Where to permanently moor? Marina or harbour?

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steve yates

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I have two options to consider, in west Cumbria, a drying harbour at Workington, Harrington harbour, http://www.ports.org.uk/port.asp?id=342
Or maryport marina. http://www.maryportharbour.com

I have just bought an 18ft pocket cruiser with lifting keel, on a trailer.

Harrington is £60 pm annually, 2.5 hrs access either side of high tide. No facilities, ( though it does have a wee pub, only open in the evening) and I would need to find somewhere to store the trailer.

Maryport is £190 pm annually, has a lock hate with similar access to Harrington, but is a pontoon berth with the usual facilities, and obviously greater security. The real draw is they will store the trailer for free!

So price apart, are there any major drawbacks to using an old harbour as opposed to a marina?

The marina is a bit quicker to get to, and probably safer for leaving the car for a few nights, the harbour is a third of the price but adding trailer storage to that could close the gap quite a bit.
 
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Personally as the difference amounts to £5 a week over a typical summer season I would go for the marina - you don't have to lift the keel at the end of very day, you can easily board and disembark and load and unload at all tide states even if you can't sail out of the marina. Unless you have a thing about neighbours close by, them from my point of view its a no brainer, but a decision like this is highly personal. A bit like which anchor to use!
 
A pontoon is easier because you just tie up and walk away. With a harbour wall, you would need to consider what state of tide you are at and judge how much slack to put in the ropes... you might also find people rafting up beside you which could curtail your sailing plans...
 
2.5 either side of HW is quite limiting. We have 4 either side and that can irritate sometimes. Trailer storage sounds very expensive if its closing the gap that much and you'll need to factor in dinghy storage too.
 
I've berthed at Maryport for a season, its not too bad, but fairly strong tides outside in the Solway if you're returning against the ebb.
When it opened, I moved to Whitehaven which is far superior IMO, though now dearer.
I wouldn't leave a trailer at Harrington unless well away from public gaze. No real security for boats either, although not a big issue.
If you lay your own mooring, Ravenglass is free, and safe, though with the inconvenience of a drying estuary. I kept a twin-keeler there for 10 years.
 
I like staying at anchorages and harbours when cruising - for variety, interest, individualism and a feeling of connection with the sea that you just don't get in yet another floating car park. But there's no denying that a marina as a home base has huge practical advantages, so if the cost difference isn't huge then I reckon that's the way to go.

Pete
 
Have you checked the cost for Whitehaven? About the same as Maryport albeit without the trailer storage I expect. With your lifting keel the access through the lock would be so much more than the other options. It may be that the trailer storage and possibly longer travel time will trump the sea access time for you but otherwise i would pick Whitehaven over Maryport.
 
If you can afford it go for the walk ashore.

Next best is swinging mooring with a loading pontoon.

A tender out to the boat is OK if it's just a little bag for a day sail but multiple dingy trips to load up for a cruise will make you wish you had walk ashore.

What's the harbour bottom like, walking out to the boat to load up at low tide wouldn't waste any precious floating time but gloopy mud would put me off?
 
No wonder fewer people are coming into cruising from the small boat end. My first very similar sized 'pocket cruiser' was moored in a tidal creek to a mooring I laid myself with an old engine block, chain, rope and a buoy. Cost about £25 for the materials, no licence fee. Winter layup on the saltings was also free - float on and dry out on a really big spring tide in autumn, jack up onto a couple of planks/railway sleepers once dried out.
 
It was a bloody shock to find out the basic costs of being able to cruise each year were more than the actual boat! :)
The harbour bottom is ok at harrington, sand I think rather than mud. Whitehaven south harbour is £1200 pa, only £60 more than maryport, so that could be a viable option, thanks. I had assumed it was too dear. If it gives me a wider tidal gate and easier sailing in and out, it would be well orth the extra 15 min in the car. Plus I like Whitehaven.
 
If you can't take your trailer home then perhaps talking to caravaners might be helpful - a lot of them have winter arrangements to store their caravans in farm buildings, etc so you might find something inexpensive that way...
 
I would go for Harrington, and spend the difference in price in the Pub. 2.5 hours either side of HW is pretty poor, but from what you say that applies whichever you are at. The other main consideration for me would be how far away they are. I sail from a drying harbour, but it is only 2 mins cycle from my house.
 
Kelpie said:
A pontoon is easier because you just tie up and walk away. With a harbour wall, you would need to consider what state of tide you are at and judge how much slack to put in the ropes... you might also find people rafting up beside you which could curtail your sailing plans...
Click to expand...

I used to keep my boat tied to a harbour wall.

Assuming you return to the same spot every time you just mark the ropes so you can tie up exactly the same every time so you know there is enough slack to reach the bottom at low tide.
 
ProDave said:
I used to keep my boat tied to a harbour wall.

Assuming you return to the same spot every time you just mark the ropes so you can tie up exactly the same every time so you know there is enough slack to reach the bottom at low tide.
Click to expand...

That's a fair point. I've only ever done it as a visitor so have had to guess, and was a hit nervous about getting it wrong,
 
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