robertj
Well-Known Member
Harbour authorities etc charge for anchoring, but if this was not enforcable, would you still pay?
Anchoring fees
- Thread starter robertj
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Chrusty 1
Guest
Emphatically no.
oldbilbo
...
Certainly not. I view the practice of 'demanding money with menaces' practised by local harbour authorities to be akin to that of parking scammers.
Prospect and Sunray
Well-Known Member
How do the authorities enforce the fees?
Are there signs at anchorages warning of being charged? If not, how do you know dropping your anchor will cost you?
Just curious as there is no charging near me AFAIK
Are there signs at anchorages warning of being charged? If not, how do you know dropping your anchor will cost you?
Just curious as there is no charging near me AFAIK
lustyd
Well-Known Member
There isn't a way to enforce it, you're free to leave when they ask for the fee, just say sorry you weren't aware and don't give them your details.
prv
Well-Known Member
prv
Well-Known Member
Blueboatman
Well-Known Member
Light dues, fair enuff, bloke/salary/dory/outboard worth as much as my boat....often two of em too. That is a lot of anchoring overhead.
Fortunately there are still many 'fair' places, but also dimwit journalist wannabes who shout it loud, shhh, mums the word
don't ruin a fair thing!
Fortunately there are still many 'fair' places, but also dimwit journalist wannabes who shout it loud, shhh, mums the word
don't ruin a fair thing!Ex-SolentBoy
Well-Known Member
I see no reason why a harbour authority should not charge for anchoring.
The alternative they have is to lay moorings and charge loads of money for them.
The argument therefore is that by paying a little for anchoring you are keeping the anchorages open.
I am happy to leave this to the forces of commerce. If you anchor far enough away it will not be worthwhile them coming out to you to collect your money. That's what tends to happen in Newtown Creek.
The alternative they have is to lay moorings and charge loads of money for them.
The argument therefore is that by paying a little for anchoring you are keeping the anchorages open.
I am happy to leave this to the forces of commerce. If you anchor far enough away it will not be worthwhile them coming out to you to collect your money. That's what tends to happen in Newtown Creek.
Talulah
Well-Known Member
Are you still paying to anchor in Newtown Creek?
I stopped doing that ages ago although I give the crew the option to if they want to.
Fire99
Well-Known Member
Why? There is no cost to the local community with you anchoring.. In fact, not unlike free parking in towns, if it's free, more people are likely to visit and perhaps spend a few bob in the local shops, café's etc. Anchoring charges is just narrow minded penny-pinching IMO.
Scillypete
Well-Known Member
A dangerous line of thinking. By paying for anchoring the authority sees a ready line of income which can be increased by filling said anchorage with moorings which is quite the opposite of what you are thinking.
Our harbour used to have a large area left as an anchorage for which they charged a small fee. now it is full of moorings and they will not allow anchoring within the harbour, needless to say that the moorings are very secure. We also have many other anchorages one other is following the route of the harbour and putting more and more moorings in where previously you could anchor. More recently a private individual has been granted a license to lay moorings for visitors through a free anchorage although nothing has yet been laid and the anchorage is still free.
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lw395
Well-Known Member
The limits of the port are marked on the chart.
The port usually has an act of parliament allowing it to collect dues.
A lot of it is history, ships often lie to their own anchor but would expect to pay in most ports.
I assume the ships anchored off St Helens are paying something, as they are within the Port of Portsmouth limits?
Boats do get arrested now and then for non-payment.
Not much is completely free! Enjoy it when it is and pay with good grace when reasonably asked. I take the view it costs a fortune to own a boat, so a few quid to anchor it somewhere nice is usually a bargain. A decent buoy to tie up to is normally a better bargain again.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Newtown Creek is different. The National Trust does not have a right to charge fees for lying to your own anchor, so it asks for "donations" which are voluntary. It does, however have rights to charge for mooring buoys, which it exercises.
The whole issue of anchoring charges is complex as there are different rights in different harbours, although most harbours do have the right to charge within their limits. However, not all do, for all sorts of reasons, but others do primarily as a way of controlling the level of activity in the harbour.
This of course is not unconnected with the level of demand - so popular places like Salcombe, Dartmouth, Newton Ferrers, Yarmouth etc adopt an economic approach and control demand with prices. Charges are almost unknown in Scotland on the other hand, which is hardly surprising given the relatively small number of yachts that cruise there - and the local policy to encourage visitors.
There is a useful information sheet on the RYA site that explains the various regulatory regimes regarding moorings and anchoring.
Ex-SolentBoy
Well-Known Member
I am fully aware of the NT situation in Newtown Creek and the answer is that I do pay to anchor. Not a lot, I think I normally give them £5 for lunch or £10 overnight.
However, when I was a NT member I used to pay nothing on the grounds that not paying for anchoring was the only benefit I ever got from them!
Ex-SolentBoy
Well-Known Member
We will have to disagree on this one. To me this not about cost to the community, it's about value delivered. That's why I am happy to pay.
In my experience the people who are incrementally more likely to use a facility because it is free are the very ones who are least likely to spend money locally.
TamarMike
Well-Known Member
Salcombe once chased me almost to Prawle Point in a dory with a flashing blue light after I anchored just inside the Bar - I still refused to pay as I was single handed and didn't want to leave the tiller .
MudShipper
Well-Known Member
My one and only experience of Salcombe was back in the late 70s when we were approached by 2 lads in a rib as we entered, who subsequently demanded a very large amount of money.
Skipper's response was that we would be paying the HM a visit anyway, so we would settle up then, at which point they turned away.
Turns out (according to a local) they were trying to shepherd visitors to the local boatyard moorings, but failing to make this clear.
Seajet
...
Sorry not boaty, but this reminds me strongly of Cheddar Gorge, which I used to live near.
Any car coming along slowly looking around would have a chap with a satchel stand out in the road and direct them to a parking place, then fleece them for a silly amount of money, and they caught a lot of people.
20 yards further on is a free parking area !
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
This was a big topic for discussion 3 or 4 years back.
I think it was Sailing Today that ran a big campaign which ended up with the conclusion that Beaulieu and Salcombe had an 'ancient charter' that gave them the right to charge, but Newtown National Trust does not have a right to charge fees for anchoring.
Dartmouth don't charge for anchoring but they do charge 'River Dues'.
Poole could charge 'Harbour Dues' but they don't bother for boats at anchor, they only charge 'Harbour Dues' for boats in the Marinas.
Falmouth charge in the area of the Harbour Commissioners and Port Pendennis Marina but I'm not sure about other areas of the Fal.
I think it was Sailing Today that ran a big campaign which ended up with the conclusion that Beaulieu and Salcombe had an 'ancient charter' that gave them the right to charge, but Newtown National Trust does not have a right to charge fees for anchoring.
Dartmouth don't charge for anchoring but they do charge 'River Dues'.
Poole could charge 'Harbour Dues' but they don't bother for boats at anchor, they only charge 'Harbour Dues' for boats in the Marinas.
Falmouth charge in the area of the Harbour Commissioners and Port Pendennis Marina but I'm not sure about other areas of the Fal.
