New dock and boat hoist is uplifting news for marina

The new dock and boat hoist at Amble Marina.

Vessels need to be lifted out of the water for essential maintenance and repairs and the new equipment enables the marina to lift boats up to 40 tonnes.

Customers have previously relied on local lift-out facilities, but with the future of these facilities under threat, the company had to face the possibility that customers would relocate to other marinas.

This would present significant risk to the future of the marina and have wider-ranging consequences – for the fishermen who need these services and for the local businesses that are supported by marina customers.

Managing director Karl Brunton said: “We found ourselves facing a very difficult situation but we are committed to our customers, business and region. This development required the biggest investment we have made in our 25 years and was the most technically challenging due to the geology of the site.

“We are delighted we have successfully completed the project. It is excellent news for the marina, our customers and for Amble and is fundamental to the longevity and success of the business.”

CMP Thames, the main contractor, had the experience and expertise required to complete the project from start to finish and it was completed on time and to budget.

The Marine Management Organisation granted a licence to build in summer 2016 and inspected the work throughout the course of the project, ensuring compliance and that necessarily rigorous standards were met.

The new dock and hoist has a pontoon on each side giving worry-free access to any vessel ready for lifting or launching.

Mr Brunton said: “Our annual customer satisfaction survey overwhelmingly showed support for the build and this new development ensures we can continue to provide the highest quality service.”

Future plans include offering a full range of services to customers in order to assist them with their boat maintenance and repair. The marina aims to have a number of specialist contractors working on-site who offer the high level of knowledge and skill customers require.