Anchoring in Studland Bay (not seahorses)

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neil1967

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The weather looks fair this weekend, with s/SW winds, so I am considering venturing to Studland bay on fri or sat night. Grateful for any tips on where to anchor, hazards etc.

Thanks

Neil
 
Most people seem to anchor as close to shore as possible...it makes the long row back from the Bankes Arms afterwards a lot easier:)
 
Neil,

I have found the depth going into Studland goes to 10 feet and stays like that almost up to the beach !

Do be aware of the rocky bits in the centre close in and the sides though, no problem if one is a cautious type.

Studland is a lovely place, but avoid it in Easterly winds, and in Westerly gales when Katabatic winds ( known as ' rotors ' to glider pilots ) blow downwards off the cliffs so give one a hard time !

In normal conditions it's a treat to stroll though the woods, sit in the garden of the Bankes Arms and enjoy the view all the way to the Needles.
 
Seajet said:
Neil,

Studland is a lovely place, but avoid it in Easterly winds, and in Westerly gales when Katabatic winds ( known as ' rotors ' to glider pilots ) blow downwards off the cliffs so give one a hard time !
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A Katabatic wind is used to describe a wind that is created by cool air descending under gravity. In a westerly gale the wind is not Katabatic. Rotors are entirely different and describe how turbulence causes eddies in a wind stream. Normally seen on the top of a hill or under cliffs.

Anyway, make sure you drop anchor in a patch of sand where the holding is excellent. If you anchor in sea grass you'll likely drag.
 
Well I'm only talking from experience, both sailing and flying, I have been anchored at Studland and twice in many times in Studland Bay have had rather unpleasant katabatic effects where the ' rotor ' effect is dynamic and kinetic, very much so if one is on the end of it !

As for Eelgrass, not much around there as proven by BORG and SBPA, much to the chagrin of the one man Seahorse Trust.
 
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Low water is in the middle of the afternoon, but range is small, less than a metre so you will find plenty of water. As said it is fairly flat until close inshore. If it is a nice sunny day, your problem is likely to be finding space! - try to drop in bare sand rather than the eelgrass (not kelp) as it can be a problem to set through the grass.
 
Sunday morning, if it's nice a short walk to the top of the down towards Swanage is just the job.
Amazing views of Poole Harbour and the coast, then walk back around the coast via Old Harry and a pint in the Bankes Arms.
 
Seajet said:
As for Eelgrass, not much around there as proven by BORG and SBPA, much to the chagrin of the one man Seahorse Trust.
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Never sure whether you are serious or just ignorant. There is plenty of eel grass in the anchorage and it can cause problems anchoring, so visitors need to be aware of it.
 
Eelgrass is a problem for anchoring, and it is well worth looking around to find a patch clear of it. Most of the Southern end of the bay is quite heavily infested, but north and East of Red End Point (the low cliff and reef between South and Middle beach) it is much more patchy. Close in to the cliffs near Old Harry you will also find the even more noxious Jap Weed.

As for as Seajets Katabinetic breezes, the bottom line is that in a Westerly Gale there will be heavy and quite violent downdrafts into the bay, which can give you quite a bad time close inshore where you expect to be safe.

If you do anchor in the eelgrass area, RYA strongly advise that you use the engine to pull the boat up to the anchor when raising it. That way you avoid accumulating a huge and unmanageable mass of the stuff on the anchor, while at the same time ensuring you are not damaging the environment.

BORG/RYA is about to publish an full information leaflet on the location of Eelgrass in Studland, how to avoid it, and how to anchor safely in or near it. This should be available any time now, and the Dorset Wildlife Trust patrols will be distributing copies to boats in the Bay. A bit late in the season? Yes, well ask Natural England why they did not get off their backsides to provide the charting info we needed to get the whole thing going two months ago...
 
At lunchtime would suggest Manor Farm they have a nice cafe there (5 mins walk from Bankes Arms) - latter can get crowded on a nice weekend and food can be a bit average (I think anyway).

Jon.
 
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