Two ports up for grabs
Fed up with extortionate berthing fees? If so here’s a chance to buy your own harbour. The first one comes with its own archipelago, air strip, and money from lettings… all yours for just £400,000.
The second is a Grade II listed 18th Century port complete with beaches, sail training business and holiday lets… yours for £1.5 million.
The first opportunity centres around two main islands 25 miles north east of Lerwick, Shetland and extending to about 600 acres in all. The estate agent croons: ‘Wonderful seabird life. Regular ferry crossings. For sale as a whole or in 5 lots.Out Skerries forms a remote and beautiful island group. Housay and Bruray are the two main inhabited islands and they are linked by a bridge. In early summer the islands are covered in wild flowers and they are particularly famed for their splendid bird life. The sea around the islands provides excellent fishing with mackerel,flounder,lobster and crabs in abundance. There are a full range of school facilities up to A-level on the island.
‘The main islands are held under crofting tenure. the Crofting community have been offered the opportunity to register their interest inacquiring the property but have formally declined from doing so.’
The second is Charlestown in Cornwall, the old China Clay port, which has been gentrified and kept aesthetically pleasing by charging any yachtsman who isn’t sailing a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter so much to enter and leave that no-one actually goes there unless their lazaretto smell of spunyarn.
Again the estate agent trills: ‘A rare chunk of Cornish maritime history has just come on the market. Charlestown Harbour, an enchanting, yet fully functional, Grade II listed 18th Century port, near St Austell on the south coast of Cornwall, is for sale. The package includes properties, the waterfront, beaches and the operational and business assets of Square Sail, a specialist charter; marine training and marine film company and owner of two historical square rigged sailing ships.
‘As an added bonus, this unique marine freehold property and business portfoliooffers considerable scope for residential and commercial property development(subject to the necessary planning consents).
‘One of the few remaining British ports still in private ownership, Charlestown Harbour’s setting is not just idyllic, but is also income generating in a number of different ways. As well as rent from commercial property within the original unspoilt harbour, such as the two weighbridge buildings and the quaint roundhouse at the end of the harbour, there are also water rights from Charlestown lakes, plus car parking, and an ice cream pitch.
‘Further income comes from 1.5 acres of land used as car parking for harbour activities, an ancient access tunnel leading from the harbour to the Heritage Centre, moorings and film location hire fees.’