Royal Southampton Yatch Club, death of

[PEJ]

Can anyone update us on the fate of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club?

I hear that they were forced to sell the Ocean Village clubhouse to MDL and that it will close now.

Is that right or I have I got the wrong end of the stick?

 

[z1ppy]

i dont believe that is absolutely correct but i do know something was afoot. (always happy to be corrected)

There was (i believe) an extraordinary general meeting on Saturday 7th to discuss the matter but i thought it was more a question of them giving notice on their lease rather than being forced to sell.

I dont know the full details but would be interested to hear. we were over there with Mark a few months ago and it was a lovely place but not a single other person there on a saturday afternoon.

the suggestion i believe was they would continue using Gins as their base.

 

[PEJ]

=z1ppy;6495613... and it was a lovely place but not a single other person there on a saturday afternoon.
...

Yes, I have done the same . It is a prime bit of real estate in the middle of a prime location, how could they not make a success of the place?

It lends itself to a top end Michelin star restaurant now in my opinion.

 

[Offshore57]

Yes, I have done the same . It is a prime bit of real estate in the middle of a prime location, how could they not make a success of the place?

It lends itself to a top end Michelin star restaurant now in my opinion.

Or a Macdonalds

 

[Sailorsam101]

Good old MDL....

Move in
Destroy atmosphere
Leverage every ounce of profit

Ocean village used to be a great place for a good night out but now it has no soul and is being turned into a home for large boats with wealthy owners. Mark my words when i say that given a few years you will only see massive white plastic motorboats and super yachts there.

it's no secret that MDl want to turn into a place where tourists com to look at the "money" on the water.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

We had a night in there last year, there was a huge "hotel" being built in the marina that was styled to look a bit like a cruise ship. Place was noisy and featureless. Utterly awful.

 

[oldgit]

Good old MDL....

Move in
Destroy atmosphere
Leverage every ounce of profit

Ocean village used to be a great place for a good night out but now it has no soul and is being turned into a home for large boats with wealthy owners. Mark my words when i say that given a few years you will only see massive white plastic motorboats and super yachts there.

it's no secret that MDl want to turn into a place where tourists com to look at the "money" on the water.

total tosh of course......
MDL Chatham is one of the most successful marinas in our area with no shortage of competition.
Probably the reason Medway is now a very successful boating area.
They took a chance and saw a business opportunity when Chatham Dockyard was closed by the Wicked Witch of the West, putting thousands out of work in an already depressed area..
They took an option on the derelict basins. spend some money refurbishing the lock and installing pontoons.
Definately not gin place country, but it did start to attract folks escaping the sky high costs elsewhere.
Best thing that happened to boating round here.
Ps. No way I can afford to moor there.

 

[colingr]

Good old MDL....

Move in
Destroy atmosphere
Leverage every ounce of profit

Ocean village used to be a great place for a good night out but now it has no soul and is being turned into a home for large boats with wealthy owners. Mark my words when i say that given a few years you will only see massive white plastic motorboats and super yachts there.

it's no secret that MDl want to turn into a place where tourists com to look at the "money" on the water.

I don't think MDL have much say in the buildings and restaurants in Ocean Village. Blame Southampton Council for that. MDL have owned the marina there for years and it has always been a haven for the larger yachts and mobos. Locals who don't want to be near the night life tend to reside at Shamrock Quay or Saxon Wharf just up the river

 

[PEJ]

Good old MDL....


it's no secret that MDl want to turn into a place where tourists com to look at the "money" on the water.

What is your source for this?

It is a fact that MDL re-organised the berths to get more 10m length ones in and left the super yacht berths the same.

 

[Offshore57]

We go there and stay for the odd night now and then when SWMBO wants to do a bit of shopping.....now the hotel is finished the building noise has gone during the day which is nice...if you get a berth on G pontoon it can get a little noisy from the top floor of the hotel in the evening but not that bad, and the staff are really good....sometimes bringing round trollies of goodies for breakfast or something. No problem with the place at all really and handy for a couple of nights when we go to the boat show. The huge Force India boat parked in the superyacht berths is something to see, wouldnt like the fuel bill though..

 

[Boat2016]

What is your source for this?

It is a fact that MDL re-organised the berths to get more 10m length ones in and left the super yacht berths the same.

And when I went there a few weeks back they made it quite clear they weren’t geared up for the average boater and were only interested in those with big boats and big bank balances, with everything squeezed over to the south side it’s now lost it’s apeal to me, won’t go rushing back in a hurry.

 

[Boat2016]

total tosh of course......
MDL Chatham is one of the most successful marinas in our area with no shortage of competition.
Probably the reason Medway is now a very successful boating area.
They took a chance and saw a business opportunity when Chatham Dockyard was closed by the Wicked Witch of the West, putting thousands out of work in an already depressed area..
They took an option on the derelict basins. spend some money refurbishing the lock and installing pontoons.
Definately not gin place country, but it did start to attract folks escaping the sky high costs elsewhere.
Best thing that happened to boating round here.
Ps. No way I can afford to moor there.

Chatham are the cheap seats, probably the cheapest coastal berth you will get with MDL which is why it’s full of people who take advantage of the freedom berthing and move their boats to one of the South coast marinas for the summer so that’s why they will always be full.

 

[sailorman]

Chatham are the cheap seats, probably the cheapest coastal berth you will get with MDL which is why it’s full of people who take advantage of the freedom berthing and move their boats to one of the South coast marinas for the summer so that’s why they will always be full.

Both MDL marina`s on the East Coast are by far the most expensive in the area

 

[z1ppy]

Lets not make this another MDL bashing thread please.

My recent experience of Ocean village was very positive (in terms of the marina) less so when considering some of the commercial contractors operating out of there but thats not MDL's fault.

There will be lovers and haters for everywhere but lets try and get some information about the status of the yacht club.

 

[RobbieW]

I'm not a member so cant give any info on the outcome of the EGM, however I understand there are at least two distinct issues that have surfaced in this thread.

First is that the club has been using its reserve in recent years to maintain a positive cashflow, the EGM was called to explore one solution to that situation ie. closing the Ocean Village site and focussing activities at the Gins site. This is the precis as explained by a friend who is a member.

The other issue was the reworking of the berthing in Ocean Village. It is rumoured that the new hotel pressured the operator to move the 'party' boats as they felt their presence disturbed the hotel guests and visitors. There was also a long period, something like October to May, when half the berths were out of commission (those in the half of the basin occupied by the club) - this appeared much longer than one might have thought to carry out a re-arrangement ? Its also understood that the club were asked for a significant sum as financial assistance for the move, I dont know the basis for that request - if correct it will add further financial pressure to the operating position of the club.

If the club's Ocean Village site is closed it will be a loss to the area. I've been to a number of events there over the last couple of years which were well attended. Perhaps its time for clubs to consider consolidations as there seem to be several operating under financial constraints.

 

[Elessar]

i dont believe that is absolutely correct but i do know something was afoot. (always happy to be corrected)

There was (i believe) an extraordinary general meeting on Saturday 7th to discuss the matter but i thought it was more a question of them giving notice on their lease rather than being forced to sell.

I dont know the full details but would be interested to hear. we were over there with Mark a few months ago and it was a lovely place but not a single other person there on a saturday afternoon.

the suggestion i believe was they would continue using Gins as their base.

You are half correct. Keeping Gins but financially backed into a corner leaving the sale of OV the only sensible option. No way forced to sell to MDL though.
They have promised a reduction in fees..........

 

[JerryC]

Chatham are the cheap seats, probably the cheapest coastal berth you will get with MDL which is why it’s full of people who take advantage of the freedom berthing and move their boats to one of the South coast marinas for the summer so that’s why they will always be full.

Yeah right. I live 20 minutes away from MDL Chatham but for the last 5 years I've kept my boat on the Solent, its a painful 2 hours drive each way including speeding tickets, but it's worth it. And it's nearly twice the price.

 

[PEJ]

You are half correct. Keeping Gins but financially backed into a corner leaving the sale of OV the only sensible option. No way forced to sell to MDL though.
They have promised a reduction in fees..........

What I heard was that most of their debt was to MDL and MDL offered to release them from the debt and give them some cash for the clubhouse. So whilst strictly speaking they were not forced to sell it was "an offer they could not refuse".

 

[henryf]

We've had some charters this year which started and ended in OV. The new hotel is a big draw for the area and so a prime candidate for those wishing to stay pre / post Charter. We end up staying the night before the Charter and doing a quick splash & dash to drop people off at the end of their time with us. I can only say that I've found Ocean Village marina excellent.

Is it expensive? Hey, it's a marina on the south coast and as such more expensive than dropping anchor in Newtown Creek but I wouldn't say they are out of kilter with other similar places in the Solent. They are efficient in the office, the pontoons are good and it's a decent location if you want some restaurants and a bit of city centre action on your doorstep.

As for the Yacht Club the fact it's a yacht club and has the word Royal in it's title means I presume someone like me wouldn't be particularly welcome rocking up and plonking myself at the bar or looking for a meal. I used to be a mamber of a cruising club in Haslar but yacht clubs have thus far evaded me.

Are yacht clubs possibly a dying breed? In some locations where they are the only place to get a drink or a meal they will continue to flourish but where commercial alternatives exist like OV I'm not sure. Do you join the yacht club or take a berth with access to the hotel Spa and leisure facilities ?

Anyway, just though I would put in a positive word for the marina.

Henry

 

[PEJ]

As for the Yacht Club the fact it's a yacht club and has the word Royal in it's title means I presume someone like me wouldn't be particularly welcome rocking up and plonking myself at the bar or looking for a meal. I used to be a mamber of a cruising club in Haslar but yacht clubs have thus far evaded me.

And I think that is in large part why the club went under. You would have been very welcome and you are just the type of person the club needed but it, and many other yacht clubs, seem to give off an aura that they exclusivity for only 70 year old+ sailor types and so younger boaty types think they will not be welcome or will feel out of place.