The team at Boatshed Plymouth hope that you and your boat, if you have one, are fairing OK with this very wet and windy weather we’ve been having. Now is the time of year when most of the boats in Plymouth take a break. Some are left in readiness for the odd nice winter’s day but the majority are either lifted out and safely tucked up in a yard or snugged down in the water with lines doubled up and stores removed.

If you have a little time to spare over the long dark evenings there is something you could do for all boat owners and users in the South West.
Boatshed Plymouth have teamed up with Pete Goss and the Exeter based Finding Sanctuary project to ensure that local boaters interests are taken into consideration when the government designates new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in the South West region as part of the Marine and Coastal Access Act. These MCZ's aim to protect and conserve the biodiversity of our seas, by managing how areas of the sea are used. However, they may result in restrictions of some boating activities in certain locations, which has the potential to affect your current activities, whether you use power boats, sailing boats, dinghies, pleasure boats, commercial boats, or whether you dive, windsurf or are an angler.

How do you get Involved?
Beth Henshall, Finding Sanctuary’s Recreational Boating Assistant Liaison Officer is asking anyone who uses the waters around the South West to get in touch to share information about how they use the sea, and to have a voice in this process. She is completing very short interviews, which gives you the opportunity to mark on Charts exactly where and how you use the sea, and the areas which are most important to you. This information will then be taken into consideration during the MCZ planning process, to ensure that any impacts to your current boating activities are minimised. Alternatively, you can visit the Finding Sanctuary online interactive map, to share your information online.

To contact Beth call her on 07709 495629

It is however only 3 weeks till the nights start getting shorter and we can look forward to the lighter evenings! Spring always sneaks up on all of us with boats but for yacht brokers it seems to get earlier each year. If you have a long to do list on your boat and you need to know where you can get a particular thing, certain jobs done or want to check out yard or marina options in the Devon area then have a look through our links page or give us a quick call, we’re always happy to help out if we can.

We know the winter is also the time of year when people start thinking about buying or changing their boat and with the Boatshed boat sales system browsing for your new toy couldn’t be easier, no tramping around cold and drafty yards, no long journeys to see a boat that doesn’t really match up to what you want. We try to be as honest and open as we can about each boat we have for sale. With up to 70 photos of each boat for sale plus a very detailed description and inventory you can get a really good idea of the boat without moving from your computer screen.

But we don’t leave it there, here at Boatshed Plymouth we like to make sure that you have as much information as possible about the boat you are interested in so feel free to call and ask us all about her. We will also send you high resolution pictures so you can get a better impression of the boat and if there’s something you want to see but can’t we‘ll nip down to the boat and get a picture for you. We know how busy you are and how cold and wet it can get in Devon in winter so we’d hate you to make a special journey to view any of our boats for sale in Plymouth or Devon and find out she’s not what you expected.

If you have a boat to sell or would just like to get an idea of what your boat is worth then give us a call or complete this on line form and we’ll get back to you. We operate on a 'no sale no fee policy' and with the power of the internet our ‘shop’ is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. It’s amazing how many people get in touch over the Christmas break about boats for sale and once we get into January interest really starts to increase.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to send all our customers old and new best wishes for the festive season and good luck for the boating year ahead.

Tony, Amina & Kedge (the sea dog)

Boatshed Plymouth
Western Hangar, Lawrence Road, Mount Batten, Plymouth, PL9 9SJ
Tel: 01752 426 106