Long-term moorings in Whitby

Whitby is a harbour town on the North Yorkshire coast, at the mouth of the River Esk. Moorings in Whitby are all let by North Yorkshire Council, which owns and runs the harbour: marina pontoons in the upper harbour above the swing bridge, and drying chain moorings below it. About 350 leisure craft are kept here.

Moorings in Whitby

• West side, upper harbour: single berths and the double-berthed main pontoon, dredged to 1.5m below chart datum, with water, electricity, gated access and parking permits.
• East side, upper harbour: the double-berthed Church Street pontoon, with water and electricity, and the party pontoon, where passenger boats have priority.
• Drying pontoon: the southernmost pontoon, double berthed, for boats that can take the ground.
• Lower harbour: drying chain moorings at Tate Hill, St Annes and St Mikes. Tate Hill and St Annes are let from 1 April to 31 October only, and St Mikes all year.

Berths are allocated from the council's waiting list, which is joined with an application form. The berthing season runs from 1 April to 31 October and winter mooring, 1 November to 31 March, is optional. Berth holders sign a contract and must show third party insurance of at least £3,000,000.

On the water

The harbour limits run upriver as far as Ruswarp Weir. Boats call the watchkeepers on VHF channel 11 before entering. The entrance channel is kept, as far as possible, at 1.4m below chart datum, and the council advises small craft not to enter in strong onshore winds from the north-west to the east.

• Swing bridge: every upper harbour berth is above it. It opens on request on channel 11, on the hour and half hour, for two hours either side of high water only.
• Waiting: a boat arriving outside those times waits at the fish quay or the waiting pontoon on the east side.
• Speed: the council gives a limit of 8 knots between the entrance and Scotch Head and 5 knots everywhere else.
• Services: marine diesel, a pump-out on the Trident pontoon, showers, laundry and a slipway usable at most states of the tide.

Floods and closures

The swing bridge, built in 1908, stuck repeatedly in the hot weather of summer 2026. The Whitby Harbour Users Group was told in July 2026 that major maintenance is planned for 2027, with closures lasting months, though not continuous and outside the main summer season. No dates had been published then, so berth holders above the bridge should ask the harbour office how openings will be affected.