Fleetwood

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Fleetwood
53°55.180'N, 003°00.380'W Chart icon.png
England Fleetwood.jpg
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Fleetwood Freeport and Marina

Fleetwood used to be a bustling fishing port, it is said you could walk from one side to the other across the boats moored in the harbour. All that has changed now, only about a dozen boats regularly fish out of here. The dock still processes fish but it mainly comes from Scotland in lorries. The two harbours, inside the lock gates, are now marinas filled with pleasure boats. The first marina has older jetties and caters for smaller boats, as it is closer to the lock gates it tends to silt up and requires major dredging as the berths closer to the gates are now completely silted up. The inner marina accessed through a second swing bridge houses larger and deeper drafted boats on newer and wider pontoons, is much deeper and better spaced. However this is the dock used by the fishing boats and other commercial craft so be sure to check with the lock staff for traffic before proceeding through the bridge.

In the days when the ferries left Fleetwood for the Isle of Man the main channel to sea and the area around the ferry terminal were maintained by dredging, since this has now stopped it is advisable to stick to the buoyed channels even though there may be wide open water around. The marina office has current charts showing the latest soundings which is also available on line.

Charts

BA
1320 - Fleetwood to Douglas
1552 - Ports in Morecambe Bay


Weather

  • The Fleetwood coast is open to the Irish Sea and when the wind has any Westerly in it quite a chop can be produced as you approach the coast. Once you round the peninsula into the River Wyre this all settles down allowing a calm approach to the dock and marina. The prevailing wind is from the Southwest usually very good for sailing.

Sources for Weather forecasts:

  • MM Weather gives current weather state on platforms in the Irish Sea and Morecambe bay MMWeather

Passages

  • Piel Island: A good day out if the tides are right. Leaving when the lock gates open, 90 minutes before high water gives plenty of time to sail to Piel island and either anchor or pick up a buoy. The harbour taxi will pick you up if you arrive during the day, hoist a fender, and take you to the pub on the island where you can meet the King of the island and have a meal and a drink. Don't forget the last water taxi. If you plan staying late you will need a tender or sweet talk another boater into taking you back. To get back to Fleetwood wait for the flood tide then leave and make your way back down the channel and arrive back in time go up the Lune deep with the tide and not have to wait for the lock gates opening.
  • Glasson Dock: Leave as soon as the gates open, as Glasson Dock is only accessible at high water. Follow the channel out into the Lune channel then turn right and follow the buoyed channel up towards Lancaster, the lock gates will appear after you see the yacht club on the right. Once inside the lock you will enter the old BWB marina where you will find a chandlery and a repair yard where you can get any repairs done you need. There is a small village with pubs, cafes and shops, also a burger van that attracts bikers from all over the county.

Communication

  • Monitor VHF channel 12 approaching Morecambe Bay for Heysham and Fleetwood.

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Marina needs 48 hrs. notice for arrival and leaving. Gates open only 45mins before high water. Ring 01524 751491 to arrange. Yachts should aim to arrive at Lune Fairway Buoy at 1hr. before high water prior to proceeding up the river. NB. The marina does not use VHF.

Navigation

  • The approach to Fleetwood from the South and West brings you up the Lunge Deep channel, do not be tempted to cross the shallows North of Rossall Point unless familiar with the area as a new island has formed around the area marked as King Scar. This island is not marked on any charts and has recently become very large and high and does not cover even at high water though it is very visible during daylight.

The Dock is only accessible 90 minutes either side of high water, there are mooring buoys in the main channel but as you get further up towards the Dock the water gets shallow. When sluicing is being carried out the gates will closeat high water, usually on a weekend at spring tide.

  • The river Wyre is very narrow around Fleetwood opening up as you travel up stream, this causes a very fast current to flow past this area, if you are waiting on a buoy for the lock gates to open please take care, anything or anyone going over the side will be carried rapidly away.
  • The approach to Fleetwood follows leading lights and a well buoyed channel into the river Wyre, passing the lifeboat station and promenade to starboard, watch out for the Knott End ferry leaving to cross the river. After passing the disused ferry terminal to starboard the Dock channel will be visible straight behind it. Keep to the buoyed channel, a number of yachts have fallen foul of the sandbanks now the river is no longer dredged.
  • Before you enter the harbor you must hail "Fleetwood Dock on VHF channel 12 and request clearance to enter, you will be offered a keyfob by the lock keeper, you need this to get off the pontoons.

Berthing

  • The harbor operates as a marina.

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

The Yacht Club's clubhouse is open for hot food and drinks every Saturday night and occasionally on Fridays during summer.

Anchorages

  • None.
  • There are some mooring buoys in the main channel.

Amenities

Facilities
Water All berths have water electricity points
Electricity All berths have electricity points. Electricity is free, fed by a 16A circuit breaker to each berth
Toilets ?
Showers ?
Laundry
  • In the main office complex there is a washing machine and dryer
  • in the west side amenities building is a second washing machine and dryer
Garbage ?
Supplies
Fuel Diesel available on the pontoon outside the main offices, on the left side at the end of the outer harbour
Bottled gas Gas bottles can be exchanged at the marina office too
Chandlers The chandlery in the town has closed down and for the foreseeable future there will be no replacement service available
Services
Repairs There is a 75 tonne boat lift and a large area of hard standing where boats are stored and repairs can be carried out by the crew or contractors can be called in for major repairs. This being an operational fishing port there are numerous contractors available
Internet Free WiFi internet is avalable on all moorings via several repeaters around the facility, username and password available from the office.

Anchoring

If arriving before lock opens it is possible to anchor in the river. The deep water is on the Knott End side north of the large life boat moorings.

Mobile connectivity ?
Waste Disposa
  • There are limited recycling facilities avalable, glass and cardboard only.
  • There are a number of skips around the site and an oil and battery disposal point in the hard standing compound.
  • Elsan disposal points near the offices and next to the east side amenities building.
  • There is no pumpout facility.
Vehicle rentals ?

Provisioning

  • Asda superstore, Home Bargains and a fresh fish shop are about 5 minutes walk from the marina
  • The marina is overlooked by the Freeport shopping centre which has a number of clothing shops, book shop, cafes and coffee shops, well worth a visit. A key available from the office opens the padlocked gates onto Freeport and the pedestrian bridge across the lock giving easy access to McDonalds, and the town centre.

Eating out

  • The yacht club is open for food on a Saturday night, there is also the Three Lights, a Marsdens public house five minutes walk from the marina, just outside the vehicle entry gates for the Dock. A good selection of meals two for the price of one deals on.
  • A little further away in the town are many restaurants and cafes, several nice public houses and some good live music pubs.

Transportation

  • The railway station here was closed many years ago but there are good bus and tram links to Blackpool where you can get a train to Preston and onto the national network.
  • Blackpool has a good tram system which terminates in Fleetwood, a day ticket allows you to travel backwards and forwards all day on the trams getting off and back on as often as you like, a great way to see the local sights.

Tourism

History

Give a short history of the port.

Places to Visit

  • Blackpool: Half an hour away by tram, a scenic ride out, get a day rover ticket and jump out every time you see anything interesting.
  • Knott End: Well worth the ferry fare across the river, the ferry terminal is about a fifteen minute walk from the marina, get a return ticket and ride across the river to have lunch in the cafe or a round of golf at the local 18 hole course.

Friends

  • Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

References

See United Kingdom.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

Verified by

Date of member's last visit to Fleetwood and this page's details validated:

  • Compiled from research (pilot books, internet, etc.) --Istioploos 20:39, 1 March 2016 (GMT)
  • Updated by marina resident --xeb34 23:19, 26 June 2017



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SailorSmiley.gifContributors to this page

Names: Lighthouse, Haiqu, xeb34


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