Essex Marina

Supine Being

Supine Being

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Hi all,

Noob here, asking a typical noob question I'm afraid. I'm looking for an east coast marina for my impending purchase. I'm tending towards Burnham for various reasons (proximity to home, access at all states of tide, general standard of facilities, plenty of local boating tradesmen) but I notice that Essex marina, just across the water, seems to be very cheap.

I'm well aware that there don't seem to be many real bargains in this game so there must be a reason why they're so cheap, but I was wondering what the reason is. Can anyone enlighten me?
 
Supine Being said:
Hi all,

Noob here, asking a typical noob question I'm afraid. I'm looking for an east coast marina for my impending purchase. I'm tending towards Burnham for various reasons (proximity to home, access at all states of tide, general standard of facilities, plenty of local boating tradesmen) but I notice that Essex marina, just across the water, seems to be very cheap.

I'm well aware that there don't seem to be many real bargains in this game so there must be a reason why they're so cheap, but I was wondering what the reason is. Can anyone enlighten me?
Click to expand...

I live 1.2 miles from Essex marina. But I don't berth there. Enigmatic or what?













For cheap, friendly 'marina' try Bridgemarsh.
 
Supine Being said:
Hi all,

Noob here, asking a typical noob question I'm afraid. I'm looking for an east coast marina for my impending purchase. I'm tending towards Burnham for various reasons (proximity to home, access at all states of tide, general standard of facilities, plenty of local boating tradesmen) but I notice that Essex marina, just across the water, seems to be very cheap.

I'm well aware that there don't seem to be many real bargains in this game so there must be a reason why they're so cheap, but I was wondering what the reason is. Can anyone enlighten me?
Click to expand...

There's a lot of tide runs through it. It is mainly used by fishing and power boats. Not sure about road access. They seem a friendly enough crowd.
 
Dead enigmatic, full circle :)

Slow Boat, yes I did wonder about being out there in the current, not just from the manoeuvring angle, but whether it would mean that the anti-fouling would have to work a lot harder.
 
Come upriver!

Bridgemarsh has been mentioned by Fullcircle already - good value there

Or futher up, North Fambridge (either the Yacht Station or the Yacht Haven)

Excellent facilities, very friendly staff and an easy going attitude.

And a hell of a lot cheaper than Burnham!

OK, the one downside (if you think of it as a downside) is that it's a couple of hours from the sea but it's a nice potter up and down the river to me :)

If we wanted / could afford a pontoon mooring I'd be giving Bridgemarsh a very close look myself (just because it's a bit further down river) however the facilities for swinging moorers at Fambridge are exceptional

Oh and there's the added bonus of the Ferry Boat Inn within a stones throw of the visitors pontoon at Fambridge. Just my sort of pub is that! It also has B&B including disabled facilities (useful to us for various reasons)
 
We're in Essex Marina.As we are on a berth fore/aft in the current its not too bad but we were in a berth side on to the current , as most of them are, & it can be interesting until you get the knack. Depends on what boat you have. Twin & a bow thruster no probs. but as we are single with a b/thruster that does not like reversing it was interesting , until we moved berth!Access is all states of the tide , plenty of yard help-Essex Boatyards & also good independents. Seem more sails this year than b4. Got a bar/food etc & Chandlers on site(TCS).We are there as its only 13miles from home--the right side of the Crouch for us, and as prices go not too bad. PM me if you want a chat
 
Thanks for the responses all.

@Baldyash, no bow-thrusters, I'm on a Sadler 26 with fin keel. It sounds like maybe its a little lively if you're low-tech? From everything I could deduce so far, it did seem more focussed on the MoBo market, so maybe that's why. I didn't know there was a chandlers there, so that's interesting. Maybe worth a drive around there this weekend just to see.

@Brigantia and Full Circle, I considered Bridgemarsh, but if it doesn't dry up there, doesn't it get pretty shallow? For North Fambridge I was a little put off by the distance up the river. I sort of saw it as more of a place to go to, rather than get back to if you know what I mean.

@Tidclacy, Well I live in a freak of a place that is kinda sorta about an hour from lots of east coast marinas. Burnham, Essex Marina, Fox's/Woolverstone, Chatham, Gillingham. Add a little bit for Shotley of course. But those on the Crouch are closer in distance, and they avoid major (and potentially snarly) routes. Still tempted by Shotley though, against logic.
 
Supine Being said:
Thanks for the responses all.

@Brigantia and Full Circle, I considered Bridgemarsh, but if it doesn't dry up there, doesn't it get pretty shallow? For North Fambridge I was a little put off by the distance up the river. I sort of saw it as more of a place to go to, rather than get back to if you know what I mean.
Click to expand...

Fullcircle knows Bridgemarsh and I don't (other than on paper) so I'll leave that one to him ..

Yes, Fambridge is a ways upriver but really it's not that bad. The channel is amply wide enough to sail it in most conditions - even beating upriver in light airs (with the tide) is perfectly do-able for us and would be a doddle in your Sadler as your windward performance will knock the socks of ours!

Fambridge is only 3 miles or so further upriver than Bridgemarsh and 5 miles beyond Essex Marina so under power that's half an hour to an hour tops extra each way on a trip and it's a very pleasant hour :)

OTOH, to be balanced, if shore facilities are not important and getting out to sea asap is, then somewhere closer to the river mouth would be better- and in the fullness of time we may get bored with the upper reaches of the Crouch and decide to move somewhere downriver or even round into the Blackwater - assuming other factors such as finances allow

Mind you, having sailed past Essex Marina and looked at the pontoons, I wouldn't fancy trying to get Brigantia in and out of 'em except around slack water - not with our decidely iffy maneouverability under power! The tide on the Crouch has already caught me out once on the day we launched her and I don't plan on giving it another go! :)
 
Thanks once again for the helpful replies. We have looked at Bradwell, and it's a possibility. The main downside would be that the creek outside doesn't offer access at all states of tide and would probably be a no-go 1.5 hours either side of LW. Apart from that, it doesn't seem a bad base.

Interesting point on Fambridge - I think more investigation is in order before I discount it.
 
We're looking for a marina for the first year, at least. We're new to boat ownership, so for me it's a question of making things as easy as possible until we find our feet a little. We might consider a mooring next year though.
 
Supine Being said:
We're looking for a marina for the first year, at least. We're new to boat ownership, so for me it's a question of making things as easy as possible until we find our feet a little. We might consider a mooring next year though.
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Depends what you mean by "making things as easy as possible"!

A marina is easier than a mooring for getting aboard, loading up etc, but a mooring is likely to be very much easier than a marina in terms of the boat handling required.
 
Hi NealB. Definitely the former. I want to be able to step on with supplies and equipment, and to work on her with greater ease than if I was on a mooring.
 
Blackwater marina, down by Maylansea is nice.
Trouble is it dries out.
Most water dries out on the Blackwater west of Osea island.

I should know, as on a swing mooring off Millbeach..:eek:
 
NealB said:
Depends what you mean by "making things as easy as possible"!

A marina is easier than a mooring for getting aboard, loading up etc, but a mooring is likely to be very much easier than a marina in terms of the boat handling required.
Click to expand...

I don't find marinas are that much more convenient.
To get aboard my swinging mooring, I can unload the car at the top of the pontoon, a short carry or trolley to the launch, chaufer ride to boat and step aboard and go sailing. If there's lots of stuff or heavy items, take the boat alongside pontoon. Plus, when I come ashore I'm in the town a few paces from shops, restaurants & PUBS.
When I sometimes use my local marina it's a long trek from the car park involving flight of steps, ramps and a long pontoon, usually several hundred metres plus. Then the tricky manoeuvre to get out before you can go sailing. When I come ashore I'm in the middle of nowhere.
Of course if you have to be connected to the national grid so you can watch telly etc., it has to be a marina / boat park.
 
We're at Burnham on Crouch Yacht Harbour. Since getting the boat we've been in two other marinas and on a swing mooring. Burnham is the best place so far, for us.

Burnham on Crouch is lovely town and has a lot going on. There are a number of yacht clubs, which welcome visiting sailors.

You have access to the marina at all states of the tide. It's not that difficult to get into the berths. The marina is quite sheltered.

It's the closest marina to the sea, on the River Crouch. However, there is ample water for sailing on the river around the marina, if you just fancy a potter or the weather is not so good for sea sailing.

Security is pretty good, with codes to get onto the pontoons and someone around 24/7.

The actual setting is lovely. If you're on the boat in the marina then it's very pleasant to sit and have your gin and tonic in the evening. It's very quiet here, but the residents are friendly.

There's a bar and restaurant, the Swallowtail, but also plenty of takeaways, pubs and restaurants not far away.

There's a decent supermarket close by for supplies

There's a chandlers on site.

They have a hoist and all the usual boatyard services.

The marina is owned by the same outfit who own the marina at Shotley, so you get a reduced rate if you stay at Shotley.

http://www.burnhamyachtharbour.co.uk/
 
Fambridge have several berthing options. You could consider something like "Valet Berthing" which is more expensive than a mooring, but is cheaper than a marina berth. That would give you walk on/walk off access, the downside is that you'd have to give them 2 hours notice. I guess that other marinas do similar deals, but I've only looked at Fambridge since I'm based there, and I've been feeling lazy recently!
 
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