Lift out for antifoul - North West England

[Simon__]

Coming up to my first year of boat ownership and I’ve yet to antifoul the hull or replace the anodes.. Foolishly I chose to keep the boat in a marina over winter thinking I’d make the most of it but, in reality, I haven’t, and it’s now looking like an expensive mistake! The boat is 27ft and Liverpool Marina are quoting £549.87 for the lifts and 2 weeks ashore (lift £207.56, wash £48.90, storage ashore £67.37/week, launch £158.67). The dilemma now being its close to what I’d expect to pay for a winter ashore.. so, being the penny pincher I am, I am looking for alternatives as the Liverpool quote seems towards the more expensive end of the spectrum (e.g. I can get the lift out, wash & antifoul for £492 at Whitehaven which includes the paint, labour and not having to touch a scraper or paint brush).

Rambling aside, my question is: Does the panel know of anywhere in North West England or the Clyde (where I’ll be based for summer) where I can get a better value lift out and a couple of weeks ashore - or even antifoul deals which are as competitive as the lift itself?

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Ask at:

Ferry Boat Yard.
Harbour Master,
Penketh
Warrington.
Tel: 01925 727519
Mob: 0787 67 67 484
VHF: Channel 37(M)
Email: harbourmaster@ferryboatyard.com

 

[[3889]]

I would normally recommend Ferry Boatyard as Mike is excellent and storage afloat is a bargain. However, their lifts are not particularly cheap and it's a lot of effort (stress!) to get there and back for two weeks.
If you want mega cheap, I've seen a Sigma 38, owned by an experienced member of LYC, dry out on the steep beach at New Brighton for rather hasty bottom work. Slightly less stressful is the drying grid at Ramsey.
If you must have a lift I think Rhyl is the cheapest but a fin keeler needs to arrive near the top of a spring tide and not hang about. I spent a fortnight ashore there when Arthur was the very helpful HM but don't know who runs the show now.
https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/visitor/places-to-visit/rhyl-harbour.aspx

 

[Sandy]

Why do you feel the need to antifoul the boat? Has it meter long weed attached to the hull? Is the hull encrusted with barnacles or mussels?

Find somewhere you can tie up alongside, let the tide go out and check/clean/scrub the hull and replace the anode if it needs to be done.

 

[bigwow]

I would normally recommend Ferry Boatyard as Mike is excellent and storage afloat is a bargain. However, their lifts are not particularly cheap and it's a lot of effort (stress!) to get there and back for two weeks.
If you want mega cheap, I've seen a Sigma 38, owned by an experienced member of LYC, dry out on the steep beach at New Brighton for rather hasty bottom work. Slightly less stressful is the drying grid at Ramsey.
If you must have a lift I think Rhyl is the cheapest but a fin keeler needs to arrive near the top of a spring tide and not hang about. I spent a fortnight ashore there when Arthur was the very helpful HM but don't know who runs the show now.
https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/visitor/places-to-visit/rhyl-harbour.aspx

New Brighton beach is not quite as steep if you go round the lighthouse onto the beach off the Rock Channel:encouragement:

 

[Simon__]

Ask at:

Ferry Boat Yard.
Harbour Master,
Penketh
Warrington.
Tel: 01925 727519
Mob: 0787 67 67 484
VHF: Channel 37(M)
Email: harbourmaster@ferryboatyard.com

Thanks, I’ll give them a ring tomorrow - only concern is the difficult pilotage and whether it’s something I’d be competent enough to do.

I would normally recommend Ferry Boatyard as Mike is excellent and storage afloat is a bargain. However, their lifts are not particularly cheap and it's a lot of effort (stress!) to get there and back for two weeks.
If you want mega cheap, I've seen a Sigma 38, owned by an experienced member of LYC, dry out on the steep beach at New Brighton for rather hasty bottom work. Slightly less stressful is the drying grid at Ramsey.
If you must have a lift I think Rhyl is the cheapest but a fin keeler needs to arrive near the top of a spring tide and not hang about. I spent a fortnight ashore there when Arthur was the very helpful HM but don't know who runs the show now.
https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/visitor/places-to-visit/rhyl-harbour.aspx

Wow, had a look at the Fidler’s Ferry annual rates and it’s about 1/4 of what I paid to winter in Liverpool. As you say, it’s the stress of getting there which would put me off as I’m not sure I’m experienced enough for the pilotage.
Rhyl is a good shout (2/3 price I’ve been quoted by Liverpool) but may not work if I end up being trapped by my draught. The Ramsey option might be best because I’ve not actually seen her bottom yet and a lot of it is driven by thinking I should antifoul and not wanting to be a bad owner. Once I’ve had a look I can always decide to lift out properly if needed.

Why do you feel the need to antifoul the boat? Has it meter long weed attached to the hull? Is the hull encrusted with barnacles or mussels?

Find somewhere you can tie up alongside, let the tide go out and check/clean/scrub the hull and replace the anode if it needs to be done.

Thanks Sandy, I think it’s mostly driven by thinking that’s what I should do - I don’t plan to race and spent the summer in Menai before wintering in Liverpool so the freshwater may have killed off the fouling anyway. I think you’re right and it’s my inexperience showing - I’ll have a go at drying out against a wall and get a better idea of what she looks like and I can always decide to antifoul later.

New Brighton beach is not quite as steep if you go round the lighthouse onto the beach off the Rock Channel:encouragement:

Unfortunately it’s a fin keel and I don’t have any legs thanks for the suggestion though

 

[Richard10002]

Glasson Dock was always a cheap option for winter and working on a boat.

 

[fifer]

Maryport Marina would likely let you dry out on the slipway over a tide to do work. That was certainly an option when I was there.

 

[[3889]]

New Brighton beach is not quite as steep if you go round the lighthouse onto the beach off the Rock Channel:encouragement:

I think the idea is to have a steep beach to get the boat as upright as possible.

 

[savageseadog]

Someone lost their boat going to Fiddlers Ferry a year or two ago. Went aground and sank in the mud. Liverpool Marina don't have a boatyard, the yard is run by Bluepoint. We have dried down at Menai Bridge and Ramsey. There's a good drying down spot at Dinas Boatyard at Port Dinorwic.

 

[C08]

Someone lost their boat going to Fiddlers Ferry a year or two ago. Went aground and sank in the mud. Liverpool Marina don't have a boatyard, the yard is run by Bluepoint. We have dried down at Menai Bridge and Ramsey. There's a good drying down spot at Dinas Boatyard at Port Dinorwic.

I fully agree, I overwintered four times at Fiddlers Ferry. A couple of times I was aground and had to await the next tide. When the flood starts depending just where you are it can be almost a bore and can take a boat well over before it floats off. I think this is a trip to be planned very carefully as you do not have a lot of time to go slowly , in very shallow water.

 

[coaster63]

http://www.bfyc.org.uk,bookable drying out jetties available to members + arrangement with fleetwood marina prior to travelling upriver on suitable tides for your draft ,length of planned stay, maybe worth enquiry.

 

[[3889]]

I fully agree, I overwintered four times at Fiddlers Ferry. A couple of times I was aground and had to await the next tide. When the flood starts depending just where you are it can be almost a bore and can take a boat well over before it floats off. I think this is a trip to be planned very carefully as you do not have a lot of time to go slowly , in very shallow water.

Assume you mean going down river. The trip can be de-stressed by planning it in 2 legs, stopping at Widnes if you can take the ground or anchoring off Pickerings Pasture a mile downstream of the old Bridge.
I used to kayak the channel at low water the day before leaving FF to get an up to date GPS track.

 

[Mud Lark]

Preston Marina or Douglas Boatyard would be worth asking.

 

[obmij]

The option in your first post sounds like a no-brainer. In comparison everything else is a massive faff and will probably work out more expensive anyway.

To recap - lift both ways, antifoul, the labour to apply antifoul and the storage ashore while the antifoul is applied for less than £500

It's north and you're going north anyway

Book it, or something like it.

 

[[3889]]

Preston Marina or Douglas Boatyard would be worth asking.

Preston aren't cheap for lifts and it's awkward as they only have a static crane.