‘It would be a disaster if Bristol Marina’s boatyard closed’

Davina Lund has devoted 37 years of her life to building Bristol Marina’s boatyard up from a derelict site, to a thriving business.

But she fears the whole operation, and many others who rely on its services, could be in jeopardy after the council revealed plans to alter the lease and seize back a chunk of the space.

Walking around the boatyard in the winter morning sunshine, Davina stops to talk to boat owners and workers she passes, clearly as much part of the fabric here as the working harbour is a part of the city’s heritage.

“This loss of space will mean the boatyard will quickly become unprofitable,” she says.

“We won’t have the space for the many commercial boats in the harbour, such as the Tower Belle and Bristol Ferries, to be maintained, repaired or safety checked.  They will have nowhere else in the harbour to go.”

The boatyard is the last in Bristol with a working lifting dock and this provides a crucial revenue stream, but Davina says the proposed changes mean they won’t be able to accommodate the bigger vessels anymore.

“We have already got a waiting list for space and need more room as it is,” she continues.

“We have experienced, qualified staff but we would not be able to sustain those jobs with a reduced income. We cannot run the business at a loss.”

Laura and Davina of Bristol Marina’s boatyard fear the changes could put the entire business in jeopardy

The boatyard’s Laura Appleby added: “They are not the kind of vessels that can go elsewhere, so it puts the whole of the harbour in jeopardy.”

A chunk of the boatyard land is needed for a new project at the adjacent dry dock.

While details remain shrouded in secrecy, Bristol City Council has stressed that the area is not under threat and says the intention is to ensure it continues to provide services for vessels in the harbour.

But Davina believes the changes will have a devastating impact on the boatyard, operators and harbour users.

Bristol Marina’s boatyard, with the dry dock behind

“The council encouraged me to start this business and develop the facilities almost 40 years ago,” she says. “It was back in June 1980 that we opened. I was the one with the vision to take on a pretty much derelict site.

“This would be a personal disaster, because I have devoted my time to developing it and now someone wants to destroy it.”

Davina, who started out as a boat builder in Bristol harbour, adds: “Back then, I was told I was mad to take on a boatyard this size – 200 berth is considered the minimum needed to break even – but with the three revenue streams, we have made it work.”

She says the support both locally and nationally across the marine world has been fantastic. A petition launched to save the boatyard has received 743 signatures to date.

Rough diagram showing the land the council wants to take back from the boatyard

A council spokesman said: “The dry dock is an important part of Bristol’s fabric and is not under threat. Our intention is to make sure that it continues to provide services for vessels in the harbour and subsequently bring benefits to the surrounding ship and boat building businesses.

“We’ve now selected a preferred tenant to operate the dry dock following a tender process and are currently working through the many complex issues involved in agreeing and completing such a lease.

“We hope to be able to make a formal joint announcement shortly, but would like to highlight in the meantime that local boat owners will still be able to access the water and the slipway will remain accessible.”

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