Rip off Haslar?

[xcw]

Just had my renewal through for Haslar. Gone up from £320 to £345 per metre. That's just under 8%. Inflation running at around 2% plus a bit in lieu of profits they have previously made on electricity - a 3% possibly 4% rise would have been fair. I understand Campers have pegged their rise to 2.5%. Still I guess we do now have a "newly redressed car park trolly bay" and are excited about the new Marina Office. I am even more pleased for the directors, Messers Dean & Reddycroft who have no doubt stuffed their bulging wallets further!

Haslar is a very well run marina but there is a limit to how much us punters can be exploited.

 

[alanporter]

Having been a member of this forum for a few months now I am in utter amazement at the prices you boaters in the U.K. have to pay. Moorage here in Canada varies between a low of 25 UK pounds per metre per annum to a high of 100 UK pounds. This usually includes electrical hook-up for a 500 watt fan heater. Also the price of boat parts and other services are unbelievably high. Salaries and wages seem to be on a par, so why are things so expensive over there ? Please don't think I am trying to be smug, just sympathetic.

Alan Porter

 

[ThomasHome]

In the UK we are vry good a sitting in our armchairs and moaning, but seldom get up and do anything about it, therefore we tend to get a raw deal with lots of things, just look rail service.

 

[tony_brighton]

oh joy - look forward to that one arriving on the mat!

Haslar started off being very reasonable - the prices have crept up now to the point where they are becoming un-competitive. We certainly aren't seeing the improvement in services implied by the price rises - it does seem to be pure profit taking.

 

[Iota]

Campers are 2.5% for existing berth holders for new berth holders...who knows. Plus at Campers you get storage ashore inc power if you want it. But don't Haslar offer a 10 month contract? That has got to be worth something?



Courtesy is an iota but makes the world go round

 

[NDG]

Re: (you\'re welcome to) Rip off Haslar?

Visiting Haslar this summer I had to leave my 32 ft boat there for a week - cost - approx £130. Now that is a rip off. I agree its a nice marina, at least for the 50 seconds in every minute when you are not getting bashed around by the swell from passing ferries.

I was so glad to get back to the east coast where everything is much cheaper and (imho) friendlier than in the solent. There's loads of great creeks and backwaters to visit, and its really quiet. Still, I shouldn't shout too loudly about it in case you all want to move up here - I like it just the way it is.

You are welcome to the crowded solent if you want to pay those kind of prices - I won't be going back there.

Nick

 

[xcw]

I agree, but I'm not really sure what we can do about it. I'd move marina but where do I go in the area that is cheaper, offers the same services and has spaces? It's the same with the trains - I have to get to work each day. Something to do with demand and supply in an imperfect market. If local councils and government weren't so restrictive in their planning policies and more forward thinking new marinas would be springing up along the coast equalising demand and supply thereby making it fairer for everyone and attracting business and jobs to the local community. Politicians are too busy examining their own backsides to even consider this. Nanny State!!

 

[aod]

I heard and had expected Haslar marina prices to go up but not by this much and I must say that I find the increases prohibitive. I have been at Haslar for several years and like the marina and staff but I think it's time for me to look else where for a cheaper option.

The main problem is that Haslar has a waiting list and demand exceeds supply. I guess until the critical balance has been achieved they will as all marinas do, increase their rates year on year squeezing the owners till they start to leave.

I guess it's all part of the UK yachting world rip off whereby it's cheaper to import from the states than it is to buy from the local chandlers!

Richard

 

[jamesjermain]

Where to go?

Meanwhile the waiting list for moorings on the Tamar grows...hmmmm!

JJ

 

[nicho]

Problem is, they are still cheaper than the likes of Port Solent, most if not all the local MDL/ Premier etc. No doubt there are cheaper places locally, but with pretty awful facilities if you wish to spend some time aboad in the Marina.

 

[tony_brighton]

Re: (you\'re welcome to) Rip off Haslar?

Where abouts on the East Coast would be good? - we live in London so points East would save some travel time.

 

[JeremyF]

I presume there is a berth holders' association - raise it with them. However, if £345 pm includes electricity, then that's not an uncompetitive rate really. Campers for 11m is now £359 including electricity and winter storage (except lift out/in charges)

<font color=red>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=red>

 

[tony_brighton]

Suspect it included neither electricity or winter storage.

 

[NDG]

Re: (you\'re welcome to) Rip off Haslar?

Tony ,

We live in London and keep our boat at Titchmarsh Marina, Walton on the Naze, which is about 1.5 hrs drive from SE London. Don't know where you live, but if its N of the river you could do it in as little as an hour I suspect. THe usual trouble with the E Cost is restricted tidal access but here you can usually get in and out (depending on your draft) at almost all hours (except at LW springs), although at LW we often end up ploughing a furrow up the river bed in the lovely essex mud (our draft is about 1.5 m).

THere are other marinas but I think this is possibly the closest to London with near all hours tidal access (I might be wrong about this). Its purely a personal thing but I find the people much friendlier here than on the S coast. Its much cheaper too!

Let me know if you want more details.

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: (you\'re welcome to) Rip off Haslar?

Nowhere. It's terrible. Cold, windy, muddy dangerous. The locals are all thieves and vagabonds. The journey out here is terrible. There are only 2 RNLI stations 150 miles apart and the Thames coastguard is useless. Please pass the word among your friends. Do not relocate to the East Coast. Especially don't bring your Solent prices.

 

[xcw]

No, it doesn't include electricity or winter storage.

 

[Observer]

Port Solent £332 per metre excl. electricity but incl. winter storage ashore - if paid up front with early payment discount or £360 per metre spread over 11 months.

Up 7.5% on last year.

Why is it so expensive? Because, like any other business, they charge what the market will bear. Also, I guess, rates reflect alternative development potential.

Personally, coming from London, I'd pay more for Port Solent against Haslar/Campers/Lymington for ease of travel. I'd sooner spend an hour on the boat running down the channel than an hour (or half an hour) stuck in the car in traffic. And Port Solent does have good facilities if the weather's crap. Better for the family (in my case).

 

[NDG]

Re: (you\'re welcome to) Rip off Haslar?

mmmmm.......

Maybe I've been a bit hasty. After having reflected on things I can see that, yes, there are many disadvantages with the E coast. Perhaps its best if everyone stays on the s coast, which is much nicer. All those shifting sand banks on the E coast make it a very unpleasant place to sail, and there are no decent pubs.

 

[Stingo]

There isn't a berth holders association that I know of, but if someone wants to get one kicked off, can I request that we don't meet in Landers because they're just as expensive, often run out of beer (and have a poor selection) and it has so little atmosphere you could train astronauts?

http://www.stingo.co.uk

 

[extravert]

Re: (you\'re welcome to) Rip off Haslar?

...and I couldn't even begin to describe quite how awful it is in North Wales. It's constantly raining, the place names are unpronouncable, the locals are unintelligible, the sea is radioactive, the lifeboats are always occupied rescuing Captain Calamity. The sea is deserted, probably because it's just so dire. Just as well it's so far from London otherwise the hoards from the squashed bit of the country might be tempted to come here, and that just wouldn't be any good at all.