We would love to welcome you and your boat here at Preston Marina – and we could be the perfect option for you, but before you consider making an application to keep a boat here there are some important things you should know.
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Our location does make some aspects of boating very difficult and despite offering good facilities and a friendly, family run service sadly we know that our marina is not suitable for everyone, so you need to think carefully before bringing a boat here as we only want happy customers.
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The nature of the sea around our coastline, with a large tidal range, exposure to prevailing winds, shallow water and relatively long distances between harbours and shelter means that advanced seamanship skills are required with a thorough understanding of tides and navigation (at least Day Skipper / I.C.C. standard) – it is not a good area for novices.
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The River Ribble immediately outside Preston Marina is OK for very short trips out – but it is only navigable for about 2.5 hours around high tide. It is quite narrow and shallow, and the prevailing winds and tidal flow usually makes sailing in the river impractical. There are no places along the river bank to tie-up to, although anchoring is possible. Beware of a change in water conditions when the tide changes direction, and the river dries out at low tide. Attempting to going ashore onto the riverbank is not recommended.
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Sailing Boats – Sadly it is almost impossible to enjoy regular use of a sailing boat from Preston Marina for short trips – day sailing is not really possible, and weekend trips are very difficult because of the speed of sailing boats and the distances between destinations and the tidal timing constraints. If you are considering using a sailing boat in this area then we would recommend it be a bilge (twin) keel boat so that there is the possibility of the boat remaining safely upright if stranded when the tide goes out. The draft of many sailing boats does mean that there will be some days when the water will not be deep enough because of the height of the tide to depart or enter Preston Marina.
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If, however, you are not looking to make regular short trips in a sailing boat, and instead just need a home base from which to go sailing for longer periods – such as a few weeks or more at a time – then Preston Marina could be a good location for your boat. Preston Marina is also a good choice for winter lay-up and our 40 acre non-tidal dock basin is good for boat-handling practice and boat testing.
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Motorboats – an offshore capable motorboat is a better choice for those who want to make regular use of Preston Marina – a boat capable of reliably sustaining around 10 knots or more makes all the difference and does enable weekend boating to some good destinations. Motorboats usually have a shallower draft than sailing boats and so are less restricted by the depth of water due to tides. Advanced seamanship and navigational skills are still essential – and the boat should be powered by diesel engines (not petrol) – as diesel is safer at sea, and no marinas between north Wales and southern Scotland sell petrol.
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If you are interested in keeping a boat at Preston Marina then the application process is found on our website at this page CLICK HERE
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