We would like to thank all our customers who completed the recent Cowes Harbour Annual Moorings questionnaire. The survey closed on Friday, 20th October with 212 entries submitted, a very good return and representing over 40% of annual mooring holders.
We are keen to listen to what our customers have to say about annual moorings in Cowes Harbour and are now in the process of reviewing all responses and comments. This information will feed into our planning for the future provision of harbour moorings and associated facilities.
Some of the key messages to come out of the survey were:
– The annual moorings service was rated overall as good, very good or excellent.
– The majority of customers see the moorings as good value for money.
– A third of customers would prefer to pay for their mooring in instalments by Direct Debit.
– The opportunity for discounted winter berthing at Shepards Wharf Marina for river annual mooring holders was of interest to over half of those questioned.
– Over half of respondents would pay more for a serviced river pontoon, with water provision seen as the highest priority.
– Whilst understanding the real challenges of potentially providing a dinghy park for Whitegates River Pontoons and Pile Moorings, the importance of such a facility was rated as 58.5 on a scale of 0 to 100.
– Security, daily patrols and policing of the harbour were areas of concern.
– Water taxi pricing, availability and service communications were highlighted.
With regard to water taxi services for next year, please read our October newsletter article, which contains an invitation to water taxi operators to apply for a harbour stakeholder dividend towards the operation of a water taxi service for 2018.
We would like to remind you all that, for the purposes of safety and security and to assist in deterring boat crime, CHC introduced harbour-wide CCTV cameras in July of this year. We will be installing signage, although the nature of some of the areas under CCTV surveillance precludes the siting of warning signs throughout the whole of CHC’s area of jurisdiction. Further information can be found in Local Notice to Mariners No. 19 of 2017: Use of CCTV and Video Images for Safety and Security.
In addition, our Patrol Officers and Berthing Masters wear ‘Body Worn Video Cameras’ and carry out daily patrols and policing 365 days of the year. Whilst on patrol, our Berthing Masters check boats on the river and if they do see something amiss they will contact the owner. However, we also strongly recommend regular attendance to vessels by all boat owners or by someone else in your absence, particularly during the winter months.
Meanwhile, congratulations are due to Mr Reese of Cowes, a mooring holder at Whitegates River Pontoons, whose survey was the first completed questionnaire drawn at random on 20th October and has therefore won the £100 voucher prize!
