Boating Bank Holidays in Poole = JOKE

[TargaLout]

Boating at bank holiday weekends in Poole is now a complete joke.
You cant pre-book any marina berths before hand, therefore I dont know if I want to take the risk of a run to Poole and not be able to get in anywhere. So the only options are:
1.- go on a wait list and maybe get that call?.
2.- anchor up.
3.- Go on a town quay next to 25 yachties that will inevitably be rafted up 25 deep along side me and want to leave at 1 O'Clock the next morning after having a party all over my foredeck.
PS. I dont have any probs with yachties its just they...well....are yachties. Knit yer own yoghurt types who love to let me know they only put 2 litres of diesel in their boat for the last 10 seasons and that.
4.- Dont bother.
5.- Go to Cherbourg.
6.- Go back to my marina and find they have rented that spot to somebody for the night becasue they thought i was away!!!
What do other visiting motor boaters do at bank holidays?

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[PhilF]

Take the bike out,
once spent 2 hours waiting to get into a lock on the Thames,
for me if its no book, its no go
boring but true

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[TargaLout]

Tempting to take the bike out, but that would mean swmbo and kids would kick up.

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[barryjl]

It's not just bank holiday weekends either - twice last year we couldn't find a berth in Poole on ordinary weekends. Can't understand why the marinas don't take credit card bookings.

<hr width=100% size=1>There's no problems..just opportunities

 

[TargaLout]

I think they dont take credit card bookings because of one of these reasons? They dont have any visitors berths at all and therefore can't rely on berth holders to definatley be away on a given day so cant really take your payment. Or, there visitors berths are booked months in advance.

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[tico]

Thats why I only lasted 1 season at Poole.

Now... no probs!, just means the beaches are a bit busier (might be as many as 10 boats at the busiest one)

<hr width=100% size=1>Been there, done that, got the oily T shirt

 

[PaulF]

Hi,

Not been over to Poole since the swanky new marina built. Sounds like it does it not have a load of visitor berths? I was under the impression before it was built that was going to be the idea, so there was somewhere more pleasant to stay than the Quay,(fun for lunch but no way to spend a civilized night)

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[Dave_Snelson]

I don't like bank holidays because of all the idiots that crawl out of the woodwork. You missed a couple of other things by the way...

7) dinghy sailors - tacking across your bow whilst shouting "hoi, you - motor boater, slow that damn thing down".
8) Jet skiers - doing donuts next to your port side whilst you are trying to enjoy a civilised glass of wine at anchor (don't get me started on drink related legislation!)

To be fair, in North Wales, we don't get the crowds that you chaps get - nothing like in fact. I was able to find a berth in Pwllheli, no problem.


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[barryjl]

I've stayed at the new marina a few times and really like it there, it does have visitors berths but they fill up really quickly.

<hr width=100% size=1>There's no problems..just opportunities

 

[PaulF]

Poole is very varied harbour and I guess the popularity of messing about in boats is still growing. Hence the crowds. As long as one has the provisions a quiet anchorage behind Brownsea is rather nice, but then you do need space to drop the hook, together with a bit of swinging ground!.

Will bear all this in mind for my next visit.

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[Robin]

Personally I would say Poole's beauty is away from the marinas and in the lovely anchorages, but the Quay is nice I guess (we live in Poole and haven't been about the quay with the boat for years.

However, there are alternatives. Parkstone YC <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.parkstoneyc.co.uk/>http://www.parkstoneyc.co.uk/</A> welcome visitors and have a friendly bar and restaurant. You MUST telephone ahead or call direct on CH M (37) which is monitored most times in office hours, though if the berthing master is on the pontoons and using his handheld he might not hear until you are inside the harbour. (Callsign is Parkstone Haven).

Robin

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[duncan]

glad someone came to the defense Robin!

Dolphin Haven seems to be caught in the 'dammed if you do / dammed if you don't' re advanced bookings. Because you can, people do, and it therefore gets 'full' when you what to...if you see what I mean. It also seems to have a significant number of boats as permenant visitors - I do not believe it is permitted to take anything else 'in season'

Having been turned away by Lymington and Yarmouth on a non August non bankholiday Sat night (about 1900h) last year in a 7.8m boat I think the issue is much wider than Dolphin Haven. I am surprised that Cobbs couldn't fit in a single boat on spec - although you will need to arrange prior to getting through the bridge of course.

There are also quite a few visitor buoy's further up the harbour that can handle just about any size craft.

However as Robin points out the real beauty of Poole is that whatever the conditions you will find a safe anchorage for the night.



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[milltech]

Mow the lawn? n.m.

Mow the lawn?

<hr width=100% size=1>John
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[Boating_Buoys]

Poole is always busy because it is such a great place in my mind. I've been boating there for 15 years and love the place.

Whilst I do have the benifit of a berth in the harbour you'll never find me there over a weekend.

What is wrong with anchoring up somewhere and enjoying the ambiance of the harbour. There are litterally doesens of ecellent and safe anchorages within the harbour. I accept that these are better of you have access to a tender of course.

If you 'need' to be on land, the anchor in Studland Bay and go up to the pub which gives great service, even on Bank holidays !

You can pretty much always get a buoy or something up at Wareham too ; you just need to check the tides before going, then row up to the great bars on Wareham Quay

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[smee]

Simple answer - don't go on the Quay or in a marina, which you can do in any port in any place in the world.

Anchor off Brownsea at Pottery Pier, or South Deep and enjoy the REAL Poole instead!

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