Darthaven Marina

What Darthaven Marina does

Darthaven Marina is a family-run full-service marine services business operating from Kingswear (Dartmouth, Devon) and Plymouth, England, with over 50 in-house marine professionals and 270 fully serviced pontoon berths on the River Dart. Founded in 1975, the company provides an integrated one-stop-shop offering across berthing, marine engineering, electrical work, shipwright services, boatyard lifting and storage, chandlery retail, and marine parts supply, serving both leisure boat owners (primary segment, SMB) and commercial craft operators as well as marine trade professionals. Its core technology and infrastructure comprise four sheltered pontoons with no tidal restrictions, on-site engineering and electrical workshops, a shipwright facility for woodwork, joinery, GRP and gelcoat repairs, lifting equipment (jib crane, forklift), a well-stocked chandlery, and trade counters at both locations.

The company is Volvo Penta's official Distributing Dealer for the South West region and holds authorised dealer relationships with Suzuki Marine, Yanmar Marine, Williams Jet Tenders, Raymarine, Garmin, Lowrance, Icom, Simrad, Navionics, Fusion, and Victron Energy, enabling it to deliver factory-approved servicing, warranty repairs, and genuine parts across a broad product ecosystem. Revenue is generated through multiple streams: recurring annual berthing subscriptions (£635/m LOA standard, £596/m QB & IB), usage-based visitor berthing (£3.90/m/night summer, £3.30/m/night winter), professional services (engineering, electrical, shipwright, boatyard), hardware and parts retail through the chandlery and trade counters, and Volvo Penta parts distribution via both physical and online channels. Distribution is direct at both marina locations and via mobile technicians across the South West, with an affiliated dealer network (FYB Marine, Twisted Marine, Advance Marine, AK Marine) extending service reach. CEO John Holman has 42 years of company tenure, underscoring the deeply embedded family-run character of the business.

Name

Darthaven Marina

Legal name

Darthaven Marina

Website

https://darthaven.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Darthaven Marina is a family-run, full-service marine business in Devon, England, operating 270 pontoon berths and offering integrated berthing, engineering, electrical, shipwright, boatyard, chandlery, and parts services across Kingswear and Plymouth under Volvo Penta distributing dealer status for the South West.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marina and Boatyard Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Docks & Floating Docks (Graving, Floating, Syncrolift) (IMAJALAA)

Keywords

• Marina berthing services
• Marine engineering
• Boatyard services
• Marine chandlery
• Shipwright services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartmouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Berthing Services: Annual berthing contracts with 270 fully serviced pontoon berths, visitor berthing (overnight and weekly), and seasonal berthing options for leisure and commercial vessels up to 20 meters in length.
2. Marine Services and Labour: Engineering, electrical, shipwright, and boatyard services including servicing, repairs, diagnostics, repowers, winterisation, and emergency call-outs.
3. Chandlery and Parts Retail: Retail sales of marine parts, tools, accessories, safety equipment, electrical components, plumbing fittings, cleaning products, sailing gear, and trade supplies. Also includes trade counter and bulk ordering services.
4. Boatyard Operations: Lift-out and relaunch services, quick lifts, survey lifts, pressure washing, vessel storage ashore, jib crane and forklift services, mast stepping, and transport coordination.
5. Volvo Penta Products: As Volvo Penta's Distributing Dealer for the South West, supplying genuine parts, providing expert services through engineers, and delivering technical support across the region with factory-approved servicing and warranty repairs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Darthaven Marina operates a full-service marina and boatyard at Kingswear and Plymouth in Devon, providing 270 fully serviced pontoon berths alongside integrated marine engineering, electrical, shipwright, boatyard, chandlery, and parts services for leisure and commercial vessels. As Volvo Penta's Distributing Dealer for the South West and approved dealer for Suzuki Marine, Yanmar, Williams Jet Tenders, and Raymarine, the company delivers a one-stop-shop solution across the vessel lifecycle.

Product overview

Darthaven Marina operates a unified full-service marina and marine services platform across two locations in Kingswear and Plymouth, Devon. The core offering combines premium berthing (270 pontoon berths) with an integrated suite of on-site marine services: engineering, electrical, shipwright, boatyard, chandlery, and parts supply. As Volvo Penta's distributing dealer for the South West and authorised dealer for Suzuki Marine, Yanmar Marine, Williams Jet Tenders, and Raymarine, the company provides a one-stop-shop solution for leisure and commercial vessel owners. The product portfolio is designed to address every stage of the boating journey from berthing and routine maintenance to complex repairs, repowers, and custom craftsmanship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berthing Services Premium marina berthing with 270 fully serviced pontoon berths offering annual and visitor mooring options, full tidal access, and comprehensive shoreside support for leisure and commercial vessels up to 20 metres in length.
• Marine Engineering Services
• Marine Electrical Services
• Shipwright Services
• Boatyard Services
• Chandlery
• Marine Parts Supply

Quantifiable outcome

• 270 fully serviced pontoon berths with no tidal restrictions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Volvo PentacoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Volvo Penta Distributing Dealer for the South West, heading up the Volvo Penta dealer network for the region. Provides factory-approved servicing, warranty repairs, diagnostics using genuine parts, and technical support across the South West.
• Suzuki MarinesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved dealer for Suzuki Marine outboards, stocking the full range of portable outboards for tenders, fishing boats and RIBs.
• Yanmar MarinesecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved dealer for Yanmar Marine engines and parts.
• Williams Jet TenderssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved dealer for Williams Jet Tenders.
• RaymarinesecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine electronics including chartplotters, radar, GPS, AIS, and autopilot systems.
• RaymarinesecondaryTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Raymarine for marine electronics installations and upgrades.
• FYB MarineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated dealer working in conjunction with Darthaven to deliver services across the South West.
• Twisted MarineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated dealer working in conjunction with Darthaven to deliver services across the South West.
• Advance MarineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated dealer working in conjunction with Darthaven to deliver services across the South West.
• AK MarineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated dealer working in conjunction with Darthaven to deliver services across the South West.
• GarminsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine electronics including chartplotters and navigation systems.
• LowrancesecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine electronics and fish finders.
• IcomsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine VHF radios and communication equipment.
• SimradsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine navigation and autopilot systems.
• NavionicssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine cartography and electronic charts.
• FusionsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine audio and entertainment systems.
• Victron EnergysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for marine power systems, battery chargers, and inverters.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dean & Reddyhoff: Dean & Reddyhoff is a family-founded South Coast marina group with berthing, boatyard, and chandlery services across multiple locations. Highly comparable as a family-built marina operator combining berthing, lifting, and on-site marine services — closely mirroring Darthaven's integrated model.
• Yacht Havens: Yacht Havens operates UK marinas with berthing, boatyard facilities, and engineering services primarily in Wales, the Bristol Channel, and the West Country. Directly comparable in combining pontoon berthing with on-site boatyard, chandlery, and engineering for leisure craft.
• Premier Marinas: Premier Marinas operates a portfolio of premium UK marinas along the South Coast (e.g., Falmouth, Port Solent, Gosport) with full berthing, boatyard, and engineering services. Directly comparable to Darthaven in offering premium annual berthing plus boatyard and chandlery services to leisure boat owners, though at materially larger scale.
• MDL Marinas: MDL Marinas is one of the UK's largest marina operators with locations including Mayflower Marina in Plymouth, directly competing with Darthaven for berths and service work in the South West. Comparable in offering annual berthing, boatyard services, and chandlery, and a benchmark for what scaled marina ownership looks like in the region.

Broad incumbents

• Camper & Nicholsons Marinas: Camper & Nicholsons is an international marina and yachting brand with marina operations and services across the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Comparable at the premium-marina and luxury-yacht-service level, though broader and more internationally focused than Darthaven's regional South West footprint.

Regional players

• Birdham Pool Marina: Birdham Pool Marina is a Chichester Harbour-based premium marina offering berthing and boatyard services. Comparable as a premium-leisure marina competitor, though serving the South East rather than Darthaven's South West catchment.
• Kingsbridge Estuary Boatyard: Kingsbridge Estuary Boatyard is a South Devon boatyard providing lifting, storage, and basic marine services near the Salcombe estuary. Comparable to Darthaven's boatyard, lifting, and storage operations within an overlapping South Devon catchment.
• Hamble Point Marina: Hamble Point Marina is a large Solent-based marina offering premium berthing and full boatyard services to leisure sailing customers. Comparable offering to Darthaven's integrated marina and boatyard model, though operating in a different regional market (Solent vs South West).
• Falmouth Marina: Falmouth Marina is a premium South West marina in Cornwall offering annual berthing, visitor berthing, and boatyard services. Comparable regional competitor within the same South West boating market that Darthaven serves from Kingswear and Plymouth.
• Sutton Harbour Marina (Plymouth): Sutton Harbour Marina is a Plymouth-based competitor offering berthing and boatyard services within the same city as Darthaven's Plymouth operations. Directly comparable for Plymouth leisure boat owners and a primary local competitor for visitor and annual berthing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/darthavenmarina
• Facebookfacebook.com/DarthavenMarina
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darthaven-marina-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/darthavenmarina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Darthaven Marina