Of the Admiral, the King Piles and the Continuity of Berthon

BY DOMINIC MAY, BERTHON BOAT COMPANY

^ Aerial view of the boatyard and car park with work in full swing

Berthon’s history is long and may be traced from the Domesday Book of 1086 up until today. It is not an exaggeration to say that men have been building and repairing boats and ships at the Shipyard since Roman times. It is this history that informs the continual development of the business, which in turn provides those who work at Berthon with the means to continue in that tradition.

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< 180 ton crawler crane lifting a King Pile

A significant development which still provides a cornerstone of capability for the business was the build of Berthon Lymington Marina. One of the first marinas in the UK, then managing director David May researched the concept which was first pioneered in the USA.

After years of preparation, and no little difficulty, the marina was built. It was officially opened in May 1968 by Admiral of the Fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma. In his speech, he bemoaned “months and months to obtain the outline planning permission”, and “British Railways lost the trolleys; the G.P.O. lost the overalls; British Road Services lost the fittings for the toilet block; the Customs at London Airport lost the electrical fittings. What hope has our unfortunate country got of making a financial recovery in the face of such terrifying examples of incompetence and indifference.” Plus ça change.

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Almost sixty years on, the friendly Berthon welcome given to all yacht owners remains exactly the same, as do the full boatyard facilities and brokerage sales operation. Down the years the marina has been updated as time and the elements have taken their toll. However, for several years it has been apparent that the steel sheet piles were suffering from corrosion. Without a marina wall there is no marina.

^ Dominic May 2026

^ David May 1967

So, after extensive planning, in the autumn of 2025 Operation Berthon Marina Wall was on. With the exception of our lovely dockmasters, everyone working in the marina office building were evacuated to Berthon’s boatyard offices. The ground was cleared to provide the space needed for the VERY BIG machinery and more that a civil engineering project of this scale requires. And plans for protecting our clients’ precious yachts on site, both afloat and ashore were actioned.

The contractor, Knights Brown, then got on with the job driving 14-metre-long King Piles and 12-metre Z piles. Alas, the steel piles themselves were manufactured overseas in Luxembourg, a direct result of UK de-industrialisation caused by the highest energy costs in the world. These new piles have been topped with a reinforced concrete capping 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep. The coping stones above the beam were manufactured in Northern Ireland: each weighs 175 kg, about the same as 1,200 bananas! All paid out of retained profits built up from the company’s cautious financial management.

It was a huge and VERY LOUD undertaking.

^ King Piles lined up in the car park

As a family business, now run by the fourth generation of the May family, Berthon thinks in terms of decades not months or years. So, this new marina wall is not only good for another 60 years, but for at least 75 years.

Civil engineering of this scale is never delicate. However, Berthon remained open and operational throughout, and care was taken to tread as lightly as possible on the planet. The EcoSheetPiles were manufactured using recycled steel saving around 1,500 tons of carbon when compared to traditional steel manufacturing.

Lord Mountbatten’s 1968 speech talks of “plug in telephone at individual pontoon berths, an ice making machine, and even Carmen hair curling rollers”, which were all part of Lymington Marina’s forefront of technology offering, at a time when walking from car to yacht was something new and unique in the UK. Marina of the Year in 2021, Berthon has the 5 Gold Anchors badge of excellence recognising high standards across all aspects of marina operations. Maintaining these standards demands exceptional client service, high quality facilities, safety, and environmental responsibility. High speed WiFi, secure berthing, ample parking, great washrooms, 24-hour security, and more are all part of Berthon Lymington Marina’s armoury. Its natural advantage of the prime location in the heart of the Georgian town of Lymington, with easy access to the Solent and beyond, comes with excellent transport links.

^ John, Marina Manager at Berthon Lymington Marina

From Carmen hair rollers to super-fast broadband, this new marina wall is part of the continual evolution of Berthon, ensuring that it remains relevant for yacht owners. Constant investment provides the platform to deliver the best service. Importantly, the Berthon crew care more, whether taking your lines on a blustery day, servicing your yacht’s engine, or replacing her teak deck. Delivering excellent service levels is a continuous voyage and Berthon has been on this passage since incorporation in 1877.

Since 1968, Berthon Lymington Marina has been home to thousands of yachts which have crossed oceans, raced inshore and offshore, and enjoyed cruising our lovely local waters of the Western Solent. Thousands more yachts will seek the comfort, enjoyment and shelter of the 2026 Berthon marina wall. And yacht owners will continue to enjoy the unique and very warm Berthon welcome that only a family business can provide.

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