Voting for the Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) award, which is the highest accolade in the British marina industry, ran throughout 2018 with boaters across the UK given the chance to vote for their favourite from a list of over 100. The award was announced by TYHA ahead of a formal presentation at the national marina conference in Bournemouth in April.
Commenting on the award, Marina Director Steve Kitchen said; “We are thrilled to learn that we have won Marina Of The Year 2018/19. Praise must be given to the Haven Team for their hard work that really sets our marina apart by setting extremely high standards and delivering incredible service to berth holders. This award is extra special because it is voted for by boat owners in the UK so we’re extremely proud to have won. We’ve been truly overwhelmed by the comments and votes we received and we’re very grateful to our berth holders and visiting boat owners who voted for us.”
Last winter, Plymouth Yacht Haven undertook a major dredging operation to ensure the entire marina remains full-tide access to at least 2.5m below chart datum and 5m on the outer pontoons. Steve Kitchen continues; “We welcome hundreds of visiting yachts throughout the year and 2019 promises to be extremely busy hosting the Plymouth Regatta, the Rolex Fastnet Race finishers and Race Village, and a host of other rallies and visitors. It is therefore critical that we provide deepwater access at all times of the tide to ensure we meet the needs of these boaters.”
“A huge congratulations to Plymouth Yacht Haven, and all the winners and runners up in this year’s Marina of the Year competition. The array of marinas who stood out in this year’s competition showed how strong today’s marinas are at achieving and often exceeding the modern consumer’s standard of quality service and excellent facilities
Built in 1992, Plymouth Yacht Haven is part of the family-owned Yacht Havens Group. With over 400 annual berth holders, the Yacht Haven is the largest marina in Plymouth as well as having the on-water and shoreside facilities required to accommodate various events and rallies throughout the year including the Rolex Fastnet Race Finish and Plymouth Regatta.
The Yacht Havens Group has invested heavily in the Plymouth waterfront and today caters for customers with boats and budgets of all sizes. In 2018, the state-of-the-art Dry Stack marina, Yacht Haven Quay in Plymstock, celebrated its ten year anniversary. In recent years, Yacht Havens Group has also redeveloped the ex-Ministry of Defence site Turnchapel Wharf into a thriving marine technology park.
Steve Kitchen summed up; “Yacht Havens in Plymouth is more than just a single site. We are trying to create a hub for boat owners, boat enthusiasts and marine businesses. From our marina and boatyards, to our new Plymouth Boat Club, we really want our sites to be the epicentre for boating activity in Plymouth.”