Last week the Quay Marinas/Dean & Reddyhoff Bangor marina closed, a victim of the COVID-19 Government restrictions in Northern Ireland.

As Afloat reported previously, the Five Anchor Marina on Belfast Lough announced that from this Spring it would become part of a single marina group, boatfolk.

With access to the pontoons and the marina building forbidden when strict social distancing measures were introduced a week ago, the company is introducing a new loyalty scheme for all customers who have signed up for an annual berthing licence from 1st April 2020 to March 2021. They will receive an automatic credit on their account, equivalent to 50% of their April berthing fees. So this month’s berthing will be half price. In a few weeks’ time, the scheme will be reviewed and if it is thought the right thing to do, there will be “top up” again in May if the lockdown continues.

This latest communication says “As a business, we believe our responsibility to our berth holders and our customers comes before anything else and we are passionate about operating ethically. When strict social distancing measures were introduced a week ago, the government guidance meant we had to close our marinas to our customers; something we thought we would never have to do. We quickly made the decision to pay our staff 100% of their wages in April (even if they are not working), and we are continuing to pay our suppliers and our landlords in full and on time. This is the right thing to do as we must all support each other to come through this period united”.

For those who have not yet confirmed a berth for the year, but do so by Friday 10th April, they can either take the credit as a discount off the annual berth this year, or “bank it” to use over the next 12 months on a range of services, including boatyard lifting and storage, boatcare services, or to put towards next year’s berthing fees. 

The marina teams are checking lines and fenders each day and keep the marinas shipshape.