Douglas inner harbour to shut for flap gate maintenance

Boats in Douglas marina will be unable to access the Irish Sea for three weeks in October

Boats in Douglas marina will be unable to access the Irish Sea for three weeks as work to overhaul a flap gate is completed, the government has said.

The inner harbour in the Manx capital will be shut between 5 and 28 October while the 21-year-old gate is removed.

A government spokesman said the project was part of "planned maintenance work".

The marina, which has about 130 berths, was closed for more than two weeks in August 2019 after a concrete still attached to the gate was damaged.

The flap gate is used to control water levels within the marina and prevent it from drying out at low tide.

A watertight enclosure known as a cofferdam will be constructed to allow water to be pumped out of the area before the gate is removed and will remain in place for the duration of the project, preventing vessels from passing by.

The outer harbour, where the key freight and passenger ferries dock, will be unaffected by the works.