Calcutt marina - need your opinion

[MajorJones]

Hi guys

 

We are considering Calcutt Marina for our non-residential mooring. I had been there a few times years ago, and I've managed to find some feedback, but again - nothing relatively fresh, and I know things have changed after Covid.

 

So I'd be very grateful if you know anything about Calcutt mooring s or if you have any recent experience with it and can share it here! Thank you!

[robtheplod]

Not stayed directly (was in Ventnor across the canal), but have friend who likes it..!

[Tony Brooks]

We sold just before the pandemic, but were at Calcutt for about 15 years and very happy. The few jobs I had done I was happy with and the prices did not seem excessive. However, I did have some concerns that things might well change when/if Roger handed the running of the business over to his son, so I have no idea what it is like now. It was a very friendly marina, we were in the cheaper Locks marina where I could watch the work being done.

[Tracy D'arth]

Roger's son can be quite unpleasant but then you can ignore him mostly.

Things have changed at Ventnor too, been bought out, not the same management.

I have friends who have been or still are  in both these and Wigwams, all much of a muchness now.

[Tonka]

I moor there, you can pm me if you like

[Graham and Jo]

We moor there, PM sent. Cheers Graham 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Graham and Jo
Typo

[MajorJones]

Thank you very much for the feedback, everyone! Graham and Tonka - thanks for the PMs!

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

They were very good to me when I dumped the boat on them for a month last November. It was only supposed to be a week but turned in to a month. 

Their day rate for mooring was perhaps a fiver cheaper than other places I’ve used. 
 

Prior to that I’d been buying bits and bobs off them for my engine at what seemed to be a good price. 
Plus they gave me lots of advice. 
 

I found them very friendly and customer service was great. 
 

 

 

 

[john6767]

We moor there in Meadows marina, the pricing is different to Locks marina, so you need to understand how that works.  It works well for us and I like having a well stock chandlery on site, and the knowledge that if there are engineering issues that I can’t deal with there is help for that.

[MajorJones]

27 minutes ago, john6767 said:

We moor there in Meadows marina, the pricing is different to Locks marina, so you need to understand how that works.  It works well for us and I like having a well stock chandlery on site, and the knowledge that if there are engineering issues that I can’t deal with there is help for that.

Thank you! Do you personally prefer Meadows over Locks? If so - why?

[Tony Brooks]

If it is any help, the Locks has a busy work area at one end by the service wharf, so there are comings and goings and a bit of noise with blacking and lifting/slipping boats in and out, but nothing to intrude. At one time a training school practised turning boats in it, but thee was plenty of room, it just added interest. It went quiet by about 17.00 when there was any noise. Most pontoons are at car park/road level, but there are some st one side where the road is considerably higher, but there is a slope and access to pontoon level for unloading. The pontoons are at 90 degrees to the marina wall.

 

The meadows pontoons are higher than the road and car parking, with foot access slopes for each group of mooring. The pontoons have an access walkway all but parallel with and a few feet away from the bank because the bank is not vertical but graded. The pontoons are at 90 degrees to this walkway.  This arrangement allows a good growth of reeds between the walkway and bank, and I heard some comments that the noise of the small birds in the reeds was a nuisance when there is any daylight. This marina also has an island that seems to encourage Canada geese. If you need the services wharf, you need to leave this marina and go into the Locks marina, as you do to get onto the canal.

 

 

 

 

[MajorJones]

Thank you Tony! I'd go with a bird noise over a yard!

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, MajorJones said:

Thank you Tony! I'd go with a bird noise over a yard!

 

I can assure you that given a berth about halfway down the Locks marina the yard noise is not bad. At least it does not wake you up at dawn and keep you awake until darkness.

[Dorlan]

We've been moored in the Locks Marina for thirty years! 😃

 

As Tony wrote, it's an interesting place to be, especially where we are!

[MajorJones]

3 minutes ago, Dorlan said:

As Tony wrote, it's an interesting place to be, especially where we are!

Not sure if I read this correctly - is it an interesting place to be, or an "interesting" place to be? 😂 

[john6767]

1 hour ago, MajorJones said:

Thank you! Do you personally prefer Meadows over Locks? If so - why?

I would say it is personal preference, but Meadows works fine for us.  In Locks some of the pontoons are not full length, and some are shared, but it is cheaper.  Also in Locks the pontoons are steel mesh, which is not so good for a dog, in Meadows the pontoons are wood.  The biggest downside in Meadows particularly on the side furthest from the canal where we are, is the walk up the steep Bank from the car.  Also if it is windy Meadows is more exposed and it can be fun getting back in sometimes.

 

If you have not been there you should have a look round, and you can form your own opinion.

[Graham and Jo]

One feature of the Meadows marina is that the bit between the end of the pontoon and the island is very deep. The soil needed to make the island came from the bottom around the island. If you try to pole the front end round when leaving your mooring there is no bottom on which to push . 

 

Apparently the island was an after thought to reduce the surface area and get within the reservoirs regulations. 

 

Cheers Graham 

 

[Tony Brooks]

10 hours ago, MajorJones said:

Not sure if I read this correctly - is it an interesting place to be, or an "interesting" place to be? 😂 

 

It is just interesting with all that is going on at various times.

[MajorJones]

3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

It is just interesting with all that is going on at various times.

So that's a positive then, thank you!

[doratheexplorer]

I've never stayed at the marina, but I've gone in the shop/office to get some advice with a view to spending a fair bit of money on works to my boat (which had been originally built at Calcutt).  They were disinterested almost to the point of rudeness.  I took my business elsewhere.

[MtB]

18 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I've never stayed at the marina, but I've gone in the shop/office to get some advice with a view to spending a fair bit of money on works to my boat (which had been originally built at Calcutt).  They were disinterested almost to the point of rudeness.  I took my business elsewhere.

 

The trouble is, that probably 49 out of 50 people presenting themselves at the counter of any marina office only spend trivial amounts of money, or none, so staff get rather blasé about giving any individual customer much attention. 

 

It shouldn't be that way, but it is. 

 

 

[Graham and Jo]

I asked them to install a diesel heater and a big inverter but they said they didn't have the capability anymore. I had a nice chat with Rob and Matt from Stowe Hill and took the boat there instead. It effectively cost Calcutt the blacking business at the same time as Stowe Hill did that too. 

 

Incidentally I was very pleased with the work carried out at Stowe Hill. 

 

Mattie you are allowed to blush slightly at this pont.

 

Cheers Graham 

 

 

[MajorJones]

5 minutes ago, Graham and Jo said:

I asked them to install a diesel heater and a big inverter but they said they didn't have the capability anymore.

 

It seems that's a common topic now - brilliant marina with no maintenance services.

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, MajorJones said:

It seems that's a common topic now - brilliant marina with no maintenance services.

You misread my message

[starman]

It's a good marina if like us you have a dog; a lot of areas to walk including a couple of enclosed meadows. And Napton reservoir adjacent and ideal for walking. The Meadows basin is prettier and (again if you have a dog) benefits from wooden gangways rather than steel gridded ones. If you just want to park your boat between trips, then there are plenty to choose from but if you want to spend weekends up there, hanging out on the boat and dog-walking then it rates highly. The staff seem friendly to us and there's a good little chandlery. Only downside is that there are wide locks either side.

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by starman