SeaLift, Haslar Marina

[xcw]

The SeaLift at Haslar Marina is now being operated by Boat Folk (the owners of Haslar). I have used the SeaLift a number of times over the past few years and have always taken the opportunity to change the anodes as the boat is being scrubbed. I have just booked my boat in for a lift and have been told by Boat Folk that they no longer allow owners to do any work on their boat when it is lifted due to 'company policy', however they would be able to change my anode for an estimated price of £58!! Not bad for 10 minutes work! I guess that's progress

 

[dom]

Not only is SeaLift expensive, it's a terrible service.

A mid-season scrub ensures that the antifoul is almost totally removed, something a skilled operator with the right spray nozzle won't do. I've heard that the overnight antifoul service is done by unskilled labour, often with a wet boat, and with minimal prep.

Avoid at all costs - pun intended!

BTW: I can personally recommend Kingston Marine Services in Cowes: Great service, decent prices, and proper boatmen (no personal connection)

 

[Gary Fox]

+1 for Kingston

 

[Poignard]

+1 for Kingston

A long time ago I used to have my boat scrubbed and antifouled at a very reasonable price by Luke at Hardway Marine. I don't know if the service is still available but it was very good and included collecting and returning the boat.

 

[Nina Lucia]

Gosport Boat Yard is reasonable cost as well, two three weeks waiting list

 

[Turnnidge]

The new yard that has just opened up at the South end of Royal Clarence Yard called Victoria Quay is very good, I got a life wash and re-launch there last week. No other associated link, just a happy customer.

 

[ashtead]

The historic issue with the lift was sometimes responsiveness from the team operating (maybe this is terrible service mentioned above) so i wonder if Boatfolk will have a more seamless service (I think Nick is responsible at the outfit formerly known as Haslar) I have mailed a couple of days ago to check prices and await details. I don’t know how the price quoted for changing anodes compares with GBY which was partly reason for enquiry . I have also heard that Dufours don’t fit the lift platform but might apply to other makes. I have always used GBY who are responsive if a lift is needed at short order if you are a regular customer . I will look at Victoria though so thanks for that.

 

[Rappey]

Sealift was built and ran as a demonstration project with a view to selling.. I guess this is what has happened..

(I think Nick is responsible at the outfit formerly known as Haslar

Nick is the boatyard manager at Deacons ..

 

[Sea-Fever]

I've used sealift before and as I recall they helped me change the anodes free of charge. It wasnt exactly cheap overall but it was convenient.....no waiting for tides etc, no slings.

That particular corner of the market needs a bit of competition.

 

[Rappey]

EU regs dictated that scrubbing off and allowing the water to run back into the sea was to be prohibited.
Sealift has filtration systems so only clean water would go back into the sea..
No other place around Portsmouth harbour had the ability to catch and filter water contaminated with antifoul so their future was looking good..
The regulation seems to have vanished, maybe because some of the nastyies have been removed from antifouling? Would explain why antifoul seems so rubbish nowadays.
A lot of visitors are using the 8 scrubbing grids at hardway sailing club nowadays as its only £10 per tide, £10 to borrow their pressure washer and £3 for a token to put in it.

 

[arto]

I've used Sealift in the past and generally had a good experience.

My boat is being anti-fouled by them as I write this - lifted yesterday afternoon and held overnight, should be refloated later today.

It's convenient but not cheap and slightly less alarming than watching your pride and joy swinging from the crane at Gosport Boat Yard (though they've always done excellent work for me).

As a business venture, I suspect the Sealift enterprise was not a great success. As far as I know, they only ever built two - the other one used to be located on the east bank the Medina, near East Cowes Marina. No idea where it went. Presumably the kit is expensive and you can only realistically antifoul one boat per day at most, which means you've a lot of capital tied up handling far fewer boats than a crane and some hardstanding. Against that, you don't need a whole lot of space which is great for Haslar Marina which is pretty much devoid of storage ashore.

 

[xcw]

I've used Sealift in the past and generally had a good experience.

My boat is being anti-fouled by them as I write this - lifted yesterday afternoon and held overnight, should be refloated later today.

It's convenient but not cheap and slightly less alarming than watching your pride and joy swinging from the crane at Gosport Boat Yard (though they've always done excellent work for me).

As a business venture, I suspect the Sealift enterprise was not a great success. As far as I know, they only ever built two - the other one used to be located on the east bank the Medina, near East Cowes Marina. No idea where it went. Presumably the kit is expensive and you can only realistically antifoul one boat per day at most, which means you've a lot of capital tied up handling far fewer boats than a crane and some hardstanding. Against that, you don't need a whole lot of space which is great for Haslar Marina which is pretty much devoid of storage ashore.

I think you will find the SeaLift at Haslar is the one that used to be at East Cowes, it was moved across a few years ago.

 

[Never Grumble]

The new yard that has just opened up at the South end of Royal Clarence Yard called Victoria Quay is very good, I got a life wash and re-launch there last week. No other associated link, just a happy customer.

were the charges reasonable

 

[arto]

I think you will find the SeaLift at Haslar is the one that used to be at East Cowes, it was moved across a few years ago.

I think the Gosport device was a separate one. Sealift's website certainly suggests there were multiple docks:

Sealift3 International Limited started operating its first RD model Dock at Cowes, Isle of Wight in 2006 and we have been servicing customers in the Solent area since then with a 100% safety record. After a management buyout of the business, the company name changed to Sealift3 Limited

A new SD model was launched in 2010, with the design goals to reduce the draft required to operate the dock and to reduce the cost of manufacturing, shipping, installing and maintaining the dock. These design goals were met and in 2011 we moved the new SD model dock to Haslar Marina, Gosport. Our docks have also been installed at Platinum Yacht Repair in Dubai and Marina Developments Limited in Devon.

The current SD model handles 65ft vessels weighing up to 50 tons. We can also create bespoke designs for larger boats up to twice this size.

See About — Sealift3

 

[Turnnidge]

were the charges reasonable

I thorgh so, 9.4 m boat was about £175.

 

[ribdriver]

I think the Gosport device was a separate one. Sealift's website certainly suggests there were multiple docks:

Sealift3 International Limited started operating its first RD model Dock at Cowes, Isle of Wight in 2006 and we have been servicing customers in the Solent area since then with a 100% safety record. After a management buyout of the business, the company name changed to Sealift3 Limited

A new SD model was launched in 2010, with the design goals to reduce the draft required to operate the dock and to reduce the cost of manufacturing, shipping, installing and maintaining the dock. These design goals were met and in 2011 we moved the new SD model dock to Haslar Marina, Gosport. Our docks have also been installed at Platinum Yacht Repair in Dubai and Marina Developments Limited in Devon.

The current SD model handles 65ft vessels weighing up to 50 tons. We can also create bespoke designs for larger boats up to twice this size.

See About — Sealift3

The other one is in Cardiff -
Boat Lifting | The Marine Group

 

[LadyInBed]

I thorgh so, 9.4 m boat was about £175.

My quote To Lift, pressure wash and relaunch my 10m boat be £187.30 inc vat
Price list:
Lift, pressure wash and relaunch – price per metre LOA

(Multihulls and badly fouled boats may be subject to a surcharge of 1.5 times the following rates)

Up to 9m
£ 17.68

9.1m to 12m
£ 18.73

12.1m to 15m
£ 24.29

15.1m to 18m
£ 28.53

Over 18m POA

 

[Solent Sailor]

I've sought quotes from them a couple of times but on each occassion its been far cheaper and more convenient to have a conventional lift. That's even before the cost of motoring from Hamble to Gosport is factored in.

I think its a shame. From a business perspective it should be a volume business - cheap enough that people use it more frequently. Perhaps they are already busy enough that they don't need to worry about reducing their prices?

Either way, I wouldn't ever use it for antifouling per se. There's no way (save possibly for the very driest and warmest days of the year) that the hull can be dry, prepped, painted and dried before relaunch over the course of the time allowed.

 

[sfellows]

We used the Sealift on Friday. 13.7m boat, £340 including a 10% discount as we are moored at Haslar. This is roughly the same price as the new Victoria Quay.

Where Victoria Quay may be better is if they allow you to change Anodes (policy at Haslar is now you cannot).

 

[xcw]

I've sought quotes from them a couple of times but on each occassion its been far cheaper and more convenient to have a conventional lift. That's even before the cost of motoring from Hamble to Gosport is factored in.

I think its a shame. From a business perspective it should be a volume business - cheap enough that people use it more frequently. Perhaps they are already busy enough that they don't need to worry about reducing their prices?

Either way, I wouldn't ever use it for antifouling per se. There's no way (save possibly for the very driest and warmest days of the year) that the hull can be dry, prepped, painted and dried before relaunch over the course of the time allowed.

I'm not sure that is the case. I'm based at Haslar and the Sea Lift seems very under utilised. To be fair I'm normally there at weekends so it may be busier during the week. Maybe Boatfolk will make more of a success of it but their restriction of not being able to work on your boat or even stay on the boat whilst it is being lifted due to Health & Safety may put many off.