Now Sovereign Harbour has a fishing quarter and boatyard, shops, restaurants and bars, alongside homes, a primary school and medical centre.

The Harbour and boating needed professional management and the opportunity aligned with other waterside living allowed around the country.

This tied Eastbourne to other leisure and commercial marinas along the South Coast including Brighton, Chichester and Port Solent.

[2] The tidal Outer Harbour is only used for entrance to the marina through twin sea locks, which are operated 24 hours a day.

Directly adjacent to the locks (and the office) is a fuel pontoon where self-service pumps for diesel and petrol are found.

There is also an amenities building which provides toilets, showers and laundry facilities to visiting and resident berth holders.

[5] Visiting yachts normally contact the harbourmaster via VHF before arrival for information including tides and depths of the dredged channel.

Residential properties are about evenly split between the North and South harbours, with the waterfront (restaurants, bars, and shops) laying between them.

[8] At the western shore of the Inner Harbour is the waterfront, with restaurants (including Harvester), coffee shops, estate agents, and chandlery.

Directly behind this waterfront the large sheds are located for winter storage for yachts, and boat repair shops.

The Tamar class[11] all-weather lifeboat, namely The Diamond Jubilee 16-23,[12] is normally anchored in the Outer Harbour but can occasionally be seen moored in one of the locks during particularly bad weather conditions.