St Katherines Dock, London - BEWARE!!!

[Firefly]

The Clippers arrived on Friday - 12 72footers, with razmataz and press etc. When the new owners took over they announced they were interested in spectaculars. Ordinary boats are not really in the business plan and that is that, hence £54 per night for a 32 footer.

 

[ianj99]

I think being a very small marina ideally situated in the centre of one of the most vibrant cities in the world where there will always be more demand than they can ever meet, might have something to do with it.

The unfortunate combination of greed, arrogance & ineptitude will backfire on them eventually and especially in the relatively close knit boating community when word spreads of price hikes, contracts cancelled, emails ignored etc.

 

[Ceejay]

The unfortunate combination of greed, arrogance & ineptitude will backfire on them eventually and especially in the relatively close knit boating community when word spreads of price hikes, contracts cancelled, emails ignored etc.

Good luck to them, but I'm guessing the ordinary, but invariably the most interesting, sailors will give St Katharines a wide berth in future.
It's a shame because it's a cracking location.
CJ

 

[pvb]

Ordinary boats are not really in the business plan and that is that, hence £54 per night for a 32 footer.

When it costs £33+ a night for a similar boat in a boring Hamble marina, I don't think St Katherine's is overly expensive. It's a fabulous location, in the heart of our capital city. I just wish they could run it sensibly.

 

[Fire99]

When it costs £33+ a night for a similar boat in a boring Hamble marina, I don't think St Katherine's is overly expensive. It's a fabulous location, in the heart of our capital city. I just wish they could run it sensibly.

Without wanting to be pedantic, I think the issue there is that said Hamble Marina is also pricing way beyond its value... Hamble Marina = ridiculously over priced. St Kats = Even more ridiculously over priced.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Without wanting to be pedantic, I think the issue there is that said Hamble Marina is also pricing way beyond its value... Hamble Marina = ridiculously over priced. St Kats = Even more ridiculously over priced.

Yes but how much for a London hotel in a similar location? Agree that it's much more than it used to be, but maybe it was underpriced before?

 

[pvb]

Without wanting to be pedantic, I think the issue there is that said Hamble Marina is also pricing way beyond its value... Hamble Marina = ridiculously over priced. St Kats = Even more ridiculously over priced.

I don't think you're being pedantic, I think you're maybe unaware of current pricing. Even somewhere as dismal as Ramsgate charges £29 a night for a 10 metre boat. Have you visited many marinas recently?

 

[Modulation]

Ramsgate?? Dismal?? Methinks you jest!!
Finest Indian restaurant east of Kent International Airport.

I don't think you're being pedantic, I think you're maybe unaware of current pricing. Even somewhere as dismal as Ramsgate charges £29 a night for a 10 metre boat. Have you visited many marinas recently?

 

[maybh1]

Thank goodness it is not just us!

I have been booked into St Kats for this winter for some considerable time - from memory around 18 months or so.

The plan was to take the boat to Fox's yard from the Solent to have some extensive refurbishments carried out
and then pop her into St Kats for the winter mid to late September

It was such a long standing booking that when all the prices were dramatically increased and the Winter Rate was abolished they agreed to let me have the 6 month mooring pro rata for the yearly rate - we were so pleased as otherwise it would have meant paying the monthly rate over the winter, which is horrendous especially as you have to pay it all upfront

The electricity costs, from memory, were £107 per month set price. This is £30 a month more than I pay for my house!

I do not have access to correspondence as I am currently on holiday but I had some concerns over what we would be charged should we, due to bad weather, not be able to leave the marina on the due date as the daily rate for our 44 footer is somewhere north of £72.00

Trying to get confirmation I left messages and e mailed but received no reply until last week from their Marina Director stating that they had not heard from me for some time and the marina was very full so please could I contact them with an update! Cheek!

I explained, yet again the situation and that the work would be completed mid Septemberish. But I was at the mercy of the yard. I realised then, from the tone of the e mail that we were out

We have booked various people to come and stay on the boat, including my 11 year old Grandson for October half term so I was panicking like mad

The next e mail I received told me the marina was full and my booking was cancelled as they did not have space for us as they had not heard from us for some time and in their experience people simply don't turn up to take up their reservation.

This, after we had over wintered there twice before

It has certainly taken the shine off our current holiday - I spent the best part of a day weeping with anger at the way we were dismissed and now have to sort out a plan B.

I did suggest taking the boat to Jersey but due to work commitments and possibly weather constraints, this will be a non starter till next Spring

I am at a loss to understand how anyone can run a business in this way and am now left with the problem of what to do with the boat when the work is done

I do feel a lot better knowing that we were not the only ones singled out for this treatment

May
Xx

 

[Cardo]

Absolutely shocking behaviour, but sadly expected in this day and age for a marina in such a location?

Many businesses seem to think they have so much demand that they can pick and choose their clientele and dismiss those that don't interest them financially/visually.

I can only hope this will backfire horrendously on them once people go elsewhere due to their prices/attitude. But sadly, in London, they will likely get away with it.

 

[richardabeattie]

You'd think that somebody at St Kats would have noticed this thread by now and replied!

 

[maybh1]

You'd think that somebody at St Kats would have noticed this thread by now and replied!

From the tone of the three e mails I received I really do not think they much care - but as they say - every thing tyhat goes around comes around

I don't think they have a clue about the distress and inconvenience they have caused

I have sent e mails out to three other Thames Marinas and hope that someone comes up with a spot for us. Does anyone know if there is availability anywhere?

May
Xx

 

[Stemar]

From the tone of the three e mails I received I really do not think they much care - but as they say - every that goes around comes around

I don't think they have a clue about the distress and inconvenience they have caused

I have sent e mails out to three other Thames Marinas and hope that someone comes up with a spot for us. Does anyone have a clue if there is availability anywhere?

May
Xx

Just a thought - a friend bought a sailing boat some years ago and had her delivery by road to Chertsey Marina. It was a mast down job, obviously, but it worked for him as he worked nearby so he could put in an hour or tow's fettling after work each day. If you can't find better, could one of the Thames river marinas work for you?

Failing that, perhaps one of the Medway or Essex marinas or boatyards?

 

[maybh1]

Just a thought - a friend bought a sailing boat some years ago and had her delivery by road to Chertsey Marina. It was a mast down job, obviously, but it worked for him as he worked nearby so he could put in an hour or tow's fettling after work each day. If you can't find better, could one of the Thames river marinas work for you?

Failing that, perhaps one of the Medway or Essex marinas or boatyards?

If all else fails we will have to leave her at Fox's in Ipswich but the reason that we trekked to Fox's in the first place was to tie up with our winter in St Kats

Ah, well, best laid plans of mice and men........

May
Xx

 

[GHA]

From the tone of the three e mails I received I really do not think they much care - but as they say - every thing tyhat goes around comes around

I don't think they have a clue about the distress and inconvenience they have caused

I have sent e mails out to three other Thames Marinas and hope that someone comes up with a spot for us. Does anyone know if there is availability anywhere?

May
Xx

Have you tried giving Limehouse a call?
Good spot for the winter, right next to DLR, LX on cards. Nice bunch.

 

[rob2]

Ramsgate?? Dismal?? Methinks you jest!!
Finest Indian restaurant east of Kent International Airport.

Also has the worst Italian restaurant in the universe... Had a makeover programme do them and they still couldn't see that carp service and bad food doesn't attract customers.

Rob.

 

[oldgit]

Wanting to break our journey from the upper Thames back to the Medway a week or two ago rang St Kats,Limehouse and then South dock in quick sucession.All full.Then made a serious misjudgement and elected to stop at the Heritage Moorings just below Tower Bridge.OK when we arrived but by mid day my 11m boat was in serious prospect of being damaged by the passing Clippers/Rib Experience and trip boats.
In desperation rang St Kats again and pleaded our cause..
They squeezed us in next door to the Royal Barge.
Suspect its the same old story,some upper Thames Yot club books 20 berths for its esteemed boaters and only 12 bother to turn up,hence turning people away.
Easy solution get a booking deposit,hopefully it might deter some wasters and allow some of us to get in when we want to.

 

[pvb]

The next e mail I received told me the marina was full and my booking was cancelled as they did not have space for us as they had not heard from us for some time and in their experience people simply don't turn up to take up their reservation.

I reckon this is the key - the place is so popular that lots of people book (with good intentions) but then don't turn up. The secret must be to pay up front, that would make it rather more difficult for St Kaths to cancel.

 

[Fire99]

I don't think you're being pedantic, I think you're maybe unaware of current pricing. Even somewhere as dismal as Ramsgate charges £29 a night for a 10 metre boat. Have you visited many marinas recently?

Enough.. and I (and others I know who have been there) rate Ramsgate quite highly. Certainly not dismal.

The other issue I have to take is the comparison made (not by yourself) with hotel rooms. A boat mooring is no more than a parking space. The bulk of the facilities you are providing yourself. When have (other than ridiculous places) visitor moorings ever been in line with hotel room prices?

 

[rhumlady]

When have (other than ridiculous places) visitor moorings ever been in line with hotel room prices?

Hey we're talking London here, what more rediculous place is there