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Maryport Marina Cruise 2026
Saturday July 4th Hestan HW 1531 7.2m (Kippford HW 15-20 mins later)
Flap gate opens 1236-1736 (HW Maryport 1506)
Sunday July 5th Hestan HW 1609 7.1m
Flap gate opens 1315-1815 (HW Maryport 1545)
We are planning a weekend cruise to Maryport on the above date. The plan is to depart Kippford around 1230 on the Saturday July 4th and arrive at Maryport around four hours later.
We would then stay the night in Maryport and depart on Sunday July 5th at 1315. From the navigational (and tidal) point of view this 15 nautical mile trip is relatively straightforward. Engines should be in good working order with sufficient fuel to cover the outward crossing. It may be necessary to motor sail for half the trip in order to make the flap gate in good time – especially on an ebbing tide.
Marina
Maryport marina is a fully equipped marina with 190 berths. Sea access to Maryport Marina is via a flap gate. Whilst open the gate sits under the water on a concrete sill. The gate is operated manually when the water level is registering 2.4 metres above the concrete sill. The concrete sill is 3.1m above chart datum. This allows the gate to open between 4 to 5 hours per tide.
Berthing and Evening Entertainment
The marina operational staff are on site 08:00 to 22:00 and 3 hours either side of high tide during the night. They will arrange for us to be berthed together at a concessionary charge of £3.30 per metre per night. You will be asked to complete a visitor form. Payment can be made with staff by card or cash. There is also a £10 deposit for the fob that allows free access to the marina. This will be reimbursed on return of the fob prior to departure. The marina café closes at 1600 but there is a range of suitable venues for those wishing to venture out for the evening (Lifeboat Inn, Golden Lion Hotel, Labour club etc).
Requirements
All skippers should have functional VHF radios as well as essential safety equipment consistent with cruising offshore. Use channel 12 for Maryport marina, channel 72 for communication between us or hail on 16 and switch to 72 if you do not have a watch or scan mode on your VHF
Weather
The cruise is largely dependent on weather. A decision to cancel will be based on safety.
If you are interested (or want to know more) please contact me ASAP- Neil Munro
Maryport Marina
All vessels are requested to call prior to any boat movements on channel 12, call sign ‘Maryport Marina.’ A traffic light system operates at the entrance. When 3 Red lights are shown, do not approach the entrance, but contact the marina staff using VHF, 01900 814431 or mobile, 07508 544316.
Sailing Instructions
Whether arriving at Maryport from the north or south, most authorities suggest giving the coast a good offing of 1.5 miles. This avoids sandy shoals and rocky outcrops. Along this coast most havens dry out. The immediate harbour approach on a rising tide is straightforward. Just note that the whole sandy foreshore of Maryport dries out to well past the south pier. Access into Maryport marina is restricted to two and a half hours either side of high water. The prudent approach is to come in directly between the two piers, and only turn to starboard when the marina entrance is immediately abeam. It is important not to cut the corner at the dock entrance – this is to avoid the large mudbank projecting west of the Senhouse basin
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Working will be carried out at Robin Rigg from 3rd April until 15th April,
All vessals are to maintain a 200m exclusion zone.
More information can be found here.
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Members representing all the sailing clubs across the South West of Scotland, as well as members from the host club, gathered on the 21st March to participate in RYA Scotland’s Disability Awareness Training.
The aim was to bring the clubs in the region up to speed with the opportunities to involve those with disabilities in the sport of sailing and boating as well as ensuring those managing events are fully prepared to meet any additional needs that arise.
Welcomed by Scott Train, Commodore of the Solway Yacht Club, the course was run by Laura Cowan of RYA Scotland and in preparation, everyone was invited to wear odd socks to mark Down’s Syndrome Day. This got proceedings off to a great start as well as everyone having a bit of fun.
The Club recently completed a project to provide basic disabled facilities, only made possible thanks largely to a fantastic grant from the Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Benefit Fund. A few days earlier, the building contractors, South West Trades Ltd, had handed over the project to the Club, ready for use. Participants on the course were invited to view these and were delighted to see the completed work. A number of suggestions were made to add detail items to improve them further, welcomed by representatives of the Club.
An official opening of the new clubhouse facilities is to be held on 16th May when everyone directly involved in the project will be invited to celebrate what has been achieved. More is planned for the future, extending provision further. Nevertheless, as the Club has already agreed to host the 2027 Sailability Scotland Championships when the new facility will mean that competitors will be able to enjoy what has been needed for a long time. The Club hopes the changes now made will mean a growing number of disabled sailors come to the event and lead to greater involvement in all the Club activities.
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Please find attached the Ministry of Defence notification update of live firing for February 2026. Our notification now provides information on the danger area.
Click HERE to get details.
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Please find attached the Ministry of Defence notification update of live firing for February 2026. Our notification now provides information on the danger area.
Click HERE to get details.
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Solway Yacht Club's Prize-giving party for 2025
by Ian Purkis
As is now customary, the Club held its annual mid-winter party, celebrating everyone who had participated on and off the water during the previous year, whether dinghy racing, support crews manning safety boats, cruising in bigger boats, or just helping the Club.
The event, held in the Village Hall, followed the Kippford RNLI's Soup and Sandwiches fund-raising lunch with many members supporting both and with which the Club has a long and close association.
With around sixty members present, the afternoon started with a welcome from the newly elected Commodore, Scott Train. The previous Commodore Scott McColm then gave a repeat showing of his AGM Report from last November, highlighting all the Club's and members' progress over the year. Concluding his two years in office, Scott Train presented him with his Commodore's pennant, to be proudly flown on special occasions.
It was then time for Prize-Giving proper with Scott Train presenting the results of all the Club's racing activities, starting with the river races last Easter and concluding with overall Club Championships. After an incredibly close series over many weeks, including courses out in the bay, long pursuit races and shorter river races, Toby Iglehart and Finn Harris were tied on equal points.
In the end, the Championship went to Toby but only on count-back. Both are Cadet members, so Toby also collected the Club Youth Championship trophy, and with both performing so well and being such good role models for the younger cadets, it is a great credit to them both. This was particularly reflected in them also being jointly awarded the Heather Dodds Sportsmanship Trophy for their fair but very competitive sailing, culminating in an incident at the final mark of the final course where no protest was needed, as it was resolved between the two of them.
Liz Train presenting Ida Iglehart with the Cadet Boat Handling Trophy - photo © Nicola McColm
Other awards went to Simon Blissett and Richard Bishop, Safety Boat helm and crew of the year respectively. David Reilly was recognised for his great support on the project to rebuild clubhouse facilities to accommodate the disabled, thanks to a grant from the Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Benefit Fund. Alec Glendinning was awarded the "Most adventurous passage" for his voyage around the Scottish coast from Port Edgar in the East to Kippford in the West aboard his 21ft Chinese junk rigged yacht "Tirrik". Peter Warner and Craig Fetherstonhaugh, joint owners, were awarded "Best Kept Yacht" for "Sonas of Craignish" while Kevin Farish got the similar "Best Kept Motorboat" award for "Serefe".
Liz Train presents Alec Glendinning with the Sunbird Trophy for his most adventurous passage aboard his 21ft junk rigged yacht Tirrik - photo © Nicola McColm
Saved to last was the most important award. Joanne Harris has served as the Club's Cadet Officer for the past seven years during which time several hundred young people have been introduced to sailing. Most go on, developing through the Club's progression scheme to club racing with several progressing further to racing and winning at Open level, others moving on to be Instructors and Senior Instructors, bringing television appearances, all building on the Club's continued success as one of Scotland's leading clubs.
Before her presentation, Willie Patterson, her predecessor and mentor, spoke very highly of her great achievements and the huge contribution she made, not just to the Cadets but to the whole Club and wider sailing community. All this came as a complete surprise to her; Scott Train then called forward two most important Cadets, her daughter Katie and son Finn, for them to present her with a superb Solway Yacht Club engraved vase and bouquet, to a standing ovation by many there. "Thank You Jo", what a great job done!
After all these and other awards, the members were treated to a delicious buffet prepared by Social Secretary, Liz Train and her team, before celebrations, fun and chat were enjoyed by adults and Cadets, well on into the evening.
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Please find attached the Ministry of Defence notification update of live firing for December 2025. Our notification now provides information on the danger area.
Click HERE to get details.
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Solway Yacht Club, building work underway to bring significant improvements
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| Caption: Solway Yacht Club member, Ian Purkis (right) hands the Building Standards (Scotland) approved plans for the project to Paul Widdowson, Director of South West Trades who are contracted to complete the work. (Photo: Robert Dinwiddie) | Caption: Members enjoying welcome hot soup and tray bakes in a busy Clubhouse after members’ recent Working Party day, thanks to Social Secretary Liz Train and her team (Photo: Ian Purkis) |
Thanks to a substantial grant from the Dumfries and Galloway Coastal Benefit Fund, serious building alterations are now well underway to create a fully accessible changing, showering and toilet facility within the main Clubhouse. The Club’s project has also enjoyed funding from donors locally and further afield in Scotland making it all possible. Work actually started back in June when a working party of Club volunteers set to and prepared the site thanks to the support of Solway Plant Hire donating a day’s use of a mini digger. More recently another members’ working party had everything cleared away ready, coinciding with the end of the sailing season. Once completed, further improvements are anticipated to expand disabled accessibility both within the clubhouse and ultimately on the water.
Laura Cowan, RYA Scotland, Regional Development Officer (West), commented on the Club’s project, “Just back from annual leave, and this is great news to come back to, well done. I look forward to seeing your new building’s progress when I visit for my Disability Awareness Training Session in March”.
Several times previously, the Club has hosted the annual Sailability Scotland’s Challenger Scottish Championships mainly, but not exclusively, for disabled sailors. The only way this was possible was with the great support of the Kippford Association in providing use of the Village Hall. However, with only a fully accessible toilet and no access to disabled changing or showering, the facility that could be provided was limited to the bare minimum.
The Club plans to again host the Sailability Scotland’s Championships in 2027 and it will be a special occasion to see the new facility in use.
This project also contributes to the safeguarding of our young Cadet members as the disabled facility can be separately used by adults when the main changing and showering facilities are reserved for the exclusive use of Cadets. This provides a double benefit which is hugely welcomed.