Rock and roll at QAB?

[Sanderling_]

Having spent a couple of years swinging, I am being persuaded to to return to the relative comforts of a marina berth.

I am currently looking at the options in Plymouth and whilst I know Sutton Harbour and PYH both provide secure berthing, I have no experience of QAB.

Your comments would be most wecome as to how exposed the marina is to swell and whether I need to be concerned about the chances of suffering damage?

Thanks, Tony

 

[SimbaDog]

Used to be in QAB, now in PYH.
Prefer PYH as it's more sheltered, doesn't have same noise level from barbican & has nice pubs & cliff walks to hand

 

[Sanderling_]

Used to be in QAB, now in PYH.

John,

I am just looking at all the options, have already disregarded Mayflower on the basis of reports on here. We spent 8 good years at PYH before being driven out by their 10% year on year price hikes, although I do understand that they have been much more reasonable over the past couple of years.

I am interested to get your experience of QAB, does much swell come in? if so, is it uncomfortable on board in these conditions? Is it bad enough to cause damage?

 

[SimbaDog]

In normal circumstances I don't think damage is very likely? I never had any but it certainly gets a bit rolly in there & can be uncomfortable sometimes.
Had a few exciting moments entering & leaving berth in a good blow.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Bought our present yacht from there. She was moved on to the visitors' pontoon near the crane. Had a very rough snatching night alongside. Can't comment on ordinary berths, but watch out for extortionate car parking charges for any crew cars. They tried to charge me £12.00 for 4 hours and despite substantial protestations only succeeded in getting it reduced to £6.00 despite the fact that I had paid for a weeks mooring. MDL rip-off!!

 

[chart5011]

QAB can be very swelly, particularly the outer berths and particularly near the fuel barge.
All the pontoons are quieter towards the roots. The distance between fingers can be quite tight so boats sometimes roll together and damage.
A walk on the pontoon after a blow shows lots of chafe on mooring lines.

This probably sounds worse than it is, but choose your berth with care.

 

[Goldie]

I spent 5 nights holed up in QAB during the gales of May this year. Bad move! I wish I still had the footage to show you, but I 've never felt inclined to film boats moving about in a marina before. We were on the visitors' pontoon a couple of berths in from the seaward end and the gale was from the SW. I can't remember what the movement was like on the permanent berths - I was too busy hanging on!

 

[jonjo]

I spent 5 nights holed up in QAB during the gales of May this year. Bad move!

Been there, done that. Except in my case the marina manager kept calling to remind visitors they might have to leave in six hours because the MDL owners club rally fleet was due to arrive from Fowey. They were due to arrive any hour for the next 3 days.

The wave break screen is rotten, the staff consider visitors an irritation that spoil their working day, for some reason they change the gate code daily, the walk to the Barbican takes your right through a social sink estate, even when there is no gale the local fishing and pleasure boats keep you rolling. For the same price you can lock into another world in the Sutton Harbour.