Anyone who is currently on the waiting list for a mooring in one of Guernsey Harbours will get £50 back from their application fee if they agree to withdraw from the list this month.
The Assistant Harbour Master has written to all current mooring holders and those on the waiting list to confirm the new fees payable from this Spring.
The total increase of 8.3% comes into force on 1 April.
The letter also addresses concerns about the number of people waiting for a mooring to come available.
The Assistant Harbour Master confirmed that the mooring waiting list is being updated this month and that all current applicants are being contacted to confirm if they still want a mooring spot.
Anyone who doesn’t reply within 14 days will automatically be deleted, but anyone who is happy to be removed and confirms that before 24 March will receive a £50 refund from their application fee as their name is withdrawn.
Guernsey Harbours says this will help it “maintain an accurate and up-to-date waiting list”.
Anyone who is on the waiting list for a mooring will have paid a £65 application fee.
The Guernsey Boat Owners Association believes there are currently around 206 names on the waiting list meaning Guernsey Harbours will have taken more than £13,000 in application fees from those wanting a mooring.
Nick Guillemette, President of the GBA told Express that the Association has long believed that the application fee should be increased to ensure the waiting list is made up of people who either already have a boat or are actually intending on getting on.
“When a vacant mooring becomes available, marina staff will contact the applicant at the top of the list to see if they are still interested in a mooring and if so , what size boat do they have. Many times folk haven’t even bought a boat yet,” he explained.
“They have a limited time to acquire one. If they don’t, they automatically go to the bottom of the list and so on.”
Mr Guillemette understands that “Ports are trying to maximise their limited spaces and to satisfy those really interested in having a boat” and he believes that this refund offer will reduce the size of the waiting list.
“We have always said that the deposit of £65 is not meaningful and should be at least £250 to determine those applicants who are seriously intending to have a mooring with perhaps a refund of 50% or simply a deduction of their first year charges by the registration fee,” he added.
Mr Guillemette has also suggested that the waiting list system operated by Guernsey Harbours is updated as it is woefully out of date in his estimations.
“Incidentally, this so-called waiting list hasn’t changed since the first marina (Victoria Marina) was constructed in 1973.
“This was built to satisfy demand for local moorings, not for visitor use like today.and the States at that time agreed that mooring fees should be kept ‘affordable’.
“All of the subsequent marinas ( Albert, QE2, St Sampsons)were constructed to satisfy local demands when the waiting list reached 200+!”