Demand for marina and mooring berths soars in UK

[Capt Popeye]

That's ok when there's unlimited supply, but it's a bit of a shame to fill up an otherwise attractive location with unused boats. Pull 'em out & stick 'em in a big "car park".

How about a requirement that every boat must leave its mooring for, say, 48 hrs once a year for "mooring inspection" - that'd shock those clogging up the system.

Some people just have too many toys - they haven't time to use 'em and they make it difficult for everyone else.

Yes well , thats mainly what the present MDL facility does at Galampton , Devon ; It provides very many boat storage places on their land , most on own trailers , but some boats shored up on blocks , but also as an ajacent launching ramp /slipway plus a limited amount of tempoary Pontoon Berths ; seems to work well , as the on shore storage area has loads of boats there

To me it seems a good way of keepingh very many boats out of harms way on the river Dart , also leaving more Cruising /Sailing space out on the river ; a most ungloged part of the river

 

[Rum_Pirate]

According to a survey by British Marine, demand for marina and mooring berths soars in UK. Occupancy rates over the whole UK is at 90%. The average yield per berth is now £3551 and some marinas are planning to extend their number of berths due to demand.

Demand for marina and mooring berths soars in UK - Marine Industry News

I wonder what is the cost of implementing a new berth?

 

[Boathook]

I wonder what is the cost of implementing a new berth?

The berth is easy / cheap. Providing the protection for the berth is another matter.

 

[Concerto]

I wonder what is the cost of implementing a new berth?

As Boathook says providing protection for the berth can be expensive, just look at Dover's new marina delay as additional wave break has been found to be essential and has delayed opening by several years. Plus gaining road access as well, providing electicity, water, sewage, rubbish facilities, hard standing with lifting facilites, office accomodation for the marina, possibly shops for a chandlery, new/secondhand boat sales, rigger, engine repairs, electonic agents, possibly a club house or bar/restuarant, etc., etc., etc. Some of the shoreside facilities will be self financing but how long a period should it be amortised over. Commercial property usually receives rent sufficient to break even in 7 to 10 years, so I expect it would be similar for a marina. So to answer your question I would expect about £35,000 for an average price marina berth or double to treble that for a Solent marina. If you are looking at berth for a 50ft plus yacht then I would expect on the south coast to be possibly 10 times that average. No doubt some digging on the internet may turn up more accurate figures.

Finding any place for a marina will always be a struggle with planning permission and organisations like the RSPB or Marine Management Organisation fighting to stop any developement.

 

[dgadee]

Are these oldies buying and looking for berths? Or the next (currently missing) generation? We need yoof.

 

[jac]

Are these oldies buying and looking for berths? Or the next (currently missing) generation? We need yoof.

I suspect very strongly ( as there have been countless reports done) that the age profile of berth holders is getting older. Seemingly younger people can't afford to buy when they were the age many owners first bought at ( preferring to buy things like houses, pay for uni fees etc) when they do sail they want flexibility / warmth so will charter abroad or do some flexisail type shared ownership model.

I suspect that we may be in for an interesting few years where tight supply leads to some more berths coming on stream and then a few years later as baby boomers age will see many older owners swallowing the anchor, giving up the mooring and boat they had.

So the yoof may be able to get them in a few years if they are interested but i wonder how viable much of the infrastructure will be with a glut of boats being sold, over supply of moorings etc.

 

[KevinV]

I can imagine crowds of these decrepit boats leaving the marina. Their engines coughing out clouds of black smoke, dragging yards of marine growth behind them, their anxious skippers desperately trying to remember what little they ever knew of boat handling, and hoping they will make it back to their berths before they sink.

That, or Natural England will have slapped a preservation order on them because they are an unique habitat

 

[Tranona]

I suspect very strongly ( as there have been countless reports done) that the age profile of berth holders is getting older. Seemingly younger people can't afford to buy when they were the age many owners first bought at ( preferring to buy things like houses, pay for uni fees etc) when they do sail they want flexibility / warmth so will charter abroad or do some flexisail type shared ownership model.

I suspect that we may be in for an interesting few years where tight supply leads to some more berths coming on stream and then a few years later as baby boomers age will see many older owners swallowing the anchor, giving up the mooring and boat they had.

So the yoof may be able to get them in a few years if they are interested but i wonder how viable much of the infrastructure will be with a glut of boats being sold, over supply of moorings etc.

The increased life expectancy and particularly better health means that the post children active lifespan is much longer than previously, so people like me remain active boat owners into late 70's and 80's rather than giving up maybe 10 years earlier. so even though there seem to be less of the 40-50 year olds owning boats that require marina berths there is a good supply mof 60 year olds coming back into or moving up to boats that need berths.

I was reminded of this just last week talking to a fellow club member finally giving up at 80 and seeing the length of the waiting list for his size berth (Hanse 370). There are as many boats of that size 3540' on the waiting list as there are berths in the marina and most owned by people who have maybe 10-20 years active sailing ahead of them. We can see in the market there is ample demand for decent cruising boats with 20 or 30 years life in them so I don't think there will be any oversupply of either boats or berths for many years to come.

 

[Greemble]

I often say something like, "Thank you, sleep tight, see you again soon" to Jazzcat as I leave her on the mooring. I don't think it amounts to enough evidence to bet me sent to the funny farm just yet.

As long as the boat isn't answering, then you're fine.
Once you start getting replies, that's when you can begin to worry.

If you find yourself not quite hearing the reply and you ask the boat to repeat - and it does in a louder voice - it's time to make appointments with people in white coats.

 

[Stemar]

Be nice, Jazzcat....

 

[Praxinoscope]

Whilst I can see the attractions of a marina berth (apart from the prohibitive cost), I still like my fwd/aft drying mooring that I row out to, and I’m sure there are many on this forum who prefer not to be permanently based in a marina, but are happy be an occasional visitor.

 

[Poignard]

My boat is kept safely ashore in France under what they call 'port a sec' system.

When I want to go sailing she is quickly launched by the yard and away I go. When I return she is lifted out, pressure washed, and propped up again.

It suits us well.

 

[FWB]

Whilst I can see the attractions of a marina berth (apart from the prohibitive cost), I still like my fwd/aft drying mooring that I row out to, and I’m sure there are many on this forum who prefer not to be permanently based in a marina, but are happy be an occasional visitor.

I have a mooring in the summer and a marina berth in the winter. I prefer the mooring since it is so easy to go sailing from….no fenders, lines, shore power to disconnect.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

I fail to see how the B thing has really affected the berthing availability, how many boats have returned from marinas or berths in Europe? I guess that it won't be many probably less than a hundred. Berths have always been in short supply, they are expensive to construct and just like hospital beds those that control the numbers don't like having any sitting empty waiting for an occupant to turn up. The market has just gradually become saturated and there will either have to be more places created (difficult) and or prices will rise, there is likely to be a small increase in dry berthing like Poignard describes as it will be easier if land is available to get planning permission for shore storage facilities than planning permission for marina extensions.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I have a mooring in the summer and a marina berth in the winter. I prefer the mooring since it is so easy to go sailing from….no fenders, lines, shore power to disconnect.

Nice way of splitting the moorings, we just have the Winter ashore, it provides the facility for doing those odd repairs/ modifications that you have noticed should be done over the season.

 

[Boathook]

I fail to see how the B thing has really affected the berthing availability, how many boats have returned from marinas or berths in Europe? I guess that it won't be many probably less than a hundred. Berths have always been in short supply, they are expensive to construct and just like hospital beds those that control the numbers don't like having any sitting empty waiting for an occupant to turn up. The market has just gradually become saturated and there will either have to be more places created (difficult) and or prices will rise, there is likely to be a small increase in dry berthing like Poignard describes as it will be easier if land is available to get planning permission for shore storage facilities than planning permission for marina extensions.

I agree. I was getting a service kit for my engine and chatting to the owner, a Honda dealer. He had branched into selling boats at the start of 2020. Manage to sell around 45 he told me. They are smallish and on the Thames but they all require being kept somewhere.
Where I'm moored I've never seen so many boats out in the yard. The biggest increase is RIBS on trailers. Where they go in the summer I don't know.

 

[Yealm]

I fail to see how the B thing has really affected the berthing availability, how many boats have returned from marinas or berths in Europe? I guess that it won't be many probably less than a hundred. Berths have always been in short supply, they are expensive to construct and just like hospital beds those that control the numbers don't like having any sitting empty waiting for an occupant to turn up. The market has just gradually become saturated and there will either have to be more places created (difficult) and or prices will rise, there is likely to be a small increase in dry berthing like Poignard describes as it will be easier if land is available to get planning permission for shore storage facilities than planning permission for marina extensions.

My gut feeling something’s changed. In Plymouth the occupancy has got much worse recently. Previously easy to get a mooring/visitors berth.

Guessing Covid not a massive factor (too temporary, wouldn’t suddenly make sufficient people sailors/affluent enough to buy a boat).

Whereas Brexit makes sense- harder (and more expensive) to keep a boat in warmer places.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

My gut feeling something’s changed. In Plymouth the occupancy has got much worse recently. Previously easy to get a mooring/visitors berth.

Guessing Covid not a massive factor (too temporary, wouldn’t suddenly make sufficient people sailors/affluent enough to buy a boat).

Whereas Brexit makes sense- harder (and more expensive) to keep a boat in warmer places.

Plymouth Marinas have always had waiting lists or at least my 25 years or so of sailing out of Plymouth led me to believe. As for moorings they used to be relatively easy to obtain at Weir Quay ( I had one for a couple of years) Cargreen had some, I am not so sure about the ones in the Cattwater and closer to the city but I expect the pressure on moorings comes from people moving out of marinas because of cost and those marina berths being quickly allocated.
Berths in European Atlantic coast marinas are generally cheaper than the UK ones.

 

[dgadee]

My boat is kept safely ashore in France under what they call 'port a sec' system.

When I want to go sailing she is quickly launched by the yard and away I go. When I return she is lifted out, pressure washed, and propped up again.

It suits us well.

A friend did that (in France) and it suited them because they tended to go for longer periods maybe twice a year or so. Would it work on the west coast of Scotland? If it did it might get rid of a lot of those moorings which block decent anchorages.

 

[Poignard]

A friend did that (in France) and it suited them because they tended to go for longer periods maybe twice a year or so. Would it work on the west coast of Scotland? If it did it might get rid of a lot of those moorings which block decent anchorages.

It suits us as we usually have 4 sessions of sailing a year, each lasting 4 to 5 weeks (more if I can persuade my wife!).

Would it work in Scotland? I don't see why not, especially for people who live far away.