Yacht Harbour Facilities
The new Wisbech Yacht Club, based in the Boathouse, has shower/toilet facilities and a bar. This is a real benefit to yacht owners, many of whom are now sailing into Wisbech in flotillas from as far away as Holland and Germany. Closer to home, yachting and boating enthusiasts from Cambridgeshire and the Midlands are discovering the attractions, and huge financial and practical advantages, of Wisbech as a port to berth their boats. The new 75 tonne Boat Lift facility and Slipway are stimulating boat building and repair businesses to set up close by and this is making Wisbech even more attractive to owners of leisure and commercial craft. The berth facilities have been increased as part of the Nene waterfront Regeneration Project. The number of state-of-the-art berths has risen from 70 to 128 to meet demand. The competitive cost of berths in Wisbech is major attraction. Typically, berthing a 10 metre boat in Wisbech costs less than £1,000 a year. Many boat owners have already moved to Wisbech from the South and East Coast yacht harbours, where berth costs are massively higher. The Yacht Harbour, the Boat Lift, the Slipway and the maintenance and servicing facilities that are now setting up on the Nene are set to play a majorrole in the creation of new employment opportunities. The moorings adjoin a new square which will contain restaurants and shops, providing a modern and inviting leisure space for people to relax in. The extended Yacht Harbour will also complement proposals for the Fens Waterway link, which is seeing almost £150 million being invested to provide 50 miles of new navigable waterways as well as improved access and facilities for a further 100 miles. Wisbech is becoming an even more attractive destination for those vessels navigating the Fens. The redevelopment ensures Wisbech continues to operate as a busy working port, too. Maintenance and inspection facilities for commercial vessels up to 100 tonnes are being provided for the first time. This means that fishing boats from Wisbech, King's Lynn and beyond now benefit from having facilities on their doorstep for their annual inspections. |