Liverpool Marina

[Liverpoolmarina]

I have just heard that Liverpool Marina will have its lock gates out of action from November 07 to March 08. There will be no way for berth holders to enter or exit the marina during this period. They are offering a 15% discount to users, but this doesn't seem like such a good deal.
I wonder if anyone else has experienced a similar thing in their marina and how they managed.

Henry,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LiverpoolMarinaUsers

 

[ccscott49]

I guess if they have to maintain the gates, that period is the best time to do it. Better than during the summer. Some nice days in the irish sea in winter, but not many!!
Time to do all that maintenace that you've been putting off?

Buy a classic motorbike and re-furbish it over the winter, just ideas!

Welcome to the forums!

 

[savageseadog]

They did more or less the same thing before when we were in there. I think it was about 2 months in spring.

 

[Flossdog]

Seems a long time to me. I was in Port Solent this winter and they had to do work on the lockgates and "only" closed the marina for 10 days.

 

[Liverpoolmarina]

I believe the gates/machinery have a life expectancy of 50 years and they have reached the halfway point and require a major service.
It's a shame they filled in all the other entrances to the dock system. I think without a mast you could get out via the Canning half tide, but that is infrequent and very expensive. I don't know if the bridges could still be used between Coburg and Canning?

 

[Slinky Spring]

Not a good time for the large racing fleet who sail 2 or 3 times a month all through the winter. Pity they haven't carried out the same preventitive maintenance on the pontoon anchorages which are in a pretty poor state and prevented some movement of boats last winter.

 

[Liverpoolmarina]

I don't think the marina would have done the maintenance if British Waterways hadn't forced them to. I saw the marina falling apart in those big blows earlier in the year, quite shocking how bad the neglect had been. I hear they have now re-anchored all the pontoons.

 

[bigwow]

There would have been a lot more activity on this thread if this had been about a south coast marina!

 

[MarkG]

Afraid I don't know the area so this may be rubbish, but is there a chance of using a crane to lift boats over the lock?

 

[[3889]]

Couldn't they hang on until the new canal is cut through to Stanley Dock? Or is this just another pipedream of the City Council? Liverpool has to be the worst marina in the North West. Costs are double Fleetwood with no better access and the only day sail option being dragged up and down the Mersey by strong tides. Closing the lock promptly at 6pm only adds insult to injury.
If you want to overwinter afloat Fiddlers Ferry, near Warrington, charges about 20% of Liverpool's fees and you get a "heart in mouth" pilotage experience thrown in for free.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

[ QUOTE ]
and you get a "heart in mouth" pilotage experience thrown in for free.

[/ QUOTE ]

Explain please.

 

[bigwow]

The lock only "closes promptly at 6pm" when there is no water the other side, otherwise it's available till 10pm. There are 3 fixed bridges between the marina and the Canning lock, so that's out as well.

 

[bigwow]

Just a quickly drying channel, a fast tide and a nearly silted up lock that’s difficult to open when you get there.
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[[3889]]

Not during GMT when it is 6am to 6pm only, unless that's changed in the last 12 months.
New Canal
Apparently ready for "the end of 2007" so marina access no problem via the north docks. Is that my avitar passing overhead?

 

[[3889]]

[ QUOTE ]
Just a quickly drying channel, a fast tide and a nearly silted up lock that’s difficult to open when you get there.
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
And don't forget the shifting mudbanks above the bridge, the submerged unmarked wreck 100m fom the lock and the depth in the lock changing from 0.5m to 4m across its 8m width. Saying which, its a far friendlier place and better value than Liverpool marina.

 

[savageseadog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
and you get a "heart in mouth" pilotage experience thrown in for free.

[/ QUOTE ]

Explain please.

[/ QUOTE ]I saw a yacht locking into Liverpool Marina , It looked like it had just been in a builders skip, The decks were inches deep in sand. When I asked the owner what had happened he said he'd gone aground coming down from Fiddlers Ferry and the force of the current had washed a sand slurry all over the decks. The route to Fiddlers Ferry is an unmarked channel in a vast area of drying sand with very strong currents. The total distance is something in the order of 9 miles.

 

[[3889]]

[ QUOTE ]
The route to Fiddlers Ferry is an unmarked channel in a vast area of drying sand with very strong currents.

[/ QUOTE ]
I know - to good to resist isn't it. Was this yacht spotted in early April this year perchance? If so, I suffered a similar fate the day before but had the good sense to head straight to sea and destroy the evidence of my misadventure.

 

[ridgy]

I'm doing it in a couple of weeks. I can't wait.

 

[savageseadog]

Satellite view Here

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I'll have to try it one day. Looks a good challenge.