Sojourn cut short by high berthing rate

High casual berthing rates at Albany’s $71 million Waterfront Marina continue to drive away passing sailors, according to the crew of a visiting yacht.

Melbourne couple Kerry and Linda McGorlick have spent nearly three years sailing around Australia and arrived in Albany last Wednesday aboard their 15m yacht, Sojourn, which means “short stay”.

But their planned two-week visit will be cut short when they sail away on Saturday because the Department of Transport-managed marina’s casual berthing rates are the highest in the State.

“I can’t walk so we need to go to marinas and in the knowledge of that we had to work on a budget, which was $1300 a month maximum,” Mr McGorlick said.

“(Prices) do fluctuate but we’ve only exceeded that fee once, and we understand that casual rates are more expensive.

“However, the daily rate here is absolutely outrageous.”

The McGorlicks are being charged $112.80 per day to pen their vessel, which adds up to $789.60 per week – more than half their monthly marina budget.

In contrast, they paid only $35 per night in the heart of Melbourne at Docklands Marina and $37.70 at Townsville’s state-of-theart cyclone-proof facility.

Other daily rates at world-class marinas include $49 at Mackay and $53 at Able Point.

In December, the DoT said it would reduce rates 33 per cent after it was revealed only 12 paying vessels had stayed at the facility since it opened in July 2011.

The department failed to respond to queries regarding the gazettal of new prices before publication yesterday.