Fowey last weekend

[Jon Bouy]

We've just had a great weekend away, fist of the season Plymouth to Fowey, glorious weather and just enough breeze, that’s the good bit.

The Fowey 2013 visitor mooring fee appears to have been inflated by over 35% in contrast to last year’s rates, a typical 11M boat last year £16 per night the 2013 rate is £22 per night, the not so good bit!!!

 

[KevO]

It's the fisting that has pushed up the prices...

 

[longjohnsilver]

We've just had a great weekend away, fist of the season Plymouth to Fowey, glorious weather and just enough breeze, that’s the good bit.

The Fowey 2013 visitor mooring fee appears to have been inflated by over 35% in contrast to last year’s rates, a typical 11M boat last year £16 per night the 2013 rate is £22 per night, the not so good bit!!!

That's interesting, Fowey Harbour claim there has been only a 15% increase on last years rates. They put this down to making a loss last year, pension funding requirements and increased costs of garbage disposal. Lots of different articles if you Google them. Seems to be the same mentality which caused Salcombe their problems a few years back.

 

[robertj]

That's interesting, Fowey Harbour claim there has been only a 15% increase on last years rates. They put this down to making a loss last year, pension funding requirements and increased costs of garbage disposal. Lots of different articles if you Google them. Seems to be the same mentality which caused Salcombe their problems a few years back.

Fowey are about to kill the golden goose?
*
It's a shame that they seem to be in a catch 22 situation but increases in an economic decline isn't good business sense at all.
They will find out that the supposed wealthy boat owners who will pay no matter what, will stay away, not because of a principle but economics. Salcombe a wonderful harbour excellent harbour staff who's management made this mistake also have been in a program of price freezes for some years now to attract old custom back.
The main problem is they are not making money so an obvious short sighted management will hit the easy target but I fear with disastrous consequences for the port and their staff.

When are management going to learn basic business sense by small increases to match inflation with identifying areas where customers can be attracted to stay longer, or visit more often. With the climate changing attracting custom to the port is paramount.
I wonder how Fowey businesses feel with the certain decline in yachts and motorboaters, the impact of falling takings the consequences to their staff, this is not just a harbour problem.
I used to visit Fowey regularly when on passage or for a few days even in iffy weather, with this sort of increase 35% I will find alternative places.
I do hope the management review this as I for one wouldn't want it to turn into a salcombe.


I wish Fowey the best of luck as the economic squeeze continues they will need all the luck they can get I feel.

 

[Mylorbuoy]

They have changed their pricing bands to make it cheaper for smaller boats I know I had to pay the same as 11metre boats last year which upset me. I am 7m and the price hasn't changed much. I'm a Falmouth lad but still think we should lay off Fowey they are still cheaper than most places

 

[clyst]

It wouldn't be so bad of there was an alternative to mooring in Fowey ..... like anchoring . They stopped this practice off the town years ago . When I enquired why I was told visitors wanted buoys and pontoons . Maybe Fowey should remove those facilies in the what was anchoring area and reinstate anchoring to help the local commerce.

 

[Grumpybear]

Fowey are about to kill the golden goose?
*
It's a shame that they seem to be in a catch 22 situation but increases in an economic decline isn't good business sense at all.
They will find out that the supposed wealthy boat owners who will pay no matter what, will stay away, not because of a principle but economics. Salcombe a wonderful harbour excellent harbour staff who's management made this mistake also have been in a program of price freezes for some years now to attract old custom back.
The main problem is they are not making money so an obvious short sighted management will hit the easy target but I fear with disastrous consequences for the port and their staff.

When are management going to learn basic business sense by small increases to match inflation with identifying areas where customers can be attracted to stay longer, or visit more often. With the climate changing attracting custom to the port is paramount.
I wonder how Fowey businesses feel with the certain decline in yachts and motorboaters, the impact of falling takings the consequences to their staff, this is not just a harbour problem.
I used to visit Fowey regularly when on passage or for a few days even in iffy weather, with this sort of increase 35% I will find alternative places.
I do hope the management review this as I for one wouldn't want it to turn into a salcombe.


I wish Fowey the best of luck as the economic squeeze continues they will need all the luck they can get I feel.

They HAVE been increasing rates year on year, I believe by more than inflation. I think this is partly a bencounter ploy to maintain revenue in the face of falling visitor numbers (I was told 20% down on last year) and partly due to the new unitary council taking over and seeing a fat cash cow to be milked. They have to pay for their chief executive's eye watering remuneration rises somehow.

Meanwhile they are watching the Isles of Scilly dying a slow death because the help service has been withdrawn.....

 

[robertj]

They HAVE been increasing rates year on year, I believe by more than inflation. I think this is partly a bencounter ploy to maintain revenue in the face of falling visitor numbers (I was told 20% down on last year) and partly due to the new unitary council taking over and seeing a fat cash cow to be milked. They have to pay for their chief executive's eye watering remuneration rises somehow.

Meanwhile they are watching the Isles of Scilly dying a slow death because the help service has been withdrawn.....

Yes you're right but they must give their chief execs a good rise or they will go elsewhere like lavery, sad loss never mind.
These so called elected are certainly taking the p---- out of ordinary hard working folk.

 

[Grumpybear]

Yes you're right but they must give their chief execs a good rise or they will go elsewhere like lavery, sad loss never mind.
These so called elected are certainly taking the p---- out of ordinary hard working folk.

He justified his pay by claiming he was running the largest organisation in Cornwall - a sad comment on the state of the public sector. Not an elected representative either, but what not long ago would have been styled Clerk to the Council.

There are times when I wonder whether cutting the pay of council CEs, bankers etc and thus driving them away might actually be a good idea. Too many of both types have clearly been taking the P*** as well as too much money. the Uk might be a more successful place if some of these types were working for our competition.

 

[Jon Bouy]

The Fowey Assistant harbour Master has promptly replied to my letter of concern regarding the increase in this year’s visitor mooring fees. ‘Fowey Harbour Commissioners will be removing the 9-11m band, introduced this year, meaning that the 7-11m band will be charged at £18 per night (an increase of £2 from 2012).’ Good news!!!

 

[Cornish Bluenose]

As a resident of Fowey, and boat owner with a deep water mooring I think the Harbour Commissioners have a difficult job balancing the books in the economic climate we are facing in the UK. Fowey is a commercial harbour and as such is not spoilt by marina development, however the Harbour Authority is improving and increasing the amount of visitors berths. This has a cost which has to be met through charging viable rates to both visitors and mooring licence holders.
The harbour authority are not alone in having to make tough decisions. Fowey is a far smaller town than most people realise with only 1700 ratable properties, the town now has to fund 5 public toilets from the small annual town council rate that is levied in addition to Cornwall County Council rates. Cornwall Council no longer funds these from the full rates.
So next time you visit the unspoilt town of Fowey, having tied up to one of the Harbour visitor moorings just reflect for a moment or two about how lucky you are to be in such an unspoilt place.
Some of the comments made earlier in this thread are way off the mark. Why should the local population subsidise visiting Yachties..? I think most people who visit Fowey by water have a really great experience, the problem is we do not want to pay the commercial rates that will keep the Harbour in business.
Next time you moor up to a visitor's berth, ask yourself the question..? Has this mooring been serviced and checked..? Is my boat insured..? There are many costs in running a commercial harbour that are not understood.
Fowey welcomes visitors by sea or land.

 

[jakeroyd]

I Fowey at the moment.
been 2 years since we last visited by boat.
I love the place.
usually take a visitors mooring over near Pont Pill.

I do notice the town changing though.
too many shops selling high priced carp.
fish & chip shop closed etc.

I hope it does not end up like Salcombe where if you don't want to buy a Fat Face sweatshirt you are screwed

 

[clyst]

As a resident of Fowey, and boat owner with a deep water mooring I think the Harbour Commissioners have a difficult job balancing the books in the economic climate we are facing in the UK. Fowey is a commercial harbour and as such is not spoilt by marina development, however the Harbour Authority is improving and increasing the amount of visitors berths. This has a cost which has to be met through charging viable rates to both visitors and mooring licence holders.
The harbour authority are not alone in having to make tough decisions. Fowey is a far smaller town than most people realise with only 1700 ratable properties, the town now has to fund 5 public toilets from the small annual town council rate that is levied in addition to Cornwall County Council rates. Cornwall Council no longer funds these from the full rates.
So next time you visit the unspoilt town of Fowey, having tied up to one of the Harbour visitor moorings just reflect for a moment or two about how lucky you are to be in such an unspoilt place.
Some of the comments made earlier in this thread are way off the mark. Why should the local population subsidise visiting Yachties..? I think most people who visit Fowey by water have a really great experience, the problem is we do not want to pay the commercial rates that will keep the Harbour in business.
Next time you moor up to a visitor's berth, ask yourself the question..? Has this mooring been serviced and checked..? Is my boat insured..? There are many costs in running a commercial harbour that are not understood.
Fowey welcomes visitors by sea or land.

Visitors to Fowey has been dropping off for several years for what reason is irrelevant . Fowey has now got to offer value for money ....... Which it clearly isn't .
BTW I have been visiting Fowey by boat for the last fifty years living until recently a mere 8 miles along the coast !!

 

[Appledore]

I like Fowey for what it is. All seaside towns have shops full of stuff you wouldn't touch with a bargepole, but there are many interesting places to see and great cliff walks if you so wish. But all this has been said already.

I went into Mevagissey last September in my 22 footer and paid £13 on the swinging moorings. Getting ashore in the inflatable was 'challenging' but not impossible. The Harbourmaster was really helpful. Now in Fowey the next day we paid only £11 (on the pontoon) and parked the inflatable easily at the Town pontoon. So I have no complaints about Fowey (or Mevagissey).

By comparison, Alderney was £15 on the closest buoy to the end of the breakwater - very choppy and a long trip ashore, and St Peter Port £16 on the pontoon, with a very short row to the dinghy pontoon. So I personally don't think Fowey is overpriced. I'll hopefully return in September.

Also, one assumes larger boats have more crew, so almost certainly they pay less per head for morings. There's only 2 of us on my boat so even though we are smaller we almost certainly pay more!