Yarmouth Harbour

What Yarmouth Harbour does

Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners (YHC) operates Yarmouth Harbour, a statutory harbour authority on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, serving recreational sailors and boaters transiting the Western Solent. The harbour is positioned as the most westerly harbour on the Isle of Wight near The Needles, making it a structural waypoint for vessels entering or leaving the Solent and crossing the English Channel. The physical asset comprises over 150 daily visitor moorings (finger berths, walk-ashore and non-walk-ashore pontoons) plus 35+ mooring buoys accessible at all states of tide, with on-water berthing master assistance delivered via VHF Channel 68. Core infrastructure includes a fuel berth, water taxi service (VHF Ch15), free WiFi (SSID: YarmouthHarbourWiFi), modern shower and toilet facilities with disabled access, a launderette, and the Cockpit Essentials retail shop selling provisions, local Isle of Wight products (Wight Distillery gin, Solent Spirit rums, Tipsy Wight vodkas), and branded souvenirs. The harbour also operates the Grade II listed 1876 Yarmouth Pier, with pier tolls funding maintenance, and the Roundhouse Museum at the pier's end.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams. Visitor mooring fees are charged on a transaction/per-night basis for overnight and short stays (up to 4 hours), with electricity hook-up at £5 per night. Long-term visitor (LTV) moorings operate on monthly subscriptions with separate summer (April-September) and winter (October-March) pricing tiers, ranging from £15.57 to £60.41 per metre per month depending on berth type. Additional income streams include the on-site Cockpit Essentials shop, the YHC T-Shirt Shop e-commerce brand on Teemill, launderette tokens, fishing permits (daily, weekly, six-month, and twelve-month), pier tolls, and Roundhouse Museum admission. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer: on-water berthing masters allocate moorings to arriving vessels, the Harbour Office Reception handles walk-in enquiries, online pre-booking is available via the eHarbours portal for vessels up to 14m LOA, and email-based Rally Coordination handles organised groups of 5+ vessels in partnership with Yarmouth Sailing Club. The customer base is dominated by individual recreational sailors and boaters from the Solent, South Coast, West Country, Ireland, Channel Islands, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia, supplemented by commercial boat trip operators (Needles Pleasure Cruises, Waverley Paddle Steamer, Secret Service Charters, Yarmouth Boat Charters) and reciprocal yacht club members from the Royal Solent Yacht Club network of 50+ clubs. The harbour attracts over 100,000 visitors annually.

Name

Yarmouth Harbour

Legal name

Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners

Website

https://yarmouth-harbour.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners is a statutory harbour authority on the Isle of Wight, UK, providing over 150 visitor berths, long-term monthly moorings, and ancillary services (fuel, water taxi, retail, launderette, fishing permits, pier tolls) to recreational sailors transiting the Western Solent. It attracts 100,000+ annual visitors supported by an on-water berthing master service and eHarbours online booking portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marina and Harbour Services

NAICS

Marinas (713930), Port and Harbor Operations (48831)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ferry Terminal, Port & Passenger Handling Services (THAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Shore Excursion & Port Services Operators (THAKAEAE)

Keywords

• Marina berthing services
• Visitor mooring facilities
• Harbour authority operations
• Pontoon and buoy moorings
• Marine visitor amenities

Headquarters

HQ city

Yarmouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Visitor Mooring Fees: Daily berthing fees for visiting vessels including finger berths, walk-ashore pontoons, non-walk-ashore pontoons, and mooring buoys. Berths allocated on arrival or pre-booked online. Electricity hook-up charged at £5.00 per night. Fees vary by season and mooring type.
2. Long-Term Visitor Mooring Fees: Monthly berthing fees for long-term visitors (LTV) running on a pay-monthly basis. Available for summer (April-September) and winter (October-March) periods. Includes non-walk-ashore, walk-ashore, and finger berth options at different price points.
3. Cockpit Essentials Retail Shop: On-site retail shop selling provisions, toiletries, local Isle of Wight products including Wight Distillery gin, Solent Spirit rums, Tipsy Wight vodkas, ice cream, snacks, marine supplies (butane gas, lubricants), and Yarmouth Harbour branded souvenirs (mugs, caps, T-shirts, hoodies, towels, burpees). Also offers cashback services.
4. Launderette Services: Coin-operated laundry facilities available to visiting seafarers and the public. Tokens purchased from Harbour Office Reception. Includes washing machines, dryers, and steam press iron.
5. Fishing Permits: Daily and weekly fishing permits sold from Harbour Office Reception for fishing from Yarmouth Pier. Six-month and twelve-month permits available by application.
6. Pier Tolls: Toll fees collected for walking along Yarmouth Pier, a Grade II listed structure built in 1876, to fund maintenance and restoration.
7. Roundhouse Museum: Museum at the end of Yarmouth Pier offering discovery centre about the pier's history, restoration projects, and sealife.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yarmouth Harbour, operated by the Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners (YHC), provides visitor berthing and mooring services at the most westerly harbour on the Isle of Wight, including finger berths, walk-ashore and non-walk-ashore pontoons, and mooring buoys accessible at all states of tide. The harbour offers long-term visitor subscriptions, on-water berthing master assistance, fuel, water taxi, electricity hook-up, modern shower and toilet facilities, free WiFi, launderette, and a Cockpit Essentials retail shop. It also coordinates rally group visits, tourist information, fishing permits, and pier access to the Grade II listed Yarmouth Pier.

Product overview

Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners operates a unified harbour management service offering visitor berthing facilities with over 150 daily moorings, comprehensive on-site visitor facilities including showers, Wi-Fi, launderette, and a retail shop, combined with integrated partner services for cycle hire, car hire, and local attraction coordination. The core offering encompasses berth allocation via Berthing Masters, water taxi transport, berthing assistance, rally coordination for group events, and online pre-booking through the eHarbours portal. Ancillary retail operations include the on-site Cockpit Essentials shop and the YHC T-Shirt Shop e-commerce site powered by Teemill. Navigation support is provided through harbour maps, tidal charts, and Tourist Information Point services. Long-term visitor moorings are available on a monthly subscription basis for both summer and winter seasons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visitor Moorings Allocation of over 150 visitor berths per day at Yarmouth Harbour, including finger berths, walk-ashore pontoons, non-walk-ashore pontoons and mooring buoys accessible at all states of tide. Berths are assigned by Berthing Masters on arrival via VHF Ch68 or pre-booked online. Targeted at visiting sailors and motorboaters arriving from the Solent, South Coast, Channel Islands and Northern Europe for overnight stays, short visits and sailing holidays.
• Long-Term Visitor Moorings Pay-monthly subscription berthing available in summer (April-September) and winter (October-March) periods across non-walk-ashore, walk-ashore and finger berth tiers at competitive monthly rates. Targeted at boat owners seeking extended, recurring berthing at Yarmouth on flexible terms with automatic renewal unless terminated by either party.
• Harbour Facilities (Showers, Wi-Fi and Launderette) On-site visitor amenities including modern shower and toilet facilities with disabled access, free WiFi (SSID: YarmouthHarbourWiFi), and a coin-operated launderette with washing machines, dryers and a steam press iron. Tokens for the launderette are purchased from Harbour Office Reception. Targeted at visiting seafarers and members of the public using the harbour.
• Cockpit Essentials Shop One-stop retail shop in the Harbour Office Reception selling refreshments, toiletries, local Isle of Wight products (including Wight Distillery gin, Solent Spirit rums and Tipsy Wight vodkas), ice cream, snacks, marine supplies (butane gas, lubricants) and Yarmouth Harbour branded souvenirs (mugs, caps, T-shirts, hoodies, towels, burpees). Also offers cashback services. Targeted at visiting seafarers and walk-in customers.
• YHC T-Shirt Shop Online retail store selling locally designed Yarmouth Harbour branded T-shirts for men, women and children, operated through the sustainable Island company Teemill at yarmouthharbouryhc.teemill.com. Targeted at harbour visitors, sailing enthusiasts and customers seeking Yarmouth Harbour branded apparel.
• Water Taxi Service Water taxi operating on VHF Channel 15 and via telephone on 07969 840173, transporting visitors between their moorings and the shore within the harbour area. Targeted at visiting seafarers requiring transport between their vessel and shore facilities.
• Berthing Assistance (Berthing Masters) On-the-water Berthing Master assistance meeting vessels at the harbour entrance on VHF Channel 68, allocating moorings and helping with manoeuvring and berthing positioning. Targeted at all visiting vessels, including less experienced crews and larger yachts needing safe mooring support.
• Rally Coordination Service Coordinated rally hosting service for organised groups of 5+ sailing vessels, offering dedicated rally pontoon berthing with discounts and partnership services with Yarmouth Sailing Club for flexible dining, BBQs, buffets, bar services and entertainment. Arranged via [email protected]. Targeted at rally organisers and yacht clubs running multi-vessel cruises and regattas.
• Online Berth Booking (eHarbours Portal) Online portal (portal.eharbours.co.uk) for pre-booking finger berths at Yarmouth Harbour for vessels up to 14m LOA, with bookings opening in January for the year ahead and payment required at time of booking; cannot be made within 48 hours of arrival. Targeted at self-serve sailors and motorboaters planning ahead.
• Tourist Information Point Information centre at the Harbour Office stocking free leaflets, brochures, local maps and guides about Isle of Wight attractions and activities, in partnership with Visit Isle of Wight and local businesses. Targeted at visiting sailors, accompanying families and walk-in visitors planning trips around the Island.
• Electricity Hook-Up Electricity hook-up service available on finger and walk-ashore pontoons, charged at £5.00 per night, with electrical splitters available for hire if required. Visitors supply their own power cable and water hose. Targeted at visiting vessels requiring onboard power during overnight and long-term stays.
• Fishing Permits Daily and weekly fishing permits sold from Harbour Office Reception for fishing from Yarmouth Pier, with six-month and twelve-month permits available by application and post. Targeted at recreational anglers fishing the Solent for species including bass, mackerel, bream and cod.
• Yarmouth Pier and Roundhouse Museum Yarmouth Pier is a Grade II listed structure built in 1876 offering pier access (with tolls to fund maintenance and restoration), plus the Roundhouse Museum at its end — a discovery centre about the pier's history, restoration projects and sealife. Targeted at visiting seafarers, day-trippers and tourists exploring West Wight.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 visitors attracted annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Solent Yacht ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Royal Solent Yacht Club is located on Yarmouth seafront with unrivalled views of the Western Solent. The club runs sailing and cruising programmes, hosts regattas including the Taittinger RSYC Regatta and Folkboat Week, and welcomes visiting sailors from over 50 reciprocal clubs. The partnership provides reciprocal hospitality and drives visiting sailors to Yarmouth Harbour.
• Yarmouth Sailing ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYarmouth Sailing Club is a volunteer-run inclusive club and RYA Training Centre offering dinghy sail training and power boat training. The club hosts Scows Week and annual regatta, and partners with the harbour on rally services including flexible dining, BBQs, buffets, bar services, and entertainment for visiting groups.
• Visit Isle of WightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Isle of Wight tourism website featuring Yarmouth Harbour and West Wight events. The partnership provides cross-promotion of harbour events and tourist information to visitors planning trips to the Island.
• Wight Cycle HireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCycle hire provider based in Yarmouth offering collection and return of bikes at Yarmouth Harbour Office. Provides discount to harbour visitors and promotes cycling routes in West Wight.
• Enterprise Car ClubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCar hire service available from Yarmouth Harbour Office via app-based booking. Provides vehicle rental for visitors needing transportation to explore the Island beyond walking distance from the harbour.
• West Wight Landscape PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the establishment and maintenance of the Sensory Trail on The Green next to Yarmouth Sailing Club, an educational nature trail teaching visitors about the Western Yar Estuary, harbour, and West Wight landscape.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Falmouth Harbour: Falmouth Harbour is a statutory harbour authority providing marina and visitor berthing services in Cornwall. Comparable to Yarmouth Harbour as a regional harbour authority with visitor mooring focus and English Channel/Celtic Sea cruise traffic.
• Poole Harbour Commissioners: Poole Harbour Commissioners is a statutory harbour authority operating a major leisure and commercial harbour on the South Coast. Comparable to Yarmouth Harbour as a UK harbour authority with a similar port/marina management role and seasonal visitor focus.
• Merlin Quay Marina (Hamble): Merlin Quay Marina (formerly Hamble Point Marina) is a Solent marina offering visiting and long-term berthing. Direct competitor to Yarmouth Harbour for transient and long-term leisure moorings in the central Solent.
• Haslar Marina: Haslar Marina is a large Solent marina offering visitor and residential berthing, chandlery, and boatyard services. Comparable to Yarmouth Harbour as a comparable Solent-based leisure mooring destination, though at a larger scale.
• Lymington Yacht Haven: Lymington Yacht Haven is a Solent marina offering visitor moorings, long-term berthing, and chandlery services. It directly competes with Yarmouth Harbour for Western Solent cruising and cross-Solent leisure traffic.
• Cowes Yacht Haven: Cowes Yacht Haven is a major marina located on the Isle of Wight, directly comparable to Yarmouth Harbour in providing visitor and long-term leisure berthing in the Solent and targeting a similar yacht club and regatta-driven customer base.

Regional players

• Wightlink Ferries: Wightlink operates ferry services adjacent to Yarmouth Harbour at The Quay. While not a marina competitor, it is a regional peer sharing the same waterfront and customer base and contributing to overall harbour-foot traffic.

Broad incumbents

• Premier Marinas: Premier Marinas operates a portfolio of UK marinas and yacht harbours, including on the South Coast. Comparable to Yarmouth Harbour as a competing leisure berthing operator with broader geographic scale and established marina brands.
• MDL Marinas: MDL Marinas is the largest UK marina operator with a national portfolio of marina and berthing facilities. It is a broad incumbent peer to Yarmouth Harbour, providing the same core service — leisure berthing and marina facilities — at significantly larger scale across multiple sites.

Others

• Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Training Centres: RYA Training Centres are a network of sailing and motorboat training centres. Yarmouth Sailing Club is an RYA Training Centre operating from Yarmouth Harbour, making this peer an ecosystem partner for training-related mooring demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yarmouthharbour
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yarmouth-harbour-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Yarmouth Harbour