Visiting Boats Information

​We accept visiting boats all year round up to 10 metres length and to a maximum of 1.8 metres draft.

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LOCATION

• on England's east coast with bars, cafes, restaurants and shopping centres on our doorstep

• 5 miles south of Sunderland, 11 miles north of Hartlepool

• harbour entrance 54 50 13.00 N   01 19 17.00 W

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NAVIGATION MARKS

• harbour entrance north breakwater black & white circle lighthouse giving green flash each 10 seconds

• harbour entrance south breakwater 2 vertical red lights to port

• marina entrance 3 vertical red or green lights to port side of gateway, do not enter gateway during 3 red lights

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APPROACH

• marina gateway/entrance is 276 degrees west 350 metres from centre of harbour entrance between pier heads

• 5 knot speed limit throughout inner harbour and marina

• 3 green lights to marina entrance indicates safe to navigate gateway but be aware of traffic in other direction (departing marina)

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HAZARDS

• give way to commercial shipping, do not stay, anchor or drift across shipping lane

• careful on entry to within 50 metres of marina entrance on low water springs, can shallow out to within 1 metre

• ​two historic mooring posts within marina, marked during darkness with yellow flashing light to top, single flash each 4 seconds​​

• during dredging operations in inner harbour please pass to starboard side of dredger

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DOCK GATE

• a single leaf gate operates automatically to retain depths at each low tide

• 3 vertical red lights indicates gate closed or closing or opening and an audible alarm sounds during the closing or opening phases which takes 15 minutes (5 minute pre-warning + 10 minute operation)

• the dock gate is open for a minimum of 3 hours either side of every high tide

• ​the width of the gateway at the narrowest point is 8 metres

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DEPTHS RETAINED WITHIN THE MARINA

• sill is at Chart Datum height and the gate when closed is at +2.6m CD Seaham to retain the depths within the marina

• the depths on the pontoon berths are between 1 and 1.5 metres with 1.8 metres on the visitor berths

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CONTACT

• telephone marina office during office hours on 0191 581 8998

• VHF current contact on channel 16 then you will be requested to switch to channel 8. Call sign "Seaham marina"

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ASSISTANCE

• marina staff will normally be on pontoons to assist in direction to visitor berth and mooring however please tell us during contact if assistance would be helpful

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