Whatever happened to Burnham?

[Debenair]

I was in Burnham on Saturday for the 50th birthday party for Oliva ( Cardnell Bros Holman Twister), and talking to a selection of local luminaries. We also had a couple of short sails up and down the river.

Good grief!
Huge hole where the former Tucker Brown swinging moorings used to be outside BYH.
Apparently approx 100 vacant berths at BYH.
Long lines of RCYC and Rice and Cole moorings unoccupied.
Rumour has it Crouch Yacht Club has had asubstantial offer for their site, so the few members may be in for a nice windfall if they wind up the club.
Priors site empty and forlorn, and will presumably fall for housing at some stage, but in the meantime apparently many customers have decamped elsewhere in anticipation.
Loads of boats on the hard standing at BYH lying unused or only just fitting out in a desultory fashion,

Now I know it's been a lousy summer weather wise but are we seeing the first major sailing centre badly affected by the changing demographics and societal changes. Are the boomers the last generation likely to have the cash, time and inclination to be boat owners?

Answers please.

Otherwise we had a fab day. Good company, a nice pontoon party, fun sailing, and all in honour of a wonderful boat, designed by a true artist and built by honest skilled craftsmen to the highest standard. As someone observed it was an honour to have been there to see her in build 50 years ago.

 

[MoodySabre]

There were over 60 empty berths in BYH last year and a similar state two weeks ago. I expect that all the boats on the hard are either for sale or owners that can't afford to do them up and launch.

I know some have left for the better sailing elsewhere and presume new blood is constrained by cash. Does seem odd to see so many gaps and empty buoys. Despite its tidal restraints and lack of a nearby town Bradwell is full and has a waiting list and the usual number of boats on the hard.

 

[Tam Lin]

It's not been the same since I moved!

 

[philiphurst]

There seems to have been a significant change in the type of racing boats being favoured by new buyers in recent years. Many new racing vessels seem to fall into the trailable category with the attraction of class racing around the UK and Europe. Could it be that this has had a significant impact on the number of boats afloat at Burnham? The rapid fall in competitor numbers at Burnham Week in the past 20 years is likely to be a result of this.

The demise of so many boat yards is an inevitable consequence of the success of relatively low maintenance GRP vessels. Very sad to see Priors close but I imagine they have been struggling for many years. Difficult to resist the kind of money that may be offered for their site. £2m, I believe.

I visited BYH recently and was surprised at the number of vacant berths. Even more surprising was the discovery that this was not a result of bertholders being away sailing as the board in the harbour office showed the reality. Far too many unallocated berths cannot be good for business.

 

[FullCircle]

I still cant understand how the Dutch can charge so much less when their other costs for life are similar or higher than UK.

 

[DanTribe]

"Everything changes but you".
The opening of the Burnham Yacht Harbour years ago had a major influence on the sailing scene, taking the focus of attention away from the waterfront and clubs. Burnham itself has changed with many of the new residents having no connection or interest in boats except as a picturesque backdrop. However I think the reports of the death of Burnham is premature.
I put some pictures of Oliva on Yourboatpix. I tried to get some closer shots but couldn't catch up with her.
Not bad for an old 'un, is she?

 

[ex-Gladys]

I still cant understand how the Dutch can charge so much less when their other costs for life are similar or higher than UK.

Aren't the Dutch facilities waterside primarily "municipal" as opposed to private? So they don't have to fund profits to the same extent

 

[PaulRainbow]

When we first inquired about berths in SYH, Wolverstone and Shotley, about 10 years ago, we were greeted with sharp intakes of breath and waiting lists of up to 5 years. This year we had our pick of several berths at SYH and Shotley. Lots of empty spaces here at Shotley and several boats up for sale.

 

[FullCircle]

Aren't the Dutch facilities waterside primarily "municipal" as opposed to private? So they don't have to fund profits to the same extent

Probably true, but I am sure Burnham must own some of the foreshore?

 

[MoodySabre]

Aren't the Dutch facilities waterside primarily "municipal" as opposed to private? So they don't have to fund profits to the same extent

The town quay ones are but they still provide excellent showers etc. Most of the marinas, of which there are hundreds, are either yacht club bases or businesses. There is huge competition and that must help.

 

[Burnham Bob]

The marina is expensive - but it would be a brave owner that lowered prices to fill the empty berths. We moved to Bradwell when the uncertainty about the future of Priors became worrying. Our thinking was that if it did close there would be a rush for Bradwell so we jumped rather than be pushed.

Local news is that Priors will still be offering swinging moorings and there will be an attempt to develop only one of the sheds for housing.

As to the cost of marinas in the UK it seems in line with general 'tourist and leisure' activity. Including air fare we can stay in a hotel in Spain, Turkey or Greece (including the air fare) at a lower rate than a hotel in Southend.

 

[Otter]

If Burnham does wind down as a sailing centre then it will be no surprise.

1. If it wasn't there you wouldn't build it - it's very narrow, has strong tides and you have to go a looooooong way out to go anywhere except back in again.
2. Other East Coast rivers have access problems but they're pretty rivers that you can cruise in e.g. The Deben or The Ore.
3. The two major yacht clubs have a stuffy and stuck up reputation, more afraid of loosing their name than of loosing sailors
4. It had a successful Burnham week and poor planning and lack of marketing and investment ruined it.

There are many better and (full) places to keep a sailing boat on the East Coast.

 

[PaulRainbow]

1. If it wasn't there you wouldn't build it - it's very narrow, has strong tides and you have to go a looooooong way out to go anywhere except back in again.
2. Other East Coast rivers have access problems but they're pretty rivers that you can cruise in e.g. The Deben or The Ore.

There are a lot of successful East Coast marinas that are miles from the sea in odd places though and some of them have been recently built/updated/expanded. Wisbech and Fosdyke or relatively new and seem fairly full. Most of the North Norfolk harbours have access restrictions, most cannot be entered or exited under certain conditions.

But pricing must be taken into account. Who would want to pay the same fees for a berth in somewhere miles from anywhere as a marina on the Orwell or Deben ?

 

[FullCircle]

Actually we would consider a move back to Burnham, but not until it is similarly priced to Bradwell.

 

[Bru]

And yet Fambridge are having to lay more swinging moorings to meet demand and the marina looks pretty full (don't know how full but there certainly aren't obvious gaps)

I suspect a combination of uncertainty over the future of the moorings at Burnham (whether justified or not) and the cost of berthing at BYH are factors.

Burnham is a nice place to visit but we wouldn't want to be permanently berthed there to be honest

 

[Boz]

I still cant understand how the Dutch can charge so much less when their other costs for life are similar or higher than UK.

How right you are FC, we are tucked up in Marina Muidersand at the moment. (ideal for a train ride into Amsterdam or Almere). Superb facilities and on site restaurant. Free bike borrowing and excellent and helpful staff........ 22 Euros a night all in as opposed to £30 in Burnham with £2 for electricity.

We're Netherlands beginners, I'm sure Sailorman can cite much cheaper locations

The Dutch are superbly organised withouit being obtrusive......

 

[Otter]

How right you are FC, we are tucked up in Marina Muidersand at the moment. (ideal for a train ride into Amsterdam or Almere). Superb facilities and on site restaurant. Free bike borrowing and excellent and helpful staff........ 22 Euros a night all in as opposed to £30 in Burnham with £2 for electricity.

We're Netherlands beginners, I'm sure Sailorman can cite much cheaper locations

The Dutch are superbly organised withouit being obtrusive......

+1 the Dutch don't treat yachties as commodities.

What's the ppm at Fambridge? That may be a factor.

 

[sailorman]

How right you are FC, we are tucked up in Marina Muidersand at the moment. (ideal for a train ride into Amsterdam or Almere). Superb facilities and on site restaurant. Free bike borrowing and excellent and helpful staff........ 22 Euros a night all in as opposed to £30 in Burnham with £2 for electricity.

We're Netherlands beginners, I'm sure Sailorman can cite much cheaper locations

The Dutch are superbly organised without being obtrusive......

The inland marinas are cheaper to maintain as sod all tide & often "Club" owned, so visitors subsidise club members or LA owned who also subsidise to get folk into town to spend hard earned €s.
Tidal marinas are more expensive & higher maintenance
Club membership in Goes is i believe €10 & to keep a Club members 10m boat €500 PA

 

[NickC]

...
Very sad to see Priors close but I imagine they have been struggling for many years. Difficult to resist the kind of money that may be offered for their site. £2m, I believe.

I believe Priors closed due to ill health, nothing to do with selling the land.

 

[NickC]

4. It had a successful Burnham week and poor planning and lack of marketing and investment ruined it.

As someone who had until recently been involved with Burnham week for the last twenty-five years we have discussed it's demise many times in recent years. Too many control-freak type people insisting on having their fingers in all the pies, advanced levels of nepotism which have now eventually come home to roost.

Used to borrow a camper van that I would park in the left corner of the Country Park car park above the marina, beautiful view to wake up to in the morning of the river. While cooking breakfast you would see people emerging from the couple of dozen transit vans parked below in the marina where they had slept. Now during Burnham Week you would be lucky to notice that anything was going on.