Anchoring overnight on Windermere

catlotion

catlotion

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Hi Windermere sailors,

The wardens recommend that you don't anchor overnight on the lake but we'd like to anchor somewhere up near Wray Castle as we have friends staying on a campsite nearby.

We've anchored near there before during the day and couldn't see a real problem but does anyone have any tips for location or technique please? We've rowed the kedge anchor out from the stern before but thought maybe it's best to use both anchors on the bow in a separated pattern? (large danforth and small bruce).

The main issue I can think of is getting close enough to get a decent scope laid and then avoiding swinging aground if the wind changes overnight... Setting a stern anchor to prevent swing could cause other problems in this scenario?

not too experienced with anchoring I'm afraid so any tips welcome (to help us get a little sleep that night!)

cheers,

Toby
 
I've anchored on the lake before now and it hasn't been a problem. Even in strong winds, you don't get the swell that you get on the sea. Why is swinging a problem? Are you likely to be close to other boats? Obviously, not anchoring near moorings (in case you get tangled up in the mooring ground tackle) would be a sensible precaution and make sure you're not anywhere near the route that the ferries take, but in terms of holding, pretty much anything reasonably heavy seems to be fine in most of the conditions that you'd want to sleep overnight in. Can't remember what the bottom is like near Wray Castle. You could always set the GPS (if you have one) to sound an alarm if you drift more than a certain distance, but in my (pretty limited) experience, you'll feel the noise / vibration throgh the whole boat if the anchor starts to drag.
 
I've had Danforth, grapnel and fisherman's (yes!) on boats on the lake and they all seem to hold. Most of the lake bottom is rocky so you seem to get a decent hold whatever you chuck over.
If you aim for about 12 or 15ft to anchor in you won't need a lot of scope so swinging is no problem. I wouldn't try to kedge the stern as when the wind changes (it will) it will become uncomfortable and noisy.

As suggested, if you can set an alarm on gps that would be handy, but don't set it too meanly as the swing at anchor can activate it if it's gusty.

Best to have an anchor light
4.12 A vessel at anchor in or near a fairway, shall carry forward where it can best
be seen, a white light visible all round the horizon at a distance of at least
1 mile. This byelaw shall not apply to vessels and boats when at their
permanent recognised moorings, if those moorings are out of the fairway.
Click to expand...
Also be careful just where you anchor
17.2 No power-driven vessel shall be navigated for pleasure purposes in that
part of the lake known as Pull Wyke Bay west of a straight line drawn
between (O.S. NY 369 024) on the northern shore of the bay and (O.S.
NY 368 021) on the southern shore of the bay between 1 March and 1
August in any year.
Provided that it shall not be an offence under this byelaw for any person
to navigate under power in the said Bay for the purpose of mooring or
leaving a mooring lawfully granted by the South Lakeland District Council
or for the purpose of making lawful access to and from the shore.
17.3 a) No vessel shall be navigated for pleasure purposes propelled
otherwise than by hand in that part of the lake known as HighWray Bay
to the west of a line 88.39 metres in length marked by buoys drawn
between the boathouse on the northern shore of the bay (O.S. NY 376
005) and the boathouse on the southern shore (O.S. NY 377 004)
b) The area specified in paragraph (a) of this byelaw shall at all times
be a public bathing place.
Click to expand...
Sometimes weed can be a problem.

CrashCourse.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must have missed the original post in 2007. The boat was going astern and the lad in the striped top was the author of the accident.
 
We spent 4 nights anchored off Wray Castle last August when freinds were on the campsite. Holding was excellent with a plough and 5 x scope.

I believe anchoring is frowned upon, however no one challenged us for the whole time. If conditions get a bit sticky you can always run for cover on the jetties at Ambleside.

Be careful in the bay, it shallows really quickly and there are a couple of big rocks just under the water about 10m out. (Just to the left of the inflatable). I crunched 3 props in 4 days, more than I have done in the last 15 years :mad:

WinAug12.jpg
 
Lakesailor said:
There's two in front of the ferry :D
Click to expand...

Two behind as well.

I know there was an electricity cable in Wasdale, Not working now They are having difficulty putting it under the road.

and I think there is a BT one in Crummock water.

Thought it was the reason why they didn't like you anchoring in Windermere.
 
They used to say you weren't allowed to, but if you read the by-laws it is not mentioned as being illegal. In fact the one I quoted specifically mentions anchoring at night.
 
We anchor overnight a lot on the mere , Wray castle bay has a clay base with canadian pond weed , providing you cut through the weed , it holds well.
We only put out one anchor (35kg Delta) but we are a big froth blower so we need it.
I find the best bit of that bay is to get fairly close into what looks like a V shaped cutting. We stayed over there a few weeks ago and had the glorious thrill of watching a dog otter feeding only 75 yards from us as we sipped our morning coffee
Regards
Rob
 
I slept in my little old fishing boat on Windermere loads of times. I usually used a bay up at the north west end, whose name I have forgotten, because it was shallow and full of weed. The weed held the boat still as much as the anchor did! It was always very quiet and generally went flat calm as soon as it went dark.
I once made the mistake of anchoring up for the night near the island by the ferry, to be woken up at about 1am by people water ski-ing in pitch darkness through the moorings! I suppose with the 10mph speed limit that doesn't happen any more.
 
We have anchored O/N just to the South of Wray Castle without problem. We went fairly close in but could just as easily anchored in deeper water.

A couple of times I have been in a raft outside Pul Wyke but to the West of the rocks with red buoys round them off the camp site, that was OK too and tucked in for shelter from Southerlys.

When I was talking about anchoring with one of the Wardens he said we shouldn't "why would you want to anchor when you have a perfectly good mooring"? He thought it was reasonable to go from Lakeside back to our mooring at Waterhead instead of anchoring down there.
 
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