So where can we over winter in the UK

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We retire and move aboard our sailing yacht in October later this year. We want to stay in the UK whilst we complete work on the boat, and also we dont want too big a wrench from UK life all in one go. We currently keep Mithril in Tichmarsh on the E Coast but we want to be amongst a more thriving winter community and perhaps big city with all of its amenities, fearing otherwise being cooped up during the dark winter months. We concidered Brighton until I read the recent thread on the marina. Any suggestions? we are so far concidering, Eastbourne, Haslar, Plymouth, Jersey but personal recommendations might be a better place to start. Over to you!

<hr width=100% size=1>Barry (yacht Mithril)
 
Haslar is not a bad choice because there is a selection of chandleries, pubs, shops, etc. The staff there are always very friendly and the showers are some of the best I've seen in the Solent.

Don't worry about a lack of lift out facilities at Haslar because Ken Brown Boatyard is across the harbour mouth and is very reasonable.

Don't go there if they offer you H, I, J, K or visitors pontoon as those pontoons suffer from ferry wash which makes life aboard very rock-n-roll. G pontoon also suffers a bit but it's tolerable.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.stingo.co.uk>http://www.stingo.co.uk</A> <font color=blue>- still showing at a computer near you</font color=blue>
 
I would agree with Stingo that if you are doing a lot of work on the boat, there's much to be said for the Southampton/Portsmouth area because many leading suppliers and repair facilities are situated there. Saves a lot of chasing around, specially if you have given up the car.

For the big-city life, why not consider one of the London marinas (except St Kaths which is anti liveaboard)?

PS Don't commit yourself to one place!

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Yes Stingo's idea about Haslar and avoiding the swell is good advice. I wont have a car so walking/cycling means general facilities being close. Regarding not committing to one place, I thought I might get a better winterdeal by doing so. Our plan is to head towards the Baltic in late April so a 6 month stay might be quite cheap if we stay in one place.

<hr width=100% size=1>Barry (yacht Mithril)
 
We hadn't followed the rest of the brighton thread - and now we've read it, we have to respond. (This is a joint response from two of us living on board in Brighton marina)

There are loads of people who love Brighton madly - it may not be to the taste of some people subscribing to this forum, but to simply dismiss a place of enormous life and fun with a few cheap jibes is absurd.

Abigail said in her post, which was specifically about the marina, that parking and dredging are the two drawbacks. Much of the architecture of the marina development is horrid, but the same is even more true of Eastbourne, which is significantly from the town proper with no public transport links. Eastbourne has the further disadvantage of being tidelocked and having (I think) even fewer facilities. It's certainly much darker at night - a substantial consideration for a wintering liveaboard. This is not to knock Eastbourne specifically, but to bring into the picture some of the directly relevant issues for where to spend 6 months. Obviously you'll make your own price comparisons.

As for somewhere to spend winter - it depends what you enjoy! There is a large friendly liveaboard community in Brighton - although I know for a fact that some (including us) are the weirdos so cavalierly dismissed by others. There are gazillions of watering holes, theatres, museums etc across the city. Within the marina, if this is to your taste, is a casino, a bowling alley, a cinema as well as pubs, supermarket etc - and an excellent bus service.

Of course you will make your own choice, and we not pretending the Brighton is perfect, but we'd hate you to make your decision based on the ignorance of the few people in the previous post.

<hr width=100% size=1>Sarah&Pip
 
Thanks Sarah&Pip its good to hear the other side.

I'm sure you understand that its quite a difficult decicion to choose a winter marina and its the overall picture which is important. Lots of places excel in a few areas but are totally crap in others. We are wanting all of the things usually found within the 4 walls of the marina (I'd not thought about lighting) but also access to a civilised town/city and, as we are both active people, we wanted cycling and walking routes close by without us having to cross a city ever time we go out. Additionally I see swimming pool, cinema, library, super market, real open air market as also being very important.

In an attempt to get it "right" we've drawn up a spread sheet listing all of the things deemed important (25 of them) and then attached an imprtance level to each item, then, as we visit a new marina, we put a score against the 25 items. Its taken some of the emotion out of the deciding but we still have a way to go but what's the hurry, I dont retire until the end of October, panic panic !!!!!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Barry (yacht Mithril)
 
Come and join us in Neptune Marina, Ipswich - very friendly, generally several people around, close (walking) to town centre, which despite appearances, seems to be thriving. Sadly, rubbish is windswept into the marina, but not a problem (looks bad), esp if on an outside berth. Quayside has hotel, restaurants, cafe for visitors. Not too long to get to the sea, and the river is attractive for a bit of mooching. Convenient for Baltic, as well! www.neptune-marina.com. We like it - look us up (SV El Viento).

suse

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I'm presently berthed in Guernsey, which enjoys VAT free status and attractive winter rates, down side is getting back to UK. On the other hand Saxon Wharf near Southampton has excellent boat fitting out and fixing facilities, not sure of cost and would be keen to compare the two....................

I'd be interested in your matrix result.

Good hunting

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You might want to have a look at Plymouth. One of the marinas is extremely close to the city centre and has all of the facilities that you mention quite close by. It is also easy to get out into the country and there are good public transport links to the rest of the country.

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Looks like Weymouth has jumped into the lead on my spreadsheet. Has anyone any comments on Weymouth?

<hr width=100% size=1>Barry (yacht Mithril)
 
Re: Get a new spreadsheet!

Who knows, you might be right. I've only ever stayed in the outer harbour, and throughly enjoyed it I should add, but currently the ongoing survey puts it in the lead.

Have you any disclosable negatives?

<hr width=100% size=1>Barry (yacht Mithril)
 
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