How do you decide whether to put your boat into a marina or a drystack?
It’s a question we’re frequently asked. So, let’s start… if your boat is under 4 metres or over 13 metres long, or has a mast then read no further, a drystack is not for you! Have a look at our marina and other storage options.
Marinas allow you to store your boat alongside pontoon docks. It means you can walk directly from your car onto your boat. No need to load all your bags into a dinghy and travel to a mooring. Just turn up when it suits you, cast off and go.
At Trafalgar our sheltered berths are dredged for boats up to 1.5m draft. you can select from a wide range of marina and pontoon berths.
These giant stacking boat racks can hold up to 5 or 6 tiers of boats. Your boat will be launched from a large forklift, then on your return it is lifted from the water and stored back on the rack. Keeping your boat out of the water means less maintenance and a clean hull. Drystacks can be a rack outside, a building with 1 or more open sides or fully enclosed.
At Trafalgar, we have a fully enclosed 60,000 square foot building.
Marina vs Drystack
| Trafalgar | Drystack | Marina |
| Suitable for small to medium sized power boats | Yes | Yes |
| All other boats | No | Yes |
| Convenience | ||
| Need to book to have boat launched ready for your arrival | Yes | Not relevant, boat in the water |
| Guaranteed unlimited boat launching 7 days a week (1 hrs notice) | Yes | Not relevant, boat in the water |
| No need to have dinghy to go to and from boat | Yes | Yes |
| Walk from your car straight to your boat = easy to get on board, load gear | Yes | Yes |
| Boat is launched and lifted out for you | Yes | Not relevant, boat in the water |
| Quick and easy to cast off and go | Yes | Yes |
| Easy access to power and fresh water | Yes | Yes |
| In peak times you may need to have to queue to enter/leave the marina | Yes | Yes |
| Full tidal access to open water | Yes | Yes |
| Maintenance | ||
| Antifouling required | No | Yes |
| Regular anode replacement required | No | Yes |
| Fresh water power wash and inspection on return | Yes | No |
| Bookable powerboat maintenance racks with water and power | Yes | Yes |
| Boat Cover Required | No | Yes |
| Boat hull stays clean so better fuel efficiency from not having barnacles and weed on the hull. | Yes | No |
| Can carry out maintenance in storage | No | Yes |
| Security & Safety | ||
| Stored indoors and on racking (difficult for anyone to steal an engine) | Yes | No |
| CCTV and security patrols | Yes | Yes |
Still confused about whether to put your boat in a marina or a drystack? If your boat is suitable for a drystack then the decision comes down to how easy and convenient you want boating to be and whether you are prepared to pay more for this.
How we compare with other local marinas and drystacks
| Prices based on a 7 metre boat | |||||||||
| Prices researched March 21 | |||||||||
| Trafalgar Wharf | Premier Marinas – Port Solent | Premier Marinas – Gosport | Premier Marinas – Chichester | Emsworth Marina | Mercury Yacht Harbour – Hamble Point | Ocean Village Marina – Southampton | Southampton Dry Stack | KB Boat Park | |
| Marina Facility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Marina Cost | 3208.1 pa | £3740 pa | £3740 pa | £3740 pa | £2765 pa | Await Andrew | Await Andrew | ||
| £417.69 pm | £333.48 pm | £333.48 pm | £333.48 pm | £248.5 pm | £582.4 pm | 505.4 pm | |||
| Drystack Facility | Indoor, fully enclosed | No drystack | Outside only | No drystack | No drystack | Outside | No drystack | Outside or partial coverage | Outside only |
| Drystack Cost | £4131.05 pa | £3430 pa | ? | £3465 PA (fully open) | |||||
| £429.80 pm | £305.83 pm | £525.35 pm | Monthly payments available | ||||||
| Pricing Notes | |||||||||
| VAT included | yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Money back guarantee | yes | no | no | no | no | ||||
| Other benefits | For annual marina members: | For annual marina members & all drystack members: | For annual marina members & all drystack members: | For annual marine members: | Otium rewards package for annual berth holders: | Otium rewards package for annual berth holders: | |||
| 42 free visitor nights & unlimited short stays at any Premier Marina | 42 free visitor nights & unlimited short stays at any Premier Marina | 42 free visitor nights & unlimited short stays at any Premier Marina | Free storage of cradles | 8 weeks storage ashore | 8 weeks storage ashore | ||||
| Sea Start benefits & savings | Sea Start benefits & savings | Sea Start benefits & savings | |||||||
| Fuel at cost | Fuel at cost | Fuel at cost | |||||||
| Exclusive benefits with Premier Marine Insurance | Exclusive benefits with Premier Marine Insurance | Exclusive benefits with Premier Marine Insurance | |||||||
To help you decide the best place to store your boat we’ve put together a checklist of all the elements you may want to think about.
Let our customers do the talking…
“Fantastic service, so glad we’ve got our RIB at the Trafalgar Wharf DryStack”. Robert Meekings
“Probably the best indoor DryStack facility in the UK. Fabulous facilities, great staff and 3 marina fork trucks. Launch and recovery is absolutely guaranteed with as little as an hour’s notice”. Paul Garner
<<need some marina reviews – await Corinne>>
Trafalgar Wharf Hamilton Road Portsmouth
Hampshire, PO6 4PX United Kingdom
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