What's Brighton Marina like these days?

[BetweenBoats]

Coming back to boating after a hiatus.

Early days, but thinking about where I might keep a boat. Well aware of the cruising grounds at Brighton, more a question of what's the marina like these days. Also know Brighton well, so good with upside there.

As a visitor a few years back, I thought it was getting a bit long in the tooth and not looking its best. Also, the berths seemed a bit tight and crowded. (Would be a 16m boat).

Obviously, I will check the marina out before I commit, but in the meantime, would appreciate people's views on what Brighton Marina is like in 2015.

Oh... and... I keep hearing about building work there - is that right and how intrusive/messy/ugly is it?

Many thanks!

 

[Nigelpickin]

We are booked in for a week in April, looking forward to some cyling and of course Nandos...
Bit of a a fact find for us really as we are looking for a central South Coast base for a few months next year...so interested in replies but not much to contribute I'm afraid
Was up there last month for a look/see and it all seemed pretty much as I remember, a bit soulless but loads of food outlets and a Chavsda
Oh and there was a big crane and a part built tower like structure on the South West side of the marina....

 

[paul salliss]

My opinion for what it's worth is that it is a tired, and lacks atmosphere, it s useful place to stop if on a decent cruise in either direction, but after 24 hours I would want to be off, Eastbourne is not too far away and is nicer

 

[dunmor]

they are trying hard to clean the place up, new pontoons, new electric posts, etc, but it does feel very dated.
when they finish the 40 storey block of flats on the west side its not going to help.
we go their from eastbourne for the odd week end, which is ok for a jolly, but i wouldent want to stay any longer.
a lot of boats have moved along to eastbourne lately. the staff seem to be quite helpful thou.

 

[AdeOlly]

It's my local marina, being slightly nearer to home than Newhaven, but I don't berth at Brighton, though I did when I bought my first boat. A good friend of mine is a liveaboard there and I visit fairly frequently. My friend moans non-stop about the marina, staff, fees, management, security, scroats, but there are moves to improve the place.

There are a number of problems as I see it. In no particular order; security is variable to poor despite the gates that make the pontoons look like Fort Knox; no trolleys as the scroats from the Whitehawk estate up the road nick them; the entrance gets very nasty and confused when wind has any east in it and it's generally a very exposed bit of coast; small boatyard and quality of on-site mechanics/services somewhat variable in my experience The multi-story car park is awful, a nasty tight concrete affair used by shoppers, casino and cinema goers alike. There used to be a lift in the car park, but they gave up on keeping that working so boarded it up. Massive Asda, seemingly populated by the scroats who nick the trolleys. The Marina Village (ahem) centre is a depressing windswept place, plus there's now a building site by the gigantic Weatherspoons, which actually has a nice view across the marina. Or at least is used to.

The eastern end of the marina is much better than the west. If one can get in the berth holder car parking at that end, the mess that is the western end can largely be ignored. Need to be able to get a berth at that end as it's a hell of a hike otherwise. Especially as there are no trolleys.

The marina is located at the very eastern end of Brighton, a long way from the city centre. Within a short walk of the marina there is the hospital, the Whitehawk estate and a Lidl. Then there's the traffic. There's been a Green council in charge for several years, and they've made good progress in making the city as car unfriendly as possible. The traffic is frequently awful, so timing and careful route planning is key to avoid traffic jams.

On the plus side, there is a good selection of chain restaurants on-site, and the Brighton nite life is legendary.....

All IMHO!

 

[Gemini]

Theirs building works in progress on the West breakwater where the day boats and lifeboat station where, best guess this will be in progress for another year to 18months

There are improvements on going within the marina as mentioned new pontoon, update security access although the new turnstyle gates do not give a good impression but it has stop the tail gathers getting on to the pontoon , ( but some of the problem was us Brits being polite and holding the gate open when people followed behind you )

Shower room/toilets on the East pontoon are more modern than the West pontoon and both are always being cleaned so generally in very clean condition

Marina just invested in 80+tollies with security chains which hopefully will help , but again it up to the berth holders to place them back in a secure location than just leave the £1 coin in them and drive off leaving the trolleys accessible to anyone

Lock gates have had major works last year and new pontoon has been placed in the lock similar to Eastbourne

Boat yard service are helpfull but you need to work at it , on site engineers are hit and miss but they normally cover Eastbourneand shoreham areas , so choice is slightly limited but there are a few reliable guys about

Parking not really an issue just plan your journey and arrival time, obversly bank holiday etc it is busy , but so every where

Access to Brighton 45min walk or Volkswagen railway ,alternate no 7 bus and get the local bus company bus pass cards .even cheaper

 

[AdeOlly]

Marina just invested in 80+tollies with security chains which hopefully will help , but again it up to the berth holders to place them back in a secure location than just leave the £1 coin in them and drive off leaving the trolleys accessible to anyone

The problem is, or at least was, that they are secured in areas which are not under CCTV, and as they're worth more than a quid they still get spirited away, or the chain just chopped with bolt croppers. Let us know how long the 80 last

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

I'm in the boatyard at Brighton every couple of days at the moment; the last time I was down on pontoons was late last summer, and I was very surprised at how shabby it all was (I used to be a bertholder at Brighton). The massive stalag-luft security on the western jetty is very off-putting, you might as well put a sign up saying 'your boat will probably get robbed if you keep it here'. Proper pita if you've got visitors coming down to the boat, you have no choice but to walk out to let them in.

It's hard to disagree with any of AdeOlly's points. Traffic in, round and through Brighton is consistently a nightmare now, thanks to the deliberate reduction in road capacity implemented by our lunatic green council. About the only thing it's got in its favour is that it is cheap and accessible at all states of the tide (until they build the bridge...).

 

[BetweenBoats]

A mix of opinions here.

Sad that things have gone that way. I'm really reluctant to berth at Sovereign Harbour as it's 1 hour further the wrong way and there's not that much to do there in the town or around the marina

A few people have said it's a bit "soul-less", but it has me thinking, can someone point me in the direction of a marina that soul?

About the only thing it's got in its favour is that it is cheap and accessible at all states of the tide (until they build the bridge...).

I didn't think it was that cheap based on the quote I was given - £6700 pa for a 16m boat.

What's the plan with the bridge?