Situated along Lower Street in the village of Horning, Southgates Boatyard & Marina is a long-established marine repair, servicing, and mooring facility on the River Bure. Operating along a high-density navigation reach of the northern Norfolk Broads, craft berthed, dry-stored, or undergoing routine maintenance here require thorough structural checks and technical audits to ensure long-term hull integrity, mechanical safety, and compliance with Broads Authority navigation standards.
SafeGuard Marine Survey provides completely independent small craft surveying services directly on-site at Southgates Boatyard & Marina . Whether you require an out-of-water pre-purchase survey, Ultrasonic Thickness (UT) NDT hull gauging on a steel river cruiser, or an insurance condition report for a classic wooden Broads vessel or GRP motor launch, our evaluations deliver clear, actionable guidance with zero commercial ties to hosting yards, brokerages, or local moorings.
Haul-Out & Hardstanding Infrastructure: Accommodates slipway launching, mobile craneage, undercover shed storage, and dedicated hardstanding block-out for classic timber craft, river cruisers, and private motor launches. Out-of-water surveys are strictly coordinated with yard management to guarantee complete, unhindered physical access to the baseplate, forward and aft swims, keel structures, stern gear, rudder assemblies, and underwater hull fittings.
Surface Preparation & NDT Access: Facilities support high-pressure washing and the removal of freshwater weed, silt accumulation, and degraded bottom coatings along the wind-and-water line. This clean surface preparation facilitates precision ultrasonic transducer coupling for non-destructive plate thickness testing and allows for accurate silver/silver-chloride reference electrode mapping for stray current corrosion audits.
Moorings & Site Facilities: Features secure basin dyke moorings and river quay-headings equipped with 240V shore power access, fresh water points, full marine engineering workshops, and bankside servicing. Located directly off Lower Street on the River Bure, the site provides straightforward navigation access toward Wroxham, Ranworth Broad, Acle, and the wider Broads network.