thecommander
Well-Known Member
Hello there,
We've recently purchased our first sailing boat - a Beneteau First 235. We're really pleased with her but the hunt for affordable South Coast moorings begins... :ambivalence:
Ideally we're looking for moorings in Poole Harbour, however we would consider Christchurch or Southampton. I've looked at Lakeyard and Salterns swinging moorings, both of which are very competitively priced and offer a good array of boatyard services. I'm inkling towards Lakeyard, because that part of Poole harbour 'seems' more sheltered and has alot less passing traffic. SWBO likes the idea of Salterns as it seems like the more complete package (bar, restaurant, hotel, shops etc), but I'm reluctant to moor the boat anywhere near what claims to be the most exclusive marina in England!
However, we're both very concerned about the security of swinging moorings, particularly in Poole Harbour. The boat was recently fitted (by the previous owner) with new and expensive electronic equipment and we're concerned this could be stolen. She would would be fully insured, but the idea getting anything stolen or damaged scares us, almost to the point were I am considering installing a GPS tracker which emails me the boats position every 10 minutes. I'm also worried about leaving a relatively small and light boat (23ft) on a mooring in a large body of water considering how much traffic there is in Poole Harbour, some of which throws up alot of wash. I would be very interested to hear readers opinions on this matter.
I suppose the main thing to add is that we cannot afford South Coast marina prices as our budget for annual moorings and storage is around the 2k mark. MDL Cobbs Quay would be looking over 3k, which seems extortionate considering it's behind a bridge.
The cheapest marina we can find is Kemps Quay who would be looking around 2k. I quite like Kemps, but it's semi tidal and can be a trek to the Solent. I suppose comprises have to be met.
Any advice or ideas would be very much appreciated, thanks.
We've recently purchased our first sailing boat - a Beneteau First 235. We're really pleased with her but the hunt for affordable South Coast moorings begins... :ambivalence:
Ideally we're looking for moorings in Poole Harbour, however we would consider Christchurch or Southampton. I've looked at Lakeyard and Salterns swinging moorings, both of which are very competitively priced and offer a good array of boatyard services. I'm inkling towards Lakeyard, because that part of Poole harbour 'seems' more sheltered and has alot less passing traffic. SWBO likes the idea of Salterns as it seems like the more complete package (bar, restaurant, hotel, shops etc), but I'm reluctant to moor the boat anywhere near what claims to be the most exclusive marina in England!
However, we're both very concerned about the security of swinging moorings, particularly in Poole Harbour. The boat was recently fitted (by the previous owner) with new and expensive electronic equipment and we're concerned this could be stolen. She would would be fully insured, but the idea getting anything stolen or damaged scares us, almost to the point were I am considering installing a GPS tracker which emails me the boats position every 10 minutes. I'm also worried about leaving a relatively small and light boat (23ft) on a mooring in a large body of water considering how much traffic there is in Poole Harbour, some of which throws up alot of wash. I would be very interested to hear readers opinions on this matter.
I suppose the main thing to add is that we cannot afford South Coast marina prices as our budget for annual moorings and storage is around the 2k mark. MDL Cobbs Quay would be looking over 3k, which seems extortionate considering it's behind a bridge.
The cheapest marina we can find is Kemps Quay who would be looking around 2k. I quite like Kemps, but it's semi tidal and can be a trek to the Solent. I suppose comprises have to be met.
Any advice or ideas would be very much appreciated, thanks.
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