Replacing the ageing commercial fishing pontoons at Saint Peter Port in Guernsey with a like-for-like heavy-duty pontoon system, retaining the trusted layout while delivering a smarter, safer operational berth for the island’s fishing fleet.
| Client | Guernsey Ports |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Where | Castle Emplacement, Fish Quay, St Peter Port, Guernsey |
Situated on Guernsey’s east coast, St Peter Port is a picturesque harbour steeped in history. The Castle Emplacement sits at the seaward end of St Peter Port harbour, with Castle Cornet as a backdrop. Long used by the island’s fishing fleet, the quay has evolved from a sheltered anchorage to a modern operational berth.
The project supplied eight heavy-duty pontoons with a 500mm freeboard, each unit measuring 9.575m × 2.4m.
Manufactured in Ireland, the pontoons were transported by road to Poole and then shipped to Guernsey for final positioning by the Guernsey Harbour Technical services team. From initial conversations and design through to site surveys, all items aligned with the quay, fixing piles and bridge connections as planned.
The pontoons arrived on programme, ready for deployment, however, due to local workload factors, the final fitting into place was delayed. Once underway, the harbour’s technical team reported the units were easy to build up and connect, with fixings and interfaces lining up as designed.
The design encompasses durable construction for high-use, all-weather working berths with continuous rubber D-fendering, removing the need for ad-hoc tyre fenders used on the previous pontoon arrangement, along with a consistent layout to minimise operational change for skippers and crews.
“We are extremely happy with the rubber D fendering which has proved to be very successful and has removed the tendency for tyre fenders to be hung along the edge as per the previous pontoon,” says Martyn Stanfield, Head of Technical & Estate Services, Guernsey Harbours and Airports.
The new pontoons offer a robust and durable solution at a key working quay, as well as reduced maintenance and improved day-to-day usability for harbour teams and vessel operators.
“It provides a new smarter operational berthing solution for the fishing fleet, and I am sure that we will look at Inland and Coastal for future upgrades on the Fish Quay,” adds Stanfield.
This 2025 upgrade blends the area’s working heritage with robust, low-maintenance infrastructure to support safe and efficient operations for years to come.
It provides a new smarter operational berthing solution for the fishing fleet, and I am sure that we will look at Inland and Coastal for future upgrades.
Martyn Stanfield, Head of Technical & Estate Services, Guernsey Harbours and Airports.
