Best mooring location Windermere

[SailSi]

Hi Guys

I'm new to the lake and I'm just considering what peoples views are on the best mooring locations on the lake.

Cheers

 

[Avocet]

We spent a few seasons on there about 10 years ago, on a Mooring in Whitecross Bay. Don't know if they still do them. Access via the caravan park (where they used to build flying boats in WWII)! We were on the jetties for a while but it's a right pain if you're deep draught. The lake level changes more than you might think. A singing mooring is better for the boat. Exposed from the West though. car parking is easy. Wintering ashore was difficult, they're more set up for boats that can go in on trailers. Unless things have changed there, in the last 10 years, they don't let you work on them in the winter.

 

[PeteCooper]

A singing mooring is better for the boat.

Not so good if you are trying to sleep though

 

[davidbfox]

We have had a boat on a mooring on Windermere for the last 8 years. The answer to your question depends on how big your boat is, where you are coming from, and what you want to pay.

You can rent pontoon moorings at Bowness from Windermere Aquatic. There are private moorings up towards Ambleside at Low Wood. And there is Windermere Marina Village. There are some moorings at the caravan parks.

All swinging moorings are managed by the Sounth Lakeland Council. So far as I know there are almost no private swinging moorings.

Your first stop is to talk to the Lake Wardens, who work for the council and manage the lake. They have an office by the water at Ferry Nab. They can give you advice and a list of contacts. They have a Facebook page which can be interesting. There is also a Facebook page for Ferry Nab Users group.

The council have recently built some jetty moorings for rich people at Ferry Nab.

If you go for a swinging mooring you have buy the tackle (buoy, chain etc) which was about £450 for us new, then you rent the mooring space from the council.

You need to consider where you would keep a dinghy if you get a swinging mooring. There are a few places where you can leave one on the shore, but not many. There are council run dinghy racks at Ferry Nab.

The costs mount up. For a 25 foot boat we pay about £150 per year for the dinghy rack, about £1200 per year for the swinging moorings, about £200 for an annual car parking permit and about £250 for winter storage at Ferry Nab.

Whenever you go there you have to buy something from Dan's Shack, which is the indispensible cafe at Ferry Nab and was recently flooded out. Help keep the business going.

It is less regimented, more private enterprise, on Ullswater or Coniston.

Good luck with your research. It is worth it when you get it all sorted out.

 

[aquaplane]

I have had a council swinging mooring for a few years.
The most popular areas are around the middle of the lake which is where most of the facilities are.
I had a mooring in Belle Isle North which was OK.
I prefer my current mooring at Waterhead. I do have somewhere to keep a dinghy (£140 pa) but it's full, otherwise it's a case of blowing up the dinghy which I did for a while but it's a pain. It's quieter at Waterhead but there are still pubs local and shops at Ambleside a mile walk away.
You don't say what type of boat you have or how big it is? The limit for a Council swinging mooring is 10m, above that you need a jetty mooring.

 

[leylandbobby]

Hi, I know this is an older thread, but I didn't want to start a new one when it has been covered here to some extent. I too am new to the lake. Where would be best for a Bayliner 2655? I am based a little south of Preston. It would have to be a swinging mooring (cost).
Does one make their way to the boat and then return to shore to pick up passenger/supplies etc.
We have a couple of small dogs, is it easy enough to pop to shore for little walks when needed? Does anybody else keep dogs with them when they are on the lake? Perhaps you have some tips for us.
Is there an ideal size for a tender, or is this dictated by individual needs? Somebody on here mentioned having theirs stolen from their paid for storage facility. Does this mean that people take their outboards with them when they leave their tender in storage?
Do you just tow it behind when under power?
Apologies to you seasoned boaters for what must be very mundane questions, I just want as many things straight in my head as possible for when we can actually get out there. This is incredibly frustrating and this makes it a little more bearable.
Does anybody leave their boat in over winter? being local-ish we think that we would like to spend time at the lake year round. Or is this a bad idea?
I could have waited until I got up there to answer some of these questions, but presently I'm not sure when that might be and I have time on my hands. Hopefully, you will too! Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

[wfe1947]

Hi, I know this is an older thread, but I didn't want to start a new one when it has been covered here to some extent. I too am new to the lake. Where would be best for a Bayliner 2655? I am based a little south of Preston. It would have to be a swinging mooring (cost).

It is (perhaps was) quite difficult to get a swing mooring on Windermere. You need to apply to the lakke wardens at Ferry Nab. Can be done on line.

Does one make their way to the boat and then return to shore to pick up passenger/supplies etc.

That is entirely up to yourself. I am moored near ro Fell Foot and there are pontoons there that you can motor up to after you leave the mooring.

We have a couple of small dogs, is it easy enough to pop to shore for little walks when needed? Does anybody else keep dogs with them when they are on the lake? Perhaps you have some tips for us.

I am moored near ro Fell Foot and there are pontoons there that you can motor up to after you leave the mooring.

Is there an ideal size for a tender, or is this dictated by individual needs? Somebody on here mentioned having theirs stolen from their paid for storage facility. Does this mean that people take their outboards with them when they leave their tender in storage?

Tender storage at Fell Foot is in the open and you would definitely need to remove the oputboard. Personally, I always row out to my mooring.

Do you just tow it behind when under power?

Some do and you will have to do this anyway, the first time you go to the mooring using Bayliner.

Apologies to you seasoned boaters for what must be very mundane questions, I just want as many things straight in my head as possible for when we can actually get out there. This is incredibly frustrating and this makes it a little more bearable.
Does anybody leave their boat in over winter? being local-ish we think that we would like to spend time at the lake year round. Or is this a bad idea?

Again, that is entirely up to yourself. Quite a few leave boats on the mooring over winter, however, most take their boats out for winter. Probably depends on location of the mooring.

I could have waited until I got up there to answer some of these questions, but presently I'm not sure when that might be and I have time on my hands. Hopefully, you will too! Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

[leylandbobby]

Very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

[ridgy]

I enquired about a mooring last year and the situation was that you had to select a number of locations and that you would be allocated one in that range. The cost and hassles over parking, dinghy storage, and lack of shoreside facilities made me look elsewhere. It seemed a very poor setup, I would have expected that the wardens could supply information about those practical aspects but none was forthcoming they just gave me a map of locations and an application form.

 

[leylandbobby]

Thanks for that Ridgy. Where did you end up going?

 

[ridgy]

Thanks for that Ridgy. Where did you end up going?

Went to Carsington for the summer and the intention is to go to Windermere for the winter series where I can just leave it in the ferry nab car park Nov to March and launch as required. Best of all worlds but that is for small yacht racing. Not so many options for a speed boat. You should ask in the motorboat section to get more specific advice. The sea would be far more fun for your boat, somewhere on the Ribble or around Fleetwood perhaps.

 

[leylandbobby]

That would definitely be lovely. We're brand new to the boating scene and thought a year on a swinging mooring on Windermere to sort out the jobs that I would have to do now that the boat has been pried away from shore power. e.g. heating and hot water. It will have to be diesel though as I can only find the Webasco that does both, but it doesn't come in a petrol variant, and after reading up on it I don't want LPG on the boat. That will allow us to spend time aboard over the winter. Plus cooking facilities, the microwave and electric hob will have to go. Webasco do a diesel cooktop but it's expensive and I would have to see how the finances pan out. Then there is the trailer that we would need to get anywhere else. Probably take 12 months to make all that happen.
Just googled Carsington, looks great.

 

[ridgy]

Check this out, not as picturesque but if you're doing jobs then much more convenient with help on hand. More chance of meeting other owners too.

Douglas Boatyard in Lancashire | Boat Moorings and Storage

 

[leylandbobby]

Thanks, I'll have a look.

 

[wfe1947]

Check this out, not as picturesque but if you're doing jobs then much more convenient with help on hand. More chance of meeting other owners too.

Douglas Boatyard in Lancashire | Boat Moorings and Storage

Yes, but it takes two hours to get to the sea (tides permitting).

 

[wfe1947]

I enquired about a mooring last year and the situation was that you had to select a number of locations and that you would be allocated one in that range. The cost and hassles over parking, dinghy storage, and lack of shoreside facilities made me look elsewhere. It seemed a very poor setup, I would have expected that the wardens could supply information about those practical aspects but none was forthcoming they just gave me a map of locations and an application form.

Fell Foot is a better location for tender and trailer storage, it has a good facilities (new showers, etc.), a cafe and for National Trust members, parking is free. And 15 minutes nearer if coming from the south.

 

[ridgy]

Yes, but it takes two hours to get to the sea (tides permitting).

Not for the OP, he has a speedboat.

 

[ridgy]

Fell Foot is a better location for tender and trailer storage, it has a good facilities (new showers, etc.), a cafe and for National Trust members, parking is free. And 15 minutes nearer if coming from the south.

I completely agree and as a NT member this was my strong preference alas lots of people have the same idea and there is a long waiting list.

 

[wfe1947]

Not for the OP, he has a speedboat.

I don't think even a speedboat is allowed to travel at more than 5 knots in the River Douglas!

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Hi leylandbobby - If you are are new to boating, I think you need to take it one step at a time. Renting a 'holiday' mooring on Windermere allows you to get afloat and gain some experience. The council should have checked the mooring and you just use it and pay. If instead you apply for your own mooring, you will be offered a choice of 'sites' but without knowing the varoius parking / dinghy storage options / exposure to the strong winds / etc, for the various sites, you might pick the wrong place. Then as you'll have to organise your own mooring tackle (buoy/ chain/and weights) probably via the company 'Windermere Moorings and Jetties', you could make a fairly sizable investment in the wrong area and not be able to sell it on as noone else wants to be there either!

I would enquire about availability at Ferry Nab. There, (at an eye watering price) you will get car park / dinghy storage / jetties / council mooring / toilets / etc, which will allow you to concnetrate on learning about your boat. It will also serve as shock therapy for the financial reality of owning a boat and motivate you to make as many friends as possible on the lake and learn about the different mooring areas, the under the table trade in moorings / the various boating clubs / and all the other wheezes and dodges that can go someway in mitigating the costs of boating on the Lake.

It would also enable you to use any old 10 foot(ish) fibreglass dinghy off ebay,( ideally with a trolley and a pair of oars), that you can leave in the rack with a lock. Exploring what dinghy really suits your situation can then be explored as you learn more about the reality of having dogs with you onboard, etc.

I would then sort out the boat's trailer and towing options. Again this is another whole world of knowledge and skills to learn. There are lots of short and longer term benefits of being able to move your boat. But one of the best, is to move it somewhere closer to Leyland and find somewhere to store it with ideally, access to electrical power. The speed and convenience of doing projects on a boat on land (with electricity) is incomparable to the hassle of working out on a mooring. I've used caravan storage places or even farms in the past.

Then with the boat mobile, with the projects underway, and with improved knowledge of the lake, you'll find all the daunting decisions that tower over you now will just fall into place.