Dartside Quay

MDL Marinas has sold its boatyard at Dartside Quay, Devon, on the UK’s south coast. The agreement will see the expansion of the boatyard services on offer to MDL customers and the wider boating community.

The new owners, Dolphin Boatyard, currently operate a boatyard and berthing services across the water at Dolphin Haven. The yard brings a great deal of experience, local knowledge and a long history of boat restoration and refit to Dartside Quay. Dolphin Boatyard says the purchase of Dartside Quay will be followed by substantial investment in the site to extend the services on offer.

Situated at the head of Galmpton Creek, Dartside Quay is three miles upriver from Dartmouth. In a sheltered position with views across to Dittisham, Dartside Quay offers extensive facilities for all boat owners.

With space for over 300 boats ashore, the seven-acre dry boat storage area is serviced by a 65-tonne hoist, which operates from a purpose-built dock. There is also a 20-tonne trailer hoist operating from a slipway, and various onsite marine tenants provide specialist boat repairs and maintenance services.

Michael Glanville, managing director at MDL Marinas, says: “Dartside Quay boatyard provides important lifting and refit services to many of our berth holders, as well as local businesses, and we’re excited to be working with Dolphin Boatyard to create an opportunity for these services to grow.

“The sale agreement, which critically retains employment for our loyal and highly skilled team, allows capital to be released and repurposed in other areas of our business to strategically develop our portfolio of products and services for our customers.”

Dartside Quay customers will continue to enjoy the boatyard’s services, with existing MDL berth holders retaining the advantages of Freedom Berthing, 20 per cent off lifting services and eight weeks of storage ashore. There will be no changes to the tenants on site, and it will be business as usual for the team.

“The acquisition of Dartside Quay is an exciting step forward for my business,” adds Ben Morris, managing director of Dolphin Boatyard Ltd. “It allows us to expand our services to local boaters in the bay, on the Dart and beyond, adding new refit opportunities and investing in both the Dartside Quay and Dolphin Haven sites.

“It’s been great working with Michael and his team to develop a deal that secures both existing and new services for MDL’s customers. I am looking forward to meeting many of them as the winter refit season gets underway.”

Earlier this year, MIN reported on a new seagrass restoration project launched by The Ocean Conservation Trust at Dartside Quay. The trust has constructed a 400 square metre purpose-built facility for plant aquaculture at the yard. Funded by the Green Challenge Recovery Fund, the new facility is said to be the largest seagrass nursery site in the UK, with its location on the banks of the River Dart in Torbay allowing the seawater to be pumped directly into the facility.

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