Best south coast marina for 65’-70’ foot motor yacht?

[Sticky Fingers]

I would ask yourself if you are better in the med. I had a targa 40 and went to La Rochelle.
Everyone looked on in wonder at its size. I would question if you can in practice go anywhere.
I am in Mallorca with a 58 foot boat and I am small.

That’s a very valid point. Sub 50’ plenty of Uk marinas have visitor space but bigger boats very limited.

 

[Parabolica]

I would ask yourself if you are better in the med. I had a targa 40 and went to La Rochelle.
Everyone looked on in wonder at its size. I would question if you can in practice go anywhere.
I am in Mallorca with a 58 foot boat and I am small.

Thank you all for the continued information. It’s genuinely much appreciated. I’ve been spending a fair while on google maps now too (satellite view), considering them all from a logistics POV too as we are about as far as can be, located within the UK from water.

@jrudge - My original post commented that UK berthing is for reasons two fold, firstly to have the boat closer to us, in order to do anything required in making it as new as can be again. I have a lot of business contacts in the UK to assist in this. Secondly, to see out the pandemic as whilst overseas travel can be blighted at a moments notice currently, i want the luxury of a boat i can use as a coastal retreat until the world is more normal once again, and then we take it Med based. There is another logic too, and that is to take UK training in its use and in boating skills, as i last owned a boat over twenty years ago so effectively i’m coming at it, as a first timer really.

 

[Hurricane]

Thank you all for the continued information. It’s genuinely much appreciated. I’ve been spending a fair while on google maps now too (satellite view), considering them all from a logistics POV too as we are about as far as can be, located within the UK from water.

@jrudge - My original post commented that UK berthing is for reasons two fold, firstly to have the boat closer to us, in order to do anything required in making it as new as can be again. I have a lot of business contacts in the UK to assist in this. Secondly, to see out the pandemic as whilst overseas travel can be blighted at a moments notice currently, i want the luxury of a boat i can use as a coastal retreat until the world is more normal once again, and then we take it Med based. There is another logic too, and that is to take UK training in its use and in boating skills, as i last owned a boat over twenty years ago so effectively i’m coming at it, as a first timer really.

I'm with jrudge on this.
Just after delivery, for the summer season, we kept our new (then) Princess 67 in Torquay before taking it to the Med.
We live in Torquay so it was only 10 mins to get to the boat.
During the whole summer season, we only managed to get out of the marina three times - one of those was to take it to the Med.
The other times, was to run along the coast to take our neighbours out and a day trip to Dartmouth.
In Dartmouth, there wasn't any room so they put us on the big ship buoys in the middle of the river.
All the other times, it was either bad weather or we were too big to go anywhere.

A 70 footer - think carefully - where would you actually go and how often?

This is us in Dartmouth - I suspect that yours is bigger!!



But in the Med we always feel a lot smaller



I also think you are doing yourself an injustice.
If you had a boat 20 years ago, I'm sure you will manage one now.
And the bigger they are, the easier they are to handle.

 

[Parabolica]

I'm with jrudge on this.
Just after delivery, for the summer season, we kept our new (then) Princess 67 in Torquay before taking it to the Med.
We live in Torquay so it was only 10 mins to get to the boat.
During the whole summer season, we only managed to get out of the marina three times - one of those was to take it to the Med.
The other times, was to run along the coast to take our neighbours out and a day trip to Dartmouth.
In Dartmouth, there wasn't any room so they put us on the big ship buoys in the middle of the river.
All the other times, it was either bad weather or we were too big to go anywhere.

A 70 footer - think carefully - where would you actually go and how often?

This is us in Dartmouth - I suspect that yours is bigger!!

View attachment 127874

But in the Med we always feel a lot smaller

View attachment 127875

I also think you are doing yourself an injustice.
If you had a boat 20 years ago, I'm sure you will manage one now.
And the bigger they are, the easier they are to handle.

Thank you also. It is amazing to think that just 65-70’ is too big for UK waters. But i have been warned that this is likely the case, unless planning very well ahead, by others too.

 

[andy59]

I think that once you have found a berth using a boat that size is not to bad if you plan ahead and are confident using the anchor , there are a few big boats @ Lymington/ Yarmouth end of the solent that regularly go out , good luck.

 

[dunedin]

- My original post commented that UK berthing is for reasons two fold, firstly to have the boat closer to us, in order to do anything required in making it as new as can be again. I have a lot of business contacts in the UK to assist in this. Secondly, to see out the pandemic as whilst overseas travel can be blighted at a moments notice currently, i want the luxury of a boat i can use as a coastal retreat until the world is more normal once again, and then we take it Med based.

I assume you have considered the VAT and RCD implications of this plan, as both of these could be big numbers for such a big boat.

 

[Parabolica]

I assume you have considered the VAT and RCD implications of this plan, as both of these could be big numbers for such a big boat.

VAT has been considered yes. By RCD I hope you mean the Recreational Craft Directive in which case the boat being a Princess I am sure it will comply. If it is something else, then please explain as everyday’s a school day and currently I’m learning lots !

 

[Hurricane]

VAT has been considered yes. By RCD I hope you mean the Recreational Craft Directive in which case the boat being a Princess I am sure it will comply. If it is something else, then please explain as everyday’s a school day and currently I’m learning lots !

Yep - with regard to RCD, a Princess should be ok.
But on the VAT front, have you looked at the implication of RGR (Returned Goods Relief).
In other words, if you are bringing a boat from the EU back into the UK and you weren't the original owner when the boat originally went into the EU, you will probably have to pay VAT on it again.
All this stuff is very topical.
One solution, assuming that the person you are buying from was the original exporter, is to get him to bring it back before you take delivery.
In that case, the original exporter would get the RGR and then you would be buying a UK boat in the UK and not have an issue.
This is, of course, assuming that the boat is already EU VAT paid.

If the boat is one of those that hasn't ever had VAT paid on it, things wouldn't be any different to before Brexit - e.g. for personal use it would attract VAT etc......

The devil is always in the detail
Now where have I heard that before!!

 

[Parabolica]

Yep - with regard to RCD, a Princess should be ok.
But on the VAT front, have you looked at the implication of RGR (Returned Goods Relief).
In other words, if you are bringing a boat from the EU back into the UK and you weren't the original owner when the boat originally went into the EU, you will probably have to pay VAT on it again.
All this stuff is very topical.
One solution, assuming that the person you are buying from was the original exporter, is to get him to bring it back before you take delivery.
In that case, the original exporter would get the RGR and then you would be buying a UK boat in the UK and not have an issue.
This is, of course, assuming that the boat is already EU VAT paid.

If the boat is one of those that hasn't ever had VAT paid on it, things wouldn't be any different to before Brexit - e.g. for personal use it would attract VAT etc......

The devil is always in the detail
Now where have I heard that before!!

Thank you for this info. The boat is an ex-VAT purchase and i’m buying through a relevant business to ensure that it remains with the vat reclaimable.

 

[Imperial One]

Hello Parabolica.
Sounds like a lovely choice of boat to me.
My advice is OV at Southampton and use Saxon Wharf for lift outs as they are really very good with larger boats.
easy to get to by car or rail if you wanted to.
Downside of Shamrock and Saxon for permanent berthing is the dust from the gravel washer on the other side of the river and the ever present airborne rust specks from the upstream scrap yard by Northam bridge. I have kept stock boats there and this was always a problem and quickly marks the GRP unless you are a dab hand with a bucket and mop.
RCD will be perfect as Princess will have had this covered wen she was manufactured.

 

[dunedin]

RCD will be perfect as Princess will have had this covered wen she was manufactured.

That may or may not be correct. It depends if the RCD inspection at time of import is based upon rules at date of build or date of import.
AFAIK this aspect is not yet entirely clear at this stage. But if, as some have suggested, it will be against RCD at time of import, it is possible that engines may not meet modern requirememts.
Not an expert, so worth getting a formal view.

 

[Parabolica]

Hello Parabolica.
Sounds like a lovely choice of boat to me.
My advice is OV at Southampton and use Saxon Wharf for lift outs as they are really very good with larger boats.
easy to get to by car or rail if you wanted to.
Downside of Shamrock and Saxon for permanent berthing is the dust from the gravel washer on the other side of the river and the ever present airborne rust specks from the upstream scrap yard by Northam bridge. I have kept stock boats there and this was always a problem and quickly marks the GRP unless you are a dab hand with a bucket and mop.
RCD will be perfect as Princess will have had this covered wen she was manufactured.

Great advice, thank you Imperial One. I certainly wouldn’t want to deal with the rust specks as learnt that the hard way years ago, when someone, in my absence, cleaned my teak with a Brillo pad. The teak looked fantastic it has to be said but the hull of my Broom 41 did not.

That may or may not be correct. It depends if the RCD inspection at time of import is based upon rules at date of build or date of import.
AFAIK this aspect is not yet entirely clear at this stage. But if, as some have suggested, it will be against RCD at time of import, it is possible that engines may not meet modern requirememts.
Not an expert, so worth getting a formal view.

Great advice too, thank you also. I now know exactly the right person to ask this of. He’ll be thrilled

 

[Ingwe]

It depends how much work you want done but it may be worth thinking about either Mayflower marina in Plymouth (that's next to the Princess Factory) or Yacht Haven Plymouth (next to Turnchapel wharf which Princess now look to have taken over as a showroom and commissioning base) . I suspect if you gave Princess a ring they would tell you who they contract in to do all the different jobs for them as especially on the commissioning side they always look to use a lot of subcontractors.

But again in the South West those are about the only two marinas that you could turn up to with a 60ft+ yacht and get a walk ashore berth as a visitor, but most of the local ports eg Salcombe / Fowey / Dartmouth can accommodate you on a mooring.

 

[Galley Slave]

It depends how much work you want done but it may be worth thinking about either Mayflower marina in Plymouth (that's next to the Princess Factory) or Yacht Haven Plymouth (next to Turnchapel wharf which Princess now look to have taken over as a showroom and commissioning base) . I suspect if you gave Princess a ring they would tell you who they contract in to do all the different jobs for them as especially on the commissioning side they always look to use a lot of subcontractors.

But again in the South West those are about the only two marinas that you could turn up to with a 60ft+ yacht and get a walk ashore berth as a visitor, but most of the local ports eg Salcombe / Fowey / Dartmouth can accommodate you on a mooring.

if Mayflower could accommodate you then it would more than likely be on the outer breakwater. During the summer booking in advance was essential as there was no berths available at times

 

[Parabolica]

It depends how much work you want done but it may be worth thinking about either Mayflower marina in Plymouth (that's next to the Princess Factory) or Yacht Haven Plymouth (next to Turnchapel wharf which Princess now look to have taken over as a showroom and commissioning base) . I suspect if you gave Princess a ring they would tell you who they contract in to do all the different jobs for them as especially on the commissioning side they always look to use a lot of subcontractors.

But again in the South West those are about the only two marinas that you could turn up to with a 60ft+ yacht and get a walk ashore berth as a visitor, but most of the local ports eg Salcombe / Fowey / Dartmouth can accommodate you on a mooring.

Thank you and makes sense however that would double my journey time from home which I don’t want but I am fortunate enough to have many good marine contacts in the Fareham to Southampton area to do all that is required to a very high standard. I do know people at Princess to call and gain info or advice from too, if I do need this, depending upon how deep I go or indeed, what possibly falls off

 

[Chris H]

If parabolica is who I think it is, he needs a long boat just to lay down !

 

[Parabolica]

If parabolica is who I think it is, he needs a long boat just to lay down !

Hi Chris

 

[Cathy*]

Like Sandy my first choice would be Plymouth. Lovely cruising ground and Plymouth has a lot to offer in terms of dining and culture. I don't think QAB would be able to accommodate you but Yacht Haven and Sutton Harbour both take big boats. Whether they have spaces though I don't know.

 

[Hurricane]

Like Sandy my first choice would be Plymouth. Lovely cruising ground and Plymouth has a lot to offer in terms of dining and culture. I don't think QAB would be able to accommodate you but Yacht Haven and Sutton Harbour both take big boats. Whether they have spaces though I don't know.

Yep a P67 fits in Sutton Harbour.
Well, it did 13 years ago!!

 

[Parabolica]

Yep a P67 fits in Sutton Harbour.
Well, it did 13 years ago!!

View attachment 128078

i assume that’s about here….