A little closer to home ( that is for those of you who live in the UK ) this time, but nonetheless a very pretty new marina, has just been completed on the Isle of Wight. Best known as the world’s premier yachting centre, Cowes is the Island’s main port with a natural harbour at the mouth of the Medina river. Yachtsmen from all over the world participate in the season’s prestigious sailing events, of which the best known is Cowes Week, which is held annually at the beginning of August. If you’ve never been to this event - please go - it is a fantastic spectacle and great fun.
Cowes and East Cowes grew from a huddle of fishermen’s shacks around two coastal forts built by Henry VIII on opposite banks of the River Medina, and named after the two off-shore sandbanks or cows. The towns are linked by an old-fashioned chain ferry and have a tradition of fine ship building, dating from the reign of Elizabeth I. Then came the yacht building industry, as sailing became a popular sport, endorsed by the royal family. In 1854, the Royal Yacht Squadron was moved into Cowes Castle, the former Tudor fort, and the name of Cowes has been synonymous with yachting ever since.
Fifteen minutes by boat from Cowes, along the Medina River, the colour-washed cladding gives the development a coastal style in keeping with its sought after marina location. The 48 holiday homes making up Heron Square and Cormorant Grove enjoy a waterside lifestyle, with 10m pontoon moorings forming part of the Island Harbour Marina. It has a full range of facilities to hand, for the needs of new and experienced skippers. Most of the homes are situated over the water, on a beautiful boardwalk, creating an unparalleled living experience for messing about on the river.
Now I must stress at this point that the homes are designated as holiday home only - in other words they cannot be lived in all year round. These houses are second homes, and the relevant planning consent states that the properties can only be used as holiday accommodation. There is no restriction however as to the number of weeks per year that the properties may be occupied, so I guess this is open to debate. If you choose to live there and move to a hotel for a holiday each year, then I’m not sure whether this would be allowed - if anyone has any comments on this I would welcome some feedback. There is another development on a lake in the Cotswolds which has similiar restrictions - in that case I beleive that residency is restricted to 11 months of the year ( again you can move out for a month’s holiday and then back in again!)
All the properties are being sold freehold. Beautiful internal specifications continue the ‘best of both’ theme, with solid wood floors, substantial fixtures and fittings and the convenience of broadband and networked cabling for AV equipment. There is ample secure hard-standing available for winter boat storage,and the marina boatyard offers additional facilities. Newport, the Island’s capital, is conveniently situated only a few minutes’ car or boat ride away or a 30-minute walk alongside the Medina River from the marina.
All townhouse owners will have the right to use a 10 metre mooring berth, capable of berthing a monohull yacht up to 12 metres, and for penthouse owners both 15 metre and 17 metre moorings will be provided. Berths will be allocated by the berthing master appointed by the Residents Association. If you have a bigger yacht that this, then berths may be available in the commerncial section of the marina for an additional berthing fee.
Prices for the properties start at £390,000 and the most expensive unit is £695,000. Built in a town house style there are two principle types, with slightly different layouts - a 3 storey with 3 bedrooms and a 4 storey with 4 bedrooms ( well you’ll need all the bedrooms for all the friends you will suddenly acquire!!)
If you’ve never been to this part of the world, I would urge you to give it a look - but be quick as the properties are selling fast. With its stunning setting, sense of space and well appointed facilities, all combine to make Island Harbour an exceptionally sought after marina.
As promised I have now had time to catch up with all the outstanding leasing quotes and marine mortgage quotes over on my other site boat leasing finance and I can finally write about the new marina currently being built. However, before I do, perhaps I should put the trip in context which I hope will explain some of my observations.
Having never visisted Sicily before, but with an Italian wife, I was very open minded, although having researched the hotels and island before leaving we were not sure what to expect. I think we both thought that the isand would provide the ideal winter sun getaway, with pretty villages, fantastic food, and wonderful marinas, of which Licata would be one! Sadly we were very disappointed by the week we were on the island, and by the time we left, couldn’t wait to get home. The island has suffered some of the worst excesses of unregulated building, to such an extent that the whole island is a testament to concrete which is everywhere, even next to some of the finest Roman ruins in the Valley of the Temples. What is so sad, is that if the island is ever to develop as a tourist destination, then vast sums will need to be spent on pulling down these scars on the landscape. When we suggested to the hotel owner that perhaps these were not the most attractive towns, all he could say was that at least it’s not Cairo! - if you are looking for a pretty island, then the interior is certainly unspoilt, but travel to the coast and it’s a different story. The Eastern side of the island is virtually one long development, not very pretty and massivley over developed. The West coast has been destroyed by concrete block buildings. The only pretty seaside resort we found was Cefalu on the North coast. So what of the potential for the new marinas, and that at Licata.
The first problem is actually getting there. Wherever you fly to, it’s a three hour drive as there are no motorways on the southern coast. Licata itself has a pretty old town, but again it has been blighted by concrete block buildings which are everywhere. The marina itself is only partially built which is not what I had expected. To me it looks as though it has run out of money as there was no consruction work going on, and much of the site was covered with weeds. On talking to some of the locals it appears that there is the possibility of the site being bought by another developer, but no one could confirm this for us. Based on the current situation and rate of progress I would not expect this to be finished for at least 2-3 years. Indeed a local paper that we read, also stated that there were sufficient old marinas that could be updated in order to reach the 10,000 berth target for the island by 2010, so perhaps it never will.
I went with high expectations, but returned very disappointed. Whilst I feel very sorry for the Sicilians as they are desperate for tourists to visit the island, I would not recommend the marina as a base. Apart from the fact that I do not believe it will be finished for some time, I would suggest the following points against it. Firslty, it is extremely difficult to get to - the minimum is three hours by road. Secondly, it was extremely windy, a feature of this part of the coast which is covered in polytunnel in order to protect the new produce. Thirdly, the food was very disappointing, and nowhere near the standard of Rome or elswhere in Italy. Sadly not for us.
Reading this post makes me sound anti Sicily - I am not - it is simply a very poor island that is trying to develop it’s tourism. Whether it will ever succeed I have no idea, but will require a huge effort by the local people and a massive amount of investment to overturn the decades of building abuse which has gone unchecked.
If I were asked to choose between Genoa and Licata I would choose Genoe every time - why? - even thought this is another unsightly city, the marina is close to the airport, in an hour you can be in Portofino, and it has some of the best food in the world with a micro climate to boot!
Sorry Sicily, but not for me I’m afraid.