Can you boat more cheaply on the south coast?

[tidaltim]

If you live in Bristol then the River Dart is only 75 miles away or so. It is navigable upstream for 6 miles (on a rising tide) and there are loads of visitors moorings to choose from at about £12 a day if you have paid for a navigation permit for the year. We have a deep water trot mooring on an annual basis for a 35 foot yacht which costs about £1500 including a dinghy rack. Parking can be an issue until you get to know the place and choose your launch spot but we have been on the Dart for about 20 years now and never had a real difficulty. You can use the Dart as a base and Salcombe is only 12 miles or so away. Brixham is only just around the corner to the North East. The river trip up to Totnes is wonderful - seals, egrets, heron, kingfishers, peace and quiet, lovely!

 

[ontheplane]

Thank you for all the above!!

Some developments - we are getting a Jeep Grand Cherokee next week - so access to a car with a towbar isn't a problem any more.

We therefore could keep the boat at home and tow it down - but a 7m or so boat is a big beast to tow a lot - so I am now re-thinking it all..

I'll look into all the above options - does anyone know a farmer or secure storage a little away from the coast that you could pick up the boat of an evening and tow it a few miles and slip it in ?

Or also just a park / launch type arrangement might be good to.

Thank you.

 

[Refueler]

Next to Thornham Marina, Thorney island ..... near Emsworth ... there was a 'green field' boat yard with slipway. Used to be a haven for those renovating boats and looking for cheap ....
Sorry I cannot remember the actual name ... but it began with P.

I believe the site is still active. It is tidal and slipway likely dries out ... but they used to have some serious boats in there as well as small ...

 

[oldbloke]

If you just need to nudge the boat around a boat park you could ignore your cars legal tow weight and just fit a towbar, no need for electrics. I have also seen people using the screw in towing eye

 

[Seastoke]

Send a pm to farmerpiles,off here he has a farm on the coast worth a question.

 

[Elessar]

So over the years I have had a marina berth, a "park and launch" type service a trot and a swinging mooring.

The park and launch (Rockley Park in Poole) was quite good and back then pretty cheap (£400 for a six month stay but that was many years ago).

Dry Stack would be perfect for me but as it's dearer than a pontoon berth these days so probably not an option for me.

I didn't mind trot mooring or swinging mooring, but it was horrible if it was windy & wet going from the shore to the boat.... and so forth.

I realise that any boating on the coast cheap will require some compromise and depending on how cheap depends on how much compromise I want to put up with.

Boat will be about 20' - 23' probably a sports cuddy or small cruiser. Probably can only afford a petrol boat, so availability of petrol in the area is important.

So I live in Bristol, I can tow the kind of boat I want to get as I can borrow a Ranger to tow it - but I don't OWN the Ranger, so guaranteeing it every weekend can't be done.

So I need somewhere to keep the boat that I don't need a car capable of launching it every time but I need to keep the cost down.

I live in Bristol, so have been happy boating in Poole, Weymouth and Portsmouth before now and I like those areas well.

I guess what I'm after is a "little gem" a little place I can keep the boat that doesn't cost the earth, but that can pop the boat in the water for me on a Friday so I can use it Friday night and Saturday and pull it out Sat night or Sunday morning and put it away. I don't care if it doesn't have proper berths, I can mooch up or down a river a mile or so to a marina to spend the night. I don't mind a mid-river berth as long as I can get to it without a huge dinghy ride (but would prefer to keep the boat out of the water to save on antifouling / anodes / maintenance etc)....

Does anyone know anywhere like that that might have vacancies for this year (probably buying the boat later in the year and won't buy one if I can't work out where to keep it.

Thanks in advance for the shared wisdom of here.

Drivers on the Itchen.

 

[wombat88]

Paynes or Paines near Thorney. Very limited water.

Howsabout Marchwood YC?

 

[ontheplane]

Found Paynes Boatyard thank you - I'll message them, but with limited water and we only have limited time that might be useful...

I also messaged Marchwood and will try and message Farmer Piles....

 

[Refueler]

Found Paynes Boatyard thank you - I'll message them, but with limited water and we only have limited time that might be useful...

I also messaged Marchwood and will try and message Farmer Piles....

You wanted cheap .... literally anywhere 'cheap' is going to have limits - if not then its not cheap !!

 

[Refueler]

If you just need to nudge the boat around a boat park you could ignore your cars legal tow weight and just fit a towbar, no need for electrics. I have also seen people using the screw in towing eye

I use Lawn Tractor ... Volvo XC70 .... Range Rover and my latest Solis 26 Mini Tractor to move all sorts of boats around my grounds ... only one trailer has ball hitch .. so I lash the trailer handle to the hitch or eye of the 'vehicle'.

 

[ontheplane]

You wanted cheap .... literally anywhere 'cheap' is going to have limits - if not then its not cheap !!

No absolutely - and I am willing to make compromises that's for sure.



Was impressed with Bucklers Hard pricing - however that is full - am on waiting list now but don't hold out any hope for this year.

 

[ontheplane]

If you live in Bristol then the River Dart is only 75 miles away or so. It is navigable upstream for 6 miles (on a rising tide) and there are loads of visitors moorings to choose from at about £12 a day if you have paid for a navigation permit for the year. We have a deep water trot mooring on an annual basis for a 35 foot yacht which costs about £1500 including a dinghy rack. Parking can be an issue until you get to know the place and choose your launch spot but we have been on the Dart for about 20 years now and never had a real difficulty. You can use the Dart as a base and Salcombe is only 12 miles or so away. Brixham is only just around the corner to the North East. The river trip up to Totnes is wonderful - seals, egrets, heron, kingfishers, peace and quiet, lovely!

Yes the Dart is lovely and I would go there happily.

However are there any cheap marina's Drystack or Park and Launch there?

Even a storage space accessible in evenings to pick up the boat and then a decent marina or slipway to launch it would be fine.

 

[Refueler]

Its a strange thing .... not so long ago - trailering was quite common and the number of slipways accessible are evidence of that ... Dry-Storing was also quite common ... but as 'profit-lines' took over ... the slipways are still there - but Dry Storage seems to have lost its place.

My suggestion of Paynes Yard on Thorney Island ... was based on idea that if boat is on a trailer - the launch site could be anywhere in that area .. not necessarily Paynes slipway ? Its an idea of being closer to an area that you wish to explore ...
Chichester Harbour is a large natural harbour and has much to offer the dayboater or even one out for an overnighter.

 

[Boat2016]

Yes the Dart is lovely and I would go there happily.

However are there any cheap marina's Drystack or Park and Launch there?

Even a storage space accessible in evenings to pick up the boat and then a decent marina or slipway to launch it would be fine.

This is one I considered a few years back before going to full time marina berth. Not sure how competitive their prices are.

Boat Storage & Boat Maintenance | River Dart | Blackness Marine

 

[ontheplane]

£3000 or thereabouts for a 7.5m

Not budget for sure.

 

[Boat2016]

£3000 or thereabouts for a 7.5m

Not budget for sure.

A lot less if you self launch, not much to chose from in that area for comparison.

 

[oldbloke]

For the Dart I would look at Blackness Marine

 

[ashtead]

If you are open to keeping on IoW then at Yarmouth certain farmers keep boats in their barns and trail to water for you. Or look at having a cheap mooring on the Medina river via the Newport harbour master maybe? Maybe the cost of red funnel puts you off but I suspect the cheapness of a medina mooring might cover even the ferry fares with some to spare.

 

[Alicatt]

I see the prices getting bandied about here and shudder, just had the bill come in for 2025 for a 12m berth @ €490 + €250 club fees, mind you there is no slip, nearest one is a few km along the canal and costs €70 for a lift out/in

 

[Refueler]

With a trailer boat .. particularly motorboat ..... worth checking out Fishing Clubs in the areas you want to boat ... quite a few have moorings and slips they use.