St Peter Port poor value

[Robin]

OK I've grumbled regularly on here about the rip-off prices and we usually avoid them altogether by anchoring in Havelet Bay. However over the Bank Holiday Saturday we arrived from Treguier with a fair old leftover swell from the previous day's gale and Havelet we thought would be too rolly so went inside the outer harbour. £25 to end up with two big boats rafted outside of us jerking on our lines as they hadn't bothered with shore lines, for which we had no shore access, no electrics and although there was a hose it was too short to reach us. I asked for the WiFi code but was told to get it I had to go ashore to the harbour office, but we were only staying overnight and that meant messing with the dink or paying another fee for the water taxi on top of the £25.

Now £25 in mainland terms with VAT would be £29.38 which even beats Salcombe for rip-off rating! We pay £15.50 inc VAT in Lymington and £18 in Yarmouth, the 'expensive Solent'.

As it happened their WiFi didn't work anyway, we could connect no problem but not get the log-in page. No matter as we had a choice of three unsecured free connections in town that fortunately did the job.

We used to like St Peter Port and stayed always a few days spending money ashore. In our case this is our last UK cruise anyway so pointless to say we'll never go back because we won't even if we wanted to, but at least I can rant on here!

 

[fireball]

We missed you by 2 weeks then - we were in a little earlier ... and went into Vic marina - where we were rafted, but had elec (£2/day?) and obviously walk ashore. Their Wifi signal was weak - but I had a USB dongle to wave a little higher (and drop onto the screen on my laptop - thus breaking it!)
After a few nights in there - with a few days cycling around and enjoying the island, we went out and spent the last night on the outside pontoons - I was suprised to find it cost exactly the same ... so - on reflection when we go again, we will aim to go inside where at least we can walk ashore and have the tranquility of a cill and the fun'n'games of everyone moving around at HW ...
Oh - cost - think it was a bit less for us - tbh I didn't really think about it, but didn't think it any worse than solent prices - oh and the staff are really friendly too.

 

[jonjo]

Keep the campaign going it might have some affect one day. Unfortunately at the moment the CI will be having a bumper quota of froggie boats visiting to take advantage of the cheap £, if normal economic forces apply.

 

[Robin]

We didn't have the option of going inside as the tides were so neapy we could not enter even had we wanted to! Yes the price is exactly the same as being inside, if it were cheaper it might be more justifiable. We paid less in Treguier for a finger berth with electrics and of course walk ashore and again in Cherbourg and that is despite the lousy exchange rate.

 

[snooks]

I was suprised to find it cost exactly the same

+1

Not sure who, how or why they came up with the same price, seems a bit silly for less facilities and convenience to charge the same as those with walk ashore access.

The only benefit is you can leave when you want

 

[Chris_Robb]

We didn't have the option of going inside as the tides were so neapy we could not enter even had we wanted to! Yes the price is exactly the same as being inside, if it were cheaper it might be more justifiable. We paid less in Treguier for a finger berth with electrics and of course walk ashore and again in Cherbourg and that is despite the lousy exchange rate.

But they are still full - this is the free market in operation. The only way to change it is a full boycott, which I think ain't gona happen.

 

[PaulR]

must admit to feeling different - have been to SPP several times over past years including june this year - every time been impressed by the welcome . happy with the berth (inside) and found the charges very tolerable compared to our solent home areas - having said that do agree that the same charge to be rafted up outside seems a bit high but - and noting the comment about lymington - exactly the same applies there - ie same charge be it on the walk ashore pontoon or out on the moorings

 

[AIDY]

trouble is it's a nice place and people will pay the fee's just to be their.

i'd rather spend a week in st p than in cherb

 

[Powersalt]

SPP

But they are still full - this is the free market in operation. The only way to change it is a full boycott, which I think ain't gona happen.

For this year they have increased electricity charges from £2 a visit to £2 a day, which is quite a rip off. Having said that I quite like the place but go out of season where my last visit in March I had the choice of any pontoon I wanted, Oh and berthing fees are half price

 

[Robin]

But they are still full - this is the free market in operation. The only way to change it is a full boycott, which I think ain't gona happen.

I don't think they are full though. When we arrived, on August Bank Holiday Saturday around 3pm, they were almost empty. However a couple of hours later boats arrived from Jersey for the weekend and then more arrived from the north, but neither group could get into the inner harbour as there wasn't enough water it was such a low neap tide and hence they all went onto the outer pontoons. We had a French Oceanis 411 outside of us and a 45ft Danish one-off outside of that, neither could get inside until at least the next day and then only at HW (2m draft). Take away the Bank Holiday boats and with the inner marina then accesible with normal tides and really there were very few boats because inside was pretty empty.

I know lots of people now like us who no longer stay any longer than necessary to take the tides and even then will anchor if conditions allow in Havelet. There will always be an influx of newcomers to the islands I suppose but my feeling is overall they will lose more than they gain.

Yes the harbour staff are friendly and I have no complaint about that, only with paying the equivalent of £29.38 per night for a jerky night rafted 3 up outside with no power and no walk ashore. I

 

[fireball]

only with paying the equivalent of £29.38 per night

Eh? You paid £25 .... VAT doesn't come into it because you're the consumer....

 

[Robin]

Eh? You paid £25 .... VAT doesn't come into it because you're the consumer....

What I mean is we were charged £25 in a place with no VAT so if it were the same effective fee to the harbour on the mainland it would be £29.38 with VAT included paid to the taxman. We pay £15.50/night in Lymington which includes VAT, either on the fore/aft buoys or the pontoon in the same area not connected to the shore and exactly comparable to the St Peter Port outside pontoons, but without the wash or swell, never rafted more than 2 on the buoys but mostly not rafted at all. £15.50 is acceptable but nearly double that in SPP has to be a rip-off. Maybe they need it to employ all the many dory drivers and pay their fuel bills!

 

[TFJ]

I dont know what you are all moaning about we had 4 or 5 days at SPP charges were very fair, if you dont want to pay the charges dont go!
The staff were very professional and helpful and the facilities were very good as they always are
Terry

 

[Skysail]

SPP can do it because it is a very convenient staging post between the UK and Brittany.

It is still reasonable compared with Carteret and St Malo at nearly 40 Euros a night this year.

 

[fireball]

Retail prices have very little to do with VAT, yes VAT is taken into account when deriving the retail price, but it is put at a price that a) covers costs + profit, b) customers will pay.

Hence around the solent, prices are much higher than other areas.

I see no point in comparing what the St PP price would be with VAT, they don't have VAT, don't charge VAT and the price you pay is £25 ... NOT £29!!

Yes - they probably charge the amount because they maintain the facilities & harbours.

 

[David_Jersey]

Although it sticks in my craw to defend the Guernsey folks I don't see what VAT has to do with it? The Guernsey price includes all taxes - same as any English price...........just the names / types of the taxes differ.

Are these prices expensive? IMO yes - but don't make them wrong, Guernsey ain't running and subsidising a holiday theme park for yachtsmen.

BTW given that Guernsey (and Jersey) has a financial blackhole on the horizon (I understand they are all the rage ) I wouldn't bet on next year being cheaper...........

 

[michael_w]

What do they do with all those customs forms you have to fill in? There must be a small mountain of them somewhere on the island.

 

[Robin]

Although it sticks in my craw to defend the Guernsey folks I don't see what VAT has to do with it? The Guernsey price includes all taxes - same as any English price...........just the names / types of the taxes differ.

Are these prices expensive? IMO yes - but don't make them wrong, Guernsey ain't running and subsidising a holiday theme park for yachtsmen.

BTW given that Guernsey (and Jersey) has a financial blackhole on the horizon (I understand they are all the rage ) I wouldn't bet on next year being cheaper...........

Point taken about the tax but it is still too much for what they offer, at least for the outside pontoons.

As for 'subsidising', we will not be subsidising them any more as we are off to new pastures! We used to be frequent visitors before they got greedy and spent LOTS of money in town, in recent years we have mostly avoided them by anchoring out or passing swiftly on the next tide and it is the French ports that gained what Guernsey lost.

BTW Jersey visitor fees are lower and for better facilities and access.

 

[fireball]

I agree - it does seem a bit much to price it as the same as inside - next time we go we'll aim to be inside if we stop there.

 

[PeterGibbs]

Over the years I've watched the Channel Islands take measures towards their tourist industry that can only be described as perverse, and SPP's failure to discount for the rough conditions on the outside pontoons is just one part of it (water was added only recently, and before that - nothing!!) Why not link the pontoons and put a bridge ashore? There is no taxi system worth the name. And another - officially the harbour is 1.8m draught - my 2m can only be accommodated in a small part of the harbour - why?

Looking at France, they have worked logically and consistently to provide facilities for tourism - eg a new marina at St Cast this year. It shames us.

The sheer lack of vision and long term planning and investment for a vital industry reeks of disdain, however friendly the greetings from the boatsmen. And the shabby state of retailing in the two main CU islands is proof of the pudding.

PWG