Beaulie

Powersalt

Powersalt

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 Oct 2005
Messages
1,799
Location
Kent
Visit site
Hi,
I am out over the weekend crewing on a 22 foot lifting keel yacht, and we had planned to go to beaulie marina ( since we need shore facilites for the night). Anyway the marina says they are not taking bookings!! which has really surprised me. They say they might fit us in but can only say at the time of arrival.

My problem is its a long way to go and find no possibility to more with jetty for going ashore. Just wondered what you may have experienced about being squeezed in, I mean it was just a girl in the office and quite unhelpful and after all we are only 22 foot with no draught if we ilft the keel.
Fantastic adventure for us if we can get there but with no walk ashore possibilites a nightmare ( no loo, no power etc etc)

Expereinced visitors might advise if it would seem possible to get in when we arrive
 
They usually do everything they can to fit you in. However, sometimes you get club rallies and then it can be impossible to find a walk ashore.
You could ask if they have any rallies booked in.
 
Quite normal for them not to take bookings, however as you are short and can have a shallow draft, which count in your favour!

When I visited a few weeks ago, the deeper end of the visitors pontoon was rafted up, but the shallow end wasn't :)

entry2.jpg
 
I'm pretty sure you will find a berth by being polite and persistent, at your size you can raft outside pretty much everything. If you can sort out a dinghy then you'll have even more options.
We went there first about 9 years ago in our 20 ft lift-keel on a really hot weekend never having been before, with our 4 mnth old baby, the harbour master was considering what to do with us as we were trying to more alongside the "tourist boat berth" you first come to, it was all rather busy until baby started crying, at which point he was most helpful! NO I DID NOT pinch the baby's bottom!
 
They take bookings up to a certain known number of vacant berths. On the day other berths become vacant as residents head off. After tea time they also use the fuel berth and service pontoon for overnighters, rafting if necessary on a first come first served basis. As long as you don't leave it too late you'll be alright.
 
Powersalt said:
Hi,
I am out over the weekend crewing on a 22 foot lifting keel yacht, and we had planned to go to beaulie marina ( since we need shore facilites for the night). Anyway the marina says they are not taking bookings!! which has really surprised me. They say they might fit us in but can only say at the time of arrival.

My problem is its a long way to go and find no possibility to more with jetty for going ashore. Just wondered what you may have experienced about being squeezed in, I mean it was just a girl in the office and quite unhelpful and after all we are only 22 foot with no draught if we ilft the keel.
Fantastic adventure for us if we can get there but with no walk ashore possibilites a nightmare ( no loo, no power etc etc)

Expereinced visitors might advise if it would seem possible to get in when we arrive
Click to expand...

Hope its not an Anderson 22, we'll never hear the end of it!
 
Alant, Ta ! :)

One thing to check, the marina used to have a set price, making it good value for large boats but not so for 22' ers; not sure this is still the case, the staff 15 - 20 years ago put me off ever returning, and good luck if you're hoping for good food from the Master Builders !

I see the people with tenders are still leaving them on inconsiderate short painters...
 
It must be 10 years ago I turned up, X Wife wanting walk ashore. spaniel needing to get ashore...

Got told sorry no berths available for your size boat... I looked at the boat and said no problems the berths are not likely to be shorter...

They quoted me for 40 odd foot boat, I said fine which berth? We had had long day and X just wanted ashore...

They then still proceeded in saying sorry your going to have to go to a buoy. When I finally got the dinghy inflated to get X with dog ashore I dropped them on the end of the marina berths. As it was slow rowing, had conversation with an assistant harbor master who told me that people paid allot of money to put there boat here...

I asked why money was not good enough...

The last couple of visits they have been more pleasant, but can still law unto themselves...
 
onesea said:
Are they really faults or just not as you would do it?
Click to expand...

Not faults. Just merely cases of "You could do it that way but how else could we have done it?"
The sort of thing you might highlight to a student but then do the same thing yourself when not teaching.

Actually you would have thought the boat parked astern could have moved to the end of the pontoon to free up space.
 
Last edited:
Talulah said:
Not faults. Just merely cases of "You could do it that way but how else could we have done it?"
The sort of thing you might highlight to a student but then do the same thing yourself when not teaching.

Actually you would have thought the boat parked astern could have moved to the end of the pontoon to free up space.
Click to expand...

They say a picture paints a thousand words, however there are always some missing... the bits you can't see are...

1, The black box steps on the jetty that are fixed in place, a pain in the butt, as they are fixed.
2, No midship cleats.
3, The other boat wasn't moving :) They were there first :) (it was low water springs, - they were in the mud).

So we worked round the issues, as we all do.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top