Marina madness

[Fr J Hackett]

Good to know, we will need a lift out at some point as it’s been 2.5 years!

I was trying to avoid name and shame but we’ve mentioned quite a few. I do feel I have to say not PYH though since you suggested it may be them. Not saying they wouldn’t but not this time

Space on the hard is quite limited at PYH during the winter so you may not get a lift out there but if you can it's OK. I was surprised that they couldn't offer a berth though but it seems you didn't try. I wouldn't have been put off by its apparent remoteness as there is a good water taxi service between the Mayflower Steps ( Barbican) and the marina.

 

[Pye_End]

Do they pre-book there? Not impressive if they had a berth waiting allocated for you. If they do not pre-book they would do well to tell you that beforehand.

Plymouth is riddled with marinas, moorings and some good anchorages, so arrival there and being turned away at one place is unlikely to be a serious safety issue. Sutton, although can be noisy, is probably about the best in a gale, depending on direction.

 

[lustyd]

Do they pre-book there? Not impressive if they had a berth waiting allocated for you. If they do not pre-book they would do well to tell you that beforehand.

Plymouth is riddled with marinas, moorings and some good anchorages, so arrival there and being turned away at one place is unlikely to be a serious safety issue. Sutton, although can be noisy, is probably about the best in a gale, depending on direction.

Yes I’m actually glad we ended up here it’s very peaceful. I was never worried so much as annoyed and outraged that they fond that acceptable. As above i am perfectly comfortable tying up regardless and discussing whether I plan to pay later (no available berth means no fee, right?). The crew had a bit of a moment knowing a storm was incoming so I put her to work finding a berth. Amazing how being busy can help.

 

[lustyd]

Space on the hard is quite limited at PYH during the winter so you may not get a lift out there but if you can it's OK. I was surprised that they couldn't offer a berth though but it seems you didn't try. I wouldn't have been put off by its apparent remoteness as there is a good water taxi service between the Mayflower Steps ( Barbican) and the marina.

There were various reasons it wasn’t high on the list but we would have called had other options not worked. I quite like the marina and have used the taxi before.
I was a little tempted by the Yealm too but with no end in sight for the weather I’d like easy access to shops for when the food runs out

 

[seeSimon]

I wonder what would’ve happened if you had just tied up to the fuel pontoon and stated your (quite reasonable) grievance.

Unfortunately, requiring a "port of refuge" does not guarantee a walkashore pontoon.
Plenty of places Falmouth and Plymouth to hide from a storm, but not so with easy shore access.

You are probably aware that most of the main harbour pontoons have been removed in Fowey, but the upriver ones are still in place. Dinghy ride...to very limited shops. Plenty of pubs tho!

Added. The brand new small coop at the very top of Fowey (a proper hike!) May be useful but many locals think it far too expensive. Probably little advantage over the longstanding Spar at Albert Quay?


I'm not excusing the plym marina operator BTW...

 

[seeSimon]

Interesting. QAB looked ok as we went past and although it took almost an hour they did call back with a berth so we could have ended up there. Is it uncomfortable?

It will be, later tomorrow. V strong Southerly forecast.

Wifey has even had her booking to swim at Penzance seafront lido cancelled, by the operators!

 

[lustyd]

Unfortunately, requiring a "port of refuge" does not guarantee a walkashore pontoon.
Plenty of places Falmouth and Plymouth to hide from a storm, but not so with easy shore access.

I'm not excusing the marina operator BTW...

Agree, and in Falmouth we took discomfort with walk ashore for a week before retreating up river for comfort and it was 100% a choice.
I compare that to Capn’s thread the other day where the one marina on the island had issues and there were no good anchorages and am glad we had options.
The core of the annoyance is that I only needed refuge because I set out knowing there was a safe berth. We could have spent weeks in Truro river quite comfortably through the storms. Even better the harbour launch may not have collected fees if it was windy

 

[lustyd]

It will be, later tomorrow. V strong Southerly forecast.

Wifey has even had her booking to swim at Penzance seafront lido cancelled!

Can’t believe I didn’t know Penzance has a lido. Maybe I’m not as Cornish as I thought

 

[seeSimon]

In 40kt winds?

It can feel like the water is only present at Millbrook MHC for a couple of hours per tide

 

[Lucky Duck]

Interesting. QAB looked ok as we went past and although it took almost an hour they did call back with a berth so we could have ended up there. Is it uncomfortable? Sitting here it’s barely noticeable we’re on water facilities are excellent here too, although we spent a lot of time in Ireland and Scotland this year so expectations aren’t as high as they used to be!

I was assigned a berth towards the end of the penultimate Northern pontoon and you could see beyond the Mountbatten breakwater from the cockpit and the level of comfort reflected that.

It would probably have been a lot more tolerable had a more protected spot behind the wave screen been on offer.

Quite how my berth and those further out along that pontoon were considered tenable by their permanent occupants was a bit of a mystery to me.

 

[ashtead]

It strikes me looking from the relative safe haven of the Solent that berthing much beyond Portland is a complete lottery. As said at Yarmouth and Bembridge to take just to examples you can pay and book up front but in the West Country there seems little booking process -maybe I have missed a trick but when you take say Torquay or Dartmouth it all just seems rather random in terms of booking -welcome thoughts of others though if I am maligning well ordered booking systems.

 

[capnsensible]

Nooo, you can't say that the Solent is a safe haven!!!!!!

Unless you want to join the 'smug club'.......

 

[ashtead]

Whether the Solent offers the best marina can be debated but at least the Marinoes are friendly and not after a bung you find in some foreign locations -the point really was in Solent you have plenty of choices which perhaps don’t apply in West Country. You can pretty much always get space up Soton water in say Ocean village or down the Medina at Folly etc even if more choice locations are full and the prospect of a rocking ball mooring off Yarmouth doesn’t appeal.

 

[Boathook]

There were various reasons it wasn’t high on the list but we would have called had other options not worked. I quite like the marina and have used the taxi before.
I was a little tempted by the Yealm too but with no end in sight for the weather I’d like easy access to shops for when the food runs out

There is a Co-Op at Newton Ferrers, but it would be a dinghy trip. Last time i went there we also tried the pubs ...

 

[lustyd]

There is a Co-Op at Newton Ferrers, but it would be a dinghy trip. Last time i went there we also tried the pubs ...

Yes we’ve used both but a dinghy trip during storm Benjamin doesn’t appeal even up the river.
Now contemplating staying the winter where we are, the thought of Lyme Bay with only a couple of hours daylight isn’t appealing either!

 

[seeSimon]

Can’t believe I didn’t know Penzance has a lido. Maybe I’m not as Cornish as I thought

"Penzance Jubilee Pool" all tidal and outdoor. Renovated, and recently a geothermal heated area has been added. Nice cafe too.
None of it cheap, but a great experience.
Discounts for "proper locals" but in E Cornwall, with a PL postcode even we don't qualify...

 

[Chiara’s slave]

It can feel like the water is only present at Millbrook MHC for a couple of hours per tide

Very secure when you’re on the bottom, but of course you float twice a day, the lift off and landing can be nerve wracking.

 

[ashtead]

Sounds like same issue as suffered by our old Centaur- landing could be uncomfortable I recall .

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Sounds like same issue as suffered by our old Centaur- landing could be uncomfortable I recall .

The hippopotamus song had it right. The softer and smellier, the better.

 

[ashtead]

I think that’s why centaurs favour Newtown creek so much -just a shame so many others seem to have discovered the mud.