wragges
Well-Known Member
Well,
Having been out for over a week up the east coast, we thought Ramgate would be offered the pleasure of our company.
Being a busy time of the year, and as always, we phoned ahead to pre-book a birth. We were told that we could not pre-book, and to '...call on channel 80 when in VHF range'. Ok, but I am sailing for 6 hours from the Deben and I really wanted to be sure of a birth for the night. But oh no, 'try you luck old mate, come along we have loads of space!'
Been used to an extreamly nimble twin-screw 500hp mobo (which I could make do anything), I now found myself being far from at ease with my handling skills with a single 29hp on my Seahawk 34. I therefore wanted a linear birth and to avoid getting stuck at the bottom end of an isle across the end of someones pontoon finger. But no chance. When asking if we would be able to get a linear pontoon (for ease of access) the person on the end of the phone did not even know what a linear birth was (even though I knew they had plenty in the marina).
So onward we went arriving at about 17.30hrs. Called on port control and told to wait north of channel as a Ferry was "just leaving"....almost 30 mins later the ferry finally did leave so we could go in. So, now 18.00hrs and calling ramsgate on channel 80 to get a birthing allocation, called for 10 mins and got no reply. finally got a reply and was told "...to just find a space as they cannot allocate a slot".
So, we were faced with trawling up and down 5 isles looking for a spare birth. Everywhere was chocker-blocked full (or had a 12 foot rib in a space suitable for a 40 foot yacht). The wind was blowing about 15 knots and my less than perfect handling skills were now really showing.
We finally found a slot, pulled in and got the lines ashore with a big dose of relief, only to find a "reserved" signed screwed halfway down the finger (where you just can't see it until you are in the slot). Turns out this is normal for the local/resident boats and the signs are provided by the marina. OK again, but surely they could make it easy to spot from the isles. We phone the Marina again and ask if we would be ok for one night, "...er nope the owner is returning" (he didn't for the next 2 days we were there).
So back on the hunt again for the same single slot that 5 other boat were obviously also looking for. The marina was jam-packed with Dutch and Belgian boats, some rafted 4 deep on the non-existent linear pontoons. Why could they not tell us this when we phoned ahead? We finally got on to a very short finger (approx 20 foot, for us a 34 foot boat) it took almost 90 minutes after arriving at the harbour entrace. Needless to say I was not impressed.
So scores as follows:
Location...5/10
Facilities 7/10...shower block about 1/4 mile away)
Customer service...0/10 (or should I go negative)
Marina staff/helpfulness (attitude towards customer)...2/10.
Ease of booking / arrival procedure...0/10.
Finally, it turns out that the place is operated by the local council. Then the penny drops and all became clearer. Next year I will use the extra 90 minutes wasted to carry on past Ramsgate towards Dover Marina instead.
I have to contrast this with the excellent service from our residential marina...Tidemill at Woodbridge. Where all visitors are told something along the lines of "certainly we have a slot for you sir, turn left on to the southern arm, your birth is number 34 on the left half way down the isle, you will be port-side to the finger, and fenders should be set at about 18 inches from the water"
I rest my case.
Having been out for over a week up the east coast, we thought Ramgate would be offered the pleasure of our company.
Being a busy time of the year, and as always, we phoned ahead to pre-book a birth. We were told that we could not pre-book, and to '...call on channel 80 when in VHF range'. Ok, but I am sailing for 6 hours from the Deben and I really wanted to be sure of a birth for the night. But oh no, 'try you luck old mate, come along we have loads of space!'
Been used to an extreamly nimble twin-screw 500hp mobo (which I could make do anything), I now found myself being far from at ease with my handling skills with a single 29hp on my Seahawk 34. I therefore wanted a linear birth and to avoid getting stuck at the bottom end of an isle across the end of someones pontoon finger. But no chance. When asking if we would be able to get a linear pontoon (for ease of access) the person on the end of the phone did not even know what a linear birth was (even though I knew they had plenty in the marina).
So onward we went arriving at about 17.30hrs. Called on port control and told to wait north of channel as a Ferry was "just leaving"....almost 30 mins later the ferry finally did leave so we could go in. So, now 18.00hrs and calling ramsgate on channel 80 to get a birthing allocation, called for 10 mins and got no reply. finally got a reply and was told "...to just find a space as they cannot allocate a slot".
So, we were faced with trawling up and down 5 isles looking for a spare birth. Everywhere was chocker-blocked full (or had a 12 foot rib in a space suitable for a 40 foot yacht). The wind was blowing about 15 knots and my less than perfect handling skills were now really showing.
We finally found a slot, pulled in and got the lines ashore with a big dose of relief, only to find a "reserved" signed screwed halfway down the finger (where you just can't see it until you are in the slot). Turns out this is normal for the local/resident boats and the signs are provided by the marina. OK again, but surely they could make it easy to spot from the isles. We phone the Marina again and ask if we would be ok for one night, "...er nope the owner is returning" (he didn't for the next 2 days we were there).
So back on the hunt again for the same single slot that 5 other boat were obviously also looking for. The marina was jam-packed with Dutch and Belgian boats, some rafted 4 deep on the non-existent linear pontoons. Why could they not tell us this when we phoned ahead? We finally got on to a very short finger (approx 20 foot, for us a 34 foot boat) it took almost 90 minutes after arriving at the harbour entrace. Needless to say I was not impressed.
So scores as follows:
Location...5/10
Facilities 7/10...shower block about 1/4 mile away)
Customer service...0/10 (or should I go negative)
Marina staff/helpfulness (attitude towards customer)...2/10.
Ease of booking / arrival procedure...0/10.
Finally, it turns out that the place is operated by the local council. Then the penny drops and all became clearer. Next year I will use the extra 90 minutes wasted to carry on past Ramsgate towards Dover Marina instead.
I have to contrast this with the excellent service from our residential marina...Tidemill at Woodbridge. Where all visitors are told something along the lines of "certainly we have a slot for you sir, turn left on to the southern arm, your birth is number 34 on the left half way down the isle, you will be port-side to the finger, and fenders should be set at about 18 inches from the water"
I rest my case.
