Royal Quays Marina

Visitors to our Royal Quays Marina at North Shields are often surprised by the variety of craft using the marina. In addition to the usual recreational boats which are the mainstay of the marina, the marina also supports a wide range of commercial users which reflect the shipbuilding, maritime and fishing traditions of the area.

Currently the marina is home to a colourful fleet of visiting trawlers of up to 25metres in length. The boats from ports such as Killkeel in Northern Ireland, Fleetwood, Whitehaven and Scottish ports have joined local boats to fish the for "Nethrops" prawns, better known as Langoustine. The north east coast is Britain's second largest fishery for this species.

The fleets lands their catch at the nearby North Shields Fish Quay and uses the safe and secure facilities of the marina basin to take fuel and lay up whilst taking a well earned rest and trip back home or to seek refuge from winter gales. The fishery lasts from October through to March each year. Unfortunately most of this delicious catch is transported straight to the dinner tables of France and Spain!

In addition the marinas boatyard is widely used for lift out by the local fishing fleet. Local builders of specialist commercial workboats also use the facility to launch, test and commission their craft. We also see many vessels on passage including Survey Boats, Rescue craft, RNLI lifeboats, Fishery Protection and Navy patrol vessels. All add to the variety of life found at Royal Quays.