In 2017, I was researching the location for one of my novels and the plot required that I set it in a town on the south coast with a marina that didn’t dry out at low tide and could take largeish boats. One immediate literary problem was that the people-smuggling skulduggery, murder and general mayhem in the novel was centred round the marina, and I didn’t want to be sued by any real marina owners. So, I needed a coastal town that has no marina, and I could safely invent one for the book. Rye was the perfect choice!
Back in 2017, and still today, I must admit that for the life of me I cannot understand why Rye doesn’t have a quality marina that allows boats to float at all tide levels and offers a high-quality range of associated services. Dover and Eastbourne are the nearest such marinas, both of which are well supported – in fact the latest published accounts from Eastbourne marina show a healthy profit in the millions and comment that “…demand for quality marina berthing remain robust, and the demand for other services including real estate and boat yard services…”. Rye sits in the centre of a 70-mile stretch of coastline without such a facility and, for a town with such a rich maritime history, one might expect to see a much healthier marine service infrastructure.
However, a new modern marina is a costly and complex undertaking, and maybe Rye doesn’t relish the upheaval, but within the most recent Rye Neighbourhood Plan, growth of Rye is identified as a primary goal. But you need structures and businesses to generate substantial growth. I think that a new marina would provide a strong focus for such activity and the town could reap a broad swathe of benefits and achieve substantial growth opportunities. Building and managing a marina would no doubt have to be taken on by a development company, but Rye Town Council could put their weight behind the concept and champion the planning process, while ensuring that the solution sits well alongside the town’s unique character.
After only 10 minutes thought, here are some marina potential revenue streams that could provide significant spin-off benefits to the town:
- Job creation: a healthy marina would create many jobs across a broad spectrum of industries.
- Berth fees: charging for boat mooring spaces is a primary revenue source. Fees can vary based on the size of the boat and the duration of the stay.
- Tourism and hospitality: the marina can attract the national and international sailing fraternity and tourists, boosting local hotels, restaurants, and shops.
- Retail and dining: on-site retail stores, marine supply shops and dining establishments could generate significant income.
- Events and activities: hosting events such as boat shows, regattas, and festivals attract large crowds and generate revenue.
- Boat maintenance, fuelling and repair services can be a lucrative business.
- Property development: waterfront properties, including residential and commercial spaces, can be developed around the marina, providing long-term revenue through leases and sales.
I’m sure that there would be some significant technical challenges – like the need for dredging, but I recall sailing into a marina in northern France some years ago and their topography was very similar to that of Rye – a mile or so up a river, with the use of a lifting sill to control the water level within the marina when the tide goes out. So, it can be done – it just needs intelligent design and engineering.
So – I believe that there is a strong case for Rye Town Council to fully explore the provision of a quality marina as an engine for substantial town growth. Disagree if you will, but please include your alternative solution for growth.
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Image Credits: Michael Dutton .
Sadly we have been down the marina road before,with ambitious plans for one on the now strategic gap,that fell by the wayside many years ago,because I believe of the cost the ambitious developers pulled out.Rye Neighbourhood plan opposes any development on this brownfield site,even when proposals for creative workshops are mentioned ,sadly jobs come second as far as they are concerned, I’m not a labour fan,but hopefully the government will kick start development in this town,as people should come first, and the red tape and nonsense that cetain individuals continue to block,soon comes to an end, for the wellbeing of our town.
There have been various Marina plans – the latest I think was put forward by Martello Properties, but seemed to whither away during the pandemic. I think one of the problems faced is getting a long enough lease on the waterfront land from either Rother or East Sussex county council. There has also been push back from some local groups concerned about aesthetics. Personally I think a marina would be a great idea and could perform as a secondary centre to the town as well as the high street and citadel.
You make it sound all very nice and easy but the one thing you have failed to mention is the fact that the river is a big drain that carries all the flood water away from the three valleys that run into the Rother.
In relation to the above comment, a proposal to put a tidal sluice at Rye Harbour was made in about 1962 by the old Kent River Board, this is well documented, and went to parliament and was rejected, for various reasons such as siltation. The alternative is to construct a gated marina off the main river Rother , but the problem of finding space with good land access and near the town is probably unattainable . Strand Quay and and just downstream is about as good as it will get.
We are currently sailing round the world and see the huge financial benefits visiting sailors bring to local economies. A visiting boat crew will pay for mooring, boat services, eating out, provisioning and tourist activities. When you multiply it out amongst the number of anticipated visiting boats, the contribution to the local economy on an annual basis is significant.