Watchet Closed

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ribdriver

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Please note Watchet is temporarily closed to all craft due to a serious mechanical failure of the tidal gate. The entranceway has been closed off whilst they undertake repairs. The office is contactable on 01984 631264 or James the marina manager on 07969 138938. They will be doing all they can to get the marina open again as fast as possible.

If anyone's wondering it looks like a hinge on one side of the gate has broken off, so it's quite serious!
 
I'm sure it isnt. I believe its owned by a londoner in the software business and he has been subbing it ever since he was unwise enough to buy it. But that was the story I was told a few years ago and things may well have moved on.

The man who decided to build the lock the way they did and to divert the stream needs ................. well I wont say since these days plod might come knocking if I did.
 
I phoned yesterday - as I may be down there this week. I was told the gate is in the up closed postion until such time as repairs can be arranged. She said - at your own risk - you can cross the gate. It holds I think 6.9m water level - so any tide over 8.5 would be ok. depending on your draft and sea state.

Geoff
 
nemodreams said:
I phoned yesterday - as I may be down there this week. I was told the gate is in the up closed postion until such time as repairs can be arranged. She said - at your own risk - you can cross the gate. It holds I think 6.9m water level - so any tide over 8.5 would be ok. depending on your draft and sea state.

Geoff
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Disturbing that you got a 'until such time' rather than a 'when' for the repair timescale.

As for crossing an immobile sill gate (and presumably paying full night rates??) not on their nelly.

Really sad to see the state of Watchet as it is a great destination. When they bought the dredger I hoped their viability would improve, but now it seems like they can't find the dosh to even get the sill working properly let alone dredging the basin for which they may as well fly to the moon. Think it will soon be a largely abandoned, silted up harbour like so many places further west. Really depressing.
 
I love to visit Watchet marina. Always been made very welcome and friendly, and my family and kids love it too - more than several others, and one of only a few places you can realistically visit with young family (short trips) from Cardiff in a keel boat. They need all our support and positivity that they will overcome the issues and I like to thank them for trying and continuing to invest in the dredger etc.etc. The fees can never cover the running costs of such a marina and we have to thank the locals for continuing to support/back local subsidy as well. I once not knowingly passed over the gate when it was raised - fortunately close to high water and my boat draws 2m, had a great visit. As long as I can know the risk, plan accordingly and they were happy, I would be pleased to pay the money for a night stay. So at least this is an option for a visit still.
 
I think the 'until such time' was maybe a bad choice of words - there is plenty of activity going on, from boats still entering and leaving to investigative works.
James came and spoke to the WBOA on Monday and updated that they were having to bring in larger water pumps as the gate actually opens into a deep recess, and the initial pumps they bought in weren't big enough. There is due to be a large pumping operation tomorrow to get visuals on what has broken - I'm hearing it seems like one of the hinges has ripped off the gate, but until they know for sure it's crazy to bring in the heavy engineers.

They're quite up against it, especially if the gate needs to be removed (quite likely) as it weighs 7 T and is 32m away from the main walls. They were hoping to bring the gate out using a large excavator via the beach but there's too much mud in the Outer Harbour. But there seems to be progress for what must be an enormous task.

There's added complications that the gate is owned by the Council yet operated by the Marina Co. And now we're hearing that maybe there's actually an inherent design fault as the gate was designed to be moved by displacer weights etc rather than be pushed down by a single hydraulic ram. The thought is if something got wedged underneath the gate yet the ram kept pushing on the opposite side.......this all relates to the legal documents as posted by SteveSarabande.

As for the dredger...well that's another Saga. The marina have started to look at a massive project which looks at the history and what went wrong with the marina build, along with solutions for dealing with mud. They're fed up with pouring money into a bottomless pit (boats ehh!) It seems they have identified (using the help of some engineers and scientists) some possible long term solutions that negate the need to constantly dredge. Now they've gone to the council who own the harbour to help them find funding - it was a regeneration project after all. However one thing that has been identified is that there seems to be considerably more mud entering the marina than ever calculated before because the council have not upheld their obligation to dredge the outer harbour. It was suggested that the marina might almost just as well stop dredging until this is sorted out but I can't see that happening. The dredger has been operating brilliantly in recent weeks after more repairs.

They're also working hard to finalise new leases with the council over developing the adjacent quayside into an appropriate marina shore-side facility. It beggars belief to understand why the council has taken so long to deal with this properly.

So we're all trying to remain positive down here. It's hard to see light at the end of the tunnel but it's clear the marina company are pushing quite hard for a future - we're all hoping that the council sit up and take note as it is their harbour after all. If the marina fails, who knows what happens then but its sure to be bleak.
 
spu97ams said:
I love to visit Watchet marina. Always been made very welcome and friendly, and my family and kids love it too - more than several others, and one of only a few places you can realistically visit with young family (short trips) from Cardiff in a keel boat. They need all our support and positivity that they will overcome the issues and I like to thank them for trying and continuing to invest in the dredger etc.etc. The fees can never cover the running costs of such a marina and we have to thank the locals for continuing to support/back local subsidy as well. I once not knowingly passed over the gate when it was raised - fortunately close to high water and my boat draws 2m, had a great visit. As long as I can know the risk, plan accordingly and they were happy, I would be pleased to pay the money for a night stay. So at least this is an option for a visit still.
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They are managing to keep traffic flowing thus far as long as people let them know what they need, and the marina staff are doing what they can. Big tides help and they are removing part of the temporary gate as and when they can to allow additional staff - extra staff have been bought in to help here. Next weeks neaps will clearly be more interesting but it's positive to see them at least trying. I think they're trying to knock up a temporary movable depth gauge to show what restrictions are in place.
 
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WATCHET Harbour Marina could be facing a repair bill....

ribdriver said:
Please note Watchet is temporarily closed to all craft due to a serious mechanical failure of the tidal gate. The entranceway has been closed off whilst they undertake repairs. The office is contactable on 01984 631264 or James the marina manager on 07969 138938. They will be doing all they can to get the marina open again as fast as possible.

If anyone's wondering it looks like a hinge on one side of the gate has broken off, so it's quite serious!
Click to expand...

Marina faces big bill for gate failure
Thursday, 11 September 2014

WATCHET Harbour Marina could be facing a repair bill running into tens of thousands of pounds following a major mechanical failure of the tidal gate. Heavy duty pumps were due to be brought in today (Thursday) to remove the water and allow experts to examine the seven-ton structure, which has been out of action since last Thursday evening. But initial investigations suggest a hinge has sheared off, leaving the gate half up and half down.

Although the marina is largely closed to visiting vessels, marina staff have put in the stop logs usually used during maintenance work to create a temporary gate. And with extra staff drafted in, this is allowing continued access for the 100 berth holders and, more importantly, the fishing boats that operate out of the marina. Currently the top section of the stop logs is being removed to allow boats to ‘float over’ - a process which is being helped by this week’s high tides.

Marina manager James Burnell said although the facility was officially closed to visitors, boats arriving ‘ad hoc’ would be given access. “Obviously we want to stop any big influx of boats but we want to make it clear that we are open for business for the berth holders and the commercial boats - now and for the forseeable future.”

Mr Burnell said discussions had been taking place with the original designers and manufacturers of the gate, which should have a lifespan of 50 years. “This is quite a specialised industry and we have been talking in depth to experts over the past week while waiting for the pump we need to arrive,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s not a textbook problem. “Nobody has ever known anything like this to happen before. “Our biggest problem at the moment is access - the gate is lying in around four feet of water.”

Mr Burnell said the situation should be clearer in the next few days once the pump had removed the water and experts had been able to take a detailed look. Using technical drawings and literally “digging around” with his hands, Mr Burnell said it appeared a hinge had sheared off, the gate had spun round towards the wall and the hydraulic ram had bent.

The damage has come at a time when things in the marina and surrounding area are beginning to take a more positive turn. Consultation is currently taking place on a range of regeneration proposals for the East Quay and other key areas in the town, whilst the marina operator has been carrying out detailed work to resolve the ongoing mud issue.

Following years of unsuccessful dredging, a geo-physical survey of the marina, the outer harbour and the entrance is now planned with the aim of designing and implementing an auto flushing system to clear the mud. “It is a bit of a blow that this has happened now - but I’m thankful it didn’t happen in the summer months when we have had anything from ten to 40 visiting boats at weekends,” said Mr Burnell. “It looks likely that the gate will have to be lifted out, which will be a major exercise in itself because of the difficult access and the weight of the structure. “But we remain very positive that the problems can be resolved. “This was completely unexpected and is certainly not due in any way to a lack of maintenance. “Investigations are ongoing and we are confident that we will be able to continue to allow access to and from the marina for our berthholders, particularly the commercial vessels.”

Mr Burnell said the cost of the repairs was an unknown quantity but it was likely to run into tens of thousands of pounds.

Steve Yeandle, owner of the charter fishing boat Scooby Doo Too, which operates out of Watchet, said he had not lost a single trip because of the problems. “The marina operators are doing all they can to keep us operational and everyone is co-operating,” he said. “Obviously it is a concern but we want everyone to know that we are open for business as usual.”

The marina, which opened in 2001, is owned by West Somerset Council but a spokesman said the gate was the responsibility of the operator.
 
Lets not foget that yachts have visited Watchet since long before the marina was built. Leaning against the wall in the outer harbour is still an option or possibly against the side of the slipway. Just dont try it in a fresh easterly.

I enjoy visiting the marina.Hopefully the gate will be fixed without too much delay and they can continue normal operations.
 
No. The problem is that the mud is carried into the harbour on every tide and settles to some extent before the ebb begins and the water flows out again. The university did some investigation and I think I remember that something like 30 tonnes comes in with each tide. What is needed in the absencse of a lock is some flushing arrangement and to some degree this was provided in the old days when the stream flowed through the harbour. The stream was diverted.

Rather than build the inner wall, they should have installed a proper lock which would have avoided a lot of extrenal sea water coming in carrying silt.
 
Wishing Watchet good luck with their repairs, it doesnt stop an on the tide visit, tieing to the inside of the outer wall, as we did on the day after it broke.
 
Going over watchet siill - at a known drying height - is not too much of a problem when you are used to mooring at the top of Uphill Pill !

Good to here some positive stuff on the situation. Athough the gate has silting problems - at least entry is alway open when the tide is there, all night, all winter months. Thats a big asset.

I last went in at midnight - it was dark night too - interesting !

Geoff
 
andyjones27atlantic said:
Ribdriver... ......... Your time may be used more constructively to fix your tidal gate, rather than posting on a forum.
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Blimey that seems a bit rough. Short of SUPERMAN, one body cant do much, so keeping likely visitors informed, might be time very well spent. Normally I always extend a welcome to new contributors to the fora, well I just hope your next post is not quite so -ve. I can only imagine you are stuck the wrong side of a flap.
 
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