Cowes Yacht Haven - never again

[rogerroger]

Last Sunday eve, 9pm, sun going down, hardly a boat left after the weekend. We have to pull into Cowes for 20 minutes just to wait for a hand held GPS to be delivered by RIB from a charter company.

So we pull up on the outer pontoon just to wait. Immediately there's someone there - "you here for the night?" - "nope, just waiting about 20 mins for a GPS to arrive".

"well, gotta charge you for a 4 hour stay" - new policy, no exceptions, pay up now blah blah blah...

What tight fisted w***kers. There was hardly another boat around. Imagine this happening in any other country?

So off we went - waited on the town quay instead and CYH will never get a penny from me again.

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[Viking]

Quite right 'vote with your feet' as they say. But then you will always get the 'more money then sense' brigade.
Two chaps in the yacht club bar talking. One a yachtsman asked the motorboat 'driver' why he spent £400+ on fuel to go to France just for lunch. Puffing on his big fat cigar said "Because I can affort it" and that will alway be the problem.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Roger.
Sounds like they are milking the fact they know there are enough boats that will be prepared to pay to make the policy work.
Haven??
haven't got the dictionary to hand but does not sound like my definition of a haven.

Hope you had fun anyway.

...It was like that when i found it!

 

[Guest]

I think that if you use their facilities you pays the money. Why did you have tie up anyway if it really was for 'only' 20 minutes?

 

[maris]

Im told that in Tobermory ( Sound of Mull ) boats must pay if they anchor. Is this the case in other "havens"?

 

[ccscott49]

Certainly on the Dart and most other rivers/inlets in UK, they love there harbour/river "dues" these boys!

 

[david_bagshaw]

Have to pay to anch in Helgoland, but the duty free fuel makes it worth while.

David
www.euroboating.net

 

[steve_cronin]

Blokes got a wife, family and a.....

Bentley to pay for Roger.

Spread your cash about.

That's what a successful economy needs.

Steve Cronin

 

[rex]

Tobermory charges

I think you have duff info, they have cleared an area of moorings in the shallow(ish) area to anchor in free. They charge for using a mooring for the night, not unreasonable I don't think, but they are often full.

 

[milltech]

How much is it? I was surprised how expensive diesel was in Guernsey a couple of years ago (last time I was there). Like the duty free shop on Alderney, more expensive than Sainsburys!

John

 

[Guest]

Not suggesting these were your intentions but


I used work in a yacht club members only marina,

It was very frustrating dealing with all the "members" who were
not members
only going be five minutes
on a members boat but he wasnt onboard right now
tied up in other peoples berths and nowhere to be found
etc etc

Its because of these people that rules like you encountered are introduced

cheers

Ian

 

[pkb]

I sympathise with the point of view but from the marina operator's standpoint where does he draw the line. A shortstay is a short stay whether its 10 minutes or 4 hours. You are after all taking advantage of his facilities. Allowing arbitrary judgements to be made by the guy who happens to be on duty at the time is not how successful commercial operations are run.

Peter

 

[david_bagshaw]

helgoland fuel ,1dm per ltr if I remember correctly, cheaper than belgian red at the time 1999

David
www.euroboating.net

 

[JamesS]

I know I bought some kit from the chandlery on Alderney and was assured it was tax free.

Unfortunately tax free does not mean profit free and found I could have paid 25% less if I'd waited until I had returned to England!

Cheers

 

[rogerroger]

Yes of course you have to draw the line somewhere - especially when it's busy.

However, good business sense would be to endear customers to your services, not push them away with a petty "jobs worth" attitiude. Thier attitdude clearly doesn't make business sense as I will never go there for an overnight stay.

My main point is that in this country, especially now in the marine industry, you are expected to pay for everything. There is absolutely no way anyone in France would be bothered about you tying up for 20 minutes especially when dead quiet.

We are SO money grabbing in the UK and I wonder why anyone from abroad would bother to come here.

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[rogerroger]

Yes, but is the "favour" a thing of the past in this country ? Must everything be done for money ?

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[ccscott49]

Seems that way, money seems to be the, "be all and end all", If I hear once more, "well it's just business" or "we have to make a profit/living" I will scream!! Mind you it's one of the things that drove me out of this country anyway!

 

[rogerroger]

Indeed - if only I spoke French...

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[DavidM]

Seems to me that getting something for nothing is the UK disease. Try parking in most towns and cities for 20 minutes for free.

 

[rogerroger]

we weren't parking - that's partly my point. We weren't even going to step onto the pontoon.

You can "wait" in your car without charge even in central London as long as you're not in a no-stopping zone.

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk