Best mooring location Windermere

[leylandbobby]

Motor_Sailor. Thanks very much for taking the time to respond so comprehensively. Over the last week or so I have been delving deeply into the many different ways of facilitating cooking, heating and showering aboard a small boat without the convenience of shore power. The original idea I had been toying with was to install a gas system which could cover all three of these things, but this has been vetoed by my wife as we would like to weekend (or more) on the boat and she doesn't believe that she would feel safe with LPG aboard....that's fair enough. I also had reservations about the moisture issues created by LPG on a boat. Especially if you are going to sleep on it.
After a lot of looking around we kept coming back to a "Wallas diesel Nordic 85 NDT kit" These re-use the air in the environment which actually dries the air (and any wet items that may be present) in the process. They have a lid that when closed, the unit becomes a super efficient diesel powered fan heater. The price is a shocker! But by the time that you have bought a quality hob and blown air heating system (I don't want one of the Chinese type) the gap is not so wide. Add to this the fact that they have a phenomenal re-sale value and they start to look a lot more viable. I also managed to negotiate a sizeable discount for purchase when the Corona virus eventually dies down. And that would be two of the three issues solved.

Regarding showering, I thought that in the meantime we would make use of the showers that you mention.

I have also been reading about a "Bic Sportyak" which apparently are becoming very popular as tenders as they have integrated wheels and are very easily thrown up on a roof rack when going home. A couple of ratchet straps and you are off!

I would be very interested to hear which moorings are susceptible to the strong winds, that is definitely something that I hadn't thought about. Speaking today, we decided that we would prefer to take on a swinging mooring on the lake for this year (wherever that mooring may be). To be honest it would be lovely to just be out there (preferably out of the wind) in such a lush and peaceful environment. This would also mean that we could shelve the trailer issue for now. I know that we will be happy to wait until the "quiet times" to get used to controlling the boat and familiarising ourselves with the etiquette of boating. There is no rush.

It will be nice to meet new folk, but we are not too into the social aspect of it all yet. Looking more for somewhere to have a little alone time. (see boring) All that may well change after the first 3 or 4 hours. And the under the table trade in moorings and "all the other wheezes and dodges that can go someway in mitigating the costs of boating on the lake" seem too good an opportunity to pass up.

Just need the Corona virus to bugger off now!

 

[Motor_Sailor]

Well your ideas about a Wallas heater/cooker are sound, but do not be too dismissive of the Chinese / Russian diesel blown air heaters. These and the Wallas are all sophisticated bits of kit and there doesn't seem to be any anecdotal evidence to suggest that any of them are more or less reliable than the others. A blown air diesel heater and a two burner alcohol Origo hob would be way cheaper and easier to install.

I would first make sure that boating, and that boat in particular, are what suits you in the medium term before sinking much money into it. I would caution about thinking that any 'improvements' you make to your boat will increase its value. Boats are not like houses and whilst you might find having a Wallas hob could make your boat more sellable, motorboats like yours sell on the spit and polish of their presentation and history / condition of the engine.

Sportyaks have a devoted following and could be good choice, especially if you're end up on a bit of the lake with no safe dinghy storage (most of it) and you want to take it to and from your house. But again, you need to understand that some moorings on the Lake are a long way from suitable carparking and launch sites. Two people plus dogs and gear for a week needs to get to the boat with ease and safety. Rowing, engine, carrying capacity, lightness, portability, etc are all variables that you will only fathom out with experience.

I can't run through all the possible mooring positions on the Lake. Even within the same areas some moorings are more exposed than some others. Ease yourself in gently with a hired mooring and start to explore! Boating on Windermere is suprisingly complex with quite a few options. Working out the easiest access from the M6, the use (or not) of the ferry to access the western shore, possible dinghy storage, launching the dinghy, getting to and from the mooring, sufficient shelter if you want to sleep on board, all need to be considered. But the good news is that even beginners seem to fathom it out and many people go on the spend years enjoying the Lake.

 

[leylandbobby]

Well M_S, you've got us re-thinking things now. Lots of good points in your post. The main one being that the boat already has a two burner alcohol Origo hob on board. When I thought about the blown air heaters I was concerned that the noise from the exhaust might disturb other boaters moored nearby. I know that the one on the camper (Eberspacher) sounds like a small jet when working towards operating temps. Are they common and acceptable on boats in general? And do you know if burning alcohol is as clean as burning diesel? Thanks for your input.

 

[ridgy]

Origo stoves are perfectly fine, had one on a previous boat. They can smell a bit depending on what you put in them but no smoke. They would also be expensive to run if used every day but negligible for occasional use. The only downside is no oven.

I agree with M_S, just enjoy what you've got for a year and see if your life would really be improved by making these changes.

Your fear of gas is irrational btw. Nearly all boats have it not to mention caravans.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

If you have already got a Origo spirit stove - then that's great. They're not like your latest induction hob and range at home, but with a bit of practice they make for a very useable option for staying onboard. You can find meths in gallon cans or better which does keep the cost down and although it has a smell, is not unpleasant and it's also very clean as it evaporates very quickly if spilt. It's not like diesel or paraffin that never disappears and the smell lingers forever.

Don't worry about whether gas is safe or not. If your wife doesn't want it - don't have it. End of. Sometimes it's the little 'irrational' things that can mar someone's enjoyment of boating and ultimately turn them away from a common endeavour. Boating (and these forums) are dominated by miserable old blokes who boat alone because they never took enough interest in meeting the needs and concerns of their partners.

The blown air heaters are probably the industry standard on boats. You are right to be concerned about the exhaust noise, but it is actually a fact of life when boating in chillier weather. These days things have improved slightly with better exhaust silencers being available. There are loads of people on these forums with lots of experience of the different models out there and their installation. The good thing is that you are unlikely to be that close to another boat with people staying on it overnight when on a mooring on Windermere. It's not like being packed into a south coast marina.

But all these things do require a decent 12v power supply from a decent leisure battery (as well as your lights / music. etc over night), so as you'll be out on a mooring, you will also need to ask around on here for advice about a workable solar panel set up for your boat.

 

[leylandbobby]

Meths it is! And if I can get the help from the forum and fit a blown air system, with the considerable savings that we will make I will be able to put together a pretty decent solar set-up. I have a good setup on my van. We often go up to the West coast of Scotland, and with the little jaunts that we make every day or so, we always have plenty of power, and never have the need for shore power even in the bleakest of weather. The monetary savings of not staying on campsites adds up very quickly and can be offset against a quality solar set up in no time...win/win.

The only fly in the ointment will be positioning the panels on the boat. My original thoughts were to fit a flexible on the bimini, but that would cause problems when we want to drop the covers and enjoy the top down. which leaves either the fixing of a couple of flexibles either side of the forward escape hatch, leaving a thoroughfare to the anchor, this option would allow for the greatest solar output, or a suitcase type portable product that can be moved about the boat ensuring reduced shadowing and maximum efficiency. If on occasion it needed to be out of the way but still made use of, I'm pretty sure that it could be temporarily fixed to the top of the bimini. Probably only a couple of real contenders in the portable department, "Zamp" and "Renogy". One is considerably more expensive than the other. I'll see what threads are available on here that may help to make our mind up.

Thanks again guy's, all good stuff and it never ceases to amaze me how a good forum can help chrystalise idea's that in the most part are still half baked.

 

[Avocet]

Would you consider Ullswater? Not THAT much further (time-wise) from Preston than Windermere is, when you factor in the holiday traffic. That's where we are now (or would be, if it wasn't for this bloody virus)! It's a MUCH quieter lake than Windermere. Less to do though, and no public jetties.

 

[ridgy]

The gentleman has a powerboat...l don't know if there are restrictions but I have only seen sailing boats on ullswater. Would be quite lonely on a mooring there.

 

[leylandbobby]

Hi guy's, thanks for that. For one reason or another I think we have both got used to the idea of it being Windermere for a while, and possibly look at it again if the need arises.