Fishermen in Ramsgate Harbour will now have an easier job mooring their boats after the completion of a pontoon project.

Once a wooden structure the Outer Eastern Marina pontoons have been replaced by 11.5 metre steel modular sections which are designed to last 25-30 years.

The floating pontoons are part of Thanet District Council's Ramsgate Maritime Plan.

The developments cost a third of a million pounds with matched funding from the European Fisheries Fund.

They have a steel frame and use an expanded polystyrene core with aluminium bearers and fibreglass decking.

Harbourmaster Rob Brown said: “It’s all about improving the facilities for the customers from the fishing fleet.

“Ramsgate has the largest fleet in the south east, double the size of Whitstable.

“It’s a very difficult industry for them to maintain and the system we had was long in the tooth and needed to be replaced."

He said that business had picked up over the last year and developments have allowed for offshore development.

“We are busy and have increasing numbers for the leisure vessels, the fishing numbers are fairly static at the moment.

“The wind farm business is increasing again because of the Kentish Flats Extension and the properties we have owned and operated by Thanet council around our harbour have 100% occupancy in the arches.

“In a similar way you see gold stars for restaurants and hotels we have been graded as a four gold anchor marina which is very good news and there is only a small step for us to achieve five.”

Thanet Fishermen Association chairman John Nichols remembers phase one of the pontoon development 18 years ago, he said: “If we go back 20-30 years we were all on wet moorings and we had to row out to our boats to get aboard.

“Either that or go down the vertical ladders or go down ropes at the side of the pier.

“So when we originally put pontoons in it was quite experimental and we have come on a long way from there.

“The safety of the pontoons has improved a lot and this second phase is a vast improvement and we also have water and electric facilities going in.

“As far as the fishing industry is concerned there is a big upgrade where we moor up and access the vessels.”

Estuary Services spokesman Andrew Thompson said: “A future development is waiting - the pilots have our own boarding and landing platform in the pipeline which the council have match-funded with us for a nice slick operation throughout the day.”

Cabinet member for operational services Cllr Mike Harrison said: “Ramsgate is currently on the up and everyone is coming here because it is the place to be.

“There are 200 people employed in maintenance and the Harbour is bringing millions of pounds into the district.

“The carbon footprint has also been reduced here and the last year has seen a boom for Ramsgate.”