Dieppe marina - they must be joking.

[celandine]

We arrive mid evening and we can’t leave the marina because the gate is locked. "You need a key (deposit 30 Euros) from marina office,” someone informs us. We dodge out behind them. We find the marina office; it is closed for the day and now we can’t get back aboard. We sneak in behind someone - so much for security. A while later we develop a thirst - like you do. We eye-up the bars on the key, and decide to go for another break-out. This time there is no one else about ; we are locked in. We are standing by the gate mournfully contemplating our lot when a local 12-year-old kid comes by on his bicycle. “Attend monsieur, j’ai un clef” (Hang on mister, I’ve got a key) He quickly opens the gate before disappearing into the night - so much again for security. We make it to the bar just in time to avoid serious dehydration complications. On returning, the gate is of course still locked and this time the local kids and their keys are all in bed. However
emboldened by the local brew, we climb round the gate (30 foot drop, and so much again for security) We get back aboard and leave early for Fecamp.
No doubt the locals think it enormously amusing to treat visitors in this way. Personally I think it's not clever; it’s not funny, and can only end in tears.

 

[kingfisher]

Dieppe is the exception

Very few marinas on the mainland are fenced in. Wemeldinge is the only one in my region.

Why are most marinas in the UK fenced-in ? Is it to keep the locals out or the yachties in?

What's this about security? Lowlands and French marinas are quite accessible to the public, but I doubt that there's more theft than across the Channel

Obi-Wan
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[AndrewB]

The same in Gravelines.

The visitor pontoon is open, but we were asked to go onto a regular marina berth. Too late we found the gate was locked at 8pm and no staff on duty. We did have a dinghy and were able to row around. But one of my crew was disabled and suffered a fall in scrambling into the dinghy.

I too got the impression that marina staff thought our inconvenience was a joke.

 

[durham123]

Loved your story.
Could make a confession for our magazine. What do you think ?

Dick Durham, news editor Yachting Monthly

 

[Eudorajab]

Lucky you werent the only "burglers" apprehended by the Gendarme !!!

I hear those french jails can be rather tough

 

[Twister_Ken]

To do with illegal immigrants, maybe? nm

§

 

[Guest]

When did this little event happen, because Tom Cunliffe (to whom I would trust my wife and life) says in his Pilot book that the office is manned until 19:00 in winter and 24H in summer.

I'm only asking because I am planning to go there next week, and may not arrive until about 19:00.

Cheers

Mark "Rather a bottle in front of me" Leuty

 

[pandroid]

Yeah - I read that too. We were there in Mid-July and the stuff in this thread is all true. Office hours are 9:00 to 5:30. (The one difference - and it may have been coincidence - is that it seems they switched the locks off for Saturday night, thus allowing free access.

 

[celandine]

Mark

It was a week day, mid July. We tried to visit the marina office just after 21.00 local time.

Mick

 

[PeterGibbs]

It is possible to climb round the gates at Dieppe but at low water the drop of at least 30 ft onto a concrete base is potentially fatal- unlike other climbarounds I know (eg Ouisterham) The staff do not patrol to help visitors, and in fact although charming en face are relatively useless. They shove off early. They will not make any effort to find a slot when residents are away - you just take a chance, or moor up 7+ deep in the last "visitors" gut. Non Merci. Furthermore, the electronic keys are issued against 40 E's "caution" and also work the heads!

We tied the gate open - as do others. A piece of tape on the magnet would probably be a higher tec solution! So not a reason not to visit Dieppe which has a lovely cathedral and good eating houses - I recommend the one immediately opposite the visitors' pontoon entrance!

Peter Gibbs