How many marina masters must be laughing in their beards as they hand out their more notorious berths! ‘Z 26’ might well be a plum spot at high water slack, but as soon as the ebb gets going it could guarantee an insurance claim if you so much as ease one of your springs.

In fairness, berthing staff generally try to help, but in the end, it’s down to us to look after ourselves. Walled, ‘artificial’ marinas are generally relatively free of practical jokes except in strong cross-winds, but any berth in a river or near a lock must be treated with suspicion. Eyeball the odds when you come in and imagine what’ll be happening when you plan to leave. Try to be head-up to any current, and always be on the lookout for the dreaded cross-set.

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This entry was posted on Monday, April 30th, 2012 at 00:00.
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