Guernsey Marina confusion
- Thread starter Yacht Breeze
- Start date
nimrod1230
Member
Probably, the donkeys are notorious for it.
I don't know why anyone would go there in the 1st place, Jersey officially has more sunshine and we've got visitor berths with 2m or 2.4m for those that need it.
And a holding pontoon that's connected to dry land...
Jersey certainly has lots more to do than Guernsey but the marina is rather utilitarian though being able to walk into a reasonable size town can be an advantage. The waiting pontoon was an experience last visit as we had to negotiate a raft of 10 boats to berth sideways against the pontoon with 1/2m each end, a test of our boat handling which we passed on this occasion. Don't buy your beer locally, buy it from the Co-Op at half the price! We berth just inside the entrance so lose the traffic/chav noise but gain the working port noise, swings and roundabouts!
sjdtuk
Member
Guernsey used to be one of my favourite destinations too.
It used to be possible pop somewhere on the hammerhead in Victoria Marina with 2.1 m of draft. The staff all had excellent boat handing skills to help nudge the boat around, if conditions were difficult. The town was enjoyable and the food too is you picked carefully.
Tried to get in last Summer, anywhere in the outer harbour, 2am in the morning having come from Treburden. Not possible to get any berth and the guy on duty, whilst helpfull was clueless.
Easier to anchor in the pitch black in Dixcarte Bay on Sark rather than St Peter Port. Havelet bay is just horrible - unless you like rolling.
St Peter Port may be OK out of season, but otherwise hopeless - this is a shame.
It used to be possible pop somewhere on the hammerhead in Victoria Marina with 2.1 m of draft. The staff all had excellent boat handing skills to help nudge the boat around, if conditions were difficult. The town was enjoyable and the food too is you picked carefully.
Tried to get in last Summer, anywhere in the outer harbour, 2am in the morning having come from Treburden. Not possible to get any berth and the guy on duty, whilst helpfull was clueless.
Easier to anchor in the pitch black in Dixcarte Bay on Sark rather than St Peter Port. Havelet bay is just horrible - unless you like rolling.
St Peter Port may be OK out of season, but otherwise hopeless - this is a shame.
Teetime
New member
St.Peter Port
It is sad to read the items in this thread. St.Peter Port has always been one of our favourite destinations. I have to say that it is some years since we were last there but over many years we never had the slightest problem. The harbour staff were polite and efficient and always got us in somewhere. Something has obviously gone wrong and needs putting right. One hopes that someone in authority has their attention drawn to this website and takes some action.We hope to return to Guernsey in the Summer and after a longish journey the last thing one wants is hassle.
It is sad to read the items in this thread. St.Peter Port has always been one of our favourite destinations. I have to say that it is some years since we were last there but over many years we never had the slightest problem. The harbour staff were polite and efficient and always got us in somewhere. Something has obviously gone wrong and needs putting right. One hopes that someone in authority has their attention drawn to this website and takes some action.We hope to return to Guernsey in the Summer and after a longish journey the last thing one wants is hassle.
LittleSister
Well-known member
If they have plenty still coming you'd wonder why they need to splash out on a stand at SIBS (unless it's just a staff jolly).
westhinder
Well-known member
My experience is different.
We arrived in St Peter Port with a rope around the prop in August, called the harbourmaster and as we sailed in, we were met by one of the guys in a dory, someone in his forties, not a student. He came alongside and helped us onto a pontoon, all with minimal fuss and expert boathandling, so thank you very much.
He told us diving was not allowed in the harbour, except for the local divers, who would charge us £200 at least, but added that if I wanted to try myself, I would be ok if I did so inconspicuously. In the end a neighbour who happened to be a professional diver was so kind as to help us.
We arrived in St Peter Port with a rope around the prop in August, called the harbourmaster and as we sailed in, we were met by one of the guys in a dory, someone in his forties, not a student. He came alongside and helped us onto a pontoon, all with minimal fuss and expert boathandling, so thank you very much.
He told us diving was not allowed in the harbour, except for the local divers, who would charge us £200 at least, but added that if I wanted to try myself, I would be ok if I did so inconspicuously. In the end a neighbour who happened to be a professional diver was so kind as to help us.
LadyInBed
Well-known member
Sailfree
Well-known member
Reading this thread it does strike me that I have seen more examples of bad berthing in Gernsey (including one of my own worse ones when a newbe in 1999) than anywhere else. While in French Marinas the French berth OK but I have witnessed a number of French boats doing the ram/bump/berthing method in Guernsey!
Does France send all their bad sailors to Guerney to practice!!
Does France send all their bad sailors to Guerney to practice!!
Tidewaiter2
New member
Oh, I dunno, Basse Sablon Marina in St Malo seems to be a centre of berthing non excellence by visiting yachts too
Bosun Higgs
N/A
Yes, but Jersey is a much less attractive island IMO of course.
snowleopard
Active member
In the past we usually stayed on a pontoon in the outer harbour as we assumed the marina would be too crowded and expensive given our 23 ft beam. Last summer (2010) we discovered neither were true so we went inside and found a comfortable space on the innermost pontoon at the same price as the row-ashore berths. The only drawback we found was the kids who screamed up and down the waterfront road on their mopeds until all hours.
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Powersalt
Active member
LIke many on here we are a regular visitor to Victoria marina Guernsey all year round and over a period of 8 years got to know the marina staff. Well its true to say that they did all reach retirement age together and unfortunatley no one thought to get new personnel trained before they left. So there no is a big hole of inexperience.
We see it many times. For example, last year we went for the weekend in ist week March and foundm ourselves as one of only 5 boats in the port hand side. NO one around so we pick a nice spot and moore up, just about finished and a guy comes up and says would we move to be about 1 metre behind the boat in front? why we ask? well we are expecting a lot more. So we have to do as told and of course no one else came in and we looked fools being so close up another yachts bum.
But more importantly we have seen such poor planning and organisation that they have declared the inner harbour full where any semi experinced skipper can note that with better planning another 20 to 30 yachts would easily make it in. We have seen this many times, even watched them tell a boat to go into a certain vacant space and said to ourselves thast madness you could use that fgor a bigger boat and then raft more up alongside. They now also mix motor with sail which again is not the best move for many reason but especially convenience of mooring alongside.
Yes that a real mess and then at the same time they charge £2 per night for electricity whic is an absolute rip off.
Oh and to say that they have plenty of visitors is wrong, last year 2011 they were worried why the numbers were down and put it down to the recession. But we only went 3 times last year due to the above set up and incompetence of staff
We see it many times. For example, last year we went for the weekend in ist week March and foundm ourselves as one of only 5 boats in the port hand side. NO one around so we pick a nice spot and moore up, just about finished and a guy comes up and says would we move to be about 1 metre behind the boat in front? why we ask? well we are expecting a lot more. So we have to do as told and of course no one else came in and we looked fools being so close up another yachts bum.
But more importantly we have seen such poor planning and organisation that they have declared the inner harbour full where any semi experinced skipper can note that with better planning another 20 to 30 yachts would easily make it in. We have seen this many times, even watched them tell a boat to go into a certain vacant space and said to ourselves thast madness you could use that fgor a bigger boat and then raft more up alongside. They now also mix motor with sail which again is not the best move for many reason but especially convenience of mooring alongside.
Yes that a real mess and then at the same time they charge £2 per night for electricity whic is an absolute rip off.
Oh and to say that they have plenty of visitors is wrong, last year 2011 they were worried why the numbers were down and put it down to the recession. But we only went 3 times last year due to the above set up and incompetence of staff
doris
Well-known member
Have got a lot of friends on Guernsey and it was always a regular port of call. That ended last summer when the treatment we got from the boat boys was a disgrace. They insisted on us parking in a ridiculous spot, on the outer pontoons, when that was quite unnecessary. They then instantly demanded payment when we only had the mid-ships line on.....not even a chance to put any breast lines on, never mind springs. Having told them to wait they simply immediately directed another boat to raft on to us before we even had a chance to fender up the outside or properly secure the boat. Polite (!) email to the HM was not even replied to.
Thought we had just been unlucky but sadly it is obviously the norm. Did speak briefly to the stand at the LIBS but they really didn't give a toss.
I'm sure that market forces will eventually make then realise the need to improve and I look forward to a thread that confirms that.
A comment here from the HM would be a great start.
Thought we had just been unlucky but sadly it is obviously the norm. Did speak briefly to the stand at the LIBS but they really didn't give a toss.
I'm sure that market forces will eventually make then realise the need to improve and I look forward to a thread that confirms that.
A comment here from the HM would be a great start.
npf1
Active member
Has anyone pointed out this thread to them?
sailorman
Well-known member
yes
Powersalt
Active member
Well done sailerman. Lets hope we see a reply
sailorman
Well-known member
Bav34
...
Sadly I have to agree with the negative comments.
We visited three times last year.
The first time, waiting for the tide,six of us were directed to the most northerly pontoon and forgotten about!
The next time, in very windy conditions, they kept sending boats up the inner northerly pontoons with no offer of assistance ... they could learn from Yarmouth (Marina )
If it wasn't for the continual and combined efforts of other boat owners there would have been some serious damage caused. As it was we had to actually push three boats off our transom.
The next time we stayed for three weeks ... EVERY S*DDING morning they'd knock on our hull to see if we'd paid. We were paying for four nights at a time ... to the same guy that was knocking! Ticket clearly on display.
We found the answer was just to ignore them and within seconds they were annoying the people on the next boat.
And don't get me started on their FREE WiFi ! 'Interesting' to note that there is a mega-strong signal that you have to pay for!!
Collusion?
At least the £1 round the island bus trips were still available.
Oh yes ... and quite a few times the printed forecast outside the north shower block wasn't updated.
Very disappointed.
We visited three times last year.
The first time, waiting for the tide,six of us were directed to the most northerly pontoon and forgotten about!
The next time, in very windy conditions, they kept sending boats up the inner northerly pontoons with no offer of assistance ... they could learn from Yarmouth (Marina )
If it wasn't for the continual and combined efforts of other boat owners there would have been some serious damage caused. As it was we had to actually push three boats off our transom.
The next time we stayed for three weeks ... EVERY S*DDING morning they'd knock on our hull to see if we'd paid. We were paying for four nights at a time ... to the same guy that was knocking! Ticket clearly on display.
We found the answer was just to ignore them and within seconds they were annoying the people on the next boat.
And don't get me started on their FREE WiFi ! 'Interesting' to note that there is a mega-strong signal that you have to pay for!!
Collusion?
At least the £1 round the island bus trips were still available.
Oh yes ... and quite a few times the printed forecast outside the north shower block wasn't updated.
Very disappointed.
sailorman
Well-known member
Sadly I have to agree with the negative comments.
We visited three times last year.
The first time, waiting for the tide,six of us were directed to the most northerly pontoon and forgotten about!
The next time, in very windy conditions, they kept sending boats up the inner northerly pontoons with no offer of assistance ... they could learn from Yarmouth (Marina )
If it wasn't for the continual and combined efforts of other boat owners there would have been some serious damage caused. As it was we had to actually push three boats off our transom.
The next time we stayed for three weeks ... EVERY S*DDING morning they'd knock on our hull to see if we'd paid. We were paying for four nights at a time ... to the same guy that was knocking! Ticket clearly on display.
We found the answer was just to ignore them and within seconds they were annoying the people on the next boat.
And don't get me started on their FREE WiFi ! 'Interesting' to note that there is a mega-strong signal that you have to pay for!!
Collusion?
At least the £1 round the island bus trips were still available.
Oh yes ... and quite a few times the printed forecast outside the north shower block wasn't updated.
Very disappointed.
Much like the Visitor guide on the web site with 2011 tide tables
Skysail
Well-known member
Shame - we used to find it very good.
NB there is free wifi in the Tourist Office.
NB there is free wifi in the Tourist Office.
