Harbour dredging at Watchet to start next week!

38mess

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Gotta say, that's some impressive PR work there. It's also nice to see a business actually doing something (slight dig at Watchet marina here... if you'll excuse the pun). I believe CMS has offered similar dredging to the Marina and I hope they'll reconsider upon seeing the evidence in the outer harbour.
From what I can gather, the outer harbour is the responsibility of the council. The marina is a private enterprise.
I guess it's catch 22 for the marina guys, need more boats for income- finance dredging. Can't get more boats in because of mud. I hope a something works out for them. I love watchet, we sailed there before the marina.
 

NotBirdseye

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From what I can gather, the outer harbour is the responsibility of the council. The marina is a private enterprise.
I guess it's catch 22 for the marina guys, need more boats for income- finance dredging. Can't get more boats in because of mud. I hope a something works out for them. I love watchet, we sailed there before the marina.

Yep that's my understanding too. I believe that CMS has offered its services to the Watchet Marina, but they (for some reason) rejected. If they're in a situation that they don't have the finance to maintain, then they are in breach of their obligations so will need to return the Marina to the council. Watchet could be a really nice place.
 

Sneds

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Light at the end of the tunnel?
Let’s hope so, I really like Watchet, a proper little seaside town and only a few hours from Portishead
 

Sneds

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Certainly looks encouraging, would the bit where that boat is have been as full of mud as the back of the harbour?
 

longjohnsilver

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I’m pretty certain they used to bring in bulldozers every year to keep on top of the build up of mud in the harbour. I haven’t been there for many years, have they done anything about the mud in the Marina?
 

NotBirdseye

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I’m pretty certain they used to bring in bulldozers every year to keep on top of the build up of mud in the harbour. I haven’t been there for many years, have they done anything about the mud in the Marina?

Outer harbor the council have been... reasonably on top of. I very much think that the council prefer this new method, even if it may take longer. As for the marina... no. They did have a machine in there that did a tiny amount of work I believe (near the ends) (though I could be mistaken)... but it's pretty much stalled since then.
 

sarabande

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I wonder if the French model of some marina management might be appropriate ?

Harbour and or marina or parts thereof owned by the municipality in conjunction with some private funding.

I have an idea that a bunch of locals could manage Watchet efficiently and to the benefit of the marina users and the visitors.

Rather like West Somerset Railway (I know there are kerfuffles at the moment) but it has been privately managed for over 40 years.
 
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