Calcutta Marina - dog friendly? DIY friendly

[starman]

Thinking of mooring here but - big question - are the jetties dog friendly? Some places seem to have metal gridding - non slip for people; awful for dogs. 
And what’s the unofficial line there on DIY? Not angle grinding and welding stuff but some banging and power sawing inside. 

[Tony Brooks]

The old (Locks) marina has metal gridding but dog owners seemed to have zip ties carpet over the part their dogs walk on. I don't know abouit the new marina (Meadows). They also have a field moorers use for dog walking.

 

I never had a problem with DIY, including angle grinding and smaller areas, but I always waited for the working end of the marina to start work and considered other nearby moorers.

 

If I ever got another boat, I would go back there. I found the staff very friendly and I felt the labour rates were reasonable.

[MtB]

I've never been to India so would not know about Calcutta Marina as mentioned in your thread title.  

 

Like Tony I'd recommend Calcutt Marina here in the UK though, other than the need to carpet your pontoon. Much nearer than India. But bear in mind although there are boaters in Calcutt who have dogs, they don't allow liveaboards.*

 

 

*Having said that, there is undoubtedly at least one permanent liveaboard in Calcutt. In fact I don't think I've ever been in marina with a 'no liveaboards' rule that doesn't have at least one.

 

 

 

 

P.S. it isn't just dogs that don't like the see-through Expamet pontoons there. Womens of the female variety are occasionally spooked by it too. DAMHIK.

[john6767]

Meadows marina is just wood planking for the decking, jet washed once per year.

 

Dogs are fine, we have one, they should be kept under control of course and you should pick up, never seen any issue there with dogs.  There are no dog bins around the site.

 

DIY is fine, just do not make excessive noise or make any mess or have anything on the jetties or anywhere else for that matter.  They do have storage units for hire if you need storage.

[Tony Brooks]

They may not allow livaboards but I heard they have a rate for high intensity users and I knew some livaboards there.

[MtB]

24 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

They may not allow livaboards but I heard they have a rate for high intensity users and I knew some livaboards there.

 

I suspect it is a planning requirement. I'm pretty certain when I signed up there, they were very specific that I had to nominate a land address where I lived. Presumably so should the planning dept start enforcement proceedings for breach of planning terms, they would have a reasonable defence. 

[john6767]

4 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

They may not allow livaboards but I heard they have a rate for high intensity users and I knew some livaboards there.

There certainly is a high usage supplement.  There are only a few liveaboards there, and the majority of those work with or for the marina.   If the OP wants liveaboard in that area, the Wigrams Turn Marina certainly used to be amenable to that.

[Neil2]

6 hours ago, starman said:

Thinking of mooring here but - big question - are the jetties dog friendly? Some places seem to have metal gridding - non slip for people; awful for dogs. 
And what’s the unofficial line there on DIY? Not angle grinding and welding stuff but some banging and power sawing inside. 

 

We spent several years at Calcutt, with dogs, and never had a problem but we were on the "old" part of the marina where the pontoons are wood or at least they used to be.  I don't like the new part at all and less so if they have metal pontoons.  The other advantage of the old section is in many cases you can get your car right up to the boat, so useful in many ways.  

 

Being a "working" marina my feeling is Calcutt are more tolerant of DIY-ing, subject to common sense considerations.  

 

I would probably go back there, but the last time we visited the atmosphere among the staff had changed significantly and not for the better.  Most of the old faces I remember had left, my view is that they have let a lot of good people go elsewhere.  I think I'm right in saying Roger's son pretty much runs things these days.

 

I notice Ian's boat is up for sale - does anyone know why?  Is he leaving/has he left too?  

[zenataomm]

I believe the marina in New Delhi is keen regarding dogs.

In fact it regularly appears on the restaurant menu.

[Dorlan]

58 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

<snip>

I notice Ian's boat is up for sale - does anyone know why?  Is he leaving/has he left too?  

He's still there, with another wideboat again.

[Athy]

1 hour ago, Neil2 said:

  Most of the old faces I remember had left, my view is that they have let a lot of good people go elsewhere.  I think I'm right in saying Roger's son pretty much runs things these days.

  

In at least one case, the chap left to go touring on the continent, by boat and then by motor home, with his new wife, but is now back in the fold, working there and living aboard his boat.

[Neil2]

39 minutes ago, Athy said:

In at least one case, the chap left to go touring on the continent, by boat and then by motor home, with his new wife, but is now back in the fold, working there and living aboard his boat.

 

Yes I knew Paul when he was working there and living on his ancient boat.  Sadly his wife died shortly after they returned to the UK.  He bought a Hudson and does helmsman training now, so I understand. 

[robtheplod]

Calcutt have a few DIY boat areas that are covered...

[The Bearwood Boster]

2 hours ago, Neil2 said:

 

Yes I knew Paul when he was working there and living on his ancient boat.  Sadly his wife died shortly after they returned to the UK.  He bought a Hudson and does helmsman training now, so I understand. 

I followed Paul's story & his excitement.Such a sad ending.😢

[starman]

Thanks for all the info. Our other thought was Debdale on the Leicester GU. A useful bit closer home and diy pontoon area. I’ll start a new strand about that one.

[starman]

Thanks all - we’ve had a look at Calcutt(a) and the dog voted with his feet: the wooden staging was fine but he wouldn’t even step on the metal stuff. Very scenic and quiet and space for dog walking. 
 

If the dog is happy Starwoman is happy and if she’s happy I’m happy so Calcutt it is. 

[Oddjob]

Wife and I have a house in Calcutta (India) and there is no marina there, well not for narrowboats anyway.lol. We also have a flat in Goa but we can't get there either at the moment my problem is I miss the street food nothing like it.

[matty40s]

On 05/09/2021 at 17:23, Neil2 said:

 

Yes I knew Paul when he was working there and living on his ancient boat...

I did some work for Paul(mainly solar I think), and was asked to come back for more to sort out electrics....after seeing how it was put together, declined for 2 reasons, the installation I had seen, and the fact that for most of the job I had at least one or two dogs slobbering around or on me whilst I was under gunnels or inside cupboards.

The engine was a large Mercedes lump which I really didnt want to get involved with.

[Ray T]

We stayed in Ventnor for some nine years before moving onto another Castle marina.

 

Ventnor is dog friendly with poo bins around the site.

 

The pontoons are all wood.

[Tonka]

20 minutes ago, Ray T said:

We stayed in Ventnor for some nine years before moving onto another Castle marina.

 

Ventnor is dog friendly with poo bins around the site.

 

The pontoons are all wood.

What are there rules on diy. We looked at Ventnor Farm marina in 2009 and we were put off by their " no power tools to be used outside the boat at weekends " rule. When I questioned it I was told that their moorers treat their boats as country cottages and enjoy the peace at weekends. Need less to say we went to Calcutt where they were more relaxed.

[robtheplod]

1 minute ago, Tonka said:

What are there rules on diy. We looked at Ventnor Farm marina in 2009 and we were put off by their " no power tools to be used outside the boat at weekends " rule. When I questioned it I was told that their moorers treat their boats as country cottages and enjoy the peace at weekends. Need less to say we went to Calcutt where they were more relaxed.

They must love me then... I do this frequently and not had any issues, in fact some of the staff often stand chatting whilst im doing this!

I suspect these are the sort of conditions that are enforced if you make a real nuisance and get complaints etc possibly?  Bit like the 'no liveaboards' at Yelvertoft... cough cough!

[Tonka]

17 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

They must love me then... I do this frequently and not had any issues, in fact some of the staff often stand chatting whilst im doing this!

I suspect these are the sort of conditions that are enforced if you make a real nuisance and get complaints etc possibly?  Bit like the 'no liveaboards' at Yelvertoft... cough cough!

you need to get a covid test for that cough

[Ray T]

32 minutes ago, Tonka said:

What are there rules on diy. We looked at Ventnor Farm marina in 2009 and we were put off by their " no power tools to be used outside the boat at weekends " rule. When I questioned it I was told that their moorers treat their boats as country cottages and enjoy the peace at weekends. Need less to say we went to Calcutt where they were more relaxed.

Around 2009 Paul Flood, the original owner of Ventnor, still owned some of the marina facilities. He liked to think he still had some influence over the running of the marina.

Several managers have come and gone since then and Castle Marinas now own the marina 100%.

It is somewhat more relaxed now - still no liveaboards due to planning restrictions by the LA.

[Tonka]

1 minute ago, Ray T said:

Around 2009 Paul Flood, the original owner of Ventnor, still owned some of the marina facilities. He liked to think he still had some influence over the running of the marina.

Several managers have come and gone since then and Castle Marinas now own the marina 100%.

It is somewhat more relaxed now - still no liveaboards due to planning restrictions by the LA.

According to the guy who showed us around in 2009, Paul Flood still owned the old farm house but had sold the marina to Castle Marina's. I spoke with Paul Flood many years ago as i went for an interview for the harbour master's job when the marina was new.

[Ray T]

Paul hung on to the dry dock for a while under the guise of "Ventnor Marina Farm services."

 

He also suggested that anyone having an outside contractor to work on a boat should give him 20% of the bill.

 

All water beneath the bridge now.