Dry berth vs alternative marina options . Discuss?

[BrendanS]

Dry berthing works for me. No antifouling on a perfomance hull, no anode issues, no osmosis issues etc etc.

However, many marinas are far better placed to drive to easily and quickly (leaving aside the issue that you are better placed in Lymington to get to just about anywhere) How would one of those marina berth lifts compare - hydraulic or electric. They were common in USA, but starting to see them in UK.

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[Planty]

Used to be with Duncan over at Rockley, Poole with our first boat, we were on dry berth with a lift out onto racks as & when. Worked really well I thought, bit of a mare if one arrived at the wrong time on a Sunday pm. Just left it on a pontoon and they got it out later eventually.

Interestingly though, when we bought a boat that unfortunately wouldn't fit racks or indeed Rockley and had to take up Marina berth, somehow feels more secure??
Could be that one can leave some stuff on a bigger boat, but we always used to feel that we had to empty the boat of everything when "racking". Could have just been tha place, possibly. No two ways about it though, so much easier to keep the boat clean, maintained etc when at Rockley. I suppose the success or failure, like most things would be the level of service offered against costs.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

Re: you mean the \"in berth\" lifts?

There are only a few of these - i am assuming you mean the floaty craney thingies that hoik the boat out above the water, so the boat sits atop the thingy in a berth?

Problem is surely the cost - need a bigger berth for the floaty thing, and then there's the cost of buying the floaty thing too, which can't be cheap. After all that, and still the possibilty of needing to be hoiked out to look at props now and again...you may as well either completely dry berth, or completely sit in the water and pay antifould etc.

Incidentally, there is a rather fab dry berth marina "Port a Sec" in Mandelieu la Napoule, fab spot from which to investigate the Riviera for a season, monster forklifts hoikem down from stacks five high. Worth a google anyway.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jon_bailey]

Used one of the mechanical lifts whilst in the US earlier this year and it worked pretty well. Drove onto dock, set lift going, unloaded boat, put on cover then switched off hoist motor.

Problem in UK would be that it was a dedicated dock with large piles and two sided, also tides in US only couple of feet, so with four metres could take long time to wind up and down.

Alternative would be one of those blow-up floaty things but questionable whether cost/convenience would be worth it.

Why not just find a closer marina that does dry berthing?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[KevB]

Seen some pneumatic ones in Brighton marina. Takes up a little more space in width cause of the tanks and an air pump on the pontoon. looked good.
BIG speedy surface drive boat uses one in Brighton.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[TwoStroke]

There's another one on the east side in Brighton - used to keep a Sea Ray but now has a 25ft Regal. No antifouling and lifts well clear of the water for inspection. Tempting, but sheer cost in the £1000's is one hell of a put off.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I saw one of these in Florida in '93, I guess you are better off in one of the bottom racks for the day you leave your wallet or car keys in the cockpit...

Quite an amazing way to save space though!

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

</A>

 

[MainlySteam]

Here is another one in action <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.oramsmarine.co.nz/boatpark.htm>http://www.oramsmarine.co.nz/boatpark.htm</A>.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[BrendanS]

Re: you mean the \"in berth\" lifts?

Interestingly, while searching just now, came across this alternative - fill the mooring with floating blocks - then just drive on, so don't need a bigger berth, and no expensive mechanicals.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.jetdock.co.uk>http://www.jetdock.co.uk</A> the video looks like it could be fun, if nothing else!

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[BrendanS]

how about one of these? boats are lifted on fork lift type prongs which turn and slot you into rotating platform. Packs in an amazing number of boats for the space available.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://iditarod.smugmug.com/photos/1322093-M.jpg>http://iditarod.smugmug.com/photos/1322093-M.jpg</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[BrendanS]

Yes, I'm actually in something like that in Lymington (though a bit smaller cos of local regs). What I was thinking of was something more like

- one of the boats near Lymington fuel barge is now on one

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[BrendanS]

ah but point is that dry racking systems quite limited in solent area, so not a lot of choice and can't think of any I'd want to move to.. No real plans to move, just think sometimes how much quicker it is to drive to say Mercury - especially bank holidays, when Lymington roads become rather crowded

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[MainlySteam]

What next?

4WD's jacked up onto blocks each night, so that the wheels are not on that dirty old garage floor?

Vacuum hangers evacuated of air for aircraft so that when not flying they can be tucked up safely out of contact with that nasty old air?

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[BrendanS]

<4WD's jacked up onto blocks each night, so that the wheels are not on that dirty old garage floor?>

Doesn't everyone do this? or am I strange

>Vacuum hangers evacuated of air for aircraft so that when not flying they can be tucked up safely out of contact with that nasty old air?<

Great idea for small aircraft, but they keep the airliners in the air in preference to them not making money

Seriously though, dry berthing any boat seems to significantly reduce problems mid to end season with fouling reducing speed, and reduces the amount of maintenance (no antifouling or antifouling removal for one thing), and removes all concerns about anodes and stray current damage, and at least in the UK reduces winter storm damage to just about zero whilst still allowing year round use. All pretty favourable to my mind. No osmosis damage to grp either. Boat pressure washed when it comes out of the water, and on a rack it's very easy to work on.

Just interested in pro's and con's

<hr width=100% size=1>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

 

[tcm]

Re: \"just drive on\"

hm, i have seen people use these, and it seems to need considerable grunt to wuff the thing onto the floating dock thing, and a bit of praying that it will stop once up there. I think i would prefer to get close, then use a winch to haul it up, perhaps? The other thing is that you need quite a lot of blocks for enough flotation - hence wide docks of the black ponttony things, so either it would need to be as narrow as the boat, but very deep (but wouldn't it float 2high then at rest ?) or (better) it shd be wider than normal as in the pix, so it has stability and enuf buoyancy. Other wise yerd still be in the water once driven onto it?

I know, why not spend a whole load of loot like perhaps 4 grand on the thing, discover it's a load of rubbish and then skip all the bits? Works for me!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jon_bailey]

I believe that there is a dry berth facility on the Itchen, somewhere opposite Shamrock Quay. This would be much more convenient for you than Lymington.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[jhr]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.driverswharf.com/>Drivers Wharf</A>.

Not quite as, ahem, salubrious as Lymington /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[jon_bailey]

I wondered where it was.

Just for clarification, is this the Southampton side of Northam Bridge and is there anywhere opposite?

Despite being berthed on the Itchen I have never been upstream of Shamrock Quay, I might even wander up this evening.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[martinwoolwich]

Interestng you mention Mercury. On B Pontoon there is a bladerunner that is on one of those hydraulic lifts. The boat is owned by Blue Ocean and I know they use it for short trip charter (if that's what going out in a charged ride is called!). I guess that Mercury let them have it because they have quite a few berths for their boats and they know that the boat will return every day. this is important I guess because I don't think that they would be able to let out the space to another boat because all the gubbins is set up for the bladerunner.

On a more conventional basis i guess the Marina would be looking to get additional revenue on the berth when it was vacant .

I have to say it looks a great way of getting the boat out of the water but it does look pretty ugly when in the up position - you don't see it at all in the down position

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[AJW]

"Drivers Wharf.

Not quite as, ahem, salubrious as Lymington "

Large amount of understatement here! DW toilets are appallingly filthy and thats about the limits of facilities.

The berthing is relatively cheap compared to swanky marina IIRC & it is a popular place with RIBS and speed merchants. Its also easy to get to in Soton just below Northam Bridge. Bit of a boring trundle down the Itchen to Soton Water then whammo yeehah out to the Solent.

<hr width=100% size=1>