Dear Berth Holder,

We really hope you have enjoyed the summer season with us – I thought it was an appropriate time to update you all with the marina news.

The marina is now effectively full, with all empty berths now reserved and a waiting list for larger boats.  Thank you to those of you who have helped us accommodate more people by agreeing to move your boats.  

We are looking to purchase new planking and some longer pontoon fingers to help us improve the capacity of the marina.  At some point this will move the drystack boats further up the marina and enable us to accommodate more larger boats on I pontoon.  I do not have a timeline for this yet but will inform you when I know as we will have to move some boats to enable us to replace these fingers.  The replacement of the actual pontoon wood will be an ongoing job over the next few months and may restrict access to some pontoons whilst we are doing it.  Again, we will keep you all informed.

The floating facilities are operational again.  In order to help keep the macerator functional, we have recently purchased ‘caravan’ toilet paper which breaks up easier in water.  Hopefully, this will enable us to keep the facilities open.  Please can we ask for your ongoing support in keeping our facilities clean and not flushing anything else down the toilets.

We have recently noticed a substantial increase in household domestic waste (for example, electrical equipment and mattresses) being brought into the marina by berth holders rather than being taken to the local recycling centre.  Please can we kindly ask that you do not bring household waste into the marina and dispose them in our bins which are for the marina only as we get charged extra for such items.  The marina team will be checking the bins and CCTV cameras and anyone found dumping household waste in our bins will be charged a waste disposal charge. 

In general, we have not had too many car parking issues this season and the number of parking charge notices have markedly reduced.   Please can I ask you to not leave large gaps between vehicles and to also remind guests to use the pay machine.

Many of you will be aware that we recently had to forward documentation to the Harbour Authority to prove some berth holders were not using their vessels as primary residences.  I have been asked by my directors to ensure I have all the relevant documentation for any boat that exceeds the Harbour Authority's policy of being used for overnight stays for substantial periods of time i.e.  7 consecutive days or more than 31 days in any calendar year.  I will be writing to the boats that may breach this policy and asking for proof of council tax and utility bill from their primary residence to ensure we are able to answer any follow up queries. 

As the weather starts to turn, we see an increase in electrical use particularly for heaters and dehumidifiers.  Please be aware of the electrical load you are using to help us maintain the marinas electrical supply.  I have asked my team to check everyone’s electrical connections to help minimise breaks in cables or water in the connectors.  

We are continuing the change from the old cardboard electric meters to the newer plastic card ones.   We will be checking all the meters regularly to ensure they are working correctly.  As part of this we have also mapped which point everyone is plugged into and are taking regular readings.

It will not be long before we have the first frost and ice on the marina.  Please ensure you wear appropriate footwear on the pontoons to minimise the risk of slipping.  

Andy Coles OBE - Marina Manager