SYH

[sailaboutvic]

So I not berthed a yacht in the UK for a good 12 years and the last time it was in SYH .
So question is , what berth waiting time there now , I remember once it was around 5years although when I got my berth at the time it took nothing like that .

Any other suggestions?

 

[michael_w]

There's usually space at Ipswich Haven.

 

[Malish]

ask them! ;-)
Bob may be along shortly....

It probably depends on your size, with a small one fitting more easily. At a narrow 34' I had no wait 5 years ago

 

[LittleSister]

I've never had problem getting an annual berth at Shotley Marina, and found the place very convenient. My boats have been fairly small, but I've usually been in berth capable of taking a larger boat.

The impression I formed of SYH a few years back was that everything was rather random there. Everyone I spoke to was perfectly pleasant, but it always seemed that the left hand had no idea what the right hand was doing, and/or would give a different answer a week later.

My first visit, arriving from the South Coast in the depths of winter, I called ahead as I thought I'd probably arrive after the office had closed. I provided the boat details, etc. I was told to use any empty berth on the left hand side going in, and yes I could leave the boat there for 2 weeks. When I went back to collect it I went to pay, and it transpired that no-one knew my boat had been there!

I later enquired about an annual berth, but was told there was a waiting list of a few years, so I put my name on it. While on the list, I heard of people who had just turned up for a visit, enquired about staying, had been given an annual berth without having to wait.

A couple of years after going on the waiting list I received, out of the blue and with no explanation, an invoice for an annual berth for the coming year. I rang up to check this meant I'd been allocated a berth, but no-one knew anything about it and I was passed from person to person several times. A day or so later I got to speak to the berthing master(?), who didn't know that I'd been billed for a berth, or why, but since I had he would allocate me a berth. (Unfortunately, having got that sorted I was then suddenly under threat of redundancy from my job, so had to decline the offer. As it turned out, I wasn't made redundant, but by the time that became clear I'd committed to other, cheaper, arrangements elsewhere.)

 

[sailaboutvic]

There was a point when I had a boat moored there for about 7 years while I had an second boat in the Med which I live and cruised for 6 months and using the one kepted in SYH throught the winter but I given that up in 2007 when I sold that boat and decided I would cruise full time again .
It wasnt a great berth for a 39 foot boat right next to the light ship and on a blow day it was touch and go if I made it in.
I quite like SYH and would return if a berth was available.
My problem at the moment is we cruising Northern Europe for the time being and not sure when we return probably late Oct or Nov and don't want to start paying for a berth right now when we don't need it .

 

[Malish]

Others may disagree, but I would have said that it is now more organised..

I've never had problem getting an annual berth at Shotley Marina, and found the place very convenient. My boats have been fairly small, but I've usually been in berth capable of taking a larger boat.

The impression I formed of SYH a few years back was that everything was rather random there. Everyone I spoke to was perfectly pleasant, but it always seemed that the left hand had no idea what the right hand was doing, and/or would give a different answer a week later.

My first visit, arriving from the South Coast in the depths of winter, I called ahead as I thought I'd probably arrive after the office had closed. I provided the boat details, etc. I was told to use any empty berth on the left hand side going in, and yes I could leave the boat there for 2 weeks. When I went back to collect it I went to pay, and it transpired that no-one knew my boat had been there!

I later enquired about an annual berth, but was told there was a waiting list of a few years, so I put my name on it. While on the list, I heard of people who had just turned up for a visit, enquired about staying, had been given an annual berth without having to wait.

A couple of years after going on the waiting list I received, out of the blue and with no explanation, an invoice for an annual berth for the coming year. I rang up to check this meant I'd been allocated a berth, but no-one knew anything about it and I was passed from person to person several times. A day or so later I got to speak to the berthing master(?), who didn't know that I'd been billed for a berth, or why, but since I had he would allocate me a berth. (Unfortunately, having got that sorted I was then suddenly under threat of redundancy from my job, so had to decline the offer. As it turned out, I wasn't made redundant, but by the time that became clear I'd committed to other, cheaper, arrangements elsewhere.)

 

[michael_w]

SYH need to spend some money on the pontoons. Some of them are decidedly rickety,

 

[MoodySabre]

SYH need to spend some money on the pontoons. Some of them are decidedly rickety,

A few years ago I went right through a plank. They mended it very quickly!

 

[Bob@SYH]

Bob may be along shortly....

Here I am

Annual berthing is a tricky one, but here's my best explanation:

We are currently in the very fortunate position of being full for annual berths and I hope we're not complacent about that. This year was in particular more tricky because we had a number of new arrivals for the winter from up the river who then asked if they could stay on with us following their launch or winter berthing period. The number of available berths is wholly dependant on the number of berth holders who give up for one reason or another, sometimes it is literally only just into double figures, If you compare that to the number of enquiries we get for annual berths (on average at least a couple a week) and you can see that quite quickly we have to start a 'waiting list'.

Not all our berths are the same size and we have all manner of vessel sizes applying, so we have to select suitable sized boats to fit particular vacancies, The majority of the berths in the main harbour are suited to 28ft to 36ft boats, however the evolution of boat design has led to them (like me) over the last decade or so, getting a bit fatter, meaning that we sometimes have to match a fat and a thin vessel in a bay. Taking into account the marina was first laid out in the early 70's when the average boat was more skinny, the pontoon fingers are closer together than perhaps they would be if we could start afresh today and unfortunately here isn't really any way we can re-jig the finger widths without losing at least a berth off each pontoon ( I might hazard that an average boat now may be more like a 34 to 36ft Jeanneau and the West Harbour was dug and designed to address more of these larger and beamier vessels).

This is why it can take considerably longer to find a space for a 40ft motor cruiser for example as opposed to a 1960's designed 28ft yacht. You can also throw into the mix a number of boats with us for extended periods whilst they are having or waiting for work to be carried out, boats left here following the Clarke & Carter Yacht Fair and winter berth holders who's spring departure is delayed for any number of reasons, and I'm sure you can then appreciate that what's referred to as 'a' waiting list isn't quite that simple and is in reality more of a fluid entity, with us finding the right boat for the right hole.

We do invariably have swinging moorings available and although it doesn't suit everyone what it does mean is that if they are also waiting to take up a marina berth, it is easier to bring them in if a berth holder has given up their berth mid season than it is for someone who has taken up a contract with another marina.

--------
With regard the pontoons condition, we have been, and continue to undertake a rolling replacement program each winter during the dredging season and we hope to address any deterioration of the pontoons during this time. We do try to keep an eye on the condition of the boards, however if any defects are brought to our attention we are happy to undertake any repairs as soon as possible, and if these involve any broken boards we are obviously and rightly obliged to replace them as soon as we can.

I hope this helps explain our situation a little.

 

[PaulRainbow]

There seem to be some available berths in the Haven Marina.

We moved here from Shotley in Jan this year and although it's a bit of a drag having to transit the Orwell each time we want to go out, being "in town" has a lot of advantages. We're really enjoying it here.

 

[Slowboat35]

I'm very happy there, everyone is friendly and helpful and it seems well run.
But Bob, please, please get rid of those staples in the W basin and replace them with proper cleats! They make mooring a nightmare for us single-handers.

 

[Tradewinds]

I'm very happy there, everyone is friendly and helpful and it seems well run.
But Bob, please, please get rid of those staples in the W basin and replace them with proper cleats! They make mooring a nightmare for us single-handers.

I'm not a singlehander but I agree 100% with the sentiment. No one likes them.

 

[Cantata]

There's usually space at Ipswich Haven.

I was there last weekend, pretty disorganised and frustrating. Wouldn't use VHF Ch80, said the main radio was broken, yet there were handhelds visible in the office. No clue about how to allocate suitable berths. I was told that ABP sacked all the experienced staff last year and took on new. Then some of those left too, so more newbies turned up. They were pleasant enough in the office but just don't know how to manage a marina. And as for that lock......I left on the Sunday morning, loads of people wanting to lock out and being made to wait. In Holland they'd get 30-40 boats in that lock!!

 

[johnalison]

I was there last weekend, pretty disorganised and frustrating. Wouldn't use VHF Ch80, said the main radio was broken, yet there were handhelds visible in the office. No clue about how to allocate suitable berths. I was told that ABP sacked all the experienced staff last year and took on new. Then some of those left too, so more newbies turned up. They were pleasant enough in the office but just don't know how to manage a marina. And as for that lock......I left on the Sunday morning, loads of people wanting to lock out and being made to wait. In Holland they'd get 30-40 boats in that lock!!

That’s always going to be the problem with locked harbours. I shared the lock with only one other boat when I left on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago, so maybe I was lucky. There is space for about five yachts on the pontoon I would guess, so, if each were doubled, and another five on the other side, it could easily be fifteen boats, or, as you say, thirty Dutchmen. In my experience, the champion squeezers-in are the Swedes, who will poke the bow in and give it full ahead to create space.

 

[Leighb]

That’s always going to be the problem with locked harbours. I shared the lock with only one other boat when I left on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago, so maybe I was lucky. There is space for about five yachts on the pontoon I would guess, so, if each were doubled, and another five on the other side, it could easily be fifteen boats, or, as you say, thirty Dutchmen. In my experience, the champion squeezers-in are the Swedes, who will poke the bow in and give it full ahead to create space.

One of the best squeezers was a lock keeper at Heybridge. I don’t know how many he got in, but we were one of the last and a Dutch lady on a yacht ahead was crying out “My ship,My ship” but no damage to anyone and we all got through. Getting mo ores up once inside did take some time though.

 

[Debennut]

I was told to enter the Ispwich lock on green. Tied up; then a very pleasant, apologetic, lady came on to the balcony and asked me to turn round and exit. So I did and then waited for the green light again. She did explain that she thought opening the down stream gates on free flow, would create too much of a stream. Sounded logical. Never experienced that before !

 

[Greg2]

I was there last weekend, pretty disorganised and frustrating. Wouldn't use VHF Ch80, said the main radio was broken, yet there were handhelds visible in the office. No clue about how to allocate suitable berths. I was told that ABP sacked all the experienced staff last year and took on new. Then some of those left too, so more newbies turned up. They were pleasant enough in the office but just don't know how to manage a marina. And as for that lock......I left on the Sunday morning, loads of people wanting to lock out and being made to wait. In Holland they'd get 30-40 boats in that lock!!

The staff are very pleasant, friendly and helpful but as you say, perhaps not so experienced at managing a marina. No monitoring of channel 80, allocating the short visitor pontoons to very long boats and gone at 5pm. All very manageable if you know the score - knowing we were going to arrive after 5pm we rang and got the berth number, which they happily changed at our request and we had electricity available upon arrival. The Dutch yacht who came though the lock with us didn’t know any of that so we ended up guiding them to a suitable berth but the absence of shore power meant they left to head for Fox’s.

It might be an inaccurate perception but every time we visit we comment on how quiet the visitors moorings are - in days gone by it was often quite vibrant with visiting boats but that doesn’t seem to be the case now.

 

[johnalison]

I was found out by my poor observational skills the other week. I arrived mid afternoon at the Haven with my daughter, paid at the office and went into town for tea at the rather delightful Pickwick Tea Rooms. When I came back and attached my power line I was disappointed to find no power. Closer inspection showed that they had changed since I was last there to a pay-as-you go card system. It was five past five. Fortunately, a nearby socket still had some cash left in.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I was found out by my poor observational skills the other week. I arrived mid afternoon at the Haven with my daughter, paid at the office and went into town for tea at the rather delightful Pickwick Tea Rooms. When I came back and attached my power line I was disappointed to find no power. Closer inspection showed that they had changed since I was last there to a pay-as-you go card system. It was five past five. Fortunately, a nearby socket still had some cash left in.

A slight aside.
I'm told that there is some kind of a pub in Ipswich that has themed "activity" pursuits.
One of which includes axe throwing. Perhaps you could investigate.

 

[xyachtdave]

I tried to get an annual berth at SYH for this season, I called and made enquires October/November 2021.

Everyone I spoke to was really friendly but this is what happened....

'Hello, I'm interested in becoming an annual berth holder, what's the situation?'

I give boat details, name, length, beam etc and provided contact details, told to ring back in a couple of weeks.

'Hello it's me again, you said to call back in a couple of weeks...any news?'

I was asked for all the info I had given previously, so gave the details again, told to call back in a couple of weeks.

'Hello it's me again, you said to call back in a couple of weeks...any news?'

Was asked... what's the boat name, how big is the boat, what's your name etc, call back in a couple of weeks.

'Hello it's me again, you said to call back in a couple of weeks...listen I don't want to keep bothering you, I appreciate you're busy but you said call back in a couple weeks?'

And so it continues, what was your name, how big is the boat, what's the beam and contact details, call back in a couple of weeks.

I get the name of the person now, call another couple of times and ask for him, I tell him I'm a boat handling master, I will take any berth the boat fits in and can cope with hoops instead of cleats on the pontoon. I explain I'll never go in the office and moan, I can move the boat if required with a few hours notice if there's something temporary available and as long as I can park my car somewhere and tie my boat up I'll be the least demanding customer on his data base.

He said.... 'Call back in a couple of weeks,'

So I decided to try one last time and call....he thinks he might have a space! 'How big is your boat, what's it called, what's your name again, etc...?' I give the details requested once more and wait anxiously as he goes to measure the berth.

My boat doesn't fit.

I thank him for checking, I'm advised to call back in a couple of weeks as usual. It's now the end of Jan and I need to make a commit for 2022 so decide to stop bothering them and pay my dues elsewhere for the season.

About a month or so passes and out of the blue I get an invoice in the post from SYH for an annual berth for my boat.