Moorings in Lancashire coast and Morecambe Bay

The Lancashire coast and Morecambe Bay run from the Ribble estuary north past Lytham and Fleetwood, then round the bay to Barrow-in-Furness and Walney Island. Moorings on the Lancashire coast and Morecambe Bay are mostly in docks held afloat behind locks, with drying creek moorings on the Ribble, Douglas and Wyre.

Marinas on the Lancashire coast and Morecambe Bay

• Preston Marina: in the former Albert Edward Dock, opened in 1892. The lock opens from one hour before Liverpool high water to two hours after, between 7am and 8pm, with at least 24 hours' notice.
• Fleetwood: the marina lies in an enclosed dock at the mouth of the Wyre, entered around high water. FJ Ports took over the port and marina from Associated British Ports in September 2026.
• Glasson Basin: Glasson Waterside and Marina has about 150 berths at the seaward end of the Lancaster Canal's Glasson Branch, entered through a lock from Glasson Dock.

Creek and drying moorings

• Hesketh Bank: Douglas Boatyard, on the tidal River Douglas, has drying and floating berths that can be reached a couple of hours either side of high water.
• Skippool Creek: Wyre Council lets moorings on the River Wyre on licence, and Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club is based here.
• Wardleys Creek: mud berths on the east bank of the Wyre, about four miles from the river mouth, home of Wardleys Yacht Club.
• Lytham: Ribble Cruising Club is based here on the Ribble estuary.
• Barrow-in-Furness: there are mooring buoys in the Walney Channel, and Roa Island Boating Club has its clubhouse by the pier on Roa Island.

Tides and access

Morecambe Bay is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, about 120 square miles, with a spring tidal range of around 10 metres. Every harbour here is worked around high water, so passages are planned to the tide tables.

At Glasson, the dock gate normally opens 45 minutes before high water and closes at high water, and 48 hours' notice is needed. The gate was removed for repair after failing in 2024 and a replacement is not expected before 2027, so check with Lancaster Port Commission before planning a passage to sea.

Inland connections

• Ribble Link: opened in 2002 and run by the Canal & River Trust, it climbs Savick Brook through nine locks to the Lancaster Canal. Passage is booked ahead and runs from April to October.
• River Douglas: leads from the Ribble to Tarleton Lock, at the foot of the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
• Glasson Branch: two and a half miles from Glasson Basin up to the Lancaster Canal.

Who runs the harbours

• Preston Dock: Preston City Council works the lock gates and swing bridge.
• Fleetwood: FJ Ports, part of Fox Group, is the harbour authority.
• Glasson Dock: Lancaster Port Commission is the harbour authority, and the Canal & River Trust works the basin lock.
• Barrow: Associated British Ports is the harbour authority.

The harbours further north, from Ravenglass to Maryport, are covered under the Cumbria coast.