In praise of Dover Marina

[ianc1200]

I recently bought an Aquastar 38 and brought her from Southampton to Titchmarsh Thursday & Friday. Between Beachy Head and Dungeness we picked up a fishing net on the port prop, so limped into Dover Marina late on Thursday afternoon. They lifted us at 8:30 on Friday, cut the net off, removed the hanging damaged parts of the Spur ropecutter, and we were back in by 9:05. After paying/through lock/refuelling, we got underway at 10:30 and got into Titchmarsh about 4pm. The staff at Dover were superb, and it really is a lovely marina, in a beautiful setting.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

That’s great to hear. How good to get a positive story rather than a complaint! Boat looks good too!

 

[Biggles Wader]

Dover-----Like it or hate the town, the port and everything about it is a very professional operation. Glad you got sorted so easily.

 

[prestomg27]

Another vote for the marina. Friendly efficient and not crowded.

 

[John_Silver]

Cheaper visitor rates than its near neighbour, Ramsgate, too. By a fiver a night, for a 9.5m boat. With an excellent,’old school,’ chandlery (Sharp & Enright), should you need Gaz or boat bits. Plus an easy to access fuel berth.

 

[johnalison]

Cheaper visitor rates than its near neighbour, Ramsgate, too. By a fiver a night, for a 9.5m boat. With an excellent,’old school,’ chandlery (Sharp & Enright), should you need Gaz or boat bits. Plus an easy to access fuel berth.

On one of my earlier, possibly first, visits to Dover there were two chandleries. At the time I needed some wick for the oil lamp in our then boat. The smart new chandlery only had a few centimetres of the wrong size in a sealed packet for several quid, so I went round the corner to Sharp & Enwright and asked the old boy in a brown coat if he had any wick. He proceeded to get a long ladder and after putting it in the right position climbed up a good way towards the attic and retrieved a large cardboard box containing assorted wicks, from which I was invited to make my choice. I paid a few pence for about a foot of the right size and thanked him as graciously as I was able.

 

[oldgit]

Surely this must be a made up story.
Any fule kno that any maritime organisation has got to be run by a privately run company registered in Zurich or Jersey owned however briefly by some Petrochemical Sovereign fund or Australian Bushwacker Hedge Fund (Water companies anyone) in order to be run proper.
Look back on these forums for the suggestions about how much better both Dover and Ramsgate could be if the local councils were forced to sell up to private enterprise and let the market loose on both these wasteful and inefficient ports.
Suppose it depends on wether customers or dividends are your priority.
Have heard first hand accounts of how Ramsgate also stepped up to the plate when somebody needed help outside of office hours.
As a boater ,love shiney sparkly coporate shirt MDL to bits but when push comes to shove give me a man in overalls and a local council run outfit everytime ?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

...
Have heard first hand accounts of how Ramsgate also stepped up to the plate when somebody needed help outside of office hours.
...

We had great service in Ramsgate earlier this when we limped in with diesel bug contamination, found us an easy-to-park-on berth immediately and then the local marine engineers turned up within an hour and helped us to clear the problem at least temporarily. Very good.

 

[dolabriform]

On one of my earlier, possibly first, visits to Dover there were two chandleries. At the time I needed some wick for the oil lamp in our then boat. The smart new chandlery only had a few centimetres of the wrong size in a sealed packet for several quid, so I went round the corner to Sharp & Enwright and asked the old boy in a brown coat if he had any wick. He proceeded to get a long ladder and after putting it in the right position climbed up a good way towards the attic and retrieved a large cardboard box containing assorted wicks, from which I was invited to make my choice. I paid a few pence for about a foot of the right size and thanked him as graciously as I was able.

The staff at Dover are amazing, and you will be pleased to hear that Sharp & Enright are still great as well