Changes to mooring fees and chain at Brancaster Staithe

Ballot for places on the chain

Places on the chain and around the Sharpie Park next year will be allocated by a ballot. A total of 110 spaces will be available. The ballot will be structured to give priority to boat owners who live within the parish and to those with tenders to moorings in the harbour. Each household will only be allowed one space on the chain.

The ballot is now closed to entries. Thank you to everyone who entered the ballot – you will all be contacted, to confirm if you have been successful or not.

If you are successful in the ballot, you will be contacted to provide us with some further details. Please be aware that there will also be a fee of £60 (£50 + VAT) to pay, covering the period 1 March 2024 to 30 November 2024.

Click here for the terms and conditions for use of the chain.

Revised mooring fees for 2024

After several years in which we have kept mooring fees fairly constant, the increased costs of running and maintaining the harbour mean we now need to increase these. For 2024, the annual cost of a mooring is as follows:

Any craft under 20 ft.	£150 (£125 +VAT)
Craft between 20 ft. and 29 ft.	£210 (£175 +VAT)
Any craft longer than 29 ft.	£300 (£250 +VAT)

Registration of boats on the chain (summer 2023)

To make the harbour safer for everyone, we’d like to be able to contact all those people who have a boat stored on the chain. We’re therefore asking all boat owners with a boat on the chain to register their details with us. You can do this by:

• Completing this online form – https://forms.office.com/e/0FsGLuswV3
• Downloading this form and emailing it to norfolkcoast@nationaltrust.org.uk
• Speaking to one of our members of staff or volunteers at the harbour, who will take your details

You will be asked to provide your contact details, some details about your boat, confirm your boat is insured and that you have read, understood and agree to abide by the rules of the harbour. Your data will be stored securely.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be asked to collect a sticker from the Harbour Master’s Office, to display on the stern of your boat. Before you come to collect your sticker, please make a note of the number on the chain (displayed on a scaffold tag) where your boat is attached. This will be written on your sticker.

The Harbour Master’s office is open over the high tide every day from Saturday 22^nd July to Sunday 10^th September.

The Terms and Conditions for use of the chain can be found here.

Making access to the chain fairer

Registering all boats attached to the chain means that places on the chain can be allocated in a way that is fair, transparent, and orderly.

It will enable us to make sure that all boats on the chain are insured, as well as making it easier for the Harbour Master to get in contact with boat owners if required (for example, in the event of theft or damage to a boat).

All fees go towards the running costs of the harbour

Changes to the mooring fee structure, and the introduction of the new charge for a place on the chain, will allow the continued investment that is needed to keep the harbour safe and well-maintained.

These fees are used directly for the benefit of harbour users, including through the provision of a Harbour Master and Assistant Harbour Master, providing navigation buoys and navigation information, and the ongoing maintenance of the hard and the harbour.

A sustainable harbour benefits everyone

We have listened to the views of local stakeholders - including Brancaster Parish Council, Brancaster Fairways Committee, and local business owners - in drawing up these changes.

Whilst increases to mooring fees may not be popular, and something we have managed to avoid for several years, we are clear that the new arrangements are fair, proportionate, and necessary for ensuring public safety and the long-term sustainability of Brancaster Staithe harbour.

Find out more

If you have a question about any of the above changes, please get in touch by calling (01485) 211215 or 07733 002204 or by email to norfolkcoast@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Harbour users are also invited to drop in to The Dial House between 10am and 4pm on Thursday 27th July, when staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.