Fin keel in Poole Harbour?

[ash2020]

I've just moved down from West Scotland, where the water is very deep just offshore. I have a Varne 27 with a fin keel, drawing 1.5 metres and thinking of moving her down as it seems impossible to sell at the moment. Does anyone sail a fin keeler in and around Poole? I know it's a bit challenging in certain areas but I've forgotten how challenging.
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Jacana139]

Hi, I kept my long keel motorsailer in the River Frome for 4 seasons. You have to follow the channels which meant, with the prevailing westerlies, I could usually sail out but not back. If you have a mooring in the vicinity of Parkstone/Salterns/Brownsea it’s no different than any other estuary or river type mooring, apart from 3 hours of serious ebb at the entrance during springs.

 

[Boathook]

1.5m is fine for Poole with plenty of places to anchor. Can't comment on mooring availability or price though.

 

[Tranona]

I have sailed in Poole for 45 years and while there are some advantages in having shallow draft the vast majority of boats are fin keel. In the harbour almost all the moorings are deep water and all marinas are accessible at all states of the tide. There are parts of the harbour that are only accessible with shallow draft and one or 2 places where you can dry out for short periods. My last 2 boats were 1.45 and 1.5m, the last I deliberately chose the 1.5m instead of the standard 2m because that enabled me to go across the bar at East Looe at low water springs which is very convenient for a passage to the Solent - saves 45 minutes rather than going around Hook Sands. You will find no real constraints with your boat.

Your biggest challenge will be getting a mooring. Most are club owned although there are a number of commercial providers. Onshore facilities apart from the clubs are variable and also you may have to rent the mooring from one provider and winter storage from another. Best approach is to join one of the 4 sailing clubs, Poole, Parkstone or Lilliput and East Dorset. The first 2 are large, professionally managed with their own marinas and swinging moorings. The other 2 are self help clubs with moorings and shoreside facilities. AFAIK all are currently open to new members. Poole where I belong certainly is and for obvious reasons is the one I would recommend - although you will have to hang around for a long time to get a marina berth rather than a swinging mooring!

If you decided to bite the bullet and pay the road transport costs I suggest you get the boat offloaded and stored for the winter at Davis's Boatyard in Hamworthy. This is the best organised and competitively priced yard (but probably still not cheap compared to what you are used to). While sailing down could be fun, it is a massive undertaking (have a look at Concertos thread on Scuttlebutt) and you may well find that the cost and time involved is not so different from bringing it by road.

Let me know if I can be of any more help.

 

[ash2020]

Hi, I kept my long keel motorsailer in the River Frome for 4 seasons. You have to follow the channels which meant, with the prevailing westerlies, I could usually sail out but not back. If you have a mooring in the vicinity of Parkstone/Salterns/Brownsea it’s no different than any other estuary or river type mooring, apart from 3 hours of serious ebb at the entrance during springs.

That's where I got my first boat, a Beneteau Evasion motor sailor and had a mooring there for a couple of seasons. It was a lovely spot. I'm now going to join Lilliput sailing club, where I was a member until 2013.

 

[ash2020]

I have sailed in Poole for 45 years and while there are some advantages in having shallow draft the vast majority of boats are fin keel. In the harbour almost all the moorings are deep water and all marinas are accessible at all states of the tide. There are parts of the harbour that are only accessible with shallow draft and one or 2 places where you can dry out for short periods. My last 2 boats were 1.45 and 1.5m, the last I deliberately chose the 1.5m instead of the standard 2m because that enabled me to go across the bar at East Looe at low water springs which is very convenient for a passage to the Solent - saves 45 minutes rather than going around Hook Sands. You will find no real constraints with your boat.

Your biggest challenge will be getting a mooring. Most are club owned although there are a number of commercial providers. Onshore facilities apart from the clubs are variable and also you may have to rent the mooring from one provider and winter storage from another. Best approach is to join one of the 4 sailing clubs, Poole, Parkstone or Lilliput and East Dorset. The first 2 are large, professionally managed with their own marinas and swinging moorings. The other 2 are self help clubs with moorings and shoreside facilities. AFAIK all are currently open to new members. Poole where I belong certainly is and for obvious reasons is the one I would recommend - although you will have to hang around for a long time to get a marina berth rather than a swinging mooring!

If you decided to bite the bullet and pay the road transport costs I suggest you get the boat offloaded and stored for the winter at Davis's Boatyard in Hamworthy. This is the best organised and competitively priced yard (but probably still not cheap compared to what you are used to). While sailing down could be fun, it is a massive undertaking (have a look at Concertos thread on Scuttlebutt) and you may well find that the cost and time involved is not so different from bringing it by road.

Let me know if I can be of any more help.

Hi, thank you for all the info. I was a member of Lilliput for several years until 2013 so I'm going to join again. I used to enjoy going out on the barge to service the moorings! I've investigated the winter storage at Ridge Wharf, which seems to be reasonable, so I'm going to get her trucked down in the next couple of weeks. I'm definitely not up to the sail down and round the bottom corner. I'm really looking forward to sailing down here again and already excited about doing the Round The Island race next year.

 

[Tranona]

Ridge Wharf is a good place, but depends on where you live. If west of Poole OK, but anywhere north or east not so good. Prices much the same as Davis's when I have looked in the past. I live in Broadstone and in the summer it can take an hour to Wareham.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

Hi, thank you for all the info. I was a member of Lilliput for several years until 2013 so I'm going to join again. I used to enjoy going out on the barge to service the moorings! I've investigated the winter storage at Ridge Wharf, which seems to be reasonable, so I'm going to get her trucked down in the next couple of weeks. I'm definitely not up to the sail down and round the bottom corner. I'm really looking forward to sailing down here again and already excited about doing the Round The Island race next year.

Am a current member at Lilliput (LSC). last time I looked we were accepting new members...