Bembridge : Beware

[billmacfarlane]

Went into Bembridge at the weekend. You now can only tie up to the outer ponton in the marina and the plan is to limit visitors to the pontoon on the starboard side as you approach the marina. There is a second pontoon to the east of the existing one and there was visiting yackts on that one as well. I think the plan is to extend this one to the shore so you will be able to access the north shore without resorting to the tender. If you are offered a berth on the original pontoon , take care. About half way along on the south side , the boat that was tied to the pontoon , draft 6' was heeled at an alarming angle , at least 45 degrees at LWS. Luckily , ( not for the owner of course ) , his mast was leaning away from the raft of boats outside him or there could have been real damage done. All the rest of the boats tied to the south side of the pontoon sat upright in the mud. The "special rate" price to tie up to this pontoon for my 11m boat was £15.60. Despite being one of my favourite spots I'm going to limit my visits to Bembridge in future and never use it on spring tides.

 

[robp]

Bill this came up on here a couple of months ago. I mentioned then that many will "take the mud" on the outer pontoon of the marina too. They have been talking of the new walk ashore since mid last season, wonder if it'll happen?

Still I guess it beat standing on a cold field watching mini rugby for 5 hours!

 

[billmacfarlane]

The boats on the outside of the ponton in the marina were OK and as far as I could see they were still afloat when we were dried out. All the boats aprt from the one mentioned settled in the mud OK and I think the problem was with that specific bit of pontoon , with probably a bit of concrete or something in the mud causing the problem.

 

[robp]

They were probably settled in very soft mud, which indeed I have been more than once.

I wasn't amused last year when, after a 20 something footer just (by a nat's) had space to tie up behind our raft on the centre pontoon, they then allowed a four boat raft with a 40 ' motor cruiser on the outside. With nowhere for his stern shoreline to meaningfully go, we returned from the pub on the ebb to find that raft's bows enmeshed with our sterns. We had to pull our raft forward at an angle to extricate ourselves. Fortunately the motor cruiser then touched bottom.

 

[JamesS]

See my posts and responses around March.

Can anyone confirm - How much water at LW on the 'new' pontoons?

Do the new pontoons reach the shore yet?

Cheers,

 

[tony_brighton]

Keen to try Bembridge sometime soon so would appreciate this onfo. Draft a nominal 1.35m and was thinking of neaps. Wasn't hugely keen to attempt drying out (fin) or sitting in the mud.

 

[billmacfarlane]

The pontoon to connect to shore isn't in place yet and there's no sign of any work being done to connect one up. With a draft of 1.35m you should be OK on a neap tide. I've a draft of 1.5m and I was the outside of a raft of 3. At LWS I was on the putty but not by much. As I said I'd be quite happy to visit Bembridge on a neap tide but I'm not going back on a spring range.

 

[Grehan]

Last season we moored/rafted on the visitor pontoon mentioned, dried out on the beach 'inside' (we have lifting keel), and anchored off the beach to the East of the channel (as well as anchoring up for a brief time in Priory Bay).
Had no real problems with any, including exiting the channel at the earliest possible moment although we touched bottom a couple of times - the channel is both deceptive as to route, and shallow off the tide.
However Grehan's a Southerly and therefore well suited to Bembridge's conditions. We can up keel at the merest suggestion of a depth problem.

My question . . .

Anchoring off Bembridge beach as opposed to Priory Bay.

Why don't more people do it, and take the tender in - to close by that bit of Bembridge where the pub/shop is, and a short walk up to the village itself?
I know one is then furthest away from the Baywatch Cafe, but is there another, seamanship type reason?
We couldn't work out why everyone was anchored up at Priory and we were alone off the beach. I fretted all night, but we seemed to be safe and sound.

???

 

[robp]

Quite a few cats and lifting keelers do just that. It's a nice spot. Priory is a bit rolly for all night anyway. I think that many liked to head up river for the marina but it's more difficult now, so it's back to the centre pontoon.

 

[Twister_Ken]

We had a Twister rally in there at the lowest spring s of the year in 2000. We draw 1.5m and were rafted on the long pontoon opposite the fisherman's wharf.

Quite fun when the plug was pulled. The inside boats started rising above the intermediates, then the intermediate started to tower over the boats outside. Everybody stayed upright though.

The BYC commodore came to fetch us across to the club in the club launch. When he set off we could only get to within about 10 metres of the Fishermans Wharf. With much rocking and bouncing we got there in the end, but in the process the launch's engine intake had swallowed quite a lot of mud, so it overheated on the next trip, and the rest of the crowd had to rubber dubber their way to the club.

Bembridge is definitely overdue a visit from the dredger, or it'll become no go for many boats.

 

[VMALLOWS]

Bembridge V. Priory

It's really just 'herd instinct'. The same applies throughout the Solent....notably such as Osbourne Bay (its much quieter and better holding a bit to the East).

However, in relation to Bembridge, the 'Harbour limits' do in fact extend well out into the bay, and in the past it was not unknown for the HM to 'visit' anchored yachts and demand his dues! This of course is not a problem at Priory.