Summer Update 2023
Leisure
Our summer 2023 leisure season is now well underway. Visitors to the town continue to venture to the harbour area taking in the vibrant sights and sounds. There is always a buzz around the place .
The Wick Flower Baskets tubs are looking lovely, adding colour around the harbour and throughout the town. The committee work hard planting and maintaining the displays – a big thanks from us ! 
Eswyl Fell is co-ordinating the WRBCC project to paint the fishermen`s sheds at the harbour, ably assisted by Alex Paterson and some others. The sheds are looking great – well done. 
photo courtesy of Eswyl Fell
We have had a great start to the season with some super weather which always helps, welcoming visiting yachts from various parts of the UK and from throughout Europe. Some great feedback from visitors about our marina, the service from staff, the friendliness of locals both on the marina and in town. Here is Wick Marina local lesiure user Eddie Todd, presenting a recent visitor Rhiannon Keating with a Caithness flag .
Rhiannon said ” I would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone we met in Wick Marina – and Wick! – for extending to us such a fabulous and warm welcome”.
“The marina staff – including the guys who helped us refuel – and other boat holders that we met, could not have been more friendly and we both look forward to visiting again.
Being gifted a Caithness flag was so brilliant and it will remain on Merin as a great reminder of our visit – thanks Eddie “.
Some more recent feedback …….
“Thank you so much for all your help and kindness while we have been at Wick. We`ve enjoyed it so much – such a lovely town with so many friendly people “.
“You have a harbour and marina to be proud of – the best we have met on our round Britain trip”.
” Your showers and toilets are spotless – thank you. We also made use of your new laundry facilities – this is great to have on site”.
” We always return to Wick each year – you have a super marina and we are always assured of a warm welcome”.
Earlier in the year we installed new laundry facilities for visiting marina customers. This has proven to be welcomed amongst users.
Wick RNLI Harbour Day June 24 2023
We were blessed with the hottest day of the year for Harbour Day which was extremely well supported as always by the local community and businesses. The fantastic sum of £14,100 was raised for the local station. Thanks to everyone who made the day such a success.
courtesy of Alan McGee Photography
Harbour Day 24 June 2023 photo courtesy of Eswyl Fell
Outer Harbour
A regular comment we hear from potential business clients and visitors is what a tremendous asset we have in Wick Harbour. Inner Harbour remains extremely busy with our valued commercial customers ( fishing and various windfarm craft ) sitting alongside other stakeholders. For some time the board have been looking at ways to capitalise and make use of the vast relatively empty space we have in Outer Harbour to enable our business to expand. This is ever more important as we see a significant increase in new business opportunities in connection with future windfarm activity just off our coast. Our plan is to make Outer Harbour a year round berthing harbour. Despite some setbacks, the board will continue to investigate all available options and funding streams to achieve this aim.
Cargo
Cargo traffic in 2023 has been quieter than normal, however over the next few months we will have a number of shipments with pipe cargo. In late 2023 – early 2024 we expect shipments of onshore wind components.
Fishing
Our local shellfish fleet has recently expanded by a further 3 new vessels, however the industry remains challenging with price fluctuations and a general scarcity in crab at this time of year. Visiting scallop dredgers have been regularly landing which gives the harbour a welcome boost.
Windfarm Activity
This is the busy maintenance period out on the windfarms – several extra vessels are in the harbour to support this work. We look forward to continuing to develop this aspect of our business as future windfarm activity increases.