Our annual contract with Plymouth Yacht Haven ran out on 31 Oct, and we had to decide what to do.
It turned out that quite a few marinas in Plymouth are happy to allow liveaboards (Mayflower, Yacht Haven and Sutton Harbour - possibly others also), so we had a bit of a choice to make for our winter berthing. We did briefly consider moving along the coast a little also, but friends and services in Plymouth are abundant in comparison to the alternatives.
It didn't take long to decide on a berth in Sutton Harbour. Being so centrally located it's excellent for access to restaurants, shops, theatre, chandlers etc. It's also accessed through a lock, so much less bounciness than we'd experienced over at Yacht Haven. Also, no large ships prop sounds through the hull in the night. But the biggest deciding factor was the showers! They're absolutely fantastic here - I've found worse in en-suite hotel rooms! And in contrast to those at PYH, there's just no comparison.
Each shower room is a good 12 feet square, warm, with smart chrome water controls, water as hot and fast as you want it, and with spotlit ambient lighting that comes on automatically as you enter. Stylish! The ones at PYH are modular 5ft square plastic boxes from (I would guess) the 1980s, with the expected wear and tear that comes with 30 years of showing soggy seamen - and shower doors handing on by the remnants of old curtain rails. Luke warm water was forthcoming some time after turning on the tap which you could only reach when IN the target zone of the frigid flow which preceded it.
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So on Saturday 31st Oct, we untied our ropes, waved goodbye to a couple of other liveaboards near us in PYH, and motored all the way to Sutton Harbour. The whole procedure took little more than 20 minutes. No fuss, no stress (well a little, I hate talking on the radio and had to in order for the lock keep to move the pedestrian bridge - I'm sure I'll get used to it), and no expense other than a few drops of diesel.
So here we are in Sutton Harbour. Gone are the philosophical walks along a deserted beach with the dog, the peace and tranquility of Mount Batten bay - but welcome is the world of cocktails and culture, restaurants and retail - and it seems that Christmas preparations have already begun.
