Trafalgar Wharf, Portsmouth
Trafalgar Wharf is a busy place in Portsmouth where boats are built, fixed, and stored. It's like a big workshop and parking lot for all sorts of boats! Many different businesses that work with boats, from those who make sails to those who help buy and sell boats, are located here. It used to be called VT Halmatic shipyard. In November 2023, a company called Premier Marinas bought the site. They also run the Port Solent marina nearby.
A Look Back in Time
In September 2008, a company called Trafalgar Wharf Ltd took over this site. They renamed it Trafalgar Wharf. Before that, it was known as the VT Halmatic shipyard. This shipyard was famous for building smaller Royal Navy ships, like fast patrol boats and corvettes.
The company that owned it before, BVT Surface Fleet, moved their operations. This meant the shipyard changed hands. Over the years, the site has grown a lot. It now has one of Europe’s largest indoor storage areas for over 300 small boats. It also offers special repair and maintenance services for big commercial ships and private yachts.
On November 23, 2023, Premier Marinas bought the site. This added Trafalgar Wharf to their group of 10 marinas and boatyards along the South Coast. The whole area is now known as Premier Trafalgar Wharf. It has become a central spot for many different marine and non-marine businesses.
What's There Now?
The Premier Trafalgar Wharf site is about 22 acres big. It is located in the upper part of Portsmouth Harbour, right across from Port Solent. The company plans to keep its focus on marine work, mixing lighter boat trades with heavier industrial tasks.
The site offers lots of space for marine businesses. There are buildings of all sizes, from a huge main shed that is about 400 feet long, to smaller individual offices. Many companies work here, some with views of Port Solent Marina.
Indoor Boat Storage
Premier Trafalgar Wharf has a special indoor dry stack boat storage. This is available for motorboats, sportfishers, and RIBs (rigid inflatable boats) that are between 4 and 13 meters long. It is owned and run by Premier Marinas.
Their friendly team can lift two boats every 10 minutes! They use three large forklifts, each able to lift 42 tonnes. These forklifts even have cameras to help the team see better. This allows them to lift boats up to 65 feet high and lower them 25 feet down. It's much easier than launching and recovering a boat from a trailer. Trafalgar Wharf can hold up to 380 boats. This makes it the UK's largest indoor dry stack facility.
