Holyhead Marina

Just to cover the point about going elsewhere, it's simply the case that there's nowhere else to go. There's the relatively small Ferry dock (in Holyhead Harbour) where the Lifeboat went into but from where pleasure craft would probably have been excluded. There's the Menai Strait, North or South or Ireland none of which would be practical or safe.
 
In the past we kept our boat in Holyhead. One year in the Marina and Three on a mooring. First year we spent in the marina all year round including the winter, no problems at all. second third and fourth years were spent on a mooring April to the end of October and the five months of winter were spent at Caernarfon marina. We chose Caernarfon because it was quite a bit cheaper, It was right on the edge of town and the Menai straits are a nice sheltered area for sailing. As I remember at some point Bishop Skinner declined to insure us at Holyhead, I'm not sure whether that was for the marina or the moorings, but GJW obliged us and we have stuck with them since. At no point did we ever feel unsafe at Holyhead and yes we did stay aboard once in a storm for 36 hours, I think that this was August, but this was our choice. The club Bosun Tony Price had offered to pick us up off the mooring but we felt we were ok. It seems to me that most of the boats left on moorings seem to be ok.
The entrance to the marina is far to big to be chained off, if you look at ariel photo's you will see this.
At the time we lived in Burton upon Trent which is a three hour trip so not much chance of a quick trip to check her out although we were there once or twice a month through the winter. Not everyone can live 5 minutes away from their boat, although we do now.:). Here in Brixham it can get a bit rolly in an easterly but nothing much. The difference is that we are protected by a massive piled wavescreen which filters out almost everything and the pontoons are also piled instead of chains and anchors which in my opinion is much more secure.
 
Laysula said:
In the past we kept our boat in Holyhead. One year in the Marina and Three on a mooring. First year we spent in the marina all year round including the winter, no problems at all. second third and fourth years were spent on a mooring April to the end of October and the five months of winter were spent at Caernarfon marina. We chose Caernarfon because it was quite a bit cheaper, It was right on the edge of town and the Menai straits are a nice sheltered area for sailing. As I remember at some point Bishop Skinner declined to insure us at Holyhead, I'm not sure whether that was for the marina or the moorings, but GJW obliged us and we have stuck with them since. At no point did we ever feel unsafe at Holyhead and yes we did stay aboard once in a storm for 36 hours, I think that this was August, but this was our choice. The club Bosun Tony Price had offered to pick us up off the mooring but we felt we were ok. It seems to me that most of the boats left on moorings seem to be ok.
The entrance to the marina is far to big to be chained off, if you look at ariel photo's you will see this.
At the time we lived in Burton upon Trent which is a three hour trip so not much chance of a quick trip to check her out although we were there once or twice a month through the winter. Not everyone can live 5 minutes away from their boat, although we do now.:). Here in Brixham it can get a bit rolly in an easterly but nothing much. The difference is that we are protected by a massive piled wavescreen which filters out almost everything and the pontoons are also piled instead of chains and anchors which in my opinion is much more secure.
Click to expand...

Steve.
I think the insurance cover and berthing cost is going to be a big influence on future berthing choice at Holyhead. Well for certain until the new Marina with its new moles and high rise buildings give the shelter that is needed from the easterlies.

I know of at least one of last year's berth holders who is having serious thoughts about returning next year.

I would think the decision to stay if your boat is a total loss would be a lot harder.
 
Last edited:
JumbleDuck said:
My boat is in Port Bannatyne marina this winter as an experiment. A complete failure, as it happens, because work, illness and weather have between them scuppered every weekend when I might have been aboard. I was not too chuffed to see the B from the E forecasts, but there was
nothing I could do. Where would eighty boat owners at Holyhead move their boats to at a couple of days' notice?
Click to expand...

Another answer to the ' why not move out ? " question is that my insurers Haven won't cover me if I stay on my summer mooring for the winter, the boat has to be ashore or in a marina, the latter being traditionally thought a safe place.
 
Personaly I don't see another Marina being built at Holyhead,The cost of building a decent protective wall must be prohibitive and without that Insurance companies will surely say no. Even if the money were to be found, by the time planning permision has been obtained and the wall built several years will have elapsed.I guess that a few boaters may just take the insurance money and give up, others will find alternative berths and so may not come back, so not only do you have tobuild the marina but you have to almost fill it from scratch.
TSB240 said:
Steve.
I think the insurance cover and berthing cost is going to be a big influence on future berthing choice at Holyhead. Well for certain until the new Marina with its new moles and high rise buildings give the shelter that is needed from the easterlies.

I know of at least one of last year's berth holders who is having serious thoughts about returning next year.

I would think the decision to stay if your boat is a total loss would be a lot harder.
Click to expand...
 
Seajet said:
Another answer to the ' why not move out ? " question is that my insurers Haven won't cover me if I stay on my summer mooring for the winter, the boat has to be ashore or in a marina, the latter being traditionally thought a safe place.
Click to expand...

Same here, but as far as I know I can use the mooring in the winter, just not leave the boat unattended on it.
 
Laysula said:
Personaly I don't see another Marina being built at Holyhead,The cost of building a decent protective wall must be prohibitive and without that Insurance companies will surely say no. Even if the money were to be found, by the time planning permision has been obtained and the wall built several years will have elapsed.I guess that a few boaters may just take the insurance money and give up, others will find alternative berths and so may not come back, so not only do you have tobuild the marina but you have to almost fill it from scratch.
Click to expand...

Ironically, they've already got planning permission. May well have been under quite an advanced stage of construction by now if it weren't for the NIMBY court cases.

Doesn't look like there's anywhere for people to return to until the new one is built, if it ultimately is.
 
GrahamM376 said:
I assume the spring to autumn sailing club and other moorings will still be there and maybe expanded?
Click to expand...

I was assuming they'd already have boats allocated for the existing moorings. I doubt the marina will relinquish their bit of the sea bed that easily for any more in the short term. And of course moorings never allow the same sort of density that a marina does. I guess if owners are Manc or Liverpool based they can always look at Pwhelli, Whitehaven or the Clyde coast as alternatives when they go back in the water.
 
Laysula said:
Personaly I don't see another Marina being built at Holyhead,The cost of building a decent protective wall must be prohibitive and without that Insurance companies will surely say no. Even if the money were to be found, by the time planning permision has been obtained and the wall built several years will have elapsed.I guess that a few boaters may just take the insurance money and give up, others will find alternative berths and so may not come back, so not only do you have tobuild the marina but you have to almost fill it from scratch.
Click to expand...

Floating breakwaters are available in much bigger sizes than the one they had at Holyhead. If the seabed is rock they will have to drill sockets for the piles; and for large piles that is extremely expensive. So they could use a heavier anchoring system. But they don't necessarily need a solid wall or a rubble mound in that location.

http://sfmarinausa.com/floating-breakwaters/
 
Last edited:
DJE said:
Floating breakwaters are available in much bigger sizes than the one they had at Holyhead. If the seabed is rock they will have to drill sockets for the piles; and for large piles that is extremely expensive. So they could use a heavier anchoring system. But they don't necessarily need a solid wall or a rubble mound in that location.

http://sfmarinausa.com/floating-breakwaters/
Click to expand...

The plan they already had planning permission for included putting apartment blocks on a new non-floating breakwater.
 
As the breakwater at Cowes has shown, once tides are considered a breakwater isn't as simple as would first appear, especially as Holyhead would seem to need quite an extensive one.

I do hope it and the apartment idea gets going - possibly in a beefed up format in light of all this - as the project would bring in a lot of money to an area which needs it, while abandoning the thought of a marina there would have a widespread negative impact as well as further reducing options for sailing around there.
 
Seajet said:
As the breakwater at Cowes has shown, once tides are considered a breakwater isn't as simple as would first appear, especially as Holyhead would seem to need quite an extensive one.
Click to expand...

There's negligible tide inside Holyhead's main breakwater, which is itself getting on for a mile or two long. It was however designed for the RN to shelter their battleships behind, so the problems with the marina occured when the wind came from the opposite direction. It is a similar-ish situation to the Admiralty breakwater at Alderney, except they finished the one at Holyhead (even extended it hence the strange shape).
 
lpdsn said:
The plan they already had planning permission for included putting apartment blocks on a new non-floating breakwater.
Click to expand...

Condolences to the users and owners of the marina.

I'm puzzled by the idea of putting apartments on an outer breakwater. Surely a massive sea wall would be needed to protect the apartments from an Easterly storm? The apartments themselves couldn't act as protection for the harbour unless built like bunkers?

Or have I misunderstood?
 
Vega1447 said:
Condolences to the users and owners of the marina.

I'm puzzled by the idea of putting apartments on an outer breakwater. Surely a massive sea wall would be needed to protect the apartments from an Easterly storm? The apartments themselves couldn't act as protection for the harbour unless built like bunkers?

Or have I misunderstood?
Click to expand...

Plenty of news on the web showing the planned new development. Try this one and click on the arrow till it shows "marina and breakwater". http://www.holyheadwaterfront.co.uk/Project/

Remember the open sea and the 19th century massive breakwater is to the W and N. The old marina was damaged by waves from the E generated between the shore and the marina. The fetch is up to two or three miles through the ferry port.
 
lpdsn said:
There's negligible tide inside Holyhead's main breakwater, which is itself getting on for a mile or two long. It was however designed for the RN to shelter their battleships behind, so the problems with the marina occured when the wind came from the opposite direction. It is a similar-ish situation to the Admiralty breakwater at Alderney, except they finished the one at Holyhead (even extended it hence the strange shape).
Click to expand...

Perhaps the navy could be persuaded to moor the HMS Brenda or HMS Brian directly to the east of a rebuilt marina? Neither of them is going to be any use for anything else ....
 
lpdsn said:
Plenty of news on the web showing the planned new development. Try this one and click on the arrow till it shows "marina and breakwater". http://www.holyheadwaterfront.co.uk/Project/

Remember the open sea and the 19th century massive breakwater is to the W and N. The old marina was damaged by waves from the E generated between the shore and the marina. The fetch is up to two or three miles through the ferry port.
Click to expand...
Well it's a very impressive plan, But Holyhead is a very run down area ( It's a brilliant place to sail from and for us the real bonus was 24 hour access) and I don't see the houses selling easily. When we left there were still empty apartments in the two new blocks built at the marina. Looking at the plans for the new marina it looks very susceptible to silting up with no water flow through. On the other hand with proper protection and reasonable pricing it could work out very popular, The big attraction being 24 hour access.
 
Laysula said:
Well it's a very impressive plan, But Holyhead is a very run down area ( It's a brilliant place to sail from and for us the real bonus was 24 hour access) and I don't see the houses selling easily. When we left there were still empty apartments in the two new blocks built at the marina. Looking at the plans for the new marina it looks very susceptible to silting up with no water flow through. On the other hand with proper protection and reasonable pricing it could work out very popular, The big attraction being 24 hour access.
Click to expand...

There isn't any silting in Holyhead Harbour, there's no significant flow of silt bearing river water and there's very little suspended solids in the sea running past either.

I've no idea of the insurance status of the existing(?) marina and whether they will receive sufficient monies for the loss. The lease for the bit of harbour it occupied may revert to Stena who are the the owners. The Welsh Government may help, who knows?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

B
Holyhead Marina these days?
Replies
4
Views
476
ridgy
R

Share this page

Top