EFMs at Studland - Poll

[Angele]

It sounds to me judging by what I've heard already that anyone trying to set up those EFM's will go bankrupt in no time at all.

I believe that is the point that Old Harry is trying to make by setting up a poll. But the poll has to be as neutral as possible to have any validity. So, the question should be "if the EFMs were there, would you use them and would you be prepared to pay, etc, etc."

 

[DJE]

Can a moorings contractor install and maintain the moorings without ever needing to anchor his workboats?

 

[Seajet]

I have never been there so don't know. NGM tells me there are 60 moorings. Which is it?

NGM's counting always has a comedy element, he reckoned there were zillions of Seahorses until it was shown on his vaunted ' internationally renowned database ' ( which nobody else saw until recently, then couldn't believe their eyes ! ) that he was seeing the same one or two over & again...

 

[laika]

BORG ( yes a deliberate Star Trek pun ) is Boat Owner's Response Group

Deliberate? I thought it was down to an unfortunate lack of popular culture knowledge. Given that Mr. G-M is labelling boaters as nasty and destructive why name the group after one of the most evil forces in the universe which destroys everything in its path?

The small bare patches by the local's moorings, said to be the result of ' chain scouring ' by NGM, have proven to be caused by fresh water springs.

Whilst (as I've said before) I find much of the SHT's "findings" to be simply not supported by their own data I am suspicious that there are a priori stances taken on both sides of this debate so forgive me for asking for a reference for this "fresh water springs" hypothesis and testing. On the face of it I found the scouring issue to be one of the more plausible claims by the SHT.

I have never been there so don't know. NGM tells me there are 60 moorings. Which is it?

I've only ever noticed a handful but google earth seems to show rather more. Perhaps there's quite a few that I (and others) simply don't notice because they're intended for little boats and are in water shallower than I ever go near. In fact it's been a while since I actually went ashore at Studland: most of the time I've used it as an overnight pitstop and anchor quite far from the beach.

 

[Tranona]

I have never been there so don't know. NGM tells me there are 60 moorings. Which is it?

As you have probably worked out NGM is a stranger to the truth. If it suits him to say there are 60, that is what he says, and what is said stays said. However, Seajet is right - a small number of buoys belonging to the Bankes Arms and a few for local small fishing boats. I think he may also count the buoys marking the edge of the swimming area, the speed restricted zone and (when they were there) the buoys marking the voluntary no anchor zone. If he also included similar marker buoys in the undisputed part of the bay at the northern end he might get near that number, but the majority are not moorings.

 

[dslittle]

I am happy to anchor or pick up a reputable buoy. I do not mind paying a 'reasonable price'. If the EFM's were placed in an area that I couldn't anchor in, then I think that they will only add to the opportunities. As long as I still have the choice, I think that EFM's would be a good thing if they increase the space for an overnighter. Obviously they could just be the thin end of the wedge...

 

[oldharry]

TRIED AGAIN WITH THE POLL BUT ITS STILL NOT WORKING RIGHT. I've asked Seajet who is much better at these things than me to take a look. I may know about seahorses etc, but YBW software has beaten me for now!

. I need to know what the majority view is over visitor moorings, regardless of the conservation issues. As Angele rightly points out, anyone trying to make this one work will rapidly go bust, there is no viable economic way of doing it. However both NGM and DWT are very determined to give it a go, and I dont want to oppose it if there is a reasonable majority of us who think Visitor moorings if properly maintained etc would actually be an asset. Those who, like me, are very unlikely ever to use them will speak out. I am more concerned to know whether there is a 'silent majority' here who would actually find them quite useful, conservation issues apart. if so, here is a chance to get moorings put in for our use, at little or no cost to the boating community! So please vote if you think it wouldnt be such a bad thing after all. Far more important is to ensure boats can continue to anchor there freely. Arguably we should support DWT if they are going to the trouble and cost of putting in moorings for us!

Fresh water springs are present in some number in the bay, running out from under the chalk cliffs. They are not easy to identify so no one has ever surveyed them, but local fishermen know where they are. At one time fresh drinking water was actually gathered from beach springs under the cliffs at South beach as one of the best and most reliable sources of drinking water for the village.

Moorings scars are a bit of a moot point. The moorings were there before the eelgrass, which has grown up round them and between them. Exactly the same feature is seen elsewhere. notably in the scillies where there are huge eelgrass beds. Not all of them show 'scars' anyway. Reports from elsewhere by other experts say anyway that seahorses specifically seek areas in which there is both cover and open space. SHTs own papers showed sighting locations of a seahorse pair - ALWAYS within a meter or so of an open space! Its all in the BORG website: http://boatownersresponse.org.uk/

There are 52 registered privately owned mooring sites in Studland, including the six Bankses Arms visitor moorings. Of those, 37 are currently active. CE and MMO will not approve any further mooring licenses pending the the MCZ decision.

 

[Robin]

Just for interest, ages back there used to be a yacht on a mooring in the corner of the bay, owned by the local clergyman but he also had a mooring inside the harbour at Redhorn Creek to which he moved his boat PDq if an easterly wind was expected. There will be daft folk who expect to be able to be on a visitor buoy there in any and all weathers if NGM's SHT plan goes ahead but it will at least give the RNLI crews some local work to do picking them up when either the crews are sick as dogs or worse the boat has broken adrift and gone up on the rocks or the beach. Will they put a sign on each buoy with a health warning and insurance disclaimer I wonder.

 

[Seajet]

Deliberate? I thought it was down to an unfortunate lack of popular culture knowledge. Given that Mr. G-M is labelling boaters as nasty and destructive why name the group after one of the most evil forces in the universe which destroys everything in its path?



Whilst (as I've said before) I find much of the SHT's "findings" to be simply not supported by their own data I am suspicious that there are a priori stances taken on both sides of this debate so forgive me for asking for a reference for this "fresh water springs" hypothesis and testing. On the face of it I found the scouring issue to be one of the more plausible claims by the SHT.



I've only ever noticed a handful but google earth seems to show rather more. Perhaps there's quite a few that I (and others) simply don't notice because they're intended for little boats and are in water shallower than I ever go near. In fact it's been a while since I actually went ashore at Studland: most of the time I've used it as an overnight pitstop and anchor quite far from the beach.

Laika,

the fresh water springs causing clear patches by the old local's moorings were proven a long time ago; sorry it's late and I don't have the data to hand but it's probably on the BORG website.

Try http://boatownersresponse.org.uk/

Andy

 

[dk]

I agree with those who say that the moorings will be laid as cheaply as possible and, therefore, be limited in their abilities. This means they'll inevitably have a wind and size limit put on them, which of course many will ignore. Once the first few boats have been driven ashore and there are a few compo claims hitting the courts, the whole project will undoubtedly be abandoned, leaving a load of detritus on the seabed where sensible folk would normally chose to anchor.
I, for one, would never trust one of these mooring buoys, let alone pay to use them! As mentioned earlier in this thread, I trust my own ground tackle cos I check it every time I use it. I also know when it's properly set, what the seabed is like, and what conditions it is likely to withstand. If those conditions look like being exceeded, I leave.
So suppose someone picks up one of these mooring buoys and the conditions change at 0400. Are they going to wake every one up and head back into Polle harbour in the dark? No is the simple answer. So when it starts blowing 30knots, they'll simply hang on in there praying that the mooring holds. This means that, to comply with insurance responsibilities etc, the moorings will need to be specified way above there stated loading or the installers stand the chance of being sued to hell. With that in mind, who is likely to take it on? No-one is the simple answer, unless they can charge a minimum of £30/night.
You only have to look at the equivalent in other places in Europe. Take the Morbihan for example, and soon to be extended to most of the favourite anchorage around S Brittany. All the old favourite anchoring spots are now filled with buoys, costing circa €40/night and there's nowhere left safe to anchor.
I use Studland regularly as an anchorage and I would never pick up one of these moorings - charge or no charge - end of!

 

[sailaboutvic]

I think it very clear by what has been written here that mooring buoys aren't welcome , from some one who been sailing for 38 years there only been an hand full of times that I have picked up a mooring buoy , I rather use my own gear , at less I know what holding me , let there be no misstake here even if they started of free it won't be long before charges are made , these things have to be paid for some how and from a same fee of say 5 pound a night it wouldn't be long before it becomes 30 pound a night .
So like most people I wouldn't use them