21 metre houseboat must leave Brighton Marina at licence end

Ian Simpson moved down from Buckinghamshire after buying the 21 metre vessel which was berthed in the marina’s West Jetty.

The 55-year-old was accompanied by his son, who started his A-levels in the city, and had plans to transform his wine company into a wine tasting boat tour business.

Ian said he “wasn’t aware" that he would have to leave when he bought the boat, Eclipse, for £130,000 in December 2020.

Ian Simpson is in a race to make his boat seaworthy for when it has to leave

He told The Argus: “It’s destroyed my life, totally and utterly destroyed every aspect of my life. I have not been able to run my business and it will be difficult to get that going again.

“My son has moved away. He was at Bhasvic doing his first year of A-levels and I couldn’t guarantee we were going to be here next year so, rather than not know where he will end up, he went to live with his aunt.

“He is starting his A-levels all over again which is disastrous for him and my relationship with him.”

The marine operations side of Brighton Marina is managed by Premier Marinas.

The berth Eclipse is currently situated at

Ian said the company offered him a one-year berth contract in January 2021 but he rejected this. He said he may have needed to move the boat for refurbishment and a month-to-month contract gave more flexibility.

Then in August last year, he said he was told he was “expected to leave the marina soon after she (the boat) is back in the water".

He said he was told the berth had been sold. He emailed the marina manager saying he had wanted to stay and he feared there had been a “miscommunication” over this.

Ian said that in October the marina said he could stay until the end of January this year and extended it to the end of May for the boat to be made seaworthy.

Ian purchased Eclipse for £130,000 in December 2020

On July 1, a trespass notice from Premier Marinas' lawyers, Shoosmiths, confirmed that Ian’s licence would not be renewed and if it remained past July 19, the presence of the “vessel in the marina will be a trespass”.

The law firm has now said the boat can stay until July 29.

Ian is now paying nightly berth rates, which are nearly £128 a night, compared with a monthly rate of £724.20.

Ian said he has been a “model tenant” and he cannot think of a reason why the boat must go.

He said: “I occasionally play a bit of music but I get on with the neighbours, I get on with all the staff. I have paid all my invoices on time, I’d say I’m almost a model tenant.

The boat has been on a month-to-month contract

“I don’t know where I go from here, I even approached Dover recently. I’m going to have to think about going South West.

“The boat has been here for 20 years, it’s never been to sea. I bought it as a houseboat with the idea of making it seaworthy. It’s just nasty, I can’t really establish any good reason for why the boat has to go.

The boat must leave by July 29

“I am massively depressed if you want the honest truth, I burst into tears the other day. I’m suffering, I’m not just saying that for effect, it has ruined my life and I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Premier Marinas was approached for comment on why the boat has to go and how long it has planned to sell the berth.

It said it would not make any comment due to the situation being a "private and ongoing matter”.