Boaters say it is the “end of an era” as they leave a marina set to become a new housing development.

More than 50 people in Queenborough Creek, Sheppey, are having to find another place to dock.

It sits on land earmarked for 1,100 homes as part of a £400 million scheme to redevelop the area.

As work starts on the plan, those currently using the marina have been told to find a new home.

Gareth John, who lives in Rainham, has run his business Hurricane Charters from the marina for more than 15 years.

He organises commercial charter tours for sea fishing and seal watching in the Thames and Medway Estuary.

“It’s going to be a great loss,” he explained. “I'm here probably more than anybody else.

“I've known about the situation for quite a few years. We've sort of been on a stay of execution.

“You get a big lump in your throat and think, ‘oh god, what am I going to do?’ You try to sleep and think it'll go away.”

He added: “It's the community spirit we're going to lose.

“Once you get out of the gate and it’s locked, the chances of seeing people again are quite slim.

“It's a lovely, close-knit community. The neighbours keep an eye out and let you know if there are any problems. We’re going to miss that.”

With the majority of his customers on the Island, the 67-year-old hopes to keep his boat local.

He has a berth in Rochester but would have to travel 26 miles a day before he even starts a charter.

“It’s the distance that’s the problem. I also have to consider the time spent travelling and fuel costs,” he added.

Mick King, from Halfway, moored in April and already knew about the plans for the marina.

He is the owner of Medway Tackle Supplies, a fishing shop in Gillingham.

The 63-year-old has spent the last few months refurbishing a boat which is currently for sale.

He said: “This was only going to be a project and it was never going to be kept.

“The market seems to be a bit dead at the moment, so I'm gambling that it goes before the moorings disappear, otherwise I've got a problem.”

Jo Fray owns the lease for the land but the contract has not been renewed. She has been told they all need to leave by March 31.

She is currently helping the remaining 34 boaters out of 55 find new places to dock.

Jo then has a further six months to sell and remove the remaining pontoons.

The 59-year-old says she knew the time would eventually come, but is sad that it had to be now.

“It's been incredibly hard and is absolutely heartbreaking,” she added. “It’s been my life for the last 15 years. I can't even bear to think about it.

“I just have to crack on with the practical side and not think about the emotional side.

“It's an end of an era and an end of a way of life for us. We knew at some point everything was going to go.

“For the last few years, we've been on death row. We've had to fight for our last lease and then there were no more extensions.”

Her husband, Geoff, looked after Mantid Marina since the 1970s.

The brownfield land was once owned by a family who ran Klondyke Industrial Estate and allowed him to keep his boat there.

Geoff was able to develop part of the site into a marina and officially got a lease in 1999.

During 2014, Geoff had a stroke and Jo took over as manager.

However, his health declined and sadly the 76-year-old, who was an avid sailor and engineer, died in June 2023.

Now it is owned by the government's housing agency, Homes England and is part of the Queenborough and Rushenden redevelopment project.

The £400 million scheme will provide 1,100 new homes and up to two million square feet of commercial floor space.

A new school and “marine-related activities” are also planned. The original scheme included a marina.

Swale council was awarded £3.5 million in February 2018 to speed up the project.

One hundred homes have already been built next to First Avenue as part of phase one.

The contract to decontaminate the land where the marina sits for the fourth and final phase was signed in September 2020.

It is using £5.1m from a 2018 Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) to get the ball rolling following demolition of the former industrial estate.

However, not all hope is lost.

It is understood a local skipper is taking pontoons off Jo’s hands to create his own marina at the Coal Washer Wharf, which is accessed via Rushenden Road.

In the next few months, Nick Murray and his daughter Karen will be getting the space ready where the remaining boaters can choose to moor.