Marina/Anchorage: Dover Marina
Dover Marina is one of the busiest ports in the UK, with commercial and leisure traffic from all over the world making its way over. But what’s it like for a visiting vessel? Pippa Shaw finds out.
February 17, 2025
Date(s) of visit: 09/08/2023 – 16/08/2023
Boat length: 28ft
Boat type: Sailing yacht
Boat name: Sudana
Crew: Two persons and one cat
With its white cliffs, stunning views, and prime location, Dover Marina is surprisingly beautiful for such a busy marina.
Price
Dover Marina breaks down mooring fees into a few different categories, but they do include a handy fee calculator on the website that lets you enter the size of your vessel, whether you want to stay in the Wellington Dock (accessible via a lock) or outer marina, and how long you will be staying.
For the purposes of illustration, I selected an 8.5m vessel in the outer marina (which is where we stayed) and received the following calculations*:
Summer berth:
- £31.88 per night
- £210 per week
- £459 per month
Winter berth:
- £27.20 per night
- £144.50 per week
- £412.25 per month
Boat owners can also benefit from an annual berthing at Dover Marina with prices starting from £345 per metre.
*Figures correct as of September 24, 2024
Access
Access into Dover Marina is relatively straightforward from a navigation point of view, but it’s important to remember that this is an incredibly busy harbour with a lot of large commercial traffic, so visiting craft will need to be vigilant. Not only do you need to watch out for traffic, but the strong currents and swell can also cause issues if you’re not paying attention while making your way into the harbour.
When making your approach to Dover, it’s vital to know when and who to make contact with, starting with “Dover VTS” on VHF radio channel 74 when you’re two miles away. Dover VTS will need to know who you are, where you are, and where you’re going. If you can’t make contact on the radio, you shouldn’t continue into the marina. Instead, call the VTS team on +44 (0) 1304 240400 or await the Harbour Patrol Launch – staying well clear of the entrance until you’ve made contact.
You’ll need to hail Dover VTS a second time when you’re approximately 200m off the entrance to request permission to continue into the harbour. Dover VTS will provide you with further instructions that you must be careful to follow correctly.
A third call to Dover VTS should be made as you approach the South Cardinal mark. Two-way traffic is not permitted beyond this point, so you may need to wait in the area until all outbound traffic has passed.
Once you’ve been cleared to pass through, you’ll need to switch to VHF channel 80 and radio “Dover Marina” to receive directions to your berth. The harbour warns visitors to be cautious when approaching in strong winds or high spring tides.
If you’re heading into Wellington Dock or Granville Dock, you’ll also need to be aware of tide heights to ensure you’re able to secure a lock-in on arrival. Wellington Dock usually operates +/- 1.5 hours of high tide, while Granville Dock operates - 3.5 / + 4.5 hours of HT.
The breakwaters may provide refuge from swell for incoming vessels, but visitors should remember that Dover is an incredibly busy commercial port and they must continue to follow the instructions given by Dover VTS.
Don’t forget to read some of our other articles to ensure you’re able to stay safe when entering a new port. The Rules of the Water and how to avoid hazardous waters are good starting points.
Contact info
“Dover VTS” – VHF Channel 74
Tel: +44 (0) 1304 240400
“Dover Marina” – VHF Channel 80
Tel: +44 (0) 1304 241 663
Tel: +44 (0) 1304 241 663
Email: [email protected]
Marina Office,
Esplanade,
Dover,
CT17 9FS
Comfort
Even in the outer harbour, the moorings are well protected from winds and swell with high walls surrounding the harbour. On one side, the iconic white cliffs of Dover and the Dover Castle are visible, offering even more protection for the boats sheltering inside.
The pontoons are wide and stable, although there is a bit of a long walk to the exit, and the ramp heading up to shore can have a sharp incline at low water!
The Outer Marina and Wellington Dock are floating pontoons with berths accessible at all states of tide, so you don’t need to worry about drying out in Dover Marina. The Marina Office also provides 24- and 48-hour weather forecasts and charts of the local area, making it easy to pick the perfect weather window for the next leg of your adventure.
Dover offers wide, comfortable, stable pontoons suitable for 28ft sailing yachts and 60+ ft powerboats alike.
Facilities
Dover Marina offers all the facilities you’d expect, from water and electricity on the pontoons to laundry and showers ashore.
Showers
There are multiple shower blocks surrounding the harbour, so you shouldn’t have to walk too far to get a hot shower! The facilities are still relatively new, so you can expect them to be clean and tidy with good pressure and temperature.
Laundry
Laundry facilities are available in the Outer Marina South Block. Tokens can be purchased from the Marina Office and are reasonably priced.
Gas and fuel
You can pick up Calor and Camping Gas canisters from the Sharp & Enright Chandlery, which is just a short walk from the marina. Fuel is available from the Fuel Berth in the Tidal Harbour 7 days a week from 06:00 – 18:00. To arrange access to the fuel berth, speak to the marina or call George Hammonds PLC on 07971 692504.
When we visited, a new fuel berth was planned for the Outer Marina and due to open in August 2023. Unfortunately, I can’t find any updates on this, so I’m unsure whether it has been completed yet.
Shops
Despite its proximity to Dover city centre, one of the most surprising things for visiting vessels is how difficult it is to get groceries! One of the best places for food is (weirdly) the BP garage on Limekiln Street, which is open 24 hours a day and also has a cashpoint. There is a small M&S Food and Food Warehouse located in the St James development in town, as well as a Premier and Morrisons on the far side of town.
Although grocery shopping isn’t simple in Dover, there are plenty of retail shops in the surrounding area, so you’ll definitely be able to pick up a new jumper, even if you can’t buy a loaf of bread! The town contains all the shops you’d expect, including Boots, Next, Marks and Spencer, B&M, Poundland, and loads more.
Although there aren’t a lot of grocery shops near Dover Marina, there are plenty of delicious local restaurants to keep you well-fed and happy during your stay!
Things to do
Visitors are spoilt for choice at Dover! From exploring the iconic White Cliffs to hiking up to the infamous Dover Castle, the scenery and stunning views are (obviously) worth visiting on their own.
Eating out
There are plenty of bars and restaurants around Dover Marina, from the classic town-centre Wetherspoons to more local establishments offering something a bit different. My personal favourite was Cullins Yard, which not only served some absolutely delicious food but also had a fantastic atmosphere and very cool and quirky decorations that ensured you wouldn’t be bored for even a second! Although we didn’t personally visit, Bella Vita at Dover Marina is also well worth a visit, with tasty dishes and stunning views over the beach and harbour.
Beach
You can’t really help visiting Dover Beach when staying at Dover Marina, as you need to walk along the parade to get from the harbour to town, but it’s still worth a mention. As the pebbles give way to golden sands surrounded by those stunning White Cliffs, you’ll feel like you’re in a British postcard as you enjoy a day on the beach. On clear days, you can just about make out the French coast across the sea, and visitors can always enjoy watching incoming and outgoing boats travel past. Keep an eye out, as seals frequently visit the harbour and can often be spotted on the beach (although remember to keep your distance from wild animals)!
Dover Beach is a beautiful spot where visitors can relax and watch the ships come in and out of the harbour. Seals can even be spotted playing in the water (and we even spotted one relaxing on the beach while it waited for the tide to come back in!).
History
With its vital position on the British coast, Dover has a rich history that’s worth exploring if you’re in the area for any length of time. In addition to Dover Castle, check out the Secret Wartime Tunnels for an interactive experience of what it was like in Dover during WWII.
If you’ve not already had enough of boats, the Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery is a fascinating look into the history of this important port town and even features a prehistoric boat.
Want more? Exploring the city will lead to all sorts of exciting historical discoveries. Check out the Western Heights of Dover, Knights Templar, The Grand Shaft, The Great Tower, The Citadel, and Citadel Battery, to name just a few!
English Heritage members can visit Dover Castle at any time. For non-members, it is a little expensive, so I’d recommend getting there early to ensure you have plenty of time to explore the castle and grounds properly (we actually bought Heritage Memberships here, as it worked out the most cost-effective way to enjoy the castle).
Visitors to Dover would be foolish to miss out on the beauty and history of Dover Castle! Just make sure you get there early to have plenty of time to explore everything this castle and surrounding lands have to offer.
Review:
Dover Marina is a beautiful and well-protected harbour with stunning views and plenty to do. Grocery shopping is a little inconvenient, but there are plenty of bars and restaurants to fill your stomach (if not your larder). Even those who don’t particularly enjoy history will benefit from exploring this historic town, with plenty of well-preserved ruins and some fascinating memorials from the 1800s and WWII that do a great job of bringing the past back into the present.
Would you stay again?
With its convenient location and stunning views, most boat owners will probably stay at Dover at some point in their adventures. Just remember to stock up on groceries before heading to this particular port.
Opie’s Opinion
As usual, we can’t round off our review of Dover Marina without a word from Opie the boat cat…
Dover was a good marina with nice wide pontoons that didn’t hurt my feet. The shore was a bit far away and there was no grass for me to play in, but I still had a nice time sunbathing and enjoying the views.
The famous writingandsailing boat cat, Opie, enjoys the orange skies as the sun sets over the boat and white cliffs in Dover Marina.
Next steps…
Ready to visit Dover Marina but don’t have a boat yet? Check out all boats for sale in Dover right here at boats.com
Or, if you’re planning a boat trip around the UK, why not take a look at some other marinas in our review series? There’s plenty to see and do on our little island!
If you’re new to boating, be sure also to check out some of our top tips for beginners (or to refresh your memory):
* All images in this review belong to PSCopwriting and @writingandsailing
