Harbour operations

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Contact us

If you have a question or need any information about the harbour, please call on 01227 266 719 or email whitstable.harbour@canterbury.gov.uk

VHF (during shipping movements only): Channel 09
Open hours: 09:00 – 16:00 Monday to Friday
Weekend office opening (by appointment only): 09:00 – 16:00

Data protection

Harbour Board

The Harbour Board will make strategic decisions regarding the harbour land, property and marine safety. The membership is made up of five city councillors and four independent members. Minutes and agendas can be found here. In everything it does, the Harbour Board strives to:

Build a reputation for safety, reliability and friendly service
Be open, accessible and accountable
Create a profitable and sustainable commercial business which is financially self-sufficient
Be good communicators, regularly engaging with residents and stakeholders
Work with our community to make things happen

The overriding vision of the board is to support the fishing industry of Whitstable and provide a safe, welcoming, memorable and accessible Harbour that drives local business, protects our environment and delivers a positive social impact for our community.

View the Whitstable Harbour Strategic Plan 2024 to 2034.

Find information about Whitstable Harbour including safety plans and contact details here.

Visit by sea

Whitstable is a municipal harbour owned by Canterbury City Council, which is the duty holder responsible for safety under the Port Marine Safety Code.

Whitstable is a drying harbour turned over to commercial and fishing use only.

Commercial shipping

The harbour is classed as a Competent Harbour Authority (CHA) and as such vessels over 50m LOA must comply with our Pilotage Directions. There is no physical pilotage service available in Whitstable, it is done remotely by the Harbour Authority. The Passage Plan will be sent to the inbound ship for the Master to read. The Master must then respond directly to the Harbour Authority confirming that the plan has been read and understood before entry to the Harbour will be allowed.

Visitor berthing

Unfortunately, due to the size and nature of our harbour, no visitor berthing is available.

Small boat mariners caught in bad weather and unable to press on may be able to obtain refuge in the harbour. Just bear in mind that the approach is shallow, the harbour dries to soft mud at all Low Waters and that the walls are totally unsuitable for a small yacht to lean against without adequate fenders etc. Furthermore, strong onshore winds will send a swell into the harbour.

If you are not a berth holder and wish to visit us, please contact the Harbour Office to discuss any options or requirements.

Entering the harbour

Entry is made between the two quays – East and West.

In the closer approach you find the red can Oyster buoy (Fl(2)R.10s), leave to starboard. The narrow entrance to the harbour has a Dolphin structure just off the West Quay, (Fl.G.5s), while the extremity of the West Quay is lit with two fixed green lights arranged vertically. Similarly, the end of the Eastern Quay is marked with two fixed red lights arranged vertically.

When approaching or intending to enter the harbour, VHF Channel 9 should be used to monitor for any shipping movements and/or, communication with the harbour.

Fuel

Fuel is only available to harbour berth holders.

Bylaws

Bylaws are essential tools for the safe management of the harbour. While it is our policy to educate, it is unfortunate that prosecution action in the courts is necessary for those who refuse to behave in a responsible manner.

The Whitstable Harbour Bylaws can be found here.

Your preferred website links for:

Weather and tides

There are wide range of forecast and tide providers, each providing varying levels and type of information. Some suggestions are below.

Incident reporting

We aim to continuously review our safety policies and want to provide a good service to everyone, but things can go wrong. If this happens, we want to know about it so that we can put it right and stop it from happening again.

You can report any issues or complaints here.