Marina/berthing info sought North West

NickRobinson

NickRobinson

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Dec 2007
Messages
2,143
Location
Near Burton-on-Trent
Visit site
Hello All

I will be launching my shiny new 8m billge keel yacht (OK, 31 yr old, but you know what I mean) in April.

Currently near Aberystwyth, the loose plan is to head towards Fleetwood over the early season, using casual berths in marinas when I return home, and then stay afloat over the next winter in F/wood..

Why Fleetwood? I would like a walk on berth this time, reasonable sea access so probably not Liverpool/Preston/Glasson.

A factor is reasonably good road links to the Midlands and, of course good price/value (not always the same thing I know)

Obviously I'm emailing marinas and doing armchair planning, but would really appreciate advice from local experts and whether it is realistic to haggle over yearly terms when not tied to a location.

Thanks-

Nick (Rivendell)
 
Although Whitehaven is perhaps 90 mins further by car than Fleetwood, it is a far better location.
Fleetwood has about HW +/- 90 mins. lock access into a fast flowing tidal river.
W'haven is at least +/-4 hrs straight to sea.
W'haven has considerably more destinations within reasonable sailing distance.
Unless you like Piel Island, Fleetwood is very restricted, eg IOM is ~50M.
AFAIK, price negotiation is not an option, and there's a rumour of a waiting list.
 
An aspect of Fleetwood that you might not find agreeable is the loud canned music booming over the marina from the adjacent Freeport shopping centre. Glasson is much nicer as a place (in my opinion) but has a long, tortuous and changeable channel to get out of the Lune estuary into deep water. If you must base your boat in the NW then I'm inclined to agree with earlybird that Whitehaven is probably the best option as the access is good and the IOM and the Solway ports are within a day's sail. It's often rough outside Whitehaven though. I shouldn't think you'd get far by haggling. Marinas are few and far between up here and it's likely to be a sellers' market
 
NickRobinson said:
Thanks earlybird and JimC

Comments/local knowledge about Welsh marinas too would be very helpful.

N
Click to expand...

Plenty of places for a drying bilge keeler in North Wales, unfortunately marinas are more expensive ie Conwy and Deganwy. Caernarfon and Y Felinheli have a large waiting list if I remember. You also have Pwllheli and Holyhead.
I would be inclined to find a drying mooring either in Conwy or Caernarfon. We pay a smudge over £600 for a drying mooring in Caernarfon. It's moored in a little stream with a 15 metre row from the shore.
 
If you have a bilge keeler then check out Skipool Creek just a few miles up the River Wyre from Fleetwood.
I have not been there since mid 90s but there were a load of privately owned little jetties that ran out across the salt marsh to the River Channel-I used to keep my boat there. You have to know the chanel but really friendly and next to Blackpool Yacht Club.
Boats dry out at low tide but totally accessible at all other states of tide.
No facilities other than water from yacht club.
 
Pwllheli and Y felinheli

Pwllheli had 40 spare berths in the Marina last year and no waiting list.

They also have much cheaper drying berths on the piles and moorings. Contact HM for details and haggle as I bet they are getting desperate this year.


HM contact details are Telephone: 01758 721643

You might also get in at Y Felinheli try contacting Dave on 01248 671500

Caernarfon Vic dock or dry out in the Seiont contact 01286 672118

http://www.caernarfonharbour.co.uk/
CHT do all the moorings on straits and there are plenty of empty ones
Also they keep bar positions updated on this site.

Final possibility is NWVYC who might offer something for a short period especially if someone is away for a cruise.
http://www.nwvyc.org.uk/

This site very useful if passage planning through straits.

I suggest you contact any of them for info on short lets!!!

Steve
 
I know of a couple of people from the Burton area who berth in Holyhead.

Marinas within the Conwy River and in The Menai are very tidal and may become very restrictive, depends entirely upon your circumstances.

Holyhead is an all-states port, albeit there are tidal gates when undertaking a clockwise or anticlockwise passage around the island.

The marina and sailing club are both fine but the town needs investment and an injection of hope.

There's some nice sailing to be had around the Anglesey coast, regardless of your home port; there are many small harbours and anchorages and the Island is conveniently square so a lee isn't usually far away.

We are in recession and I understand that many marina are offering incentives for your business.
 
Wales is definitely an option-

Thanks all for your comments and links-

I will be certainly considering Pwhelli (I'll have to learn to spell that if I stay there!) and the Menai area.

Holyhead does seem to add a lot of road miles...

Any more ideas? Info re havens/security issues/parking etc.. etc...

Nick
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top