Switch
Well-Known Member
I visited Lymington on Saturday for lunch. We took a berth at Berthon. They charged me £24.00 for a three hour stay - that seemed excessive even for Lymington. What is the usual at other Solent marinas?
What do you pay for a lunchtime stop?
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jrudge
Well-Known Member
I am in the Med and have never paid for short stops.
Cowes once charged me for a short stay. I was speechless. Never went back.
Corrected typo
Cowes once charged me for a short stay. I was speechless. Never went back.
Corrected typo
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superheat6k
Well-Known Member
Berthon have a reputation for not being cheap, so whereas it is completely OTT, it does not surprise me.
I once got hammered at the Folly - as I recall it was £32 made up of the short stay plus four adults and two kids return in the water taxi to get to the pub. Not been back for a lunch stop since - who's losing out ???
I once got hammered at the Folly - as I recall it was £32 made up of the short stay plus four adults and two kids return in the water taxi to get to the pub. Not been back for a lunch stop since - who's losing out ???
gjgm
Well-Known Member
I don't think Solent marinas charge by the hour..it's short stay or overnight. I guess you could have stayed alot longer for the same charge ?
Also, of course they all charge by length ....
Town quay, if there was space, or pay for the privilege ?
Back to your question..Bembridge is probably cheaper, but it is a hell of a stroll to Lymington market...
Also, of course they all charge by length ....
Town quay, if there was space, or pay for the privilege ?
Back to your question..Bembridge is probably cheaper, but it is a hell of a stroll to Lymington market...
benchmark
Well-Known Member
Geez , what a strict concept. Boaters do not pay for short stops in marinas unless you stay for many hours, in fact your first 3 days in my marina is free. Only after the first 3 days you have to pay about 12 euros per day.
Portofino
Well-Known Member
Last week €100 ,but for 24 hrs -arrived for lunch ,but stayed overnight
Went to watch Monaco /Juventus champions league semi . Ground is Just behind the "flats " -10 min walk if that !
Went to watch Monaco /Juventus champions league semi . Ground is Just behind the "flats " -10 min walk if that !
adey
Well-Known Member
In the Med I normally put a few hundred quid's worth of fuel in and ask if I can leave it somewhere while we have lunch. Never had a problem or been charged for a berth.
Portofino
Well-Known Member
Yup ,done that a few times .
Also turn up just after lunch -get 2hrs wait free -cos they have 8uggered off for 2hrs .
Or turn up after 6 pm when every bodies gone home for an evening meal .
Or just tie up on the visitors pontoon and ask for a short stop to go shopping - they seem relaxed about that too .
If we like the place and there happens to be a free berth ( send smiling wife in into Capitaneries) then there's the option of staying the night .
Free 2 hrs in Cap Ferat .
The only berths we have paid for are for the full night ---
For lunch some beach restaurant s lay buoys --if you tie up the expectation is eat in there establishment ,either you own tender ,or stand on the bathing platform and a lad in a rib comes out .They don,t charge you for the buoy -but I always tip the lad € 10 on return .
henryf
Well-Known Member
Paying for a short stay in the Solent is standard practice and totally fair. Ultimately you are taking the place of someone who wants to stay overnight. In places like Cowes lots of people want to pop in for a few hours then shoot off back home, particularly on a Sunday. Are you suggesting they build a marina just so you can stay for free? If they didn't charge you wouldn't be able to visit unless you paid for an overnight.
As to the amount £25 does sound excessive. I would generally expect to pay £10-15 for a 50 footer in the summer. I would also expect to have to be away by around 4.00pm to allow an overnight visitor use of the space.
Cowes yacht haven £1.06 per metre for up to 4 hours.
The Hamble allows about 40 mins free on their public pontoons £8 for a short stay up to 4 hours
The folly would charge £6 for the mooring then £3 return per person if you want to use the water taxi to cross the river. I have been let off the mooring in the past when bringing 12 passengers to use the ferry. Superheat6k your short stay 4 adults & 2 kids would have been £24 assuming they charged for the kids which they don't always do depending on age. You could have saved money & used your tender but a load of return trips with 6 pax, launch, recover to save up to £18.
All the venues have charges clearly displayed on their websites. No tipping or bribing of port authorities required as per some foreign places. You will also be issued codes to use the facilities where they exist.
In Lymington boats up to 12m can use the Town Quay, Boats over 12m can use the mid river pontoon or fore aft moorings then get ashore using your tender. Charge for 14.9m is about £15
The marinas charge more money because they can. Lymington Yacht haven charge £4 per metre for overnight, £2 per metre short stay up to 4 hours.
Beaulieu charges £1.50 per metre for short stay walk ashore, £1 per metre for mid river.
Yarmouth charges by length. 14.9m is £19 for up to 4 hours but they do finally include shower use with their slightly high charges (for a long time you had to buy tokens at about £1.50 for 5 mins on top of your berthing fee).
Henry
As to the amount £25 does sound excessive. I would generally expect to pay £10-15 for a 50 footer in the summer. I would also expect to have to be away by around 4.00pm to allow an overnight visitor use of the space.
Cowes yacht haven £1.06 per metre for up to 4 hours.
The Hamble allows about 40 mins free on their public pontoons £8 for a short stay up to 4 hours
The folly would charge £6 for the mooring then £3 return per person if you want to use the water taxi to cross the river. I have been let off the mooring in the past when bringing 12 passengers to use the ferry. Superheat6k your short stay 4 adults & 2 kids would have been £24 assuming they charged for the kids which they don't always do depending on age. You could have saved money & used your tender but a load of return trips with 6 pax, launch, recover to save up to £18.
All the venues have charges clearly displayed on their websites. No tipping or bribing of port authorities required as per some foreign places. You will also be issued codes to use the facilities where they exist.
In Lymington boats up to 12m can use the Town Quay, Boats over 12m can use the mid river pontoon or fore aft moorings then get ashore using your tender. Charge for 14.9m is about £15
The marinas charge more money because they can. Lymington Yacht haven charge £4 per metre for overnight, £2 per metre short stay up to 4 hours.
Beaulieu charges £1.50 per metre for short stay walk ashore, £1 per metre for mid river.
Yarmouth charges by length. 14.9m is £19 for up to 4 hours but they do finally include shower use with their slightly high charges (for a long time you had to buy tokens at about £1.50 for 5 mins on top of your berthing fee).
Henry
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mcanderson
Well-Known Member
Yup ,done that a few times .
Also turn up just after lunch -get 2hrs wait free -cos they have 8uggered off for 2hrs .
Or turn up after 6 pm when every bodies gone home for an evening meal .
Or just tie up on the visitors pontoon and ask for a short stop to go shopping - they seem relaxed about that too .
If we like the place and there happens to be a free berth ( send smiling wife in into Capitaneries) then there's the option of staying the night .
Free 2 hrs in Cap Ferat .
The only berths we have paid for are for the full night ---
For lunch some beach restaurant s lay buoys --if you tie up the expectation is eat in there establishment ,either you own tender ,or stand on the bathing platform and a lad in a rib comes out .They don,t charge you for the buoy -but I always tip the lad € 10 on return .
That's exactly where our boat sits after we buy fuel and then go and have lunch. Never been an issue at Cap Ferrat.
mcanderson
Well-Known Member
Beaulieu charges £1.50 per metre for short stay walk ashore.
That isn't the case in Beaulieu sur Mer. Ask nicely and get a free stop for lunch.
That isn't the case in Beaulieu sur Mer. Ask nicely and get a free stop for lunch.
mlines
Well-Known Member
Strangely enough, our experience of the major commercial marinas around the Hamble is that they do not charge for a short stay. Perhaps it is the size of our boat (22ft) but we have not paid for lunch stops (we specifically state we are coming to dine at a facility within their marina). We are not a member of any "freedom berthing" style scheme. The last time I recall paying was at Beaulieu for a visit to the non-marina pub.
We had to almost sell the boat to moor at the Folly and were forced into their revenue generating scheme of "no space on the empty walk-ashore pontoon, you will have to moor over there and pay the additional passenger charge...." - not going there again.
We had to almost sell the boat to moor at the Folly and were forced into their revenue generating scheme of "no space on the empty walk-ashore pontoon, you will have to moor over there and pay the additional passenger charge...." - not going there again.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Of the two marinas I pop into from time to time, Portavadie does not charge for a day visit if you are eating at their restaurant and Largs only charges for overnight stays, which they define as being on the pontoon at midnight. I went in there from 4pm to 11.30pm last year and they flatly refused to take payment, about which I felt so bad that I filled up with fuel just to give them some profit from my stay.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
Tobermory Harbour Authority takes the enlightened view that people using their pontoons for a short time, are there to make use of the local facilities, shops, fuel etc, and make no charge unless overnighting. They reckon that the benefit to the local economy is well worth it, and I'm sure it is. Mallaig, on the other hand, has an immediate charge of £12 for a short stay. Guess where I go for supplies?
Andrew M
Well-Known Member
Ditto Henry #9, all seems fair to us, we pay about £18 for a lunch stop, knowing that we've got a good few hours for lunch and a dog walk, but should be away before a possible overnighter arrives.
henryf
Well-Known Member
Did they tell you that when you called in advance to book the walk ashore pontoon ?
That pontoon is pre booked. It's only small so space is limited and if they know someone is coming what can they do? At this point you will tell me it remained empty the whole time you were there, can they help no shows? Or the people might have arrived later for an overnight.
My experience of the folly berthing staff / water taxi people is that they do everything in their power to ensure berths are available for everyone. I've hovered off whilst they move boats up or down for us. The pub is privately owned and the pontoons are harbour authority owned. I believe the water taxis are subsidised by the harbour authority to ensure service is always available. If you had several people on board you will have felt the total cost of a short stay disproportionate to your length so I understand the anger. They might have let you drop people off on the walk ashore then a couple of you take the boat across to moor up and taxi back.
At 22ft you can take advantage of the town quay just behind the Red Jet terminal. I think it's £6 for a short stay if charged and you are in the heart of the town. Subject to tidal depth though.
Henry
