West Cumbria, keeping a boat there.

[steve yates]

I had asked about Harrington harbour vs marrport marina before, on here and someone had mentioned difficult tides leaving out marry port, and advised Whitehaven.

I've being doing some more research, and discovered that I can have a mooring in mart port harbour for £100 a year!
The marina is almost £1000, but free trailer storage. Everywhere else 8 need to store the trailer on a farm adding £300 a year to the total cost.
Harrington was £350, but is exposed to westerly gales.

Whitehaven has excellent facilities but £1000 pa

Vanguard sailing club of Workington has a drying moorings in a basin off the river, very cheap but a waiting list, though you can anchor for free in the river itself, and quite a few folk have just put some weights down themselves and made a mooring.

So for those who know the area, are there any issues with marry port harbour or Workington river that you know about?

Is there any reason to pay a lot more and have a pontoon berth? All advice and useful local knowledge avidly snapped up, thanks.

I get my boat in two weeks and need to finalise somewhere to put her.

Oh, the boat is an 18.5ft brad well 18 with lifting keel.

Thanks

 

[JimC]

I'm in Whitehaven for the season but over-winter most years at Glasson Dock. I think Whitehaven is a good well-run marina and it has a long access period by Irish Sea standards. Harrington has poor access and last time I was there every ladder down the quay had a local boat tied to it. Maryport marina is OK and cheaper than Whitehaven but the access is poorer and the town not as good as Whitehaven which is really getting its act together. Don't know Workington. For me pontoon berthing in a marina is worth the money as I live inland and after a long car journey I just want to step aboard without the hassle of dinghying out. It also lets me use the boat as a weekend base for Lake District walks etc. If you live local this won't be so important. Wherever you choose I hope you will enjoy sailing the Irish Sea and the Solway Firth. The Solway Sailing Directions are worth buying, they're published by South West Scotland Sailing Association but cover the English side too.

 

[steve yates]

Thanks Jim, good tip remthe Solway sailing directions. Can I ask why glasson docks for winter? And how much does that cost?

 

[JimC]

Two reasons for over-wintering at Glasson Dock, it's nearer to where I live so easier to get to boat for Winter maintenance plus I'm a member of the (v. good) sailing club which lets me keep my boat ashore in their boat park a lot cheaper than marina rates http://www.glassonsailing.co.uk/. The worst things about Glasson are the short access period and the long and tortuous journey down the Lune estuary to reach deep water. That's why I've taken my boat to Whitehaven for the last two seasons, previous to that I had many years of good sailing out of Glasson subject to the aforementioned limitations.

Back to the Solway, I guess you already know it can be rather rough with a 70 mile fetch from Ireland for the prevailing wind into shallowing water. One good thing about Whitehaven Marina is the excellent shelter - it needs to be!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC2YwjQKH4E

 

[steve yates]

Gosh, youd be well stuffed if ou had run for whitehaven nd missed the lock opening times and found yourself having to moor in that outer harbour!!

 

[JimC]

Apparently they didn't have any boats damaged in the marina, even though it's only just behind the area shown in the video. Those Georgian and Victorian builders knew what they were doing.

 

[steve yates]

Thanks Jim, after visiting both, I have booked her into maryport marina on a monthly basis to start with. They were super friendly and easy to speak to, were reassuring that they would help me out as I learned the ropes with berthing and leaving considerably cheaper upfront than whitehaven, plus they will store my trailer there for me foc, quite a biggy. Their monthly prices, because of the timing, came in at £20 more than their annual fee pro rated; that gives me a lot more flexibility to have a couple of months or more in the marina while I find my feet and learn about the boat, with the option of moving to the fishing harbour at any time, which is only £100 pa.

I much more fancied my chances if I timed it wrong and got back after the lock gates had closed, of mooring in a sheltered spot in maryport fishing harbour than whitehaven.

And lastly, I prefer the town, 8 pubs within a couple of hundred yards, and the fishmonger on the pier does a fillet oc cod,plaice and salmon for £4 for the lot, can't be bad.

 

[JimC]

OK Steve, glad you're sorted. Enjoy.