Do you have a question about the harbour and the rules? Please read these frequently asked questions first. If your answer is not among them, do get in touch with us via the contact form.
Visiting boats
What does a visitor berth cost?
The mooring fee is €1.60 per metre of boat length per night, excluding tourist tax, showers and electricity. An 8-metre boat pays €12.80 mooring fee per night. All prices for visiting boats and a worked example are on the prices page.
Do I need to book as a visitor?
Reservations are not possible. Call or message the harbour master before you come to ask whether there is space; in busy periods in particular the harbour is full.
Do you also rent out boats?
As a club we do not rent out boats.
Working duty for members
Am I required to do jobs as a member?
As a club we aim to keep berths affordable. We can only keep costs down if all members help to maintain the club. So yes, we have what is known as working duty. As a member you will be asked at most once a year to lend a hand on a Saturday morning or afternoon.
Waiting list
Is there a waiting list for a berth?
Like almost every other harbour, we are completely full and unfortunately operate a waiting list. If you would like to join it, you can fill in an application form on this website as a prospective member.
How long are the waiting times for a berth?
We offer our members berths in various sizes, and waiting times depend on the size of berth you want. We keep a waiting list based on the date of application. There is no telling how long you will be on a waiting list, because we almost never know when a berth will become free.
How do I know whether I am on a waiting list?
You are always welcome to email info@bovenhaven.nl to ask how you are recorded in our administration. We also state your waiting-list registration on the annual invoice.
How do I know where I stand on a waiting list?
You are always welcome to send a message to info@bovenhaven.nl to ask where you currently stand on the waiting list. Because members sometimes ask for a larger or smaller berth on a waiting list, your position may slip back a little, but it may also move forward more quickly. Those other members also have a date on which they joined the waiting list, and their request for a different size does not change your or their waiting-list start date. It may happen, though, that demand for your berth size suddenly increases, causing your position to slip back somewhat.
I am on a waiting list but want to change the size of berth I am looking for?
That is no problem: send an email to info@bovenhaven.nl and we will adjust our records. The date on which you joined the waiting list will not change.
I have been allocated a berth but want to turn it down?
You are of course free to do so, but under our articles we then move your effective waiting-list date forward by one year. Other members may therefore take priority over your position.
I have been allocated a berth but do not yet have a boat?
That is no problem. After allocation you have six months to arrange a boat. If the berth is issued outside the season, that six-month period starts at the beginning of the boating season. If you still have not taken up your berth after six months, it lapses and we reallocate it. The mooring fee paid is not refunded.
When are berths allocated?
A berth occasionally becomes free during the season. Most berths that become available do so at the end of the year, when members have decided to cancel their membership for the following year. This means that we reallocate most of the freed-up berths in December and January. If a berth becomes free during the year, we reallocate it straight away. You are always welcome to ask us where you stand on a waiting list, but there is no telling how long it will then take before a berth is allocated to you.
Berths
Berth dimensions
Your boat must fit the berth you have been allocated. The size of that berth may not be exceeded: the overall length and beam of the boat must fit within it, and the boat must not be significantly smaller either. We accept a boat that is up to about 10% shorter than the length of the berth; exceeding the length is something we really cannot allow. If it turns out that you have placed a boat of different dimensions, you can expect us to terminate the berth immediately. You will then have to remove your boat. The allocation of a berth is always for the board to decide, including any exemptions granted for good reason.
What does a berth cost?
The mooring fee depends on the width of the box, not on the size of your boat, and applies per calendar year. The membership fee is €31.50 per year, plus a one-off €15.75 registration fee. Our treasurer can give you more information about the prices of our berths. Send an email to penningmeester@bovenhaven.nl. All rates are on the prices page.
May I keep a berth if I no longer have a boat?
To claim a berth you are required to use it actively. This is necessary so that waiting times for other interested members do not become unnecessarily long. You may leave a berth unused for at most one season (six months); after that the berth lapses and is allocated to another member. See our articles of association.
May I sublet a berth or transfer it when I sell my boat?
No, that is absolutely not allowed, nor is it permitted under our rules. The berth is allocated to you as a member and you are responsible for it. As long as you do not cancel your membership we will continue to invoice you, you remain responsible for what happens at your berth, and we expect the boat lying there to be your property. If you sell your boat, you cancel your berth and it will be allocated to the next member on our waiting list.
I would like to swap berths — is that possible?
As a club we cannot help with this, as all berths are allocated. But if you and another member agree to swap berths, we would be glad to hear about it and will adjust our records. Please note: for both berths the boat must still match the berth in size. In practice, therefore, swapping is only possible between boats of similar dimensions.
Do you also offer storage?
No, we have no facilities for storing your boat. There is, however, a trailer slipway that you can use, in consultation with the harbour master, to launch a boat. The arrangement and the amounts from the harbour rules are listed under Winter storage on the prices page; ask the harbour master whether there is space in a given season.
If I buy a smaller boat, may it stay in my oversized berth?
If you buy a smaller boat whose dimensions no longer match your berth, you will have to apply for a different berth. You may end up on a waiting list for it. We do not allow a boat that is too small to be kept in your berth; berths must match the dimensions of your boat. We generally allow a tolerance of one metre.
Membership
By when must I cancel a berth if I no longer want or can use it?
Cancellations must be made before 1 December each year. After that we begin invoicing for the following year and you will receive an invoice for membership and mooring fees.
Cancellation is only possible (!) by email to info@bovenhaven.nl; this is the only way to cancel validly. It is important that you tell us whether you are cancelling only your berth or your entire membership. When cancelling you may of course also choose to join a waiting list for a different berth. You must then receive confirmation of that cancellation from us. If you cancel in any other way and/or do not receive confirmation from us, your membership continues. We must receive cancellations before 1 December each year; after that date you will be invoiced for everything you are registered for with us.
