Dover Marina News 2022

According to the Cruising Association latest newsletter, anchoring in the harbour is no longer allowed.

"All basins at Dover are closed to visiting leisure craft until 31 August, 2022, and anchoring inside the harbour walls is not permitted either. The new marina, part of the £250m Western Docks Revival project on the west side of the main basin, was mostly complete in 2019, but has been unable to open because of issues with swell causing potential damage to moored craft. A 14m inner wave barrier failed to solve the problem and a 70m-long outer wave barrier, approximately 20m outside the marina entrance, was given the go-ahead earlier this year. Some berths in the new marina are said to be safer and a number of residents have taken up the offer to moor in them from May 2022. The marina is now due to open in 2023, along with a promised “green” hotel development, but in the meantime the new berths, together with Granville, Wellington and the old tidal basin, are all closed to new customers and visitors until the end of August. The nearest alternative marinas are Ramsgate (15nm), or Calais (22nm). Read more at www.doverport.co.uk/marina and read about the safety issues and the proposed outer wave screen on the gov.uk website."
 
There are some good anchorages around Dover for a sleep or waiting for the tide. In any sort of west wind I can highly recommend Deal. Also the eastern side of Dungeness is good in a westerly. I came up the other day in a very bouncy sea from Chichester and soon as I was around the corner of Dungeness the sea was down to a gentle chop. An Easterly wind is harder but I often anchor near Rye fairway west of the firing range. I have also thought about anchoring in the lee of the western harbour wall at Dover but not tried it yet.
 
Have always preferred Dover to Ramsgate as a marina - good staff, friendly and the port itself very professionally managed (as you'd expect) with clear instructions on the radio etc.
 
It is hard to blame Dover for its lack of charm, when it was largely flattened by the Germans, just as we flattened Le Havre. Although the shopping area is dreary, there are things to see. Dover castle is one of the great south coast attractions with a fantastic history and shouldn’t be missed. The Western batteries also make a great walk and the Great Shaft fairly amazing in itself if you get a chance to see it.

Dover is also better placed than Ramsgate for many of us when heading west, allowing you to get past Dungeness with the tide on the way to Brighton or Eastbourne.
Le Harve was indeed flattened by the allies but there the similarity with Dover ends. The city was rebuilt after the war to designs by the architect Auguste Perret and is a masterpiece of modernist architecture and city planning. It has a couple of very good art galleries, a wonderful modern theatre and swimming pool, magnificent civic buildings set in extensive and well looked-after parks, and suburb cathedral, St Joseph’s, with its concrete tower and stained glass. It has a tram system for getting around, and a choice of really good places to eat. Dover, on ther other hand, is a shi*thole.
 
Nice to visit the old tidal basin for one last time. No other visitors here but a few in the Granville. New bit looks about a third full and bit surprised they won’t let visitors in there loads of empty berths amongst the residents?
 

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