Alongside Mistley Quay

benw

benw

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Has anyone stayed overnight at Mistley Quay recently. I remember a while back tensions with quay construction work etc. Having spent a few recent trips at Wrabness, wondered whether an overnight stop would be good. Any thoughts... ( we are a twin keel 32 ftr)
 
benw said:
Has anyone stayed overnight at Mistley Quay recently. I remember a while back tensions with quay construction work etc. Having spent a few recent trips at Wrabness, wondered whether an overnight stop would be good. Any thoughts... ( we are a twin keel 32 ftr)
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Better off anchored just around the corner......
 
benw said:
Has anyone stayed overnight at Mistley Quay recently. I remember a while back tensions with quay construction work etc. Having spent a few recent trips at Wrabness, wondered whether an overnight stop would be good. Any thoughts... ( we are a twin keel 32 ftr)
Click to expand...

The last reports that I read stated that a substanital fence had been erected on the quayside supposedly on health and safety grounds which would make staying overnight a fairly unattractive prospect. A couple of years back there was an active campaign to have the fence removed but I don't think they were sucessful.
 
We went alongside the quayside at the end of August for two hours, the main non working part is closed of with a 6 ft fence. The working part is open but you have to pass through a high gate which is locked when out of hours. Know one objected to us mooring at the end of the working part of the quay but then we didnt ask anyone.
We spoke to some locals who all seem to be against the fence, one telling us that the council have told the company to remove it.
Apparently barges use two long ladders to get over it, As for staying overnight it might be OK as long as you are back on board by knocking off time.
 
We had a club trip there last week and stayed for a couple of hours around high tide.A big lady in a fluorescent jacket and helmet said "you can't moor there".We said we could and stayed.The nice lady from the protest office came out and said they had big ladders to enable us to get over the wire barrier,but we didn't.Later a marine unit police car arrived but they did not get out of the car.I wondered why this was but found out later that the guard had asked one of our members how many boats were coming.He replied "another twenty" which was not true of course.Perhaps they were expecting us to have bolt croppers or chainsaws.It is not now a very attractive place to stay as well as the access problems.The protest does not seem to be getting very far.What a pity several hundred years of access has been ruined by the Elf & Safety mob.
 
jhr said:
I only know what I have read on here, but I suspect that the fencing has nothing to do with Elf & Safety and everything to do with potential "Desirable Waterside Executive Properties" ..... :(
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Agreed. Otherwise every, quay, dock and pontoon in the country would have 6 foot fences around them. Poor HSE types are the scape goats in too many cases.
 
Keep using the quay!

There's a website: www.freethequay.org
They suggest ways you can help, the first of which is "Keep using the quay", and they give a phone number to ring to contact locals who, with a little notice, will help you.
 
If you contact David Foster at Mistley Marine on 01206 392127, he may be able to arrange a drying mooring for you on pontoon berths just downstream of the commercial part of the quay. If the SB Victor is there, it is sometimes possible to lie alongside her.

The local Free The Quay protest group's latest plan it to apply to have Mistley Quay designated as a Village Green. Sadly, up until now their attempts to persuade Tendring District Council to have the offending fence removed have failed.
 
As I understand it the owners of the quay contacted the council re the safety aspects of boats at the quay.The council gave them several options,one was to install proper boarding ladders and lifebuoys etc.Another option was to fence it off.That is why the Coucil are reluctant to be a party to dismantling the fence.This was told to me by a supporter of the protest organisation.Perhaps someone on this website knows the facts.
 
I've been following the plight of those at the Quay for a while.
One thing that has changed is that the status of the quay has changed (within the last few months) which means that planning permission is required to erect the fence. This also means that if the (or a section of) the fence is removed or goes missing, planning permission is required to replace it. Apparently.

There was a little feature on BBC Essex a while back with an interview with a member of Tendring Council when the status was changed.

Well that's how I understand it :)
 
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