And the prize for the most miserable harbour goes to Weymouth Harbour.

NDG

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Weymouth now open again but the NTM is silent on visitors' arrangements.
Stopped going to Weymouth a few years ago mainly due to the unwelcoming attitude of the HM referred to elsewhere in this thread. Sounds like this hasn’t changed. We now head to Portland instead which is much underrated.
 

Tomahawk

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So I'm not able to use my boat in Weymouth & 'no visitor requests will be allowed' - but yesterday this arrives & was still there late in the evening View attachment 102481


I am sorry, but that fell out the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way town.. Broke a few as well..
 
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Caladh

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We gave up visiting Weymuff a couple of years ago, when the berthing staff decided that the old system of boats organising there berthing / rafting with each other would be replaced by a fixed command from the HM. We had a major telling off after moving to a vacant space in the evening to allow a boat inside us to leave easily in the early hours.
Us also. We were told to raft on the only other boat on the pontoon. He was singled handed and was due to leave the next day. We couldn’t see any logic in HIS request. The pontoon was empty all the time we were there. Jobsworth with a chip imho just pissin* off visitors
 

DJE

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In the interests of balance I'd like to point out that I've been visiting Weymouth once or twice a season for many years now including once in July this year. I have always found the harbour staff to be polite and helpful.
 

Birdseye

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The OP isnt alone. When there has been lockdown, Cardiff council have closed the barrage locks and prevented access to and from the sea for 4 marinas and what must be close to a thousand boats if not more.

Mind you, it has to be said that half the boats never move anyway.
 

daibachsail

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I have to say that my only fairly recent experience of Weymouth was to enter one evening and fail to call the HM - it had never been a requirement in the previous 30 years and no I hadn't seen the sign on the wall. As a result I was given a proper dressing down in the HM office which I walked round to as soon as I tied up. I decided to let it pass but it was the most unpleasant experience of my 40 years sailing experience. Next time I stopped in Portland and had such a pleasant welcome. Perhaps the intention is to reduce the visitors?
 

SaltyC

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I have to say that my only fairly recent experience of Weymouth was to enter one evening and fail to call the HM - it had never been a requirement in the previous 30 years and no I hadn't seen the sign on the wall. As a result I was given a proper dressing down in the HM office which I walked round to as soon as I tied up. I decided to let it pass but it was the most unpleasant experience of my 40 years sailing experience. Next time I stopped in Portland and had such a pleasant welcome. Perhaps the intention is to reduce the visitors?

A jobsworth? had a 'confrontation' with the Harbour master at Harwich Half penny pier in 2019, after an amicable relationship over years where we tied up and he 'ambled' down - at some point. Tied up at 7am after an overnight training trip, crew went to showers, I followed 30 mins later to be 'accosted' by the new harbourmaster demanding full overnight fees and asking why we didn't go and find him on arrival. Didn't even have any Spaghetti on his cap!!:D;)
 

Sandy

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Perhaps it is a marina thing? I had cause to visit QAB in Plymouth for some work to be done. For reasons beyond anybody's control the work was unable to be undertaken. The greeting from QAB was, "You will be charged for this". Little did they know I had just contacted them by email and had a quote for berthing next year. Their attitude left such a sour taste in my mouth I won't be moving the boat there. Sadly, they responded from a "do not reply" email account so I can't even advise them that they have lost a potential customer.
 

Pete7

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Does Portland still charge harbour dues for visitors?

If they do, its hidden in the marina fees, but we didn't pay a separate fee this summer. Portland marina very accommodating during the Aug bank holiday when we had to vacate Weymouth. You see 3 weeks earlier we were told there was no advanced booking in Weymouth at all. So on our return back to the Solent we just pulled into to Weymouth, to be told you haven't booked and we are full. You can have one night and then must leave into the teeth of a gale, no exceptions. We moved round to Portland and got the storm ropes out to hunker down. Portland did say they were very busy with lots of bookings but squeezed us in anyway. Didn't even cost us much after we cashed in years worth of little vouchers for free overnights after so many stops.

We do like Portland, super wide pontoons and now there is even an Aldi 200 yards from the marina for stocking up :)

Pete
 

LadyInBed

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We do like Portland, super wide pontoons and now there is even an Aldi 200 yards from the marina for stocking up :)
I used to have my mooring in PH (RDYC), since I moved to Wareham I have normally visited Weymouth, but I wasn't that impressed on my last visit!
I will puy Portland back on the list, there were a couple of good pubs doing food, I wonder if they have survived.
 

oleander2

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what has happened to the anchorage? when I visited weymouth in july there were lots of boats anchored off the beach outside the bathing limit buoys?
The problem is that the Bathing limit buoys have been moved progressively southwards over the years. In the 90's it was possible to tuck in behind the North pier..
 
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