Demand for marina and mooring berths soars in UK

[maypolelil]

Back to the OP.

In this area there is little evidence of a soaring demand or 90% occupancy. As an aside, 90% occupancy would still leave 10% availability, which to me could be the best of both worlds

Rather the opposite, the demand has vanished and although some local swinging moorings have been removed, there is no waiting list for the remaining swinging moorings. From observation, post Easter, the majority of swinging moorings are still not occupied a there is reduced activity getting them ready for launching. However, there is an active program, breaking up and disposing of abandoned hulks.

Disposal of glass fibre hulls

This is another issue, but having removed all toxicity, why not use them to build artificial reefs, to the benefit of marine life and reduce coastal erosion resulting in loss of homes etc

I suspect, since the original survey, the ‘world has turned’ and there are numerous factors conspiring against boating and .continued active boat ownership.

How say you

Thats not what I have been told and I am on the list in your area I believe.

 

[nortada]

The real contrast when considering berthing is to look across the channel -when the French decide to build a marina you end up with StCast complete with a walkway into town ,facilities etc. When they decide to build a marina on the island you end up with Ryde Harbour,Island Harbour or indeed Ventnor harbour and the associated lack of maintenance subsequently. Can you imagine the island council even being able to manage in the same way French towns do. I cannot comment for elsewhere on south coast though.

True, the fact is France puts much more emphasis on sailing and funds it accordingly. Suspect the French climate may help.

From experience, sailing, associated facilities and costs around the Solent and further west are a world of difference to the rest of the UK - possibility a victim of it’s own success.

Additionally a large affluent population on the doorstep may have something to do with the Solent and West situation.

 

[nortada]

Thats not what I have been told and I am on the list in your area I believe.

Not aware of any lists in ‘my area’ but I can only comment as I see so some people with specific needs may have to wait; especially if they have a large boat.

 

[Tranona]

True, the fact is France puts much more emphasis on sailing and funds it accordingly. Suspect the French climate may help.

From experience, sailing, associated facilities and costs around the Solent and further west is a world of difference to the rest of the UK - possibility a victim of it’s own success.

Primarily because the sailing areas (mostly west coast) are in deprived rural areas with little alternate use for the land and water. Simply block up a bit of the estuary, put in a lock, excavate a hole in land nobody wants and hey presto you have a marina. low running costs and tourist income to support the local economy.

Go to the Riviera and it is a different story. Berth prices that make the Solent a bargain and huge waiting lists.

Simple economics. High demand high cost, limited supply = high prices and shortages.

 

[nortada]

Primarily because the sailing areas (mostly west coast) are in deprived rural areas with little alternate use for the land and water. Simply block up a bit of the estuary, put in a lock, excavate a hole in land nobody wants and hey presto you have a marina. low running costs and tourist income to support the local economy.

Go to the Riviera and it is a different story. Berth prices that make the Solent a bargain and huge waiting lists.

Simple economics. High demand high cost, limited supply = high prices and shortages.

Agree but I don’t think that much of the long Brittany Coast can be regarded as a deprived rural area and, rather than holes in land that nobody wants, many of the marinas are long term and well established.

Rather like the Solent etc. the French Riviera is a special situation that doesn’t reflect the broader national situation

Now and looking to the future, I think a number of factors are combining to change the face of boating. Of course, the last to feel that change could be the high density areas i.e. The Solent.

 

[Koeketiene]

True, the fact is France puts much more emphasis on sailing and funds it accordingly. Suspect the French climate may help.

What might also be a factor is this:
There are 5 marinas/harbours within 30-45 mins of where I live.
Four of them are owned and operated by the local city/municipality.
They see them as an investment (generates money and brings tourism) whilst at the same time keeping locals happy with relatively cheap annual contracts.

 

[Tranona]

Agree but I don’t think that much of the long Brittany Coast can be regarded as a deprived rural area and, rather than holes in land that nobody wants, many of the marinas are long term and well established.

Rather like the Solent etc. the French Riviera is a special situation that doesn’t reflect the broader national situation

Now and looking to the future, I think a number of factors are combining to change the face of boating. Of course, the last to feel that change could be the high density areas i.e. The Solent.

They are long established - but were established in the way I described. 40 years ago when I first started going to the western French coast it was very different and that was the period when the marinas were being developed. Not unlike the numerous marinas in the north of the UK built in old commercial docks. Same principle - resources that have no other use in depressed areas that can be converted cheaply and are low cost maintenance. Pity cruising environment in most is not too inviting so charges are low.

 

[Capt Popeye]

Humm , might suggest that River Dart moorings /berths might become availble as a result of the mainly Trailer / stored ashore facility at Galmpton ? ; The new owners seem to have good plans for this Yards revival ; maybe we will see a revival of some / more drying moorings , pontoon berths etc etc , oh plus a Cafe on site , now that would be a very good addition to this really beautifull place , Galmpton

 

[oldgit]

Recently took a train (remember those) to collect boat from above the tidal lock on the Medway, the railway line follows the course of the river for around 3 or 4 miles or so before diverting elsewhere.
Frequently go up and down this section of the river by boat and have commented before on the numbers of boats stored ashore.
Almost 100% motorboats, Rochester Bridge airdraft tends to deter yachts .
Mainly old fashioned "boatyards" offering all tide pontoons and tidal drying mudberths. One yard does claim to be a "marina "
At one point a number of interesting Italian motor yachts, a little past their best years ? , turned up to provide livaboard accomodation.
It was not until travelling on the train and viewing the area of some of these boat storage plots that the hidden number of boats on
hardstanding becomes apparent.
There must be thousands ?
There are of course the obvious terminal cases long beyond any hope of every floating again, mostly repeated failed restoration attempts ?
Have visited all of the boatyards, at some time or other helping to drop off or collect boats.
A JCL Mamba has been in one yard for at least 30 + years, despite determined efforts of the management to get rid of it.
The hull and topsides probably only requiring a good cut back and polish to get looking new. The interior was gutted decades ago.
The real suprise was the numbers of perfectly usable and relatively modern midsized boats from Princess/ Fairline/ Broom/Birchwoods etc which from the look of them had been out of the water for many years lined up in serried ranks from the river to the rialway embankment.
All this money just sitting there quietly decaying.
It would appear that the only real activity recently is yard owners backfilling marshes to provide yet more boat storage space.
Hard to overcome the impression that the Medway has become some sort of boat graveyard perhaps the last hurrah of 1970s- 1980s baby boomers boating .
The income from the storage is probably the only growth on the river.
Just here or more widespread ?
If even only tiny fraction of these boats were recommisioned what would happen ?, no way that the moorings at any of these yards would be sufficent.

 

[doug748]

French local authorities have a wider role, are more proactive and have not been emasculated in the way of UK equivalents. They became adept at picking up EU money for marina developments.
New marinas have popped up regularly in Brittany, largely under local control - St Cast, Trebeurden, Roscoff, Lezardrieux, St Cast le Guildo plus other smaller harbour developments. All in 100 miles of coast. On the opposite coast we have been talking for 40 years about a marina at Penzance, it would transform the economy of the area but nothing happens.
C'est la vie

PS.

In Plymouth marina berthing is very tight, swinging moorings and trots ok.

.

 

[Momac]

Hard to overcome the impression that the Medway has become some sort of boat graveyard

I guess some if not all marinas that have boats ashore that may never go back in the water.
And a few in the water that are never visited let alone used.
It must be a good income for the marina/boatyard .
Why people waste their money in this way is beyond my understanding.

 

[jac]

I guess some if not all marinas that have boats ashore that may never go back in the water.
And a few in the water that are never visited let alone used.
It must be a good income for the marina/boatyard .
Why people waste their money in this way is beyond my understanding.

I suspect that as people age there comes a time when they hope they will be able to use the boat " next year" so they keep it. Next year there is more work to do so they potter a bit but don't use and so the decline sets in - unwilling to give up the hope that they will get "better" or " Stronger" ( i.e. younger) and so they just retain the boat until it's not worth selling to anyone else as by selling it they admit that they will never sail again.

 

[Capt Popeye]

I guess some if not all marinas that have boats ashore that may never go back in the water.
And a few in the water that are never visited let alone used.
It must be a good income for the marina/boatyard .
Why people waste their money in this way is beyond my understanding.

I suspect that as people age there comes a time when they hope they will be able to use the boat " next year" so they keep it. Next year there is more work to do so they potter a bit but don't use and so the decline sets in - unwilling to give up the hope that they will get "better" or " Stronger" ( i.e. younger) and so they just retain the boat until it's not worth selling to anyone else as by selling it they admit that they will never sail again.

Humm I am in the process of selling a very tidy 16ft yacht , very clean , no damage , all set sails in good nick etc etc etc : One potential buyer asked if he is allowed to maybe sleep on for a night or two , maybe sit on it all day even and have a sandwich plus drink or two , as I understand that his present Harbour Moorings do not allow o/nighting at all : I am given to understand that this potential owner is due to retire soon so is looking for a boat to get relaxing upon , watching the world go by

Maybe its a'comming to us all , given us Life and Time , we should expect this to be the way of things in our reclining years , if we are so lucky ?

So maybe the Medway has its certain attractions for a certain Time of LIfe

 

[nortada]

Humm I am in the process of selling a very tidy 16ft yacht , very clean , no damage , all set sails in good nick etc etc etc : One potential buyer asked if he is allowed to maybe sleep on for a night or two , maybe sit on it all day even and have a sandwich plus drink or two , as I understand that his present Harbour Moorings do not allow o/nighting at all : I am given to understand that this potential owner is due to retire soon so is looking for a boat to get relaxing upon , watching the world go by

Maybe its a'comming to us all , given us Life and Time , we should expect this to be the way of things in our reclining years , if we are so lucky ?

So maybe the Medway has its certain attractions for a certain Time of LIfe

If we are lucky to last long enough it will come to us all. Rather than care, more time to stand and stare.

We are even more lucky if we recognise we can no longer achieve the impossible and set our sights on what we can do.

In part, this thread started by bemoaning those with boats who go nowhere and do nothing, depriving the younger thrusters of the opportunity of a berth/mooring.

The irony is it is boats not people that occupy space so if yesterdays hero’s are evicted, this would still not generate any more berths.

As the boating community declines/ages and costs rise, I anticipate fewer boats/people will be leaving their berths on heroic adventures.

So grateful for what we have had and hoping that there are still a few sea miles left in the locker.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[jac]

The irony is it is boats not people that occupy space so if yesterdays hero’s are evicted, this would still not generate any more berths.

That's the nub of it.

WE have had threads before about the need to find practical ways to remove old, abandoned and semi wrecked boats and then free up the space to make cheaper spaces available to try and encourage new blood into sailing and top make room for the all the new boats being bought.

 

[MisterBaxter]

Is all this really about the boom in boat building once GRP appeared, and the durable nature of the hills produced? We're accumulating boats year on year, with more being built but few being ground up and used as a base layer for roads (or whatever it is you do with GRP hulls).

 

[oldgit]

I suspect that as people age there comes a time when they hope they will be able to use the boat " next year" so they keep it. Next year there is more work to do so they potter a bit but don't use and so the decline sets in - unwilling to give up the hope that they will get "better" or " Stronger" ( i.e. younger) and so they just retain the boat until it's not worth selling to anyone else as by selling it they admit that they will never sail again.

A glance down a lot of pontoons will reveal many barely floating "shrines" to the past , a requirement for anodes to be replaced to protect, not only the owners boat but also surrounding craft long ignored , usually with the skipper announcing that it is not infirmity that prevents them actually leaving the pontoon but that they can no longer afford to run the boat now that red has apparently gone beyond 10p per gallon !

 

[nortada]

A glance down a lot of pontoons will reveal many barely floating "shrines" to the past , a requirement for anodes to be replaced to protect, not only the owners boat but also surrounding craft long ignored , usually with the skipper announcing that it is not infirmity that prevents them actually leaving the pontoon but that they can no longer afford to run the boat now that red has apparently gone beyond 10p per gallon !

10d per gallon, I wish.

Will the current price of marine diesel encourage sail over power

 

[Chiara’s slave]

10d per gallon, I wish.

Will the current price of marine diesel encourage sail over power

Try buying a new sail.

 

[harvey38]

Ramsgate appear to be having a clear out of old tat, maybe due to the new Harbour Master, good news that the old tug Cervia is going and the Arts Barge project has failed