how much water is actually in the marina as this could have been a costly visit.

 

[Cantata]

I was there two weeks ago and asked about this. I was told that the marina has recently acquired its own dredger and work will begin 'before too long'. I dare say if someone else were to pick up the phone and call Finn, the HM, there might be more info by now. I was there during neaps and saw nothing like the view in the pic although I guess that's right over on the east side? I didn't go that way..

 

[pvb]

Tollesbury Marina was supposedly dredged in 2017. There doesn't seem to have been an application for a dredging licence more recently.

 

[alandalus11]

Some of the resident berth holders I spoke with said no dredging has been done for a good few years and that seems to be evident at the entrance and well into the marina There was a dredger up on the hard so it will be interesting to see when operations will start. It certainly appears from what we saw there will be a lot of spoil to remove before it gets to anywhere near a descent level inside.

 

[pvb]

Some of the resident berth holders I spoke with said no dredging has been done for a good few years and that seems to be evident at the entrance and well into the marina There was a dredger up on the hard so it will be interesting to see when operations will start. It certainly appears from what we saw there will be a lot of spoil to remove before it gets to anywhere near a descent level inside.

It's possible that they didn't go ahead with the 2017 dredging then. The previous dredging licence was, I think, in 2009, so that's a very long time for the mud to build up. 2017 was a time of some personal turmoil for the then owners, and that maybe explains why the planned dredging perhaps didn't happen.

 

[LittleSister]

2017 was a time of some personal turmoil for the then owners,

It's changed hands, then?

 

[pvb]

It's changed hands, then?

Sort of. As I understand it, one of the original joint owners decided to leave and was bought out by the other joint owner. If you have a look at publicly-available records at Companies House, you'll see some of what happened.

 

[Leighb]

We were in Tollesbury very recently and saw nothing like that. It was neaps, but I would have that that the marina drains down to the sill at LW neaps anyway? Perhaps I am wrong about that. We were on B pontoon, on the "approach" side so at the more northerly end of the marina.

 

[Leighb]

We were in Tollesbury very recently and saw nothing like that. It was neaps, but I would have that that the marina drains down to the sill at LW neaps anyway? Perhaps I am wrong about that. We were on B pontoon, on the "approach" side so at the more northerly end of the marina.

Here is a photo taken at 11-52 on 24-7-19. According to Tides planner, LW was at 11-00 so tidal height was about 1.4m at 11-55. The chart shows the sill as drying 1.9m so this view shows that part of marina when fully dried out.

There would appear to be a big difference in available depth depending which part of the marina you are in?

 

[pvb]

I know a few people who used to berth in Tollesbury Marina, but who have moved out in the last few years after becoming increasingly frustrated by the rather poor management of the marina. Now that the ownership structure has been modified, hopefully the new manager will do a better job. But the marina needs a lot of money spending on it.

 

[Ianqv]

Its a real shame as we really like it there The restaurant is excellent!! Sadly we no longer visit because of the silting problem! Others we talk to also feel the same way and it has also now disappeared from the sailing club calendar - because of this reason!! PLEASE PLEASE dredge and we will all return!

 

[dolabriform]

Its a real shame as we really like it there The restaurant is excellent!! Sadly we no longer visit because of the silting problem! Others we talk to also feel the same way and it has also now disappeared from the sailing club calendar - because of this reason!! PLEASE PLEASE dredge and we will all return!

We've just arrived in Tollesbury, although we only draw 0.8m. Will post an update at low tide!

 

[Cantata]

It's no problem for those of us whose boats live in a mud berth but I can understand others being reticent to go there. But I can't imagine that 'mud will stick' if you're there for just one or two days.

 

[Concerto]

I have not been to Tollesbury Marina since the early 1990's. I hate sitting in mud, so on return to the Medway I decide to scrub and was surprised at how much mud had stuck to the clean antifouling. At that time I had only a 5ft 6in draft and was told I must leave the following day as I would become neaped with an inadequate tidal rise to cross the sill for at least 4 days. So I have never returns and have no intention of ever visiting again.

 

[dolabriform]

We've been here for a couple of days, and there is about a meter of water on E pontoon at LW, and it seems much more on the pontoons near the office. There is only about a foot and half of water in parts of the channel at LW.

The staff have been amazing, really friendly and helpful. The food at the Harbour View is exemplary, the best marina restaurant we've experienced so far. The guys in the yard are aware of the problems, and were honest about the situation. They are really proud of Tollesbury and seemed genuinely upset that it wasn't where it should be and were determined to get it back to it's former glory.

All told we've been really impressed and can't wait to visit again

 

[tillergirl]

Also if you like Curry, 'Ruby's' at Tolleshunt D'Arcy up the road is excellent. Friends have joined and agreed it is good and come again. D'Arcy is too far up the road to walk and there is no taxi as far as I know. But Ruby's will deliver and has a good service. Unfortunately they no longer deliver to the pontoon on account of the new parking monitoring - long enough to deliver to the boat causes a £100 fine - everything on cameras. So the driver will be asking the customer to meet at the gates. But it's a great meal: 01621-868942. (Oh PS, they don't have a licence at the moment - bring your own if you get a lift)

 

[pvb]

Also if you like Curry, 'Ruby's' at Tolleshunt D'Arcy up the road is excellent. Friends have joined and agreed it is good and come again. D'Arcy is too far up the road to walk and there is no taxi as far as I know. But Ruby's will deliver and has a good service. Unfortunately they no longer deliver to the pontoon on account of the new parking monitoring - long enough to deliver to the boat causes a £100 fine - everything on cameras. So the driver will be asking the customer to meet at the gates. But it's a great meal: 01621-868942. (Oh PS, they don't have a licence at the moment - bring your own if you get a lift)

It really is darkest Essex, innit?

 

[alandalus11]

It's about 20 minutes walk into town, but we found the Kings Head Pub does great food and the welcome is very friendly. It's by the town square.

 

[RivalRedwing]

We were there a week ago, the starboard side of C pontoon (as you enter) had plenty of water, we draw 1.5m and didn't touch at low water. The port side of C was a different matter, certainly at the cill end, where the water depth was about 50cm at low water .... And the restaurant was very good, especially the clams and chorizo ��

 

[Cantata]

We looked at the pub yet again a few weeks ago and thought it didn't do any food at all?!
Anyway the grub at the marina really is very good indeed at the moment.
But then so is Ruby's as Tillergirl describes. But then he did take us there! :encouragement: