Marina/Anchorage: Hull
Planning a trip to Hull? Find out what Hull Marina is really like, as well as how to sail the Humber Estuary, in this honest and unbiased marina review by Pippa Shaw.
September 27, 2024
Date(s) of visit: 04/06/2024 – 18/06/2024
Boat length: 28ft
Boat type: Sailing yacht
Boat name: Sudana
Crew: Two persons and one cat
Price
Aquavista mooring fees aren’t listed on the website; instead, they recommend you submit a mooring enquiry to learn the fee for your vessel. For our stay, we were charged approximately £35 per night, although they do offer a weekly rate that allows you to have two free nights for every five (in other words, stay for a week and get the weekend free!).
Access
Navigating into Hull appears relatively straightforward on the charts, but seafarers should remember that the Humber Estuary is an incredibly busy shipping port, complicating matters.
When approaching from the South, you need to consider where you will cross the river and be very wary as long as you’re on the wrong side of the water (see our article on the rules of the water for more guidance) as large shipping vessels will not move out of your way!
There are two radio points as you enter the Humber, and you need to contact Humber VTS on both. It took some research to figure out where to radio Humber VTS, but I eventually established that they should be hailed on channel 14 as you approach the estuary (parallel to Donna Nook from the South or Easington from the North). You will need to tell them your destination and how many persons aboard, then maintain a listening watch on channel 14 until you reach the “No 4A Clee Ness” marker bouy, where you will need to switch to channel 12 as you progress up the Humber. This will then be done in reverse when you depart.
It took a lot of digging to find this map showing where to change radio channels and other guidance for sailing in the Humber Estuary. Image credit: ABP
When we approached, we received no response from VTS Humber on either channel. We eventually hailed a passing cargo ship that relayed our intentions to the port authorities. We felt much more comfortable once we knew they were aware of our location and passage, particularly being surrounded by large ships without AIS. However, we didn’t have this problem on the way out, so we’re unsure why we were ignored.
It's worth mentioning that, although Hull Marina advises visitors to contact the office to discuss their passage plans, they weren’t particularly helpful when we called them for advice on when/where to cross the estuary without being able to contact VTS Humber.
I was told there is no map in the Hull Waterside & Marina office, and staff only have charts on their vessels, not their phones or computers, so they weren’t sure how to advise me. They told us to make sure we were on the starboard side of the estuary BEFORE the Hull Middle, a large sandbar that can easily catch out unfamiliar vessels. It took me a while to find this on our chart, but I eventually established that Hull Middle is almost directly in front of the marina and easy to locate once you know where you’re looking. I would also advise visitors to cross before Skitter Sand, which is another sandbar on the corner of the estuary just before the marina.
Leisure craft should also make an effort to stay out of the shipping lanes and remain as far over to the starboard as possible. Keeping an active AIS receiver on to monitor approaching vessels is also a good idea. If you don’t have AIS, Vessel Finder is a convenient and free app you can download onto your smartphone. It does require the internet, but it very useful when navigating busy waters such as the Humber, and I personally use it regularly.
A lock protects the Hull harbour from the elements, so you must radio ahead to request entrance. Call “Hull Marina” on channel 80 to request the lock opening as you pass The Deep (a notable landmark). The lock operates 3 hours either side of high water, although it is advisable to contact the marina before commencing your passage up the Humber to check the lock times.
This is the track we took on Sudana when sailing up the Humber Estuary towards our mooring in Hull Waterside & Marina. The starting point is also the cut-off where Humber VTS changes from channel 14 (to sea) to channel 12 (in the Estuary).
Contact info
Hull Waterside & Marina
Warehouse
13 Kingston St
Hull
HU1 2DQ
Telephone: 01482 609960
VHF: Channel 80. Call sign “Hull Marina”
You can also contact Hull Marina by filling in the contact form on the Aquavista website.
Comfort
Once through the breakwater and lock, Hull harbour is a well-sheltered and comfortable marina with wide pontoons that offer plenty of space for visitors to pass comfortably, even when using a trolly. We were moored on the visitor pontoon, a long strip at the end of the marina with plenty of space to navigate and select the best spot for your boat (also see our guide to the perfect marina mooring). Be careful when it’s busy, however, as the large pontoon can get claustrophobic with a lot of vessels trying to moor/depart at once.
At high water, the pontoons appear temptingly close to the harbour wall, which is not fenced and could be a potential security issue as members of the public (teenagers in particular) consider making the leap from land to pontoon. Although the marina office does have cameras, they do not have a security team, so any incidents should be reported early to the office to give them time to consider the best course of action.
The visitor's pontoon at Hull Marina is large and comfortable, even when busy. However, it can get noisy due to echoes from Castle Street Bridge. Image credit: pscopywriting.co.uk
Facilities
Showers
The showers and toilets in Hull Marina are clean and tidy, with regular maintenance and attention to detail. In the ladies, they even included a small box of sanitary products, “in case you forget,” that’s available to everyone.
Large mirrors, functional hairdryers, and practical shelves next to the mirrors make post-shower primping really easy, and the showers themselves are large enough for a comfortable shower with plenty of shelving for your clothes and towels. They even include a shower caddy so you don’t have to put your smellies on the floor – which was a nice touch and appreciated!
The shower pressure is good and you can control the temperature and direction of the shower head so that you can enjoy a nice, customised shower here.
Laundry
Hull Marina offers two large washing machines and two tumble driers within the facilities block. The machines take tokens which can be purchased from the marina office. The laundry room also includes a large shelving area for folding, an ironing board and iron, and a generously sized sink.
Regular travellers may also have noticed the prevalence of ‘marina libraries’ found in the laundry rooms of many marinas, and Hull is no exception! You can find a generous selection of novels, non-fiction books, local magazines, and newspapers tucked away in the corner. Just remember to leave something behind to keep the library going!
Bins
The bins are a little further down the road, tucked away and out of sight. The bin area isn’t the nicest, but they are incredibly large facilities and host a selection of recycling options as well.
Fuel
According to their website, Hull Marina does provide red diesel. You will need to discuss your needs with the marina office if you wish to fill up.
Boatyard
Hull Marina has a fully stocked boat yard with hard standing and a 50-tonne hoist for storage out of the water.
Pump Out Facilities
If you have a holding tank, you’ll be pleased to know that you can take advantage of the pump-out facilities at Hull Waterside & Marina. Those on residential moorings benefit from one free pump-out per month, while visitors will need to pay on an as-used basis.
With excellent facilities and proximity to the town centre, Hull Marina is a great choice for anyone considering living on a boat in Hull. Image credit: Google Earth
Shops
The nearest shop is a decent-sized Tesco Express on Market PI, just a 13-minute walk from the marina. For bigger shops, there’s a Tesco Extra near the train station, which is a relatively short walk away via the town centre.
If you don’t fancy walking, Tesco, Deliveroo, and various other delivery services will also come to the marina in Hull, so you’ve got plenty of options for reprovisioning (or just for a treat).
Time for some retail therapy? Princes Quay is a short hop over Castle Street Bridge and offers plenty of shops, restaurants, and activities for the family. Visitors might also want to check out St Stephens on Ferensway, Prospect Shopping Centre, or North Point Shopping Centre. The Trinity Indoor Market is also a must-visit, filled with independent stores selling everything from fresh meat and veg to coffee and confectionery. Head to visithull.org for more shopping destinations and guidance.
Things to do
As mentioned, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to retail therapy and shopping in Hull, but if you’re looking for more of an activity, you’ll be pleased to know there are also plenty of things to do near Hull Marina.
For starters, in Princes Quay, you’ll find a cinema, bowling, laser quest, escape rooms, and a ‘crazy club’. The Trinity Market is also highly recommended by locals and is conveniently located near the marina.
Of course, no trip to Hull would be complete without visiting The Deep. More than simply an aquarium, the Deep is incredibly active in marine conservation efforts, so you can rest assured that the entrance fee is going to good causes and also entitles you to a year of admission. It’s a landmark for a reason, and shouldn’t be missed!
The Hull is a famous and popular marine conservation aquarium in Hull. It also marks the point where you should radio Hull Marina to arrange access to the lock and harbour. Image credit: visithull.org
Hull also has a thriving nightlife, with many bars offering karaoke every night of the week – so you can pretty much always guarantee a singalong! There are some nice cocktail bars by Princes Quay and you’ve got plenty of other bars and restaurants on Humber Street, including a popular Brazilian barbeque restaurant. I can personally vouch for the food at The Minerva, which is a little further, but absolutely delicious and reasonably priced!
Review:
Hull has become one of my favourite marinas. Not just because everyone is so laid back and friendly that it’s almost annoying, or because the bars are relaxed and fun and let me sing my heart out at karaoke basically every night of the week, or even because the facilities were so clean and offered such wonderful attention to detail with free sanitary products and a layout that actually works. No, Hull is now one of my favourite places because this is the line where the accents in the UK seem to change from southern to northern. And I found this fantastic!
In addition, I loved that Hull is a very liveaboard-friendly marina. They actively offer a residential mooring package, which allows people who live on boats in Hull Marina to use the marina as their legal registered address.
Living on a boat in Hull Marina also entitles you to free council tax, one free wash and dry per week, one free pump out per month, access to lifestyle discounts, and more. As fewer and fewer marinas allow you to live aboard your boat, it’s refreshing to find a marina that makes residential mooring so easy, and we’d probably consider living in Hull Marina if we ever stopped cruising.
Would you stay again?
Yes, I would visit Hull again. However, I would pay more attention to the pilotage before attempting to sail the Humber and make sure to complete my radio checks before departing the previous port.
Opie’s Opinion
Before we close up our Hull Marina review, it’s time to hear from our liveaboard boat cat, Opie.
I liked Hull Marina; the pontoons were nice and big, and I found a way of getting ashore, so I had plenty of places to explore! I really liked the big Dutch barge that was moored next to us, and I think they also had cats aboard that I said hello to through the window (although they didn’t come out). I had lots of fun chasing the ducks on the pontoon as well, although I never caught one! I didn’t really like how noisy it was, though, particularly when people kept deciding to shout on/around the big bridge near the marina, because it echoed and was sometimes a little scary.
All members of the Sudana crew - human and feline alike - had a great time staying at Hull Marina!
Related Reading
Are you planning a boat trip around the UK? Check out some of our other marina reviews before planning your journey:
If you’re thinking of living on a boat or are buying a boat for the first time, you might also be interested in the following guides:
- Guide to living on a boat
- 10 tips for perfect marina birthing
- Boat finance options: how to pay for your next boat
We have a fantastic collection of boats for sale in Hull at boats.com. Or, if you're happier to shop a bit further afield, you can out all boats for sale here.
