Isle of Man berths during the TT week

x25dave

x25dave

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Mar 2010
Messages
135
Location
Whitby
Visit site
Hello, can any one out there tell me?

Have I got a ghost of a chance of visiting the I.O.M. during the TT week, and get a Berth/Anchorage?

We were thinking of calling in on our round the UK cruise 2016.

Kind regards
Dave & Mel
 
x25dave said:
Hello, can any one out there tell me?

Have I got a ghost of a chance of visiting the I.O.M. during the TT week, and get a Berth/Anchorage?

We were thinking of calling in on our round the UK cruise 2016.

Kind regards
Dave & Mel
Click to expand...
I have just pitched up at the beginning of practice week for the last two years. They get you in and as long as you tell them how long you are staying for they position you to suit.
I did the phoning up bit before hand, all they said was call us on the vhf when you are on approach. This is Douglas by the way. Last year we arrived, about ten boats on the waiting pontoon, it wasnt a prob. If you go in the marina bit its a long walk around to the town but the toilets are nearer. £23 a night if I remember correctly for a 38ft. Enjoy, I did.
Stu
 
I've done it 3 times from Holyhead. Once as crew aboard a cat; we dried at Castletown. Twice in the Douglas marina. My (limited) experience is that it's worth phoning beforehand, although I'm sure they'll tell you that they don't take bookings during the TT week. They are incredibly accommodating and will try to squeeze you in. If not inside the marina, inside the harbour alongside the wall.

Do it! Fantastic atmosphere. The riders are bonkers! Scary to watch.
 
I was in Peel during practice week last year. We rafted up on the wall by the chippy. (cheaper and nearer the best showers) It was busy but nowhere near full. They did expect it to be much busier in race week but they rarely turn anybody away.
 
I was in Peel for ten days last summer ... not TT week, but it got busy-ish for the Classic Boat festival. The marina is very badly silted now (some bits have 6" when the gate's up) and there was plenty of room on the long east-west pontoon if you didn't draw too much. I only need 1.3m and didn't mind drying by 3" or so ... within a couple of days she had dug herself a hole and was - barely - afloat all the time.

There are a couple of visitor moorings at Runwick Bay near Laxey (god knows how you get ashore, though) and a few at the end of the closed Queen's Pier in Ramsey, where you can also anchor. Completely exposed to the east, though. Ramsey is possible, but a bit of a dump.
 
We went last year and just turned up from Fleetwood to Douglas. It was jammed packed but they fitted us in (10.5 metre boat). Strongly advise you make for the yacht club for food and wifi and beer
 
Paddydog`1 said:
We went last year and just turned up from Fleetwood to Douglas. It was jammed packed but they fitted us in (10.5 metre boat). Strongly advise you make for the yacht club for food and wifi and beer
Click to expand...

If you're out of wifi range, the Manx Telecom shop is near the harbour in Douglas and will sell you a PAYG data sim for very little. Don't even think about data roaming from a mainland contract.
 
Douglas is the obvious focal point during TT week, so of the larger harbours has the greatest pressure on numbers. Douglas is a commercial harbour so check in on 12 on approach. There's a 'waiting pontoon' in the outer harbour, but access to the marina basin is under a lifting road bridge, enquire also on 12.

Peel, as said, will almost certainly be able to squeeze you into the inner basin (behind the cill), either in the marina or rafted alongside a wall. In 2007, for the centenary TT, it almost harked back to the peak of the fishing days when "you could walk from deck to deck across the harbour". 2015 will not be as busy as that. There are a few visitors' moorings, but very exposed to anything with north in it. Also room to anchor, but same proviso. Nearest point on TT course about four miles.
Use Ch12 to call harbour office: essential before entering Peel since they have to swing a pedestrian bridge.

Ramsey dries and the bottom slopes quite steeply in places. (Being from Peel, it's the other side of the earth so I rarely go there). Possible to anchor off but exposed. Ramsey is on the TT course with several good spectating spots.

All these are some miles by road from the course:
Laxey, as said, is tiny. Boats do occasionally anchor off but very exposed.
Port St Mary also an option: no marina, but room to raft inside the breakwater (long lines needed: wall is tall). Several visitors moorings, sheltered from all but E/SE. Bilgies might find room to dry out, but the drying inner harbour is very crowded.
Castletown is fairly cramped for space, but has some berthing options.
Port Erin: very exposed to W, but some visitors moorings and anchoring possibilities otherwise.
Derbyhaven, near the airport, might be possible for smaller craft, but I have no personal knowledge of anchoring there.

As said, IoM bus services are quite good. Laxey is also served by electric railway to Douglas (yes, we have electricity;)), and to The Bungalow on the mountain section of the TT course ; Port Erin has a narrow gauge puffer train to Douglas.

Good info here: http://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/harbours/
and here: http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/wales-nw-england

Tidal streams around the Island aren't always what you'd expect. Hourly streams chartlets here: http://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/harbours/tides-and-flapgates/
 
Last edited:
I was told to use Ramsey and expect to raft out. 'The Central' bar is the place to be. It is continental style with tables out on the pavement. Bikes are screaming past your face!

Sadly the weather didn't cooperate and I missed out.
 
Thank you, one and all. Wonderful information, and especially to MacD thank you for taking all that time to list everything.
We really can't wait now ;-)

Dave & Mel
 
A quick one on Ramsey. It's very prone to swell from the E/NE so the further away from the entrance channel you can get the better.
 
savageseadog said:
A quick one on Ramsey. It's very prone to swell from the E/NE so the further away from the entrance channel you can get the better.
Click to expand...

Have they finished fixing the swing bridge yet? I was there (by tram) last summer and it seemed that the inner harbour had been unavailable to things with masts for some time.
 
Peel was fine in 2013, you can just see it if you look at the full size of this pic and zoom in to the marina. Sorry it's the best marina view I could find for some reason, I usually snap the marina directly.
text
_MG_7217.JPG


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yFSD1OT_L-sT7PkmN-t3uMmqc6LKVZAMBPDcsLtRTxE?feat=directlink
_MG_7052.JPG


https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/t6VvwrnMUmvjeuD2nsQSr8mqc6LKVZAMBPDcsLtRTxE?feat=directlink
_MG_7168.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top