Maryport or Whitehaven

[Tomsk]

For a number of reasons (mainly lack of water / water access) a number of boats currently moored at Fleetwood Marina are considering an exodus to either Whitehaven or Maryport at the end of this season / year.

Do any Northwest Boaters have any experience of these marina's either long or short term?

I've only made the odd overnight stop at Whitehaven so would welcome any opinions!

 

[sr04]

i thought you had it pretty good at Fleetwood compared to Preston, Glasson and Liverpool. How much longer would it take to get back and forth to the boat?

 

[theforeman]

there was a thread about maryport back in februaryon pbo if you search for it. hope this helps.

 

[Tomsk]

Good at Fleetwood?

Well I suppose compared to Glasson we do - we currently get a maximum of 1.5 hours each side of high water - but this can reduce to 1 hour either side on smaller tides. However we have recently discovered that due to silting and lack of dredging, at 2 metre draft vessel can run aground within the marina until lifting of at high water on small tides (very embarrasing when you are at 90 degs across the fairway and blocking all traffic for an hour! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )

This could technically mean that 1 or 2 weekends a month we would have no see access due to tides... Couple this with the general degredation of the marina and facilities as a whole and perhaps it's time to move.

Another point of consideration is that a new housing development is starting around the marina which will require a swing bridge across the dock entrance. It is proposed that this bridge will open and close every five minutes whilst the dock is open. This will naturally reduce water access to little over an hour each tide.

 

[Tomsk]

[ QUOTE ]
there was a thread about maryport back in februaryon pbo if you search for it. hope this helps.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you any further info about this thread? I've run a search but find nothing..

 

[theforeman]

i typed maryport marina into the search and the thread came up i`m not skilled enough to post a direct link to it. it was started by " knowot" so if you go to all his postings you should get it that way.

 

[Tomsk]

Thanks - I'll try again!

 

[DavidGrieves]

Hi

I would have to say Whitehaven as I live there...
You will get about 3hrs each side of HW, more on the neaps, Good shelter, esp' in the Queens Marina. Not much in the way of chandlery but there is a local yard for repairs etc.

http://www.whitehaven-harbour.co.uk/

Whitehaven Sailing and Boating Association

 

[Tomsk]

Hi David

I did read somewhere that a new chandelry was planned for later this year - somewhere near the Fish Handling Building??

 

[pheonix]

Hi, i currently moor at maryport currently undergoing dredging hopefully it will extend access to more than the current 2 1/2 hours either side of hw also very affordable and handy for solway and northern irish sea destinations also find it a verry friendly atmosphere and takes me 130 mins traveling from wigan. also berth to open sea in 5 mins no long passage to nogotiate
Regards Dave Marsh
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Avocet]

If it helps, I used to be in Fleetwood in about 1993 and then after a few seasons in North Wales, came to Whitehaven (we moved here in 2000). I've just (a couple of weeks ago!) relinquished my berth in Whitehaven and brought the boat home to the garden for a major refit. Having berthed at both Fleetwood and Whitehaven, I have the following comments to make:

1. The trip up the fairway at Fleetwood gets really tedious after a while. At Whitehaven, you can set pretty much any course (OK, East isn't that good!) as soon as you clear the outer harbour wall. It's brilliant in that respect.

2. Whitehaven is a very pretty town and friendly. The harbour is right in the middle of the town, handy for the shops, and there's a good toilet / shower / laundry building.

3. Tidal access is much better than FLeetwood - at least 2 hours (often more) either side of HW on pretty much any tide for a boat drawing less than 6'

4. Whitehaven (in fact this end of the Irish sea) is pretty exposed. I found it noticeably lumpier here than Fleetwood.

5. If it's rough, you can always have a little sail in the Wyre estuary towards ICI. That's a luxury we don't have in Whitehaven.

6. I have never sailed into Maryport but locals tell me it is a more difficult entrance than Whitehaven at certain combinations of wind and tide. Certianly, having stood near the harbour entrance on a rough day, I wouldn't like to try it!

7. Maryport has less tidal access than Whitehaven

8. Maryport is a bit better located for a trip across the Solway but there's not much in it.

9. Maryport is quite a lot cheaper than Whitehaven and, as far as I'm aware, doesn't have a waiting list for berths - Whitehaven DOES - and I gather it's quite a long one for certain sizes of boat. I'll probably have to go back to Maryport when the refit is finished.

10. The marina in Maryport is further from the shops / amenities.

11. Hard standing space is limited at Whitehaven and they're planning on developing it in the next year or two so there might be some disruption out of season.

Hope this helps.

 

[beserk]

maryport is at this moment being dredged so will be a big improvement. also "Marra" the dolphin is back.