UP TO LIVERPOOL
The Mersey is one of England’s great historic rivers. Liverpool was
once a major slaving port and the prosperous hub for British trade
with the Americas. Many legendary ships were built on Merseyside
and Cammell Laird now has the polar research vessel Sir David
Attenborough on its stocks at Birkenhead.
The outer approach is fringed with sandbanks up to nine miles
offshore and Queens Channel leads between the seaward ends of
Taylors Bank and Great Burbo Bank to join the Crosby Channel.
Commercial traffi c arriving off the Mersey makes for the Bar red
light fl oat well out, but motor boats can join the channel further
in, near Q2 red light fl oat or Formby fairway buoy. From here
it’s about 14 miles up to Liverpool Marina, whose entrance lock
on the east bank is not far upstream from the prominent brick
buildings around Albert Dock.
Mark Beeston keeps his Sunseeker Manhattan 52 in North
Wales at Conwy Quays. He sometimes cruises east to Liverpool
and enjoys arriving at the mouth of the Mersey. There are
interesting ships to see and you feel the vibes of departure that
have always been strong here, particularly
for thousands of Britons who emigrated
to America, Canada and Australia.
You enter the river proper between the
vast Crosby and Bootle docks on the east
bank and New Brighton seaside resort on
the west. Further up to port is the Liver
Building at Pier Head, where the Mersey
ferries land, and then the busy Liverpool
cruise terminal. The docklands regeneration
around Tate Liverpool has created vibrant
new city waterfronts.
The marina lock is not far above Albert
Dock. Access times vary from just over two
hours each side of HW at springs to about
one and a half at neaps, but with nowhere
to wait, it’s easiest to arrive an hour before
high. The marina occupies two large basins
and some sizeable boats are based here.
It has a tranquil atmosphere and the
clubhouse restaurant is between the basins
on a short pier. Mark told me that a bonus
about berthing here is using your tender
to potter through the dock canals to the
bistros and bars around the Albert.MBY reader Robert Gasse berths his Nelson 42 Adelina
at Preston Marina. An experienced sailing man turned to
power, he knows these waters well and has found that a rugged,
all-weather motor boat is the key to visiting offbeat, often
spectacular corners of the British Isles in the best conditions.
His wife isn’t a keen passagemaker, so old friend Derek Butler
is a regular crew aboard Adelina.The River Mersey
resonates with history
Liverpool’s Albert Dock
is a hive of activityTRAVELRobert Gasse
Boat Adelina,
Nelson 42
Berth Preston
MarinaHaving owned
a succession of
yachts and motor
sailers, Robert recently bought the sturdy Nelson 42 Adelina
in Ramsgate and trucked her up to Preston. Adelina’s 180hp
Sabres give a comfortable 16-18 knots, with a few knots in
hand. Last May, Robert crossed to Douglas on the Isle of Man
to see some of the TT races. Adelina then cruised north for
a leisurely circuit of the Firth of Clyde, came back down to
Bangor in Belfast Lough and returned to Douglas via Peel
Harbour. For the passage home, Robert first crossed to an old
haunt known by very few boaters – the rather wild but cosy
anchorage off Piel Island, two miles south of Barrow-in-Furness.
Piel is one of England’s cruising secrets, where you can dinghy
ashore to the Ship Inn and visit the ruins of a 14th-century
castle. From here back to Preston Marina is less than 40 miles.PRESTON LOCAL