Old Rhodie
Active Member
We are putting together a sailing program and wondered if you had any idea when Watchet would be available for 8 - 10 boats later in the season
Ken
Ken
Any body got news on Watchet ?
- Thread starter Old Rhodie
- Start date
Q
quimby
Guest
ribdriver
Well-Known Member
Insurers have now agreed to pay for gate but won't reinsure it unless it is modified so as to prevent this happening again. However the gate is actually owned by the district council so urgent discussions are being undertaken to sort this.
tonybarebones
Well-Known Member
Does anyone have a photo of the damaged gate?
peterhull
Well-Known Member
You are probably better contacting Watchet marina direct on this. The management of the marina is poor.
The marina staff are doing their best but I get the impression the lease holder is really not that interested in boating activities. He is absent most of the time and is very rarely on site.
More interested in making money from redevelopment.
West Somerset District Council who own the harbour and lease it to the current operator are strapped for cash as well so things are not looking good at the moment. We can only hope for some improvement but Watchet boat owners are pretty fed up with the current situation.
We await developments of the gate repair ,it appears to be subject to an insurance claim.
Boats are entering and leaving by temporary 'stop logs'.
The marina staff are doing their best but I get the impression the lease holder is really not that interested in boating activities. He is absent most of the time and is very rarely on site.
More interested in making money from redevelopment.
West Somerset District Council who own the harbour and lease it to the current operator are strapped for cash as well so things are not looking good at the moment. We can only hope for some improvement but Watchet boat owners are pretty fed up with the current situation.
We await developments of the gate repair ,it appears to be subject to an insurance claim.
Boats are entering and leaving by temporary 'stop logs'.
Last edited:
solitaire11
Well-Known Member
You'd of thought once all the stop logs are out they would just drive a couple of dozers and 360's down the inner slipway and get this sorted. 1 month and the place would be back to full depth!! C'mon watchet get your self together! When the Kathleen and may went to appledore, at low tide they craned some machines in and dug her a deep berth in no time..
Last edited:
peterhull
Well-Known Member
Yes I agree, I am afraid that just about sums up the dilemma we have with the current management of Watchet marina.
They are farting about with an expensive dredger that is hugely inefficient. It gobbles diesel like no tomorrow. It is frequently craned out due to mechanical problems. When working it splatters mud over berth holders boats. It has also been loaned out to other harbours to recover costs to carry on at Watchet.
It relies on mixing up the mud and pumping the resulting suspension over the harbour wall.
The transmission is driven by hydraulics which every mechanical engineer knows is only about 60% efficient. In addition, expensive hydraulic motors are submerged in a highly corrosive and abrasive mud mix.
One former employee who was involved in the original construction of the marina said ' it is a simple bulk muck shifting job' . One of the problems of course is the presence of pontoons and boats which have to be moved to get at the mud.
And so it it goes on. West Somerset District Council could not be less interested in the whole affair.
They are farting about with an expensive dredger that is hugely inefficient. It gobbles diesel like no tomorrow. It is frequently craned out due to mechanical problems. When working it splatters mud over berth holders boats. It has also been loaned out to other harbours to recover costs to carry on at Watchet.
It relies on mixing up the mud and pumping the resulting suspension over the harbour wall.
The transmission is driven by hydraulics which every mechanical engineer knows is only about 60% efficient. In addition, expensive hydraulic motors are submerged in a highly corrosive and abrasive mud mix.
One former employee who was involved in the original construction of the marina said ' it is a simple bulk muck shifting job' . One of the problems of course is the presence of pontoons and boats which have to be moved to get at the mud.
And so it it goes on. West Somerset District Council could not be less interested in the whole affair.
solitaire11
Well-Known Member
Real shame as it is a lovely place, but I think the writings on the wall ��
peterhull
Well-Known Member
Yes sadly I think it will only improve when the current leaseholder bows out, he doesn't really seem interested.
Rumour has it he spends most of his time in Dallas USA!!
Rumour has it he spends most of his time in Dallas USA!!
PCUK
Well-Known Member
A boatowners cooperative would be nice. Personally I would slash the mooring fees to fill all the berths, do away with the gate for the time being and provide a full service mud berth marina. It works OK at Gillingham Marina on the Medway (over on the cheap side). Just a thought!
Old Rhodie
Active Member
"Gillingham Marina on the Medway" does not have the tides we have and nothing like the suspended silt, so it does not get anything like the layer of sediment each and every tide that we get. With no flow through the marina, much of it could become hard ground, not soft mud.
peterhull
Well-Known Member
mmmmmmmmmmmmm, interesting solution, maybe you should suggest that to Watchet Marina. Some boats barely float in parts of the marina where the mud is too deep anyway.
I might suggest that at our next Watchet Boat Owners Association meeting 1st Monday of the month 7pm Esplanade Club Watchet Prom if anyone wishes to join.
The owner of several WW2 torpedo boats one called the 'Gay Archer' fully restored kept it at Watchet for a number of years. It was a visitor attraction.
He left partly I heard because they would not negotiate the fees, so the chances of them reducing fees may be slim but worth suggesting yes.
Gay Archer is now on south coast at Torbay I think. He told me once that he had plans to build a new shed to restore the remaining boats at Watchet and would have brought employment and business to Watchet. I am not sure what his current plans are.
The Marina operator and West Somerset District Council must seek out positive outcomes for Watchet.
I might suggest that at our next Watchet Boat Owners Association meeting 1st Monday of the month 7pm Esplanade Club Watchet Prom if anyone wishes to join.
The owner of several WW2 torpedo boats one called the 'Gay Archer' fully restored kept it at Watchet for a number of years. It was a visitor attraction.
He left partly I heard because they would not negotiate the fees, so the chances of them reducing fees may be slim but worth suggesting yes.
Gay Archer is now on south coast at Torbay I think. He told me once that he had plans to build a new shed to restore the remaining boats at Watchet and would have brought employment and business to Watchet. I am not sure what his current plans are.
The Marina operator and West Somerset District Council must seek out positive outcomes for Watchet.
graham
Well-Known Member
With no gate to trap the water a lot more of the silt will flow out on the ebb.I would imagine its the still water period with the gate shut when the majority of the silt settles.
I should think it would still require dredging but less than now.
I should think it would still require dredging but less than now.
Allan
Well-Known Member
Leaving the gate open would make Watchet similar to Cardiff outer harbour. They dredge there a couple of times a year.
I spoke to the Watchet mayor and deputy mayor at last year's BCYA English rally and they have no understanding whatsoever of matters nautical! I've also had dealings with the county council on another matter and they seem to understand no more! My guess would be that it's up to boat owners to sort things out.
Allan
I spoke to the Watchet mayor and deputy mayor at last year's BCYA English rally and they have no understanding whatsoever of matters nautical! I've also had dealings with the county council on another matter and they seem to understand no more! My guess would be that it's up to boat owners to sort things out.
Allan
tonybarebones
Well-Known Member
Leave the gate off... let nature take it's course... we were all on half tide moorings in the olden days... so there...
solitaire11
Well-Known Member
Personally I wouldn't want to pay prices like that for a drying berth, and I don't see how they could reduce fees as the overheads are still the same.
Over the years I have dried out in almost all the BC harbours/creeks in my trusty old project 31 with sea legs, but times have moved on, people expect to walk ashore and plug in and WiFi, there's no way I would want to dry in the boat I have now.
Over the years I have dried out in almost all the BC harbours/creeks in my trusty old project 31 with sea legs, but times have moved on, people expect to walk ashore and plug in and WiFi, there's no way I would want to dry in the boat I have now.
PCUK
Well-Known Member
A lot of people might be interested in half price berths which may well fill the marina thereby maintaining turnover. Pontoons and normal marina services would remain.
nemodreams
Well-Known Member
Seems to me that even when the gate was working - half of the boats in Watchet were drying anyway. Leaving a bare entrance hardly effects the times when one would exit or enter. Reduce the prices a bit - think of what you will save on dredging ( and the noise pollution it causes ! )
Most drying alonside pontoon berths in this sort of soft mud - will sit quite level once the berthed boat nuzzles in. The live a boards should not have too much problem.
Most drying alonside pontoon berths in this sort of soft mud - will sit quite level once the berthed boat nuzzles in. The live a boards should not have too much problem.
tonybarebones
Well-Known Member
I agree with Graham take out the stop gates and more mud will be removed on the ebb naturally...
Earendil-uk
Well-Known Member
Hydraulic removal of the silt is the cheapest ( and I suspect the best ) method using the natural ebb and flow. Minimum capital expenditure nominal running costs it just needs good planning and no fancy mechanicals. But hey they won't listen unless you charge them hundreds of thousands of pounds and have a posh title ------------------->>
