PaulRainbow
Well-known member
Nothing wrong with my hearing.
Do you see any people in this thread also stating "incredible noise all night from Felixstowe Docks" ?
Shotley Marina feedback/advice
- Thread starter Johnny WAFI
- Start date
Do you see any people in this thread also stating "incredible noise all night from Felixstowe Docks" ?
Daydream believer
Well-known member
Never worried me. In fact I never noticed that one could hear anything at all.
I go to Shotley a couple of times a year- because I like it- & always sleep aboard for one night at least.
It is a nice short cruise from Bradwell.
If the Shipwreck is open, I quite enjoy sitting outside looking over the estuary entrance in the afternoon/evening with a beer in hand.
Noise has never spoilt that sensation
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Puffin10032
Active member
I was at the OGA 60th based at SHY a couple of years ago. On the Friday night/Saturday small hours the noise from the docks was very loud with lots of crashing and banging. That was probably a one-off though and I bet there were lots of understandably irate locals on the phone to their councilors next day.
Frayed Knot
Well-known member
Some people could do with a thinking aid.
LittleSister
Well-known member
I have only rarely had a particularly long wait to get into the lock at Shotley, e.g. late afternoon at the end of a sunny (especially bank-holiday) weekend, though it is annoying when it does happen. Locking in/out can add a bit of interest and social interaction, and sometimes a bit of a challenge (especially single-handed) depending on winds (and sometimes who you're sharing the lock with!). I also found the limited capacity of the lock avoided the scramble I sometimes encountered outside SYH Levington, with many boats going this way and that, most busy getting their sails up or down, with motor boats rushing in/out/through the melee in a big hurry.
Having spent a number of years at Shotley in 2 or 3 phases between stays elsewhere, I broadly agree with many of the comments already made.
Staff friendly, helpful and (in contrast to some of the competition) efficient (though I never got a reply to my email to the workshop manager asking for a quote for a significant job on the boat, so had it done elsewhere). I liked having staff on site 24 hrs a day.
I like the location for sailing - you can go left (Orwell), right (Stour), or straight out to sea, depending on wind, tide and inclination.
The place is a bit soulless. The toilet/shower facilities by the pontoons seemed to be closed for long periods every winter, and having to trek up to the main building every time tedious. Enjoyed the swallows (or is it swifts?) nesting in the toilet block entrance every year.
I was never bothered by the noise from Felixstowe, and found seeing the ship and crane/lorry activity there, and the ferries coming in and out of Harwich, by day and night adds interest. I can't recall the boat getting particularly dirty there (unlike another Orwell marina with a working quay opposite).
The Shipwreck can be pleasant to sit outside in nice weather, I found when I was an occasional visitor before having a regular berth there, but otherwise was always a big disappointment. It has always really let the place down badly, in my view. The food is usually disappointing, and on one occasion, (after a 15 hour stint on the helm with the cooker broken and only a packet of bread straws to eat) when I would have eaten almost anything, inedible (uncooked), and the service so-so to downright offensive. I must have been to the Bristol Arms, in which case it is (or was) unmemorable. The Rose (?) at Shotley village was pleasant, but it's a drive away.
I didn't much mind the drive from the A12 to Shotley. I found it a relatively relaxing come down from the sometimes frantic A12 and A14, certainly less tedious than the route to Levington from the south of Ipswich, and preferable to trekking the length of the river from Ipswich in the boat every single time (though the river's a lovely trip to do occasionally).
The berthing charges of the marinas in the Orwell are uncannily similar, but Shotley charging per half-metre (in contrast to the others by the metre) has swung it for me and my boat length on occasion. By contrast, the monthly (or was it quarterly?) charge for 'renting' an electricity meter cable (elsewhere just a deposit required) made hook-up very expensive when I used very little in the way of kW/h (just battery charge top-up and occasional brief use of a power tool).
I don't think any Orwell marina wins hands down, they all have pluses and minuses (and they're all beyond my means, really - we only started using them when my ex was too ill to manage getting to/from a swinging mooring), but Shotley has suited me on occasion.
Having spent a number of years at Shotley in 2 or 3 phases between stays elsewhere, I broadly agree with many of the comments already made.
Staff friendly, helpful and (in contrast to some of the competition) efficient (though I never got a reply to my email to the workshop manager asking for a quote for a significant job on the boat, so had it done elsewhere). I liked having staff on site 24 hrs a day.
I like the location for sailing - you can go left (Orwell), right (Stour), or straight out to sea, depending on wind, tide and inclination.
The place is a bit soulless. The toilet/shower facilities by the pontoons seemed to be closed for long periods every winter, and having to trek up to the main building every time tedious. Enjoyed the swallows (or is it swifts?) nesting in the toilet block entrance every year.
I was never bothered by the noise from Felixstowe, and found seeing the ship and crane/lorry activity there, and the ferries coming in and out of Harwich, by day and night adds interest. I can't recall the boat getting particularly dirty there (unlike another Orwell marina with a working quay opposite).
The Shipwreck can be pleasant to sit outside in nice weather, I found when I was an occasional visitor before having a regular berth there, but otherwise was always a big disappointment. It has always really let the place down badly, in my view. The food is usually disappointing, and on one occasion, (after a 15 hour stint on the helm with the cooker broken and only a packet of bread straws to eat) when I would have eaten almost anything, inedible (uncooked), and the service so-so to downright offensive. I must have been to the Bristol Arms, in which case it is (or was) unmemorable. The Rose (?) at Shotley village was pleasant, but it's a drive away.
I didn't much mind the drive from the A12 to Shotley. I found it a relatively relaxing come down from the sometimes frantic A12 and A14, certainly less tedious than the route to Levington from the south of Ipswich, and preferable to trekking the length of the river from Ipswich in the boat every single time (though the river's a lovely trip to do occasionally).
The berthing charges of the marinas in the Orwell are uncannily similar, but Shotley charging per half-metre (in contrast to the others by the metre) has swung it for me and my boat length on occasion. By contrast, the monthly (or was it quarterly?) charge for 'renting' an electricity meter cable (elsewhere just a deposit required) made hook-up very expensive when I used very little in the way of kW/h (just battery charge top-up and occasional brief use of a power tool).
I don't think any Orwell marina wins hands down, they all have pluses and minuses (and they're all beyond my means, really - we only started using them when my ex was too ill to manage getting to/from a swinging mooring), but Shotley has suited me on occasion.
Flames
New member
A big plus for Shotley used to be the very reasonable Summer Scrub rates. Last year they doubled the cost and it was noticeable that boats went elsewhere.
Shotley website now says " Summer scrub prices to be announced"
Will be interesting to see if they make the same mistake again.
Shotley website now says " Summer scrub prices to be announced"
Will be interesting to see if they make the same mistake again.
xyachtdave
Well-known member
Well... I tried to get a berth there over about 4 months as I fancied a change of scene.
Everybody i spoke to was incredibly pleasant and friendly but this is how it went.
'Hi I'm looking for an 11m berth for my boat next season, is anything available, I'm not fussy if its an awkward spot or have to move around, anything will do, I'm easy to please?'
Asked for my details, which I gave and was advised to ring back in two weeks...
'Hi, it's me again, we spoke 2 weeks ago, I'm looking for a berth for my 11m boat...'
Asked for my details, which I gave and advised to ring back in two weeks...
'Hi, it's me again, we spoke 2 weeks ago and a few weeks before that, I'm looking for a berth for my 11m boat...'
Asked for my details, which I gave and advised to ring back in two weeks...
This went on for at least 8 phone calls, every time it went the same way then one day....'I might have something...what was your name, how big was the boat?'. Sadly the berth wasn't wide enough for me and...I was advised to ring back in two weeks.
I tried once more as I really liked SYH but I needed to make a commitment for the coming season, if I didn't renew soon I'd lose it and it would be unlikely I'd get another 11m mooring in a decent time frame.
No joy again, so I stopped calling, paid for my coming year where I was and forgot all about it. About 2 months later out of the blue I opened an invoice from SYH for a yearly contract for a berth for my boat.
Someone else I met a while later experienced exactly the same, he advised going in as a visitor then not leaving for a while!
MoodySabre
Well-known member
I visited Bradwell for a month and was given a berth where the usual boat was out for the whole season. I’ve been there 20 years!
Daydream believer
Well-known member
Have you paid yet?
bob the ancient mariner
New member
did the same for about 4 years, but never had a straight answer, no matter how often I tried. So stayed in Fox's instead
Snowgoose-1
Well-known member
If I was just a weekend sailor I would ditch the marana idea and would consider places with a reliable water taxi service. Perhaps Mersea, Burnham or Brightlingsea. Even if you just sit on the boat for a few hours and don't have time to go sailing. The problems with this approach is car parking . Perhaps if you joined a club like Mersea the car parking would be OK.
The problem with many lesser marinas is that whilst boats have increased in length the finger berths haven't . Unless you have a handy boat , berthing can become very stressful with boats taking up much more room than the place was designed for. You may be good at parking but many others may not be and receive a few whacks during the season.
The problem with many lesser marinas is that whilst boats have increased in length the finger berths haven't . Unless you have a handy boat , berthing can become very stressful with boats taking up much more room than the place was designed for. You may be good at parking but many others may not be and receive a few whacks during the season.
Egret
Active member
Especially if you just want to sit on the boat for a few hours or days - much more pleasant on a river/creek mooring with all the wild life around, than in a marina - don't have to go anywhere to anchor.
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Daydream believer
Well-known member
Not really. I like to chat to those passing by. Far more social when one gets to know more people rather than just be isolated from other sailors. But I suppose that is why I joined Stone sailing club 60 years ago
johnalison
Well-known member
We had a swinging mooring at Maylandsea for many years and loved it, mostly. We got our company at the time from belonging to the MLSC. We have enjoyed having companions at Titchmarsh but this is mainly because we are now retired and can happily spend endless hours doing nothing much. I suspect that a weekender would be getting less out of it and agree with the mooring option.
MikeBz
Well-known member
Absolutely, the best use of a stationary boat. Who wants to sit in a car park?
Sailing steve
Well-known member
Indeed, and not only that but you'll not have the joy of well lubricated sailors having shouty conversations and clomping their way along the pontoons at 2am and other people's halyards going ting ting ting all bloody night either.
So yeah, until I get too decrepit to lug a tender off the rack and row a couple of hundred meters out to my boat it's a swinging mooring for me and I'll squander the money I save on marina fees every year on some winter sunshine instead.
Crowblack
Active member
Aaah the joys of the M25/A12, I sympathise.When I was a 17 year old student my father sent me to the Mid Essex tech College & School of Art( Now Anglia university) in Chelmsford to study construction for 7 years. I had a choice of going via Billericay or Brentwood- Northwards up the (old)A12, that route was only slightly preferable.
I used to think " When one day I get to be rich & famous, at least I will not have to go up this B..y A12"
When the M25 was built it extended the area I could supply joinery by a huge amount & Iwent round it several times a week
I never got to be rich, nor famous. Just a bit well known & shall we say "comfortable". But at the very end of my career I started doing freelance consultancy
Then one day I suddenly realised as I was travelling to a very regular client at 06-30 in the morning to miss some traffic that I was now travelling Southward down the b..y A12
So I spent 7 years going up it at the start of my career, Round & round in circles in the middle & another 7 years going down it at the end.
Then It occurred to me that somehow I seem to have got absolutely nowhere in my life.
Being mobile for most of my working life and retired now for 17 years, distance I find has tended to blind me to what must have been at the time the short term improvements to both of the above. After much needed improvement they both soon again became just as frustrating.
Travelling all over the UK they vide with the M6 round Birmingham and parts of the M62/60 round Manchester as the most frustrating, particularly on car bash days.
Notable was a regular journey south round the M25 where one would encounter the early morning queue to get through the Dartford Tunnel (before they built the bridge) which used to back up for at least 45 minutes. In these regular breaks in progress I formed an imaginary society called - Friends of the Dartford Tunnel - where all these souls urgently pushing to get on with their day and trying to compress to squeeze through the restriction of the two lane tunnel were actually all my chums. I found being a "Friend" and letting all my chums get on with it calming and helped keep me sane.
Travelling to the boat now from near Saffron Walden although an hour and a half I find Titchmarsh easy to get to particularly now the short bit of the A12 round Colchester is finished and having been a Friend of the Tunnel all those years ago - the memory of it says this ain't half as bad.
Agree with the joys of sitting on a mooring which I did for many a year at Marconi but there comes a time when the ease of living on a pontoon just becomes too seductive.
Not been to Shotley for some years - used to like going, (remember the baths!) and even singlehanding never found the lock a problem.
Nothing much against SYH, just feels to corporate.