Otter
Well-Known Member
Crickey things must be bad!
Premier - the Ryanair of marinas
- Thread starter ChiPete
- Start date
Crickey things must be bad!
ChiPete
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info Daedelus. We've now decided to go to Emsworth. Haslar's a bit steep for us at the mo, and it occurred to us that we do use the harbour a lot to get away from the madding crowds and take the ground (lift keel). Also Emsworth's got good on site facilities now, including a reasonable cafe and chandlers plus there are some marvellous eateries a short walk from the marina. Perhaps we'll move further West in a few years.
One does wonder when (or more likely, if) the penny will drop with Premier or whether they'll tough it out and wait for the new market that was mooted earlier in the thread.
Seajet
...
Emsworth Marina is lovely and highly preferable even if it wasn't cheaper, as long as one's boat has a suitable draft.
Pete,
the comment ' we're going to squeeze our customers until the pips squeak ' was made in public by a presumably soon ex- MDL type, years ago; it was a Ratner moment and people haven't forgotten....
Pete,
the comment ' we're going to squeeze our customers until the pips squeak ' was made in public by a presumably soon ex- MDL type, years ago; it was a Ratner moment and people haven't forgotten....
Tempus
Well-Known Member
There was a very interesting article in the Economist a few weeks back about Premier Marinas. The were bought by Black Rock who see it as a way of investing in property without all those pesky rules covering rents and tennants rights. It was very clear from the article that they see lots of profit opportunities.
Not sure if this link will work without a login but:
http://www.economist.com/news/finan...stant-horizons-high-yielding-assets-shipshape
The meat of it is here though:
“You’ve got to think of it as a car park on water,” explains Rupert Boissier of Premier Marinas, which looks after this and seven other marinas dotted along the south coast, Britain’s sailing mecca. With 5,170 berths, each rented out for several thousand pounds a year, the group of marinas generates lots of cash. Its owner, a property fund run by BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, has also been able to increase its value, by upgrading space used for building boats (yielding £4 per square foot in rent) into shops and offices (£16 per square foot). The marinas even have planning permission for residential units on some of their 385 acres of land and water. But the most attractive aspect of the investment, according to Marcus Sperber of BlackRock, is the finite supply of coastline and building permits: only two marinas have been built on Britain’s south coast over the past 15 years"
Things will only get worse I feel!!!!
The good news is that, whilst only a few marinas have been built there is much more spare space than there was 15 years ago when we moved from the East Coast to the South and couldn't find a berth anywhere. Shop around - you'll be doing us all a favour by showing these guys that the pips are already squeaking.
Not sure if this link will work without a login but:
http://www.economist.com/news/finan...stant-horizons-high-yielding-assets-shipshape
The meat of it is here though:
“You’ve got to think of it as a car park on water,” explains Rupert Boissier of Premier Marinas, which looks after this and seven other marinas dotted along the south coast, Britain’s sailing mecca. With 5,170 berths, each rented out for several thousand pounds a year, the group of marinas generates lots of cash. Its owner, a property fund run by BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, has also been able to increase its value, by upgrading space used for building boats (yielding £4 per square foot in rent) into shops and offices (£16 per square foot). The marinas even have planning permission for residential units on some of their 385 acres of land and water. But the most attractive aspect of the investment, according to Marcus Sperber of BlackRock, is the finite supply of coastline and building permits: only two marinas have been built on Britain’s south coast over the past 15 years"
Things will only get worse I feel!!!!
The good news is that, whilst only a few marinas have been built there is much more spare space than there was 15 years ago when we moved from the East Coast to the South and couldn't find a berth anywhere. Shop around - you'll be doing us all a favour by showing these guys that the pips are already squeaking.
Roger52
Well-Known Member
We have been at Port Solent for the last 3 years and I have to say that the service we have received has been second to none. The facilities are first class. Each to their own.
nicho
RIP
I've got to speak up for Premier Merinas, or at least the three we have been berthed at (Chichester, Port Solent and now Swanwick). For sure, South Coast berths are expensive, but if you want the convenience of boating in/around the Solent as we do, then you have to take it on the chin, but in our experience all the staff and management have been superb, flexible and accommodating. Yes, the 240v in marinas is damned expensive, lifts, block, relaunch etc too, but it's the same in all of them, not just Premier.
If more and more move out to cheaper options, then empty berths will have to be filled and perhaps prices will come down - this has happened before - it was only a temporary blip, but in the real world, is this likely to happen anytime soon? I doubt it.
If more and more move out to cheaper options, then empty berths will have to be filled and perhaps prices will come down - this has happened before - it was only a temporary blip, but in the real world, is this likely to happen anytime soon? I doubt it.
Sybarite
Well-Known Member
I think they risk some midnight discharges....
bedouin
Well-Known Member
I too left Chi last year to move to MDL. Chi used to be nice, but not cheap and a number of disadvantages (the lock...)
MDL are far from the company of a few years back when they were a byword for milking their customers - that title seems to have been taken by Premier.
Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
MDL's hospitality tent at the Southampton Boat Show was certainly top notch!
dslittle
Well-Known Member
Just about to leave Brighton after six years. Went aground in the fairway on Wednesday 90 mins before LW (Neaps +1!!!). Building works for skyscraper ongoing which will totally change the Marina and a couple of other things. The number of empty berths at Brighton just now makes it look like a ghost town. It is a shame because, as has been said above, the staff on the ground are great.
Yngmar
Well-Known Member
The marina is dredged sufficiently for a short shaft outboard on a RIB. Well almost. The poor thing kept going out, apparently mud not good for engine cooling.
KevB
Well-Known Member
We've been in Chi marina for about 14 years and having visited all the marina's in the Solent many times, personally wouldn't consider anywhere else.... although island harbour is a close second and Bembridge is rather nice too
TeamSpirit
Well-Known Member
Premier customer for over 11 years in Chi and PS, staff always excellent and helpful, security good, services and facilities had appropriate investments and upgrades and competitively priced, under Blackrock and yes, their are cheaper options and alternative you pays your money 'n' takes your choice.
Blackrocks' Sale of Premier should attract more investments and should make further improvements to their marina product and services possible. Their property and land options make this an attractive acquisition so no wonder three bidders in the race.
Blackrocks' Sale of Premier should attract more investments and should make further improvements to their marina product and services possible. Their property and land options make this an attractive acquisition so no wonder three bidders in the race.
Otter
Well-Known Member
The marina is dredged sufficiently for a short shaft outboard on a RIB. Well almost. The poor thing kept going out, apparently mud not good for engine cooling.
Holy moly it's got bad there!
phatcat1
Well-Known Member
Blimey, we used to use Brighton as a stop on the way south, Was planning to do it again this year, but will think twice now. Is that the main fairway as you come in the entrance?
Yngmar
Well-Known Member
It's the east-west channel between the entrance and the fuel pontoon. The entrance is a bit deeper up to the visitor pontoons. To be fair, this picture was taken at the springs low tide after the solar eclipse, so it's almost LAT. Still, there should be 2m there at LAT and this hasn't been the case since at least last autumn, so high time to hire a dredger.
Here's the entrance, visitor pontoons and construction site:
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Lucky Duck
Well-Known Member
Ouch I have known it to be a bit shallow at times but never that bad, and if I recall correctly passages along the coast often mean leaving or arriving around low water.
horatio_nelson
Well-Known Member
Brighton have bought a dredger! Hooray! But it won't be operational before November :facepalm:
(Says the news ^^)
(Says the news ^^)
Otter
Well-Known Member
Sadly we have to stop in Brighton each time we make our way along the coast, and each visit has a boat going an sticking aground in the E/W channel. Poor showing from Brighton - it's a good marina otherwise.
rodpage
New Member
It's the east-west channel between the entrance and the fuel pontoon. The entrance is a bit deeper up to the visitor pontoons. To be fair, this picture was taken at the springs low tide after the solar eclipse, so it's almost LAT. Still, there should be 2m there at LAT and this hasn't been the case since at least last autumn, so high time to hire a dredger.
Here's the entrance, visitor pontoons and construction site:
Longer than that, I ran aground off the end between the first two visitors pontoons on 1st March 2014, at that time there was 0.3m at LAT there.