Fambridge Yacht Haven was profiled by All At Sea newspaper for their August 2024 edition, showcasing our efforts to embrace a new environmental way of doing business and protecting our surroundings.
You can read the August 2024 issue in full here, or download a copy of our article here.
On the banks of the River Crouch in rural Essex lies the village of North Fambridge. A peaceful hamlet; a popular commuter town with London less than an hour away by direct train; a village whose pub dates back over two centuries; offering scenic riverside walks which pass the famous Blue House Farm nature reserve; and, perhaps surprisingly, one of the marina industry leaders in embracing sustainability.
In recent years, Fambridge Yacht Haven have explored and initiated new ways to protect their waterways and to safeguard neighbouring habitats. “As custodians, we’re responsible for maintaining and preserving our marinas, ensuring our coastal areas are future-proofed for generations to come”, comments Marina Director Danyal Adams. “We’ve listened to what our customers and the marine industry are saying about making marina operations more sustainable, so we are introducing real projects that deliver positive impacts”.
Real projects that deliver positive impacts
Fambridge Yacht Haven is surrounded by green farmland and saltmarshes including the critically important Blue House Farm nature reserve which is a designated Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the volume of migratory birds flocking to the site throughout the seasons. The Yacht Haven’s position as ‘custodian’ is therefore heightened by the sensitivities of the stunning River Crouch.
The first step in the Yacht Haven’s journey was a commitment of zero waste to landfill, sealed with a partnership with Essex firm Green Recycling. This partnership included a state-of-the-art process to convert non-recyclable waste into pellets to be sold as fuel to power plants. “Like-minded companies who share the same environmental agenda as we do play a key role in our ability to find solutions to our sustainability ambitions”, Danyal continued.
Systems designed to use less water
Danyal and the marina team went further by installing two state-of-the-art interceptor tanks designed to ensure oils, paint fragments and other materials are prevented from re-entering the river when boats are lifted ashore. “This system not only filters the water used when washing boats, it also collects water to effectively recycle it, thus reducing our water wastage”, Danyal comments. “It’s a double-system; it helps us use less water in our boatyard operations, whilst ensuring harmful by-products don’t enter the River Crouch”.
Other installations have been more subtle and at lower cost, all of which are contributing to reducing the marina’s waste, carbon reliance and emissions. “Switching to LED lighting in our buildings, installing motion sensor lighting in our washrooms, investing in electric vehicle charging points, upcycling furniture for our new berth holder lounge. All of these small improvements make a difference to our overall aim to be a leading voice when it comes to ethical business practices”, Danyal comments.
20 Years of Development
Fambridge Yacht Haven was originally built in 1973 as West Wick Marina. In 2004, Yacht Havens Group (of Lymington and Largs Yacht Haven amongst seven others) purchased the 220 marina and 120+ swinging river moorings, intent on transforming the marina into one of the East Coast’s prime boating hubs.
The first few years under Yacht Havens’ ownership combined critical investments across the site with a commitment to improving customer service. A new marina dredger was purchased, monthly summer contracts were introduced to meet demand, the slipway was widened and a Park & Launch service was ‘launched’, winter packages were created, a full tide visitor pontoon was installed, swinging moorings were replaced and serviced, an indoor boat storage hangar was built, and a new tender pontoon was installed to service swinging moorings.
The Ferry Boat Inn
The much-loved village pub, The Ferry Boat Inn, also came under the ownership of Yacht Havens to protect it from disappearing in the early-2010s. The Grade II listed building has been documented as a “very good, substantial Public House” since 1807, but the building itself has been recorded since the 16th century. With a colourful history of landlords, The Ferry Boat Inn has witnessed much drama over the centuries; tales of treachery and horse-snatching, the infamous Captain and his Lady love battling to outswim the tide of our neighbouring River Crouch. In the late-2010s, it was time for the pub to combine 16th century character and charm, with 21st century comfort and space with a stunning refurbishment.
Today's Yacht Haven
Fast forward and it was time for the marina itself to receive substantial investment and upgrades. Gone went the old steel pontoons that were built in the 1970s and 80s by the original farming owners, along with original marina piles. Over the course of two months 33 piles were removed, 29 new piles installed, 2 new bridges constructed and installed, 100s of metres of brand new pontoons were installed, and the marina was given a substantial face-lift!
Boatyard Services
Special winter packages available with indoor and outdoor storage options.
