Lock Gate Openings – Winter
October 1st – March 30th
All weekday lock operations must be requested with minimum 24 hrs notice. To book a weekend lock gate operation the request must be submitted to the marina office by 15:00hrs Friday.
The lock gates can operate from one hour before Liverpool High Water to two hours after, where H.W. falls between sunrise and sunset.
Call Marina Office – 01772 733595
Lock Gate Openings – Summer
April 1st – September 30th
Preston lock gates are operated at every tide when High Water (Liverpool) is between 07:00 and 20:00hrs local time.
The lock gates can open from one hour before Liverpool High Water to two hours after.
Call “Riversway” on VHF Ch. 16.
The lock gates and swing bridge at Preston Marina are operated by Preston City Council. The control tower can be contacted on VHF Channel 16 (Call “Riversway”). The gates can open up to one hour before High Water (Liverpool) and can remain open until two hours after H.W.
PRESTON LOCK GATE OPERATIONS SCHEDULE – 2025 – CLICK HERE
WAITING QUAY / LAY-BY BERTH
Vessels arriving outside lock operating times can remain alongside the waiting quay (often referred to as the lay-by berth or “bull nose”locally) which is against the south wall of the entrance channel to the dock just before (west of) the outermost pair of dock gates. There is sufficient water at low tide for most vessels to remain afloat against this area of quay wall, but the river bottom here is such soft mud that, if your keel does touch at low tide you probably won’t notice. There is a good ladder here to get ashore, and it is possible to get a car very near to the top of the ladder.
Call Preston Marina (not Preston City Council) on 01772 733595 to check availability of berths and suitability of services for your boat. Note that we operate a max weight limit for lifting of 12 tons – and this feature is a primary consideration in our decision to accept boats for long term berthing contracts (boats heavier than this are unlikely to be accepted for long term (not visitor) berthing).
