Dry Port

Oh my, boats are levitating instead of sitting on water. A visit to Dieppe is bound to surprise you. The reason behind such an unusual sight on Pollet Island is that the town never lacks imagination when it comes to finding effective solutions to its problems. Well, let us explain. Dieppe’s marina is located in the heart of the town’s historic centre. It boasts top-quality facilities and is always accessible, irrespective of the tide. Indeed, the harbour’s 3 wet docks, with a capacity of around 550 berths, were no longer enough to meet the growing demand from yachtsmen of all kinds. Dieppe had to innovate in order to overcome this congestion and promote the development of its nautical activities. In November 2015, the city opened a dry port, a parking area for boats on land. The 4-level dry dock is like a large garage, with boats stacked on top of each other in racks. No less than 292 boats, measuring up to 7.40 metres, can be stacked or deployed in less than 5 minutes, thanks to a control system operated by the port’s technicians. This remarkable naval facility is as impressive as the place in which it is located. As a matter of fact, Dieppe’s dry port is the first in France to have been built in the heart of a dry dock. Derived from the verb “radouber”, which means to repair, the term ‘dry dock’ refers to a form of dock in which boats can be stacked for refit or cleaning. Originally 110 metres long, Dieppe’s dry dock was extended in 1967. Nowadays, it measures 18 metres wide, 9.50 metres high and 125 metres long. From its former function, which ended in the 1980s, to the one it fulfils today, the site also has the unique distinction of having been used as a performance ‘hall’ for a unique concert given by the philharmonic orchestra of the Opéra de Rouen Haute-Normandie in 2010. The Dry Port of Dieppe has been extremely well received by yachtsmen, and is concrete proof that technological innovation and heritage preservation are not incompatible. Quite the contrary!