Booking berths in advance

[tom52]

One of my cruising nightmares is to arrive somewhere after a shorthanded arduous passage and find that there are no visitors berths available. As south coast and the adjacent French waters become busier each summer this fear is becoming more of a reality.
Whenever I have tried to make an advance booking by phone 24 hours in advance ( and pay in advance by credit card ) I have been told that this is not possible.
However I understand that some Marinas will take such bookings.
Does anyone know who does and who doesn't ? In the Solent, West Country, France ?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Guest]

Advance bookings ....

normally only taken for groups ... not individuals unless well known to the operator / a friend ....

Folly is good example ....no disrespect to Folly meant ...... but a well known yacht charter company will book Folly pontoon for a number of boats ahead of arrival and have pride of place without need of water taxi .... If you try as a single .... extremely unlikely.
When we started the PBO Group .... we had success with booking Folly and also Harold Hayles ... so it can be done in numbers ....


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[l'escargot]

Bucklers Hard used to, though haven't tried recently.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[xstucker]

Don't know of any in the Solent who allow for prior bookings. However, having been told that by all Marinas, I found that all were booked up on the night of the Round-The-Island race for 2 months in advance, so the rules seem to change.

On a related subject, I arrived at Cowes on Saturday at 14:00, needing to stop for a couple of hours to feed some hungry teenagers. We were turned away by the Marinas because they wanted to keep the berths free for overnighters. It seems that they can't cope with the maths involved in juggling boats around. When I eventually left the river at 16:00, the East Cowes Marina still had plenty of space. I am sure that if the Marina companies paid some Berthing Masters who could manage the berths efficiently, by doing things like taking pre-paid bookings, then their shareholders would see a better return.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[wiz_wilson]

Although not in the Solent, I can confirm that Dolphin Boat Haven in Poole Harbour does take bookings - I made one a week in advance earlier this month.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[billmacfarlane]

I booked a berth a week in advance at Bucklers Hard this year.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[BlueSkyNick]

We booked a berth at Lymington Yacht Haven for August 13th - Cowes Firework night - about 2 weeks in advance, with no difficulty.

Had to cancel the day before though, so don't know actual costs etc.

<hr width=100% size=1>It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

 

[A3junkie]

There is no need to book at Cowes, just raft up on the harbour authority visitors pontoons or at the Folly pontoons

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[dralex]

Brixham and Torquay marina have both taken bookings in advance for me. Also, the harbour master on the River Ex has been helpful in the past and reserved a visitors mooring for me, but that was for a week.

<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[CaptainCava]

The last time I posted on this issue I was greeted with a torrent of indignation from 'real' sailors who couldn't understand why I sometimes wanted the soft option of a marina and a pre-booked restaurant. Not for them this namby pamby way of going on. Sailing was all about toughing it out in small boats at anchor, eating from the everlasting stew pot and washing it down with a can of beer. If I wanted to book a marina, I was told to "take my chances like everyone else".

I'm really pleased to see that no one has responded that way this time.
But where have all these righteous people gone?
Surely the everlasting stew hasn't poisoned them all!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[WayneS]

The two Lymington marinas take bookings. Or used to earlier in the season at least.

W

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[SteveB_Sigma33]

East Cowes do

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[zefender]

Well your thread was 2 years ago. Maybe they've got mobile phones now!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tom52]

Captain Cava,

Yes, I also half expected the don't be such a softy response. But it seems so at odds with doing all that passage planning ( now compulsory ! ) to leave to chance that there might be a safe berth at the end of the passage.
Sailing as a middle aged couple and not being able to arrange a berth in advance and then arriving at a French/Channel Islands/West Country port after a 14 hour passage when its going dark in a F5 and rising, only to be turned away because there is no room is not my idea of good passage planning.
In many places anchoring nearby or going somewhere else is often not a sensible /safe alternative.
But I suppose if your Marina is full in high season, you don't need the extra admin of taking advance payment/bookings. Just as long as the money keeps rolling in !

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ChrisE]

I agree, both Yachthaven and Berthon in Lymington take bookings, both charge about £30/night for a 38' craft, Yachthaven provides Sunday papers if you book in before 9pm on Saturday.

I have also prebooked at Hythe (1 day ahead) and the two MDL marinas in the Hamble as well as Holes Bay in Poole.

<hr width=100% size=1>