anchoring rights

[Seajet]

So either it's changed or some cheeky git was prising £10.00 a night out of boats ?! That would fund a few beers...

Reminds me of Cheddar Gorge ( I used to live near there ) - chancers with satchels direct tourists into a roadside car park and relieve them of hefty fees, while 50yards further on there's a free car park.

 

[oldharry]

I'm getting a bit confused. The BORG list doesn't seem to include Scottish anchorages and what I understand to be the "official" consultation site: http://www.yourseasyourvoice.com/mpa/?region=9
shows a number of areas which may or may not be a problem. I can identify Otter Ferry and Upper Loch Torridon as areas where an anchoring ban would be a problem; others with better local knowledge may be able to identify others. Some of the proposed sites are areas with significant tidal current where I cannot believe many people ever anchor, but the descriptive blurb, e.g. for Loch Sween, claims that anchoring takes place in the tidal narrows. All very odd. In total, however, the great majority of Scotland's (rather long) coastline is free from proposals.

But, and it's a big but, is there another, bigger, list that I don't know about?

As Seajet has already pointed out, MCS can 'recommend' what they like, but they are just one of a number of Conservation groups being consulted, and their pretty maps of 'designated conservation areas' are just the opinions of the completely unofficial writer!

This is what MCS, as one of a number of groups being consulted by HMG, would like to see happen.

Scotland and Wales are not yet on my lists, for two reasons: first, it took me a week to compile the English list - and that is sourced from just four places. It is all so clearly presented you see, and required combing through literally hundreds of pages of sometimes quite technical reports to ensure my information was as accurate as I could make it. Second, both Scotland and Wales are tackling the project under their own assemblies, and before I can publish any lists, I need to be sure that I am not being mislead by 'official looking' conservation organisations publishing their own ideas, as MCS have. Third, its Christmas, and I put myself at grave risk if I spend much time on it this week!

The trouble is, the way this thing has been set up it is all so transparent, that you cant see the wood for trees. You really do have to know where to look and what to look for to get accurate information.

Part of the trouble is that the whole process is still at the consultation stage, and there are lots of people wanting things to happen on their patch, like SHT at Studland, and who are shouting as loud as they can to get their point of view included. It really is at times extraordinarily difficult to identify just what IS being proposed to the regional/national groups behind all this.

As to funding issues - well, I am just astonished and not a little angered by the huge cost of all this during a severe recession, and very indignant HMG has turned a blind eye to it all while cutting back on important and valuable services.

It almost feels as though they are cutting back the Coast Guard service in order to fund the MCZ's! Crazy? Yes but almost crazy enough to be true!

Of course if the conservationists get their way, we will not need the CG service, as nobody will be allowed out there anyway!

 

[Tranona]

I believe that the CEC have said that they have no intention of ever charging for anchoring, and up here they have the overwhelming majority (99.9%?) of anchorages under their direct control. I have certainly never heard of anywhere in Scotland charging for anchoring - though I am open to enlightenment.

That is also true for England. However as I explained earlier, most of the harbours are controlled by an "authority" which is either statutory or leases the seabed (including mooring rights) from the Crown.

So, around here we have Poole Harbour Commisioners which controls moorings, charges harbour dues but does not charge for anchoring, Wessex Water which controls the River Frome and owns the moorings and National Trust which controls Studland, but the Crown controls the seabed.

Poole has something like 8000 boats registered to moorings or on hard standing. Somewhat different scale of activity than in your neck of the woods!

 

[Ubergeekian]

That is also true for England. However as I explained earlier, most of the harbours are controlled by an "authority" which is either statutory or leases the seabed (including mooring rights) from the Crown.

Agreed. The gist of my message was supposed to be the bit about the CEC controlling 99.5% of anchorages - we have far fewer anchorages controlled by harbour commissioners and the like here. Comes of having such a crinkly coats, I think.

Poole has something like 8000 boats registered to moorings or on hard standing. Somewhat different scale of activity than in your neck of the woods!

I've seen it claimed that there are more yachts based on the Hamble River than there are in Scotland.

 

[Seajet]

I've seen it claimed that there are more yachts based on the Hamble River than there are in Scotland.

I should think it's possibly true, don't know if you've ever been down the Hamble but it's a long procession of big marinas, each bigger or at least, more densely packed than Port Edgar, the only Scottish marina I've visited, and the centre of the river Hamble is taken with several rows of fore & aft moorings; surprisingly there actually still is the odd clear stretch where one can see green bits of riverbank.

The other Scottish ports I've visited, Portpatrick, Burntisland and Dysart, by road, road & sail respectively, are not exactly like Chichester Harbour either, where the suspisciously round figure of 10,000 dinghies & cruisers is often quoted...

In fact only a few hundred appear at once so dinghy sailing is alright, but short tacking a cruiser down the narrower channels is basically out on summer weekends.

 

[Tranona]

Agreed. The gist of my message was supposed to be the bit about the CEC controlling 99.5% of anchorages - we have far fewer anchorages controlled by harbour commissioners and the like here. Comes of having such a crinkly coats, I think.



I've seen it claimed that there are more yachts based on the Hamble River than there are in Scotland.

Are "crinkly coats" the fashion this season?

Probably true about the number of boats in the Hamble - but that all pales into insignificance when you get to France and visit places like Port Camargue. Or even Britanny, which 30 years ago was not too different from the Western Isles except the sun shone and the food was better. Now wall to wall marinas and long waiting lists.

All those indestructible boats spewing out of the factories have to go somewhere.

 

[Quandary]

That is why we are so protective of our harbours and anchorages up here. I was once on the Hamble on a summer Sunday evening inspecting a boat for sale. I could not take in the sight of the mass and variety of boats in procession heading home together, no room to sail just a long motor home. I would certainly find it very hard to get used to. Though parts of the Clyde have largish marinas many of the boats kept there are English and only go out for a couple of weeks per year. There is a temptation for us to try to discourage the trend for displaced English yachts to stay up here, particularly in the quieter places, we are frightened of the consequences of finishing up with similar crowding. Sailing from the south coast must be a very different experience
Our big problem is the proliferation of fish farms in the best anchorages especially in places yachties regard as remote, while they are being encouraged to locate in deeper water it is difficult and unsightly to anchor near them; however with the continued decline of fishing this is now a big part of our rural economy.

 

[Quandary]

Are "crinkly coats" the fashion this season?

To go with our crinkly (and thick) skin!

 

[Seajet]

Quandary,

You'd be pleasantly surprised; though most people avoid the Hamble as a place to visit, as you may well imagine.

Even in Chichester Harbour entrance there is space to tack a cruiser on summer weekends, the main reason one sees a row of boats motoring out ( widely spaced, not a procession ) is because of catching the tide into the Solent + it's usually head to wind.

While I am notorious with my crews for hassling them to keep a good lookout behind the headsail, in fact there's plenty of room to sail, and once one gets to the Western Solent and out into Poole Bay, one is quite alone, this applies all the way down to Falmouth, there may be a sail in sight but that's not always the case.

The time when the crowding does show is when considering where to go; then it can be a definite consideration, that at places like Bembridge and Yarmouth in particular if you're arriving late there may not be a suitable space left, especally for a boat like mine which would lean uncomfortably on the hard sand of Bembridge if it was overcrowded - it's dead opposite Chichester,so...

At Yarmouth, a good stretch from Chichester at the far end of the Solent, it's a small place and a big sign goes up, 'Harbour Full'.

This would be OK as the large expanse of Lymington river with loads of spare moorings in the outer reaches, 2 large marinas and a town quay ( which gets overcrowded ) is dead opposite only a few miles away - but the tides can be very strong here, and getting across quite dodgy avoiding getting dragged out to the Solent entrance, no place to be at all in strong weather !

So you're right in your fears in this respect, if I know I'll be arriving late afternoon onwards at Bembridge or Yarmouth I'll avoid the hassle and plan on the alternatives from the outset.

At all but peak summer, it's all fine during the week though.

 

[KevB]

In the shelter of the solent there are many bays where you can anchor for free, seaview/whitecliff, Priory bay, osbourne bay, totland bay, alum bay, the outer anchorage at hurst castle to name a few.

 

[Seajet]

In the shelter of the solent there are many bays where you can anchor for free, seaview/whitecliff, Priory bay, osbourne bay, totland bay, alum bay, the outer anchorage at hurst castle to name a few

For now...

 

[robertj]

Just like to say thanks to all seajet old harry etc.

Bob

 

[robertj]

Chatting to a friend and he said there was a running article in a rival magazine a few years back about this.
The barrister at the time (a keen sailor) stated that there is a Right to anchor free.
Any one read this rival magazine article?