Hypothectical Marina Full

[davo99]

New to things boaty so forgive me if this is a stupid question (triggered by the TT thread)

You've been in a Marina for a few days and are due to leave. There's something popular going on and the Marina is full. As you are due to leave weather gets decidely worse and the forecast is that it's going to get worse still. You elect o stay until storm blows over but are informed that Marina is full and your berth is already booked to an incoming boat.

What happens next?

You don't want to leave a nice sheltered berth, equally the boat that has it booked doesn't want to ride it out at sea until you leave.

Oh and there isn't any sheletered anchorage within handy distance

 

[SteveE]

In my view, 1) if the weather was as bad as the scenario the other boat will probably not be coming to the marina in that weather, and 2) a Marina is not likely to kick you out into weather that could put you or your boat at risk...

 

[kcrane]

New to things boaty so forgive me if this is a stupid question (triggered by the TT thread)

You've been in a Marina for a few days and are due to leave. There's something popular going on and the Marina is full. As you are due to leave weather gets decidely worse and the forecast is that it's going to get worse still. You elect o stay until storm blows over but are informed that Marina is full and your berth is already booked to an incoming boat.

What happens next?

You don't want to leave a nice sheltered berth, equally the boat that has it booked doesn't want to ride it out at sea until you leave.

Oh and there isn't any sheletered anchorage within handy distance

I used to wonder the same kind of things... not quite as dramatic as the picture you painted, but "what if they're full?" was in my mind.

The answer for a lot of marinas seems to be they're never completely full to the point they can't, if they had to, squeeze one more boat in somewhere. It won't be ideal, won't have power, will be rafted up and may need to borrow longer lines, but one way or another...

I've stopped worrying about it now, though if I know a marina takes bookings (Yarmouth, Berthon, Poole etc) then I do ring ahead.

Quite a few don't take bookings; Salcombe, Cherbourg, St Peter Port, ST Vaast, Weymouth Harbour etc.

 

[davo99]

2) a Marina is not likely to kick you out into weather that could put you or your boat at risk...

The answer for a lot of marinas seems to be they're never completely full to the point they can't, if they had to, squeeze one more boat in somewhere. It won't be ideal, won't have power, will be rafted up and may need to borrow longer lines, but one way or another....

Thanks guys, that's pretty much what I was thinking / hoping

 

[vyv_cox]

It depends on the marina policy, and maybe the country. I have been kicked out of marinas in Corsica and Greece because the charter fleet was returning. In both cases the weather was not good but not dangerous. No arguments - "out you go!"

 

[PCUK]

They can't kick you out into bad weather that may risk your life.

 

[DAKA]

They can't kick you out into bad weather that may risk your life.

Its just about what happened to us in Weymouth marina a few years ago.

There was a cruise booked from Cobbs Quay, 20 boats due to arrive.

It was so obvious they were going to cancel, but I presume it was calm in Cobbs Quay and some of them were optimistic.

I told the berthing master most wouldnt arrive but he still asked us to leave.

He came to see me before we left to admit his mistake as they did indeed receive the cancellations and he invited us to stay but being 8loody minded we left, I posted about it at the time, we got seaweed round the radar arch it was that rough .

Anyway point is you cant really get chucked out as the incomers arnt going to arrive when its rough.

 

[davo99]

They can't kick you out into bad weather that may risk your life.

What I was wondering was more along the lines of the legalities. Is there anything in Maritme (or any other ) Law that prevents them from ejecting you into bad weather ?


Or where I'd stand if I refused to leave

 

[fireball]

you could always have 'engine problems' if it really looked bad ...

Bad weather is normally well forecast - so it shouldn't be a surprise in the morning when you're expected to leave... with that in mind you can plan around the weather to be somewhere you can stay for a few days and hopefully with some alternatives too ...

What is bad weather to you isn't necessarily bad weather to others - some won't venture out above a F5 - others start to have fun in a F5 and above!

 

[flaming]

What is bad weather to you isn't necessarily bad weather to others - some won't venture out above a F5 - others start to have fun in a F5 and above!

Very true. It would probably be worth finding out who was due to arrive. If it's a cruise in company then it's probably fair to assume that a few won't make it if you think the weather is a bit iffy, but if it's a RORC race, then it would need to be north of 40 knots before you could safely assume that they won't be coming.

 

[rwoofer]

I've been kicked out of Ile d'Yeu in gale force winds, because a race fleet was due that day.

The marina did only allow us in on the previous day on the proviso we had to leave the next morning. The reason I had to go with this was that winds had come earlier than forecast whilst we were on passage (force 7) and SWMBO was sea-sick and just needed a break. If anyone knows Ile d'Yeu you will know that the breakwater means you go from flat calm to big seas in seconds. It was quite intimidating, but fortunately SWMBO had recovered enough that we didn't have any issues other than a bumpy 25 mile run to the next port.

 

[Dave99]

I have a feeling that maritime law means they have to provide a safe refuge - might be wrong but worth googleing perhaps

 

[bobgoode]

I was once asked if I wanted to move from the long pontoon in Ramsgate to a finger. I was pinned on by 30knots at the time. I declined. The HM said I had to as the long pontoon was needed for 12m plus vessels. I said I was happy to give it a go if he was instructing me to move and he them smiled and said no need, they could work around.