Fowey - another inflation beating price increase for moorings! Beware.

Interesting comments, true Cornishman or not.
I was going to suggest that you could use the other two ports that are quite close by, Looe and Mevagissey. However you would need to be prepared to moor alongside a wall in a busy commercial fishing harbour with a possibility of drying out.
I like the other towns for differing reasons, and they each cater for different types of tourist, it really depends on what you are looking for on your run ashore. I am sure many sailors may consider Fowey to be the prefered option if they get caught out in a blow, with secure deepwater moorings and a water taxi for the run to the pub in the evening.
If you are looking for increased value you may consider visiting over the next two weekends as Fowey is hosting the annual Literary & Music Festival with many activities taking place. This would mean you get even better value for your mooring fee than normal. The basic principle remains the same you have to 'pay to stay' this applies to the motorist and the boat user.
Fowey is an example of an unspoilt harbour that balances the difficult job of commercial and recreational activity with a high regard to the natural environment of the Fowey River and estuary, if you don't feel able to make the full contribution keep sailing past.
Paul
 
I don't think that people are saying they don't want to pay to moor in Fowey, just that the proportional increase in visitor mooring fees are a bit excessive. It isn't a viable economic model and the losses from last year could be recovered over several years with a more modest increase in the mooring fee. It just smacks a lack of understanding of how the harbour leisure economy is related to the wider financial interests of the town. Not really 'joined up thinking'
 
Cornish Bluenose said:
........Fowey is an example of an unspoilt harbour that balances the difficult job of commercial and recreational activity with a high regard to the natural environment of the Fowey River and estuary, if you don't feel able to make the full contribution keep sailing past.
Paul
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I should sing low if I were you.

With a 300 quid deepwater mooring you are ill set to read homilies about "full contributions"
 
Cornish Bluenose said:
I replied to a thread covering a similar complaint a few weeks ago. The Fowey Harbour Commissioners need to cover the cost of running a busy commercial harbour in hard economic times. Cornwall is not exempt from what is happening elsewhere in the country. Grumpybear seems to think that the harbour is somehow linked to Cornwall County Council..? Leisure boating is connected to the state of our economy, if you think Fowey is a rip off stay away.
My mooring is close to the photo taken by Pleiades, what a delightful place to be..
I have seen the facilities change in Fowey, particularly since the longstanding Harbourmaster retired a few years ago. Fowey is being run on more commercial lines and is being brought into a more modern working harbour practice. The new harbour master is making changes for the better, with increased moorings available for both visitors and residents. Any development has to be paid for. I guess from reading comments on these forums that some boaters hark back to the old times and still want to pay what they did in the last century. The reality is you pay up or stay away...if you think visiting Fowey is not worth the cost of the mooring sail on past. I will continue to enjoy one of the finest West Country ports as the photo shows.
Happy sailing...and keep positive...
Paul
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What position do you hold in Fowey harbour office lol?
Every one is freezing its prices to keep custom only the bigcompanies seem to disregards is practice. I have voted with my feet and so have others.
 
Fowey some facts

Fowey is nothing to do with any Council. It is a commercial port in the sense commercial shipping uses it not in the commercial profit making sense. Fowey is in fact a Trust Port.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/trust-ports

The definition being.

Trust ports (TP) are independent statutory bodies, each governed by their own, unique, statutes and controlled by a local independent board. There are no shareholders or owners and any surplus is ploughed back into each port for the benefit of its stakeholders. There are over 100 trust ports in the UK........

The critical point being "any surplus is ploughed back for the benefit of its stakeholders"

The manner in which the port is run is guided by the below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...ta/file/9222/mtp-good-guide-to-governance.pdf

The Harbour Commissioners are all voluntary and receive absolutely no re numeration whatsoever. I am one of them. I remain on the mooring waiting list just like everyone else so I am also a visiting yachtsman. As such I'm as tight and value conscious as the next. I believe just about all the Commissioners are similarly boat owners. Turkeys don't generally vote for Christmas. If there had been a chance of me paying less take it from me I would.

As a Commissioner it is my duty to take on board your views and I sincerely do. With a diverse group of stakeholders to satisfy it is almost inevitable that there will from time to time be conflicts as indicated in the guide.

What I do know is that no one is trying to rip you off or make a profit here but merely to run a port in the best interests of everybody. Commissioners change on a regular basis and we value applications from anybody who believes they may be able to contribute to the efficient running of the port. Give it a thought if you believe you can assist.

Keep the views coming as they will influence our decision making. Not sure that would be the case with private commercial ports or Council run one.

Of all the types of marine commercial operations worthy of your support and patronage Trust Ports should be amongst them if you can. You won't be lining the pockets of any shareholders but will be preserving worthwhile enterprises of significant importance to local communities. It's a bit like supporting your local store or post office. Use it or lose it.

Cornish Bluenose's profile indicates they are are a Teacher. To my knowledge there are no Commissioners who are Teachers and there are none on the staff. So it could be they just have their own opinion.

Finally the water taxi is not run by the Harbour Commissioners it is a private enterprise.

Regards.

Russ.
 
RUSSH said:
The Harbour Commissioners are all voluntary and receive absolutely no re numeration whatsoever. I am one of them.
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here's an idea: why not devote part of the harbour to anchoring (for which a LOWER fee could be collected), so that yachtspeople who want to save dosh, or even prefer using their own tackle, could settle in nicely for a reduced fee? This would save you the cost of servicing the moorings there.
 
TiggerToo said:
here's an idea: why not devote part of the harbour to anchoring (for which a LOWER fee could be collected), so that yachtspeople who want to save dosh, or even prefer using their own tackle, could settle in nicely for a reduced fee? This would save you the cost of servicing the moorings there.
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TiggerToo,

nice idea but;

A, Fowey is quite deep at the anchorage as used to be so giving a wide field for clots to wreak havoc;

B, in every harbour there's an ' Old Bob/ Eric ' who has looked after moorings all his life and now in his thousandth year should not be deprived.
 
"Keep the views coming as they will influence our decision making. Not sure that would be the case with private commercial ports or Council run one."

Thanks RUSSH.

How about a book of discounted mooring tickets for boats under, say, 12m. Valid midweek for up to two nights, throughout the year, excepting July and August. 10 tickets - £100.

A lot of older Falmouth and Plymouth based sailors, often singlehanded, would nip in; but might find overnight for one at nearly £20 a bit rich.
 
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Seajet said:
TiggerToo,

nice idea but;

A, Fowey is quite deep at the anchorage as used to be so giving a wide field for clots to wreak havoc;

B, in every harbour there's an ' Old Bob/ Eric ' who has looked after moorings all his life and now in his thousandth year should not be deprived.
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There always use to be anchorage at the enterance to pont . I believe it was stopped in the 80s to allow larger ships to turn prior to being towed up to the clay berths
 
clyst said:
There always use to be anchorage at the enterance to pont . I believe it was stopped in the 80s to allow larger ships to turn prior to being towed up to the clay berths
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exactly... Why not reinstate some proper anchorage space... for the classically minded and the financially challenged who love Fowey (now, where would I fit into that category???:o)
 
No room for swinging hookers

As long as ships keep using the china clay quay there just isn't the swinging room at Fowey and it is a poor anchoring ground anyway...imagine this lot coming down on a poorly hooked small boat -
View attachment 31577
Getting anchored boats to move for the big ships to manoeuvre safely must have been a complete faffle when it was permitted. Although some of the buoys are a bit close for todays longer cruising yachts at least the swinging room is much less than if anchoring were allowed. Allowing boats to anchor near the buoys would also cause endless problems with cables getting caught on mooring blocks etc.
Smaller craft that can take the ground can sit down up towards Golant beyond Wisemans in lovely scenery but for larger yachts I think it is best to dissuade the happy hookers.

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5
 
doug748 said:
"Keep the views coming as they will influence our decision making. Not sure that would be the case with private commercial ports or Council run one."

Thanks RUSSH.

How about a book of discounted mooring tickets for boats under, say, 12m. Valid midweek for up to two nights, throughout the year, excepting July and August. 10 tickets - £100.

A lot of older Falmouth and Plymouth based sailors, often singlehanded, would nip in; but might find overnight for one at nearly £20 a bit rich.
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I like the idea of a discounted book of tickets. Great idea. I'll be bringing it to the next board meeting.

The issue of anchoring has been well covered by other posters but is still not discounted. But may be an issue if you cannot take the ground or want to be within reasonable distance of the town. I know that the H.M. Is reviewing this.

You see the Commissioners do not have the monopoly on good ideas! Keep em coming and they'll be considered. Why wouldn't we?

Regards.
 
Excellent.

I have anchored at the north end of Wiseman's just beyond the moorings and there is 6 ft of water, or more, there most of the time.

I think more folk would do this if it could be adopted as an anchorage with, maybe, a symbol on the chart.

I tend to be put off by the note about salmon fishing, it is difficult to estimate where the limit is. I have no wish to curtail anyone's livelihood, or sport.

Is the fishing still in operation?

Would it upset people if the southern limit were moved north a bit? This would free up a lot of useful water

Could a sign be put up to mark the limit?
 
I would like to thank Ross for clearing up some of the misunderstandings surrounding the operation of Fowey Harbour.
The views I have written on this thread are my own and respresent a personal view based on having a mooring in Fowey harbour for nearly 25 years. I am not involved in any way in running part of the harbour, just a long term mooring holder. Having seen many changes to the working practices and improvements in the harbour over time, the visiting boat owner may not be aware of the improved facilities at Penmarlam, both in terms of boat storage and launching facilities for the small boat owner. I think the Harbour Commissioners do a great job and thank Ross and his collegues for keeping the harbour unspoilt, and yet maintaining a harbour with working commercial interests.
I also think it is important that the views written by others on this thread are represented, and ideas and suggestions put forward to the Commissioners.
Thanks again Ross for providing the background to the Harbour trust and the work you do on our behalf.
Paul
 
doug748 said:
Excellent.

I have anchored at the north end of Wiseman's just beyond the moorings and there is 6 ft of water...
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+1 and more

I am also a huge fan of Wiseman's (don't tell anyone how good it is up there)... I think Doug's proposals/ideas are great. After all, it is the classically minded/tighfisted scroungers like me who appreciate the calm and tranquility of the place. Perfect for riding out a gale. Not too distant to dinghy up to the fleshpot in the "city".... where we can go a spend our hard earned pennies :-).
 
Doug,

No need to worry about Salmon nets. Net licences were bought out by the E.A. until at least 2017 to mitigate the loss of spawning grounds following the construction of Colliford Dam. Netting for sand eels still takes place from time to time but is generally confined to close in to the bank. If you do see netting telephone the E.A. 24hr hotline 0800 807060 or Harbour Patrol VHF Ch12. They in partnership with the Police and Harbour Patrol have been quite successful in bringing visiting illegal netters to book. Last result was in February in the middle of the night.

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Ill...tory-11501248-detail/story.html#axzz2SoQOo1GK

Serious consideration is being given to your proposal for Wisemans.

Next meeting of the Comissioners is towards the end of the month. I'll post an update following that.

Regards.

Russ.
 
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