Edinburgh Marina - dredging contract dismay

(Published in Yachting Life in 2007)

The directors of Edinburgh Marina, the pontoon management company at Granton jointly owned by Forth Corinthian and Royal Forth Yacht Clubs, got a nasty shock by e-mail from the appointed dredging contractors, (who had carried out a satisfactory program in Spring 2006), less than 2 weeks before their vessel was due on site on 6/7 May this year.

They regretted their inability to fulfil the contract as the dredger had been sold earlier that day to another operator, who later confirmed they had other plans for their new purchase, leaving Edinburgh Marina well and truly ‘dumped’.

David Boyd, Chairman of Edinburgh Marina, spoke to us with some obvious frustration, 'No other dredger has been found at such short notice, and while Edinburgh Marina believes it has an option to seek damages from the defaulting contractor, the plain fact is that our maintenance dredging program has been disrupted through actions beyond our control. It’s a huge disappointment to all of us as we enter an extremely busy season, and I know the owner clubs will do all that they can to reduce any inconvenience, particularly at major events. Over the years the clubs have invested tens of thousands of pounds beyond the income from user fees, to create and maintain a really useful facility which has transformed the leisure usage of Granton Harbour by members of the two home clubs, and hundreds of visitors from near and far. This current setback will not deflect us from our aim of continually improving the pontoon facility at Granton.'