New East Cowes Marina

[slipknot]

Does anyone know what the latest is with the above? Last correspondence I saw was that they were due to start building in 2011. Then there was talk of winding up the Development corporation involved. Is it still on, and if so, any updates on timing?

 

[lustyd]

I'm not convinced they need another marina in Cowes - I've only ever seen it busy enough to turn people away once and I was there quite a bit this summer. I'd be interested to hear the developments though as there doesn't seem to have been any progress.

 

[Seajet]

I'm not convinced they need another marina in Cowes - I've only ever seen it busy enough to turn people away once and I was there quite a bit this summer. I'd be interested to hear the developments though as there doesn't seem to have been any progress.

I agree, even with a fin keeler drawing 5' I could always find somewhere ( except going up to the Folly at LW Springs or Cowes week ).

I like the idea of any work on the IOW as there are a lot of talented, skilled people there having a thin time - been going that way since I first visited in the early 1970's and it's always been so, largely due to idiotic greedy ferry prices.

East Cowes marina is nowhere near as nice for visitors as it used to be, but building a whole new marina sounds like mega-bucks which might be better used / assisted elsewhere on the Island.

 

[Garold]

I'm not convinced they need another marina in Cowes - I've only ever seen it busy enough to turn people away once and I was there quite a bit this summer. I'd be interested to hear the developments though as there doesn't seem to have been any progress.

Is it not a case of...

'Build it and the people will come'

I hope it happens.

... and there'll be less waves bouncing down the Medina, and they will have some inward investment for jobs, and they can liven up East Cowes with supporting cafes etc, and for the rest of us......... it'll be easier to get a good berth at the Folly.

Cheers

Garold

 

[Seajet]

'Build it and they will come' - a paraphrase of 'Field of Dreams', nice idea but in the current financial climate I suspect 'dreams' is the operative word.

'Waves bouncing down the Medina'; where's that then ? I've never suffered that in the 40 years I've been visiting...

I do think the marina in West Cowes ( I forget the latest name, I never go there, still think of it as Groves & Gutteridge ) is an unpleasant place to be with a lot of wave action from ferries & even ships in the Solent, but that's the price to pay if one wants to wear tribal pattern sunblock & sunglasses in the hair...

 

[Garold]

'Build it and they will come' - a paraphrase of 'Field of Dreams', nice idea but in the current financial climate I suspect 'dreams' is the operative word.

'Waves bouncing down the Medina'; where's that then ? I've never suffered that in the 40 years I've been visiting...

I do think the marina in West Cowes ( I forget the latest name, I never go there, still think of it as Groves & Gutteridge ) is an unpleasant place to be with a lot of wave action from ferries & even ships in the Solent, but that's the price to pay if one wants to wear tribal pattern sunblock & sunglasses in the hair...

Not my idea but the only one that would make sense of spending so much money on a new marina on the quiet side of the Cowes, at a time when most marinas have vacancies.

As for the waves, you are right. They only come to the chain ferry. But I understand that the new breakwater is supposed to stop the northerlies or the ship wash from entering the widest part of the Medina river.

If you've not stayed in Cowes Yacht Haven or Shepherds when there's anything blowing between North and East then you may not appreciate the wave action there.

Cheers

Garold

 

[Seajet]

If you've not stayed in Cowes Yacht Haven or Shepherds when there's anything blowing between North and East then you may not appreciate the wave action there.

I have experienced this, not least when 'cruising' my Osprey dinghy at Sheppards, long before that on a friends' Mystic in G & G; that is why I now go straight past to East Cowes or the Folly !

 

[lustyd]

I'm not against a new marina there, just think it would be nicer to see Yarmouth sorted out or Bembridge to a similar sort of standard. I realise that the current users of these marinas like the "quaint" feeling they have but I suspect that if either one had proper facilities then they would become as busy as Cowes fairly quickly.

 

[Garold]

If you've not stayed in Cowes Yacht Haven or Shepherds when there's anything blowing between North and East then you may not appreciate the wave action there.

I have experienced this, not least when 'cruising' my Osprey dinghy at Sheppards, long before that on a friends' Mystic in G & G; that is why I now go straight past to East Cowes or the Folly !

I agree.

I find the Folly pontoons or anchored just past them, the most pleasant place to stay on the Medina. And a few hours spent in the Folly drinking and/or eating is always enjoyed.

However, in the winter or when we fancy going out for a bite to eat in the evening, Cowes Yacht Haven seems to be the best place to stay. However, when there is an event there we always avoid it.

Like the bathroom facilities at East Cowes. Tricky parking sometimes mid-tide.

Cheers

Garold

 

[Seajet]

lustyd,

The snag with Bembridge is the tide times; as it's the same as Chichester one has to hop it smartish out of Chi' to make Bembridge; I for one would not like to see Bembridge developed with a big marina & deep entrance, though I suppose it will happen eventually when there's more money around - a long time into the future.

I haven't been into Yarmouth since the redevelopment; I always liked the place and was impressed by the harbour staff in dorys; sadly from accounts here it sounds like that's gone, so further development may well be a good idea.

People have mentioned Ventnor; I'm sure at some stage in the future that will be developed, probably requiring a decent breakwater...

 

[Seajet]

More re. Cowes

Another wasted asset in my view is Island Harbour, up the Medina from the Folly; snag is the tides only really work out if going on further West.

A lovely quiet, sheltered spot, though the facilities are a bit 1960's and the bus is required to get back to the 21st Century; seems to me it could do a lot better business though with some pro-active management.

As someone into history, the paddle steamer Ryde at Island Harbour is a sad sight; it seems several groups have approached the 'owner' but found him intransigent; I used to go onboard to the disco with chums when we were daft 18 year olds, it was always amusing watching semi-drunk dancers fall over as the tide came in and the ship levelled ! The beer was ghastly though...

The other paddle steamer which used to be nearby, 'Medway Queen' is thankfully being restored with lottery money, as she and her crew did very well at Dunkirk.

When at Whippingham upriver from Cowes she flooded with every incoming tide when I saw her in the 1970's, previously used as a disco before P.S.Ryde - we went aboard one day and found all the brass plates, more importantly the engine, all still intact.

 

[flaming]

If you've not stayed in Cowes Yacht Haven or Shepherds when there's anything blowing between North and East then you may not appreciate the wave action there.

Easter 2009 (I think). In Cowes for the Red Funnel Easter regatta. Blowing 40 knots from the North as we arrive, and did so for 2 days straight - berth booked in Shephards.
On mooring on the inside of the outer pontoon waves are breaking clean over the pontoon. The snatch loads on the cleats are scary.

So we bugged out and went up to East Cowes, where it was like a different day.

Amazingly some friends actually stayed in the Yacht Haven for the 3 days, despite the fact that they were warping the boat into the centre of one of the pens and using the leecloths to stay in bed. And despite the fact that the haven said they would refund if people wanted to leave. I never understood that.

 

[VicS]

Does anyone know what the latest is with the above? Last correspondence I saw was that they were due to start building in 2011. Then there was talk of winding up the Development corporation involved. Is it still on, and if so, any updates on timing?

Are you referring to the Outer Harbour Project ? Or to another E Cowes Marina development that had escaped my notice?

This is waht they said about the OHP last summer:

Cowes Outer Harbour Project

We updated you on the Outer Harbour Project (OHP) cowes.co.uk last October with the very good news that the project had received its formal planning consent from the Isle of Wight Council. We also provided an update in our March E newsletter and the Annual Report.

The impact of the Government’s changes to the organisation of regional economic development has now become evident and we know that our funding partner SEEDA will no longer exist after 31st March 2012. As SEEDA were providing a third of the overall funding (together with CHC and the private sector marina developer) this creates an unhelpful degree of uncertainty.

The Government and SEEDA have confirmed today (8th July) that the majority of the SEEDA owned land on the Island and project assets will be transferred to the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) and then delivered under a local “stewardship model”.

SEEDA have indicated to us that the Outer Harbour Project would be transferred as a ‘live project’ when the East Cowes land assets are transferred to the HCA which is encouraging news.

Grant funding challenges
It is inevitable that Government grant funding for regional development and enterprise will be significantly reduced and we anticipate that greater prioritisation will be given to projects that provide immediate job creation. This could be to the detriment of projects that will deliver growth to regional and local economies in the long term, such as the OHP.

CHC does have a Memorandum of Understanding with SEEDA in which both parties would contribute up to £2.3 million towards the delivery of the OHP infrastructure (the detached breakwater, extension to Shrape Breakwater & Eastern Channel). We will endeavour to maintain this funding commitment through positve engagement with the HCA, stressing the long-term economic and social benefits of the harbour project.

OHP remains our No 1 priority!
The Commissioners must now await the policy decision from the Government on the future of the SEEDA’s land assets, projects and future grant funding. In the meantime, we have been carrying out a major review of contingency options for both the funding and delivery of the Outer Harbour Project. Work has started on reviewing all the options in further detail to determine the viability, issues and merits of each of those identified.

At a recent meeting of the Commission, it was unanimously agreed that the delivery of the harbour infrastructure and new breakwater is the single most important issue for the long-term prosperity of the harbour. Whilst accepting there will be inevitable delays, we remain resolute that the OHP can and will be delivered along with the resulting positive benefits to Cowes, East Cowes and the economy of the Isle of Wight.

We will ensure that you are kept fully informed.

I cannot find anything more recent.

 

[slipknot]

Great update, exactly what I was looking for. It sounds like the project is facing some challenges, but not cancelled. Yet.

 

[richardbrennan]

Is it just me, or does Cowes Yacht Haven, which I think unofficially considers itself as the home of British yachting, have the worst showers on the South Coast? I suspect this is a spin off from the fact that the rich racing fraternity rent houses in the town and do not have to put up with the on site facilitiwes!

 

[prv]

I'm not against a new marina there, just think it would be nicer to see Yarmouth sorted out or Bembridge to a similar sort of standard. I realise that the current users of these marinas like the "quaint" feeling they have but I suspect that if either one had proper facilities then they would become as busy as Cowes fairly quickly.

Not sure what needs "sorting out" about Yarmouth - it's all fairly new and clean as far as I remember.

Also sad to hear Yarmouth described as "a marina" rather than a harbour, though I suppose it increasingly resembles one.

Not sure why you think making it "as busy as Cowes" would be "nice".

Can't really comment on Bembridge as I've only been there the once, but will observe that it was nice to dry out on our own on the beach for free rather than pay to pack in among lots of others.

Pete

 

[prv]

Is it just me, or does Cowes Yacht Haven, which I think unofficially considers itself as the home of British yachting, have the worst showers on the South Coast?

Nope - I remember some fairly dire ones on the Yealm not long ago, though I hear that may have changed since. Salcombe (in the yacht club) is also a bit of a trek and somewhat "rugby team" when you get there.

Pete

 

[richardbrennan]

You may well be right but in neither of these locations are you paying a hefty marina overnight fee; perhaps I should have restricted my comments to just marinas!

 

[l'escargot]

Does anyone know what the latest is with the above? Last correspondence I saw was that they were due to start building in 2011. Then there was talk of winding up the Development corporation involved. Is it still on, and if so, any updates on timing?

It looks like the outer breakwater will go ahead (eventually) with the subsequent changes to the lay out of Cowes harbour. What does seem to have stalled is the Venture Quays development with the planned marina on the East Cowes side, north of the chain link.

 

[Giblets]

Can't really comment on Bembridge as I've only been there the once, but will observe that it was nice to dry out on our own on the beach for free rather than pay to pack in among lots of others.

Pete, do you mean that you dried out on the beach to port just inside the harbour entrance and you didn't get charged?

If so then I will have to have a word with Chris, the HM, and get him to charge you double next time you are in there as that is a chargeable position!