Anchorage near Lymington

[SteveIOW]

Has anyone out there anchored in Oxey Lake off Pennington Marshes, Lymington. I'm bilge keel, only draw 1.1m and don't mind drying out at low tide. The two positions I am considering are the small channel up to Moses Dock or possible off 8 Acre Lake. Don't generally see any boats in this area but did see quite a large old yacht moored fore & aft in the channel at the entrance to Moses Dock 2 or 3 years ago. I presume entrance to Oxey Lake would be better from the South (Solent) than the East (Lymington River).
(Always looking out for quiet anchorages. Don't like Marinas or the changes taking place at Lymington Quay this coming Winter).

 

[scotty123]

Has anyone out there anchored in Oxey Lake off Pennington Marshes, Lymington. I'm bilge keel, only draw 1.1m and don't mind drying out at low tide. The two positions I am considering are the small channel up to Moses Dock or possible off 8 Acre Lake. Don't generally see any boats in this area but did see quite a large old yacht moored fore & aft in the channel at the entrance to Moses Dock 2 or 3 years ago. I presume entrance to Oxey Lake would be better from the South (Solent) than the East (Lymington River).
(Always looking out for quiet anchorages. Don't like Marinas or the changes taking place at Lymington Quay this coming Winter).

Why not use Keyhaven?

 

[SteveIOW]

Why not use Keyhaven?

Done Keyhaven many times. Looking for a change.

 

[Poignard]

This YouTube video might interest you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXnG5lZWs9o

Not having a chart or almanac handy I'm not exactly sure where Oxey Lake is, but I remember having a peaceful night anchored to the northeast of the entrance to Keyhaven many years ago; as close in as I could get. The wind was in the west and my boat draws 1.5m.

 

[scotty123]

This YouTube video might interest you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXnG5lZWs9o

Not having a chart or almanac handy I'm not exactly sure where Oxey Lake is, but I remember having a peaceful night anchored to the northeast of the entrance to Keyhaven many years ago; as close in as I could get. The wind was in the west and my boat draws 1.5m.

Just NE of the main entrance is Hawkers Lake, yet another entrance, bit exposed in a blow.

 

[SteveIOW]

Thanks for the responses though doesn't appear that other forumites have used Oxey Lake. (Maybe that should be telling me something). Never the less I intend to have a go at getting up to the Moses Dock channel sometime. Will go in at half flood when mud banks are still visible and channels more obvious. Doesn't appear to be any buoyage or withies. Pennington sea wall looks steep to so should be fairly easy to dinghy ashore at HW - and only 10 - 15 minutes walk to Chequers Inn at Lower Pennington. Always nice to have a pub to justify the effort.
Google found a good photo of a restored yacht off Moses Dock but me not clever enough to paste it into this thread.
.

 

[FairweatherDave]

As Poignard's video link shows, the DCA regularly use that spot for overnight rallies. I've walked round there because of that and thought it looked a nice spot for the night. I might be tempted to try and dry out where the DCA do (ie off the sea wall running nw to se) rather than go even shallower simply out of the fear of submerged stakes or whatever. Unless the DCA are there I reckon you will have it to yourself . I can't remember if we found the pub, it is quite a disorientating place, but it's not too far to walk into the outskirts of Lymington from there either.

 

[LadyInBed]

I assume that you have looked at Oxey Lake on Google Maps, it shows the channel quite well.
If you use OpenCPN, you could try using the Google Maps overlay to navigate the channel.

 

[LittleSister]

I often pondered the lack of boats there when I lived and sailed down that way.

I had a shallow draft long keeler, and wasn't entirely averse to drying out in mud. I remember walking round there and pondering a preliminary inspection by canoe or dinghy (I think this was before ready internet availability of aerial photography), but never got round to it.

Looks good for a quiet night. Enjoy!

 

[burgundyben]

Where is Moses dock?

 

[DJE]

Have you looked at Google Maps? They seem to have driven their Street View car all round the sea wall. Or maybe a camera on a bike - anyway some good pictures there.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Not directly relevant but before Google earth and maps came along I read that ditch crawlers, DCA and cruising Wayfarers favoured OS maps over charts for shallow water details, Dylan Winter called it Thin water sailing. I've got 1:50 000 on my computer but I reckon you would want 1:25 000'for that .

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Thanks for the responses though doesn't appear that other forumites have used Oxey Lake. (Maybe that should be telling me something). Never the less I intend to have a go at getting up to the Moses Dock channel sometime. Will go in at half flood when mud banks are still visible and channels more obvious. Doesn't appear to be any buoyage or withies. Pennington sea wall looks steep to so should be fairly easy to dinghy ashore at HW - and only 10 - 15 minutes walk to Chequers Inn at Lower Pennington. Always nice to have a pub to justify the effort.
Google found a good photo of a restored yacht off Moses Dock but me not clever enough to paste it into this thread.
.

Here you are :encouragement:

 

[SteveIOW]

Thank you for posting the photos. The first one is up beyond Moses Dock gate and even nearer the Chequers Inn pub. The second photo, with masts raised, is downstream of the gate. I think the vessel is a restored RN cutter which probably has lifting centre plate so little draft. Google Earth street view shows this same vessel at low tide. Lots of mud and not much water. I may anchor further downstream as suggested in earlier post.

Agree with comment that OS maps more useful than charts when venturing up creeks.