Aberaeron boat mooring price hike gets rocky reception

People mooring their boats in the harbour at Aberaeron face a more than 30% fee increase

Boat owners are up in arms over an above-inflation increase in their mooring costs.

Fees at the harbours in Aberaeron and New Quay in Ceredigion have gone up by more than 30% since last summer.

Jonathan Price Jones, who has sailed out of Aberaeron for 30 years, called the £714 cost of mooring his boat for the summer "unreasonable".

Ceredigion council said it needed to recover rising costs from inflation by raising fees and charges.

"We don't expect to have the use of moorings for free, we expect to pay a fair share," Mr Jones added.

"The question is, what is the fair share and why are we being asked repeatedly to pay way above the rate of inflation?"

• The ship graveyard which has claimed many lives

• Robot sailboat invented to forecast weather at sea

Boat owners are charged according to the size of their boat.

Last year the fee to moor a vessel during the summer at Aberaeron and New Quay harbours was £51 per metre of length.

The council has now increased the fee to £66.50, a 30% rise.

Boat owners could be forced out by the fee increase, says Jonathan Price Jones

Nigel Davies, who lives in Aberaeron and moors his boat in the harbour, said he felt the price was too high for what he gets in return.

"Ceredigion County Council or whoever, don't provide any facilities here whatsoever" he said.

"They say costs are going up, but if you don't spend anything, there is no cost."

Born on the harbour in Aberaeron, Julian Driver bought his first dinghy in the 1970s and later bought a boat in 2002 said his fees had risen by 100% since 2016.

At a meeting held last week, boat owners from both seaside towns voiced their concerns.

Chris Seal, chairman of New Quay Yacht Club, added: "We seem to be a cash cow that is there to be milked and we don't think that's fair."

Aberaeron councillor Elizabeth Evans said she was concerned about the impact as the town "depends on the harbour, it's the sole reason for Aberaeron's existence".

A solution needs to be found says Aberaeron councillor Elizabeth Evans

Ceredigion council said it was facing an extended and continuous period of financial challenges and, without significantly cutting services, it needed to recover costs by raising fees and charges.

It added that facilities provided in different harbours varied and the charges were considered to be reasonable and fair.