St Peter Port waiting pontoon

wotayottie

wotayottie

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A couple od days ago we arrived early and were the first ones onto the pontoon. By the time the marina was open, we had 12 boats outside us with not a shoreline, and it was the same with the boats in front and to the rear of us.

Luckily, it was fairly calm so no damage resulted but I can only recoimmend that visitors anchor in the next bay and appear just 10 mins before the opening - that way they will get in first any way.
 
That sounds normal practice - we were 3rd or 4th out in the raft when we were there last year - not much point of a shoreline as it was calm and we were only there for an hour - anyway, by the time we had another boat or two outside us you could walk across to the adjacent raft ....
 
wotayottie said:
A couple od days ago we arrived early and were the first ones onto the pontoon. By the time the marina was open, we had 12 boats outside us with not a shoreline, and it was the same with the boats in front and to the rear of us.

Luckily, it was fairly calm so no damage resulted but I can only recoimmend that visitors anchor in the next bay and appear just 10 mins before the opening - that way they will get in first any way.
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What you describe is normal practice at St Peter Port on the waiting pontoon simply because it is intended only as a short term temporary stay one until the tide allows for marina entry. If you want to stay longer the other pontoons are there and you will be required to add shorelines on those if rafted up.

Queue jumping as you describe by anchoring in Havelet Bay until you get on the outside of the raft is not helpful either, if you want to wait outside then why not wait until the waiting pontoon has cleared and go in last?
 
While on the waiting pontoon people are with their boats so watching any situation develop, one raft did put on shorelines as it began to slew.

A club rally was their and I did get a bit miffed as they all tramped over our boat for drinks on the outside boat on the raft, not that its a problem just a courtesy nod or acknowlegement as we were there sitting in the cockpit would have been acceptable, sadly manners seemed to be somewhat lacking.
 
When it is busy the HM will usually manage the queue according to length and draught to make sure all the boats get in, and as close to FIFO as possible One guy inside us was apoplectic when the HM beckoned us in ahead of him, but there was no way he would have moored in the berth allotted to us.
 
I have lifting keel but I feel there is no point in getting in early in the peak summer as lots are preparing to leave but need more water before they cast off. However leaving is another story.

I normally go to Carteret on one tide so leave as soon as the sill has 1.3m ( ie 0.1m clearance for me) I leave. A Frenchman watching this throught ah he's 45 foot, I can go as well. Apparently he rammed the cill three times before Marina RIB managed to convince him he did not have enough water.
Mind you I have had fixed keels try to follow me across the Winner sands at Chichester before now.

Brian
 
Was that last August? If so we were in there watching this french boat ram the sill ... quite amusing really!
 
I watched a Sigma 33 try to follow a bilge keeler out once they had just enough water to scrape over the cill. Everyone was shouting at them as we were all out waiting and watching the tide gauge, but they ignored us. The lady on the foredeck busy coiling lines was very lucky not to be catapulted over the pulpit!
 
brianhumber said:
I have lifting keel but I feel there is no point in getting in early in the peak summer as lots are preparing to leave but need more water before they cast off. However leaving is another story.

I normally go to Carteret on one tide so leave as soon as the sill has 1.3m ( ie 0.1m clearance for me) I leave. A Frenchman watching this throught ah he's 45 foot, I can go as well. Apparently he rammed the cill three times before Marina RIB managed to convince him he did not have enough water.
Mind you I have had fixed keels try to follow me across the Winner sands at Chichester before now.

Brian
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French must like the challenge...............
 
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jhr said:
I thought Ovni were meant to be "Go-anywhere" boats? :D
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From the many I've seen this holiday, they seem to be "corrode anywhere" boats!:eek:

And as for "Queue jumping as you describe by anchoring in Havelet Bay until you get on the outside of the raft is not helpful either, if you want to wait outside then why not wait until the waiting pontoon has cleared and go in last?" - well you may be happy to have 12 boats hanging off your cleats and then to have every one of them get into the marina before you do, but I am not.

In future I will do what others do - arrive late, hang off the outside and get in first.:mad:
 
then to have every one of them get into the marina before you do, but I am not.
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Not quite sure I understand what it is you'd prefer the (IMHO excellent) marina staff to do?

Now - I know you're english and like to queue and hate queue jumpers - but do you really want the raft of 12 to be freed and 11 mill around whilst the first goes in?

It doesn't work like that anyway as they ask your draft and put you where best fit - so it matters not if you're first in the queue with deep draft and have a load of shallow keels next to you ... it's unlikely that you'll end up next to all 11 in anycase!

Last year we arrived 1hour early (having towed a larger boat with engine trouble in) and used the time to clean up and enjoy a glass with some pre-dinner nibbles ..

Just enjoy the spectical and don't get stressed ... but do watch out for the french who invariably come in without fenders or lines rigged - just one on the foredeck with a boathook! (we fendered both sides!)
 
I'm no fan of St Peter Port these days but give credit where it is due, the harbour patrol guys do a pretty good job of handling the hundreds of visiting boats and finding spaces for all to go inside the marina when the water level allows. When you have been a few times you come to realise that they try hard to work a fair allocation by the guys outside liaising with the ones on the inside so that first off the outside doesn't necessarily mean getting a choice of the best inside spots as you might imagine, and being on the inside of the raft certainly does not mean missing out on a place altogether. When really busy, late arrivals are frequently told to go on the outside pontoons as they may well not get a place that day inside the marina, but will get first call when there is space next time.

As for having lots of boats hanging on your cleats, there is no tide flow much and the place is very sheltered except in easterlies. Having a multitude of decorative but largely ineffective slack shorelines making a real chore of the Le Mans start at entry time is no real help.

We were too big to get in anyway with our last boat and 2.08m draft and I certainly didn't miss the hassle and stress at all and the freedom to come and go at will was a definite plus. What I did object too was being charged the same rate outside to be rafted up, no electrics and a hit and hope water taxi racket if you didn't have your own dinghy ready.

We would always prefer to anchor in Havelet free of charge, swell permitting or better still off Sark. In recent years St Peter Port ashore became expensive and so we arrived fully provisioned, just stopped by for a tax free fuel top up and/or to sit out a tide in between Brittany and Normandy.
 
wotayottie said:
A couple od days ago we arrived early and were the first ones onto the pontoon. By the time the marina was open, we had 12 boats outside us with not a shoreline, and it was the same with the boats in front and to the rear of us.

Luckily, it was fairly calm so no damage resulted but I can only recoimmend that visitors anchor in the next bay and appear just 10 mins before the opening - that way they will get in first any way.
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Result!! Last off waiting pontoon = outside berth inside so first out in the morning.

We had worse, tied on late at night on falling tide, big bang at LW. Inside pontoon has about 2m LAT so at LW (springs) we had rod rigged racing boat too deep to go inside on the inside waiting pontoon fall across us. SJ has 10 mm standing rigging so they bounced off us but could have been a problem.
 
This English yacht left it to late


stuck.jpg




The marina was left high & dry,,

108-0814_IMG.jpg




This was in Granville.

pro.jpg
 
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I think it was Tour de la Ports this last weekend so lots of racers about? We arrived at St PP about an hour before HW and were pretty much directed straight in whilst a mass of yachts were rafted outside (we are power and they tend to keep the port side pontoons for MOBO's. The guys there do a fantastic job and get nearly everyone in. I mentioned how busy it was (Mon evening) and he said they were expecting a lot worse on Tuesday!

I agree with the earlier comment about the French and their fenders and lines, they seem to use them as an afterthought!!? A yacht came alongside us in St Helier to raft (after searching for a space for a while, I stepped out to offer to help and told them we were happy with them coming alongside. After a bit of back and forth they were near enough and I asked for their lines only for them all to be still in the rope locker and tied together?? Thankfully they did have fenders out!
 
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