Ramsgate

[bromleybysea]

Now, I rather like Ramsgate. It has some spectacular architecture, the facilities are reasonable though not luxurious, and there are a couple of supermarkets within easy walk of the marina. It has a good range of marine businesses run by helpful and knowledgeable people. It has a good range of places to eat. Perhaps best of all, it still has some splendid traditional pubs and a superb yacht club in the Royal Temple.

When I was there last week both the all-tide marina and the locked basin were half empty. For my 32' boat I was charged £26 for a night. I thought this was extortionate and maybe has something to do with the lack of visitors. In Gravelines I was charged the equivalent of £15 a night. Better facilities in the marina though the town appeared to be shut. I won't be going back to Ramsgate in a hurry.

 

[sailorman]

Now, I rather like Ramsgate. It has some spectacular architecture, the facilities are reasonable though not luxurious, and there are a couple of supermarkets within easy walk of the marina. It has a good range of marine businesses run by helpful and knowledgeable people. It has a good range of places to eat. Perhaps best of all, it still has some splendid traditional pubs and a superb yacht club in the Royal Temple.

When I was there last week both the all-tide marina and the locked basin were half empty. For my 32' boat I was charged £26 for a night. I thought this was extortionate and maybe has something to do with the lack of visitors. In Gravelines I was charged the equivalent of £15 a night. Better facilities in the marina though the town appeared to be shut. I won't be going back to Ramsgate in a hurry.

not been there for 17 yrs & no intention either

 

[Bru]

The yacht club is ok ( just don't do what I did and forget to take your hat off!) but we struggled to find a good traditional pub. Everything had either been yuppified ( badly ) or had more TV screens than a branch of Dixon's showing football, football and more football

Oh and we were charged £26 too ... for a 23 footer!

I won't claim we won't be back there because at our average speed Dover would be a bit of a push in one day but whilst Dover lacks the architecture it beats Ramsgate hands down on facilities

 

[dennyjc]

For my 32' boat I was charged £26 for a night.

That doesn't sound too bad given that they quote £2.90 per metre per day
..... we were charged £63.80 last weekend.
and now you point it out that is a bit steep
It's more that we paid at Limehouse the week before.
Perhaps they think that they're on the South coast.


As much as I like being at Ramsgate - It's the only place I've ever felt seasick.
The gentle corkscrewing got to me on Friday night
A few years back it did the same to my wife.

It was good to see that they're spending some of that money on dredging
the bubblejet dredger Odin was pottering around the marina right up until HW
and making some interesting noises through our hull.

What is your boat called? perhaps we saw you there

 

[jerrytug]

Nice place,rip off berthing fees. The pricing is going to encourage me to anchor in the Deal/Ramsgate inshore passage area,any tips or dodgy spots? I often must wait for a tide thereabouts. Cheers Jerry.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Nice place,rip off berthing fees. The pricing is going to encourage me to anchor in the Deal/Ramsgate inshore passage area,any tips or dodgy spots? I often must wait for a tide thereabouts. Cheers Jerry.

More than Gosport marina (£2.50/m)
A real shame, another example of the Councils trying to scrape up funds for the austerity programme, I suspect

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I was put off when I last visited by two things...

Firstly they relocated us to the fishing fleet side due to a race fleet arriving..... (not pre-booked) with no power, no water, rotting pontoons, and discarded fishing gear, tyres and other detritus everywhere at the same price...with rotten weather it was lumpy and uncomfortable all night.

Secondly, when I went into the office to enquire about wifi, the bloke behind the counter shrugged his shoulders, and said "I don't know anyfink about it".... end of conversation.

Contrast with Dover where we ended up 5 weeks later on the same trip (on the way back!) after losing our gearbox..... a bank holiday monday, and the staff spent 2 hours ringing around for us, trying to find an engineer available, relocated us to a cheaper berth after we had to leave the boat while it was repaired, and then charged us the cheaper rate for the whole visit, plus found an engineer who spent an hour onboard diagnosing the problem, and then as he couldn't do the work in a timeframe that worked, refused to charge us anything even for the assessment. And it was cheaper per night!

 

[maby]

Bit shallow outside the locked basin and limited access times through the lock.

 

[Biggles Wader]

I was put off when I last visited by two things...

Firstly they relocated us to the fishing fleet side due to a race fleet arriving..... (not pre-booked) with no power, no water, rotting pontoons, and discarded fishing gear, tyres and other detritus everywhere at the same price...with rotten weather it was lumpy and uncomfortable all night.

Secondly, when I went into the office to enquire about wifi, the bloke behind the counter shrugged his shoulders, and said "I don't know anyfink about it".... end of conversation.

Contrast with Dover where we ended up 5 weeks later on the same trip (on the way back!) after losing our gearbox..... a bank holiday monday, and the staff spent 2 hours ringing around for us, trying to find an engineer available, relocated us to a cheaper berth after we had to leave the boat while it was repaired, and then charged us the cheaper rate for the whole visit, plus found an engineer who spent an hour onboard diagnosing the problem, and then as he couldn't do the work in a timeframe that worked, refused to charge us anything even for the assessment. And it was cheaper per night!

Agree.Get over the fact that the town still looks like Hitler just bombed it and its a really good place.Great castle if you are into history.

 

[xyachtdave]

I like Ramsgate.

 

[Lucky Duck]

I like Ramsgate.

In spite of everything I'm quite fond of the place but £30 a night is pushing their luck.

 

[Koeketiene]

In spite of everything I'm quite fond of the place but £30 a night is pushing their luck.

Ditto. Though we won't be staying more than one night if we can help it.
Paid £36.40 for one night last year.

 

[jerrytug]

Agree.Get over the fact that the town still looks like Hitler just bombed it and its a really good place.Great castle if you are into history.

You should see Dunkerque!

 

[Champagne Murphy]

You should see Dunkerque!

My Grandad tried to stop him, 'Itler I mean. Not much success I'm afraid. Swam off at La Panne starkers. Sorry, drift

 

[bromleybysea]

The yacht club is ok ( just don't do what I did and forget to take your hat off!) but we struggled to find a good traditional pub. Everything had
either been yuppified ( badly ) or had more TV screens than a branch of Dixon's showing football, football

You need to get away from the harbour. Try the Artillery Arms on West Cliff Road, good selection of well kept beers, welcoming customers and some interesting artefacts and superb stained glass. Quickest way is to climb "Jacob's Ladder" by the Smack Boy's Home. You'll need a drink after that!

 

[FullCircle]

You need to get away from the harbour. Try the Artillery Arms on West Cliff Road, good selection of well kept beers, welcoming customers and some interesting artefacts and superb stained glass. Quickest way is to climb "Jacob's Ladder" by the Smack Boy's Home. You'll need a drink after that!

Artillery Arms was my local. And I like drinking proper brown beer.
(I also had my previous wedding reception there, but we won't mention that)

 

[Bru]

You need to get away from the harbour. Try the Artillery Arms on West Cliff Road, good selection of well kept beers, welcoming customers and some interesting artefacts and superb stained glass. Quickest way is to climb "Jacob's Ladder" by the Smack Boy's Home. You'll need a drink after that!

Jacobs Ladder I tackled on the way to the RTYC. Not sure I'd be up to a further third of a mile after that though but recommendation noted for future reference

 

[iainbluk]

I went there last year and dont remember it being that expensive, has there been a big increase in their rates? I thought I paid upper 20's for my 11m boat.

 

[Bru]

I went there last year and dont remember it being that expensive, has there been a big increase in their rates? I thought I paid upper 20's for my 11m boat.

Per their website it's £2.90 per metre inclusive from April to September to the nearest half metre which means we should have paid £20.30

On the return leg, we were charged a very reasonable £17.40 i.e. 6m (somebody was obviously being nice to us 'cos we're actually 6.86m and I always quote 6.9m for simplicity)

However, and I'm furious with myself for not spotting it at the time (and it's only now caught my attention), we were charged for 10m i.e. £29 on the way South. I'll put that down to being an honest mistake on the part of the dockmaster (given that I paid by card and he works for a L.A. he's not going to benefit from the error himself after all) and my stupidity for not being aware of what I should be paying

With the exception of Dover (that being, as already mentioned, a TransEurope marina where we get half price) Ramsgate was (or should have been at the correct price for 7m) the cheapest overnight we found on the South Coast and visually one of the most appealing too (but I'd give Dover the edge on things to do even though it's a bit of a dump of a town)

 

[sailorman]

Ditto. Though we won't be staying more than one night if we can help it.
Paid £36.40 for one night last year.

with the Transmanche card we get 1/2 price in Dover for 5 nights