Important dredging work at Hafan Pwllheli marina in North Wales has been scheduled for 2018. The plan to dredge the harbour entrance and the main channel to maintain its design depth has already been agreed. Work on clearing the entrance of silt using land-based machinery will start on 9th April. This is expected to take a few weeks.
The following month a tug boat equipped with bed leveling machinery will be employed to remove any bumps in the main channel that runs through the outer harbour. Dredging will then stop over the summer months to minimise disruption to berth holders.
More extensive dredging of the marina basin itself is then planned for October 2018. This was last carried out four years ago when 90,000 cubic metres of dredged material were removed from the harbour.
Wil Williams, Hafan Pwllheli Marina Manager said: "We are pleased to report that dredging of the entrance will begin in April, moving on to the channel levelling work in May. This is routine work and part of our ongoing maintenance programme. During the winter months we can get a build up of silt at the entrance and high spots in the channel. This has to be remedied periodically. Once this is complete, the entrance and channel will be returned to the designed depth of 0.5m below Chart Datum, providing excellent access to the marina for most yachts at virtually all states of the tide.
"Later in the year, we will commence work on dredging the inner harbour and marina basin. This is a major undertaking because boats at the marina will have to be moved to alternative pontoons during each phase of the dredging programme. However, we feel this work is important to ensure that our facilities continue to be of the highest standard."
