Rip-Off ??

PaulGooch

PaulGooch

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 Feb 2009
Messages
4,511
Location
Home = Norfolk, Boat = The Wash
www.boat-fishing.co.cc
Yesterday, i sent the following email to Neptune Marina in Ipswich :

Weather permitting, we are planning a short trip along the Orwell on Saturday (possibly Sunday) as a sight seeing trip with some family. We'd like to find somewhere to moor for an hour or two and come ashore for some lunch and wonder if you might have a short term berth available. Out boat is an 8m Jeanneau motor cruiser and there will be four persons onboard.
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This morning, their reply was :
Thanks for your note about one to two hour mooring facilities we I regret only have over night berths and because we are so busy very few of those as well so could offer an overnight stay or the cost of an overnight stay for a couple of hours which for an 8 metre boat ie 26ft is £24.00
Hope that this helps,
regards,
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<best Catherine Tate Granny voice>

What a flipping liberty
 
Roach1948 said:
Stay at Haven then; they do half-day rates.
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Anywhere at the Haven to get a bite to eat ? The ABP website isn't too informative.

Failing that, might have to be Fox's and a walk over the road to the Oyster Reach.

It's just a day cruising the rivers with a couple of family members who don't have good sea legs. Thought it might be nicer to come ashore for a bite, rather than sit at anchor in the river.
 
On the town side of the basin there is the Bistro on the Quay, which is quite nice (but would need a reservation this weekend I would think) and of course Pizza Express, which needs no introduction. There are two or three restaurants in Fore Street about 200m from the quayside.

If it really was just for lunch you might be lucky just rafting up against one of the barges that sometimes tie up on the Common Quay by the customs house.
 
We're in Neptune and, whilst I can't comment on their reasons, I do know that they're plagued with people who want to grab a pontoon for an hour or two whilst they nip ashore for a pint or a meal. We found one such in our berth one day on returning.
 
Marmalade said:
We're in Neptune and, whilst I can't comment on their reasons, I do know that they're plagued with people who want to grab a pontoon for an hour or two whilst they nip ashore for a pint or a meal. We found one such in our berth one day on returning.
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But if every marina and yacht club adopted the same stance, we'd all be restricted to our own marina or staying afloat. We would be happy to pay a small fee to come ashore, but an overnight fee seems a bit steep.
 
Stork_III said:
Come to Shotley, they don't charge for short term on outside pontoon, outside of lock. Lunch at Shipwreck or walk to Bristol Arms.
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That's exactly what we're going to do. Good old Shotley, it seems they do things very well. We're based at Shotley and were planning a trip down the Orwell, stop for some Lunch and then come back and take a quick trip down the Stour, maybe a wee spin along the front. We'd just re-planned that, couple of hours or so on the Stour/along the front, moor up at the ferry pontoon at Shotley and walk to the Shipwreck for a snack and a pint. Then it's off for a tour of the Orwell, returning to Shotley at the end of the day for an evening meal at the Bristol Arms.


The Haven are fully booked and we're not paying £24 to stop for an hour for lunch.

Thanks to all who replied.
 
Marmalade said:
We're in Neptune and, whilst I can't comment on their reasons, I do know that they're plagued with people who want to grab a pontoon for an hour or two whilst they nip ashore for a pint or a meal. We found one such in our berth one day on returning.
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Going ashore for an hour or two is a genuine need. This is probably a good reason for the council to provide some short term berths. It would benefit local businesses and bring more life to the dock. It could be priced to go up sharply over 3hrs, prohibitively so after closing time, and would not need provision of water or leccy.

On the basis of the poor provision apparently offered by the marinas, it could hardly be described as the council competing.
 
Until last week I would have recommended the RHYC at Woolverstone, who are/were happy for visitors to stop for lunch, but recent events make me wonder about the hospitality.

Make be worth a try though.

James.
 
pyrojames said:
Until last week I would have recommended the RHYC at Woolverstone, who are/were happy for visitors to stop for lunch, but recent events make me wonder about the hospitality.

Make be worth a try though.

James.
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I thought exactly the same James. As we went down the Orwell today there were a couple of spaces on their pontoons.

In the end we went with the plan to lunch at the Shipwreck. Checked with Miriam at Shotley and it was no problem at all to moor up on the ferry pontoon for an hour.

I can't recall dealing with a company that has had a more "can do", "no problem" attitude to Shotley. Nothing seems too much trouble for them.
 
pyrojames said:
Until last week I would have recommended the RHYC at Woolverstone, who are/were happy for visitors to stop for lunch, but recent events make me wonder about the hospitality.

Make be worth a try though.

James.
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I was at the Club today, I checked on the visiting yacht situation. Short stops of a couple of hours to come ashore to the Club for drinks/food are FREE. You would be expected to pay if you tie up and then bog off to the Butt & Oyster :(

That could be lunchtime or evening. Obviously if you stay overnight you will need to pay. Recent cockup notwithstanding, visitors are very welcome at RHYC.
 
Leighb said:
I was at the Club today, I checked on the visiting yacht situation. Short stops of a couple of hours to come ashore to the Club for drinks/food are FREE. You would be expected to pay if you tie up and then bog off to the Butt & Oyster :(

That could be lunchtime or evening. Obviously if you stay overnight you will need to pay. Recent cockup notwithstanding, visitors are very welcome at RHYC.
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That's good to hear Leigh. I can't comment the recent cockup as i wasn't involved. But, my past dealing with the club were very positive. We used a mooring for a few days a couple of years ago when we sold a boat that we'd kept at Pin Mill. It saves us many dinghy trip getting all of our gear off and getting the boat ready for handover.

I can't fins much information on the RHYC website regarding visitors, perhaps you can advise on times when we could pop ashore for an hour or so for a spot of lunch or a pint ?

EDIT : Scrub the last bit, i just found the opening hours on the site :)
 
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PaulGooch said:
Anywhere at the Haven to get a bite to eat ? The ABP website isn't too informative.

Failing that, might have to be Fox's and a walk over the road to the Oyster Reach.

It's just a day cruising the rivers with a couple of family members who don't have good sea legs. Thought it might be nicer to come ashore for a bite, rather than sit at anchor in the river.
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Use Foxs Marina Sailing Clubs newly opened Clubhouse.
main meal ( Days Special ) @ a Fiver :D & very nice Berth holders too ;)
 
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