Fewer people around this year?

oldharry

oldharry

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I get the distinct impression there are noticeably fewer people on the water this year. Chichester on Bank Holiday monday was really quite quiet compared to previous years, and pottering round the Solent, none of the anchorages have been over-full as we have become used to. Certainly there are hardly any big power boats around nowadays, though thats not surprising with the soaring cost of diesel now 2 -3x what it was.

Studland too is reporting far fewer visitors - rarely more than a hundred, and frequently only twoenty or thirty.

Recesiion? Fuel cost? bad weather? All part of it, or what?
 
We are in Cowes this evening, and a very nice evening it is too, the talk around town is it has been a quite season.

I think its mainly due to the weather, that's the reason we have ventured out less often than we would have liked.
 
You're right. Everywhere in the South West seems to have been quiet. I'm sure the weather hasn't helped, but I suspect the recession is the main cause. Pity for those making a living out of us but it has meant that boating and finding a berth has been that much easier.
 
chatting to a few HM around the solent i think lots have just decided to daysail and return to their marina for the evening this year. I don't particulary thing the solent is less busy than any other year.

however the weather has been rubbish and I'm about 300 N/m short on this time last year.
 
oldharry said:
I get the distinct impression there are noticeably fewer people on the water this year. Chichester on Bank Holiday monday was really quite quiet compared to previous years, and pottering round the Solent, none of the anchorages have been over-full as we have become used to. Certainly there are hardly any big power boats around nowadays, though thats not surprising with the soaring cost of diesel now 2 -3x what it was.

Studland too is reporting far fewer visitors - rarely more than a hundred, and frequently only twoenty or thirty.

Recesiion? Fuel cost? bad weather? All part of it, or what?
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We noticed the same in Belgium and all along the French coast to Brest: clearly quieter than past years. The bad weather in early July may have prevented many people, especially from the Netherlands, to make the trip they had in mind.
 
The chap who lays the moorings in Abersoch was saying how quiet the whole season had been up there - good news form as I got a discounted mooring for the season that he'd laid and the owner didn't want.
 
We're stuck down in Victoria Marina, St Peter Port, Guernsey at the moment trying to sort out a fairly trashed engine – so have been buying the local paper – The Guernsey Press.

They had an article on Saturday on the number of visiting yachts being well down this year.

A French yachtie was quoted saying he wasn’t sure if he’d come again since there are less boats, the weather's not been great and he’s finding it a lot more expensive.
 
we had a pleasant evening in hythe marina on sunday and commented on how quiet it was and how many empty spaces there were - can't help but wonder if the quieter times might drive down visitor berth costs -having said that we called up berthon in lymington on saturday pm for an overnight space to be told they had no space available so perhaps they are still running at near capacity or perhaps the residents are not away visiting other places leaving their slot to be let for the evening?
 
I have just returned from 2 weeks in Holland (Ijsselmeer area) and we saw only one other British boat.There were lots of German ones though.Locals said it was due to the bad weather earlier in the year and the Brits had gone home early.
 
Certainly a lot less power boats around, but that has been much the case for the last couple of years I would say. Plenty of power boat occupancy in the marinas though (country cottages?). During our West Country jaunt in July there seemed very few boats of any type around.
 
Just spent the three bank holiday nights on a visitors buoy in Fowey without being rafted up!
That has been the case most of the year in the West Country :confused:
 
Difficult to make any accurate assessment, but I was inclined to suggest that numbers sailing in our area might be down this year. We sailed round Mull over the weekend, arriving in Tobermory on Friday afternoon after tacking up the Sound (being passed by a several yachts motoring). We'd assumed the A/B berths would be full up and that moorings would be scarce; in fact, we were spoiled for choice, which was a wee bit surprising seeing as it was an English Bank Holiday weekend.

I asked Jim Traynor of the Harbour Association about it, but he reckoned that numbers had been holding their own over the year, perhaps slightly up if anything. We've had a lot of other commitments this year so perhaps our impressions were based on being not out often enough!

Good winds benefitted the Mull circumnavigation and was all under sail, although we stayed at anchor to sit out strong winds on Sunday. As far as we know, the only other yacht to do the same was a beautiful 47 foot cutter that was single handed and must have easily been sailing at about 9 or 10 knots on the beam; beautiful.
 
We have felt the same. SW. Channel Isles and France all noticeably quieter than usual. Not too sure why as if you own a boat it doesn't cost much to go cruising unless you hop from expensive marina to expensive marina.

This last summer cruise we spent a lot of time at anchor and really enjoyed our whole cruise.

Pictures to follow at some stage..
 
The southern Baltic was about average, with few power-boats, as usual. Yachting in the area is still expanding, as more facilities become available in places like the former DDR.

On our way back through the Netherlands in the first two weeks in August it was eerily quiet. The canal "convoys" seldom exceeded about five craft, and often fewer.
 
Where have all the sailors gone, long time passing...

westhinder said:
We noticed the same in Belgium and all along the French coast to Brest: clearly quieter than past years. The bad weather in early July may have prevented many people, especially from the Netherlands, to make the trip they had in mind.
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+1- The HM in Tregiuer asked me " where have all the British boats gone" just before we left, after a couple of days peace and quiet following the Paimpol festival 12-14/08/11.

Spoilt for choice in the marina and anchorages there, Lezardreiux bit busier tho.

Space on P&Q pontoons in Cherbourg going and coming too.
 
SimbaDog said:
Just spent the three bank holiday nights on a visitors buoy in Fowey without being rafted up!
That has been the case most of the year in the West Country :confused:
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We were there then as well and got onto the Mixtow pontoon with no trouble. Still had to raft onto a buoy in Salcombe but not half as busy as expected. Good news for us, not so good for those relying on us filing their coffers over a relatively short season... Having said that Fowey itself was heaving - glad for the peace and quiet upstream
 
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