Affordable Moorings, Norfolk, Suffolk, perhaps Essex?

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Normalfornorfolk

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I'm considering another boat at long last but finding moorings at sensible prices seeems harder than I'd imagined.
I'm after a full-tide swinging mooring preferably associated with a marina so there is parking and facilities available as I doubt any marina or shore-berth would be within my price-range - (I'd pay £2500 for that if it were available, way short of what marinas charge now) -and I don't want a mile to row to get there!
I live near Lowestoft so Brightlingsea is about as far as I'd want to travel.
Boat is a heavy 13m long keel with draft of 1.7m
Obvious contenders are Woolverstone and Levington but Woolverstone are very coy about their prices and I haven't found that out yet. The Alde would be perfect except for the bar, ditto Deben. Southwold is not imo a suitable place to keep a yacht. Lowestoft has no swinging moorings and Gt Yarmouth is a wasted opportunity for a marina.
What harbours manage moorings? Boatyards even?
Or is this all just too optimistic?
 
If you are looking at the Orwell, most of the marina berths will be a similar price. At a guess, you would be looking at £3500 to £3900 for 13m.
You could ask at Debbages at the head of the Orwell. I would think they are cheaper than the rest for pontoon moorings.
The Royal Harwich have a fair number of moorings by the channel. I believe Woolverstone do as well. Pin Mill and Levington too. I'm not sure whether Orwell YC or Stoke YC have moorings for 13m boats...
 
RHYC do have moorings but you need to be a member. Pin Mill certainly good value but has a waiting list I think. Lots of empty moorings at Levington.
 
Worth calling Pin Mill. 01473 780258
Plenty of parking and the Pin Mill sailing club but no one would ever call it sophisticated. Great sense of camaraderie, everyone seems happy to lend each other a hand and we've made several good friends.
 
I hope you're sitting down and without a mouthful of coffee - Woolverstone have just quoted me almost £2900 for a swinging mooring which of course I queried but was categorically assured this was correct.
I'm not sure I believe it all the same, but that's what they insisted was the price! That's about the same as Debbages pontoon mooring three miles further up the river!


Berth Details (Woolverstone Marina)
Product Period Price inc tax
Annual Swinging Moorings (Direct Debit) monthly payments of 01/08/2017 - 31/03/2018 £354.69
Annual Swinging Moorings (Advanced Payment in Full) 01/08/2017 - 31/03/2018 £2837.52

Total

£2837.52

Mind you, Levington wasn't much different. No wonder they have plenty of space!

The Royal Harwich is about £750 + membership of which £350 goes to ABP as harbour dues. Sadly my boat is too heavy for their moorings.

May have to rethink this and take up Golf instead.
 
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WAHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blimey that is amazing, what does that price include? Lifts in and out and winter storage ashore, or is that on top of the £2837.52?
 
That does seem a bit steep. At Suffolk Yacht Harbour, we're charging £123.55 per metre + VAT for swinging moorings this year and that includes the winter hard standing fee, but not the lifts out and in. For your 13m boat, that would come to £1927.38, with some discount available for paying up front (i.e. before 1 April). Next year's prices yet to be decided, but some increase is inevitable, I'm afraid.

Currently we specify 6 to 12m LOA, but there may be a bit of flexibility at the upper end if you have a chat with Chris Nunn, our berthing master.

Alternatively, buy yourself a staging on the Blyth at Southwold or Walberswick, many look on those as an investment.

Peter
 
I am sure you will find a swinging mooring at Slaughden, River Alde for a fraction of those prices.
Ok you are restricted to perhaps 2 hrs either side of high water at river mouth, but if you are skilled you can extend either way with your draft. I presume you have a decent size engine?
You could join Aldeburgh Yacht Club and get taken to your boat by free launch (seasonal conditions apply).
There is plenty of free parking, inexpensive dinghy and outboard storage.
Try Paul Cable: 01728 452569 or Brian Upson 01728 453047.
I know its not perfect for you but may be a compromise.
 
Thanks to all for the helpful replies.

The Deben suffers from a highly restrictive entrance, as does the Alde. The moorings there are doubtless just what I want, but if you can only come and go an hour or so either side of high water what's the point?
I'll look again at Pin Mill but access to the boat is via a mudbath and only at restricted states of tide , isn't it?
Tollesbury. Well, where to start? Too far is probably enough!
Amazing how limited the choice of deepwater moorings is!
 
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