East Coast marinas/facilities ???

[pragmatist]

Having acquired a cat with 1M draught we fancy revisiting old haunts on the East Coast. Planning mostly to explore muddy creeks and seeking peace and quiet. However we are thinking of doing the trip from Dartmouth as a delivery and then spending a week getting ourselves sorted out, getting the dog back from a visit to daughter in Sussex etc. So we would like say a week in a marina or somewhere with walk-ashore. We are happy to dry out and have a holding tank. Apparently Gillingham Marina no longer have visitors in the tidal basin and I nearly fell over when Chatham Maritime (who only had one berth which would fit us (we're 11M with a beam of less than 16ft /5M) quoted us 300 quid for a week !!!

Can anyone suggest somewhere ? We're not after posh - just somewhere we can get access by road, stock up on supplies, meet a few family ... Obviously the further south would be better as kids live in Sussex and Surrey but it they have to drive to Suffolk then so be it

TIA
Penny

 

[Cantata]

Swale Marina at Conyer. My home berth. The whole place dries but shouldn't be a problem for you. I would guess they should have space for you for a week and I feel sure it wouldn't cost you anything like Chatham.

 

[PeterWright]

Hi Penny,

Where are you coming from? If £300 for a week for an 11m x 5m boat nearly made you fall over, you can't be from the South Coast or the Wet Country - you might try asking the same of the MDL Marina in Torquay if you enjoy falling over.

Smaller marinas more out of the way and not part of a big chain tend to offer better prices and Dick's suggestion is the only one "further south" that springs to mind. However, if you want to access the beautiful cruising estuaries of Suffok and Essex, you might try Titchmarsh on the Walton Backwater or the Tidemill at Woodbridge, However, i doubt a boat of your size will make much saving on £300 per week because your boat will effectively take up 1.5 11 m berths. which will make the other 1/2 of an 11m berth unsaleable while you're there, because it's a rare customer that rocks up asking for a half width berth .

I would estimate between £200 and £250 for 7 days in most marinas ..... and MDL are not most marinas.

Peter.

 

[mrming]

+1 for Swale Marina, also my home berth. Lovely spot if you don’t mind drying out.

 

[RivalRedwing]

Hi Penny,

Where are you coming from? If £300 for a week for an 11m x 5m boat nearly made you fall over, you can't be from the South Coast or the Wet Country - you might try asking the same of the MDL Marina in Torquay if you enjoy falling over.

Smaller marinas more out of the way and not part of a big chain tend to offer better prices and Dick's suggestion is the only one "further south" that springs to mind. However, if you want to access the beautiful cruising estuaries of Suffok and Essex, you might try Titchmarsh on the Walton Backwater or the Tidemill at Woodbridge, However, i doubt a boat of your size will make much saving on £300 per week because your boat will effectively take up 1.5 11 m berths. which will make the other 1/2 of an 11m berth unsaleable while you're there, because it's a rare customer that rocks up asking for a half width berth .

I would estimate between £200 and £250 for 7 days in most marinas ..... and MDL are not most marinas.

Peter.

I had the same thought

 

[stuey_two]

Tollesbury want £132 per week for an 11m monohull - pus 25% for multiull. Electricity is £3.50 per day on top.

 

[pragmatist]

Many thanks to all, especially those suggesting Conyer. How very stupid of us - we had a mooring on the Swale for many years and loved it. However didn't realise that they might take a visitor.

Yes, we are coming from the Wet Country but since our annual mooring bill is equivalent to 3 weeks with MDL you can see why I found it a shock. We rarely visit marinas ! Gillingham had already quoted half that - but didn't seem to think they had any water ??? Perhaps they have a problem with the lock gates. We don't use marinas unless

Titchmarsh also sounds good - love the Backwaters. Hadn't thought of the Tide Mill so will have a look at that one.

Thank you all for your recommendations. Any more welcome.

 

[pragmatist]

Tollesbury want £132 per week for an 11m monohull - pus 25% for multiull. Electricity is £3.50 per day on top.

Thanks stuey. Sounds much better than MDL

 

[Pye_End]

Gillingham had already quoted half that - but didn't seem to think they had any water ??? Perhaps they have a problem with the lock gates. We don't use marinas unless

With mainly box moorings perhaps the comment was spare space for a cat?

Lock gates fine yesterday.

 

[nigelm]

Fambridge has a river pontoon that could easily accommodate a cat , just a thought

 

[philld]

It might be worth having a quick chat with Essex Marina. It's more isolated than Fambridge but you can always cross the river to Burnham using the Ferry (burnhamferry.co.uk). It's also lot closer to the estuary.

Last time I saw him, Tomahawk kept his cat at Fambridge, and might be a useful contact.

 

[Crowblack]

Titchmarsh have some drying pontoons outside the marina inshore in the Twizzle - have seen cats berthed there before - can still walk ashore too.

 

[Tomahawk]

It might be worth having a quick chat with Essex Marina. It's more isolated than Fambridge but you can always cross the river to Burnham using the Ferry (burnhamferry.co.uk). It's also lot closer to the estuary.

Last time I saw him, Tomahawk kept his cat at Fambridge, and might be a useful contact.

Tomahawk is now in Brightlingsea..
There are visitors moorings in the harbour and also some at Morgans boatyard just past the commercial wharf.

 

[nortada]

RCC .Club Cruise to Ipswich and then ?

How far north do you want to go