Free anchoring anywhere?

[milltech]

Apart from being stormbound temporarily seeking shelter, and all the Sailing Today discussions on legality, are there any places on the South Coast that could be said to be sheltered from all directions, and where no Harbour Masters remit extends?

If not South Coast, elsewhere in UK or Northern France?

I'm not immediately planning to become a nautical version of a new age hippie traveller, but I was just thinking of the freedom of the seas and such.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com

 

[BustinAround]

Probably not, because harbours tends to have harbour masters. If on the other hand you mean "free", then there are many!

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[burgundyben]

I've wondered about this in the past, maybe somewhere in the dibden bay area, certainly under the jurisdiction of southampton HM but not chargeable for anchoring I think. Dibden Bay would be very sheltered plus several public access slipways in the hythe area.



<hr width=100% size=1>My house is for sale, 2 beds, Hamble.

 

[jhr]

The Boating Lake in Poole Park?

/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[Sgeir]

No, it's hopeless. There's absolutely no free anchoring like that in Scotland. All totally dominated by officious harbour masters in the pay of the evil Jack McConnell and the Scottish Executive gestapo. Failure to comply with their dictatorial instructions leads to a series of penalties starting with losing the red diesel. You also have to be ICCed and pass the Gaelic language oral examination and supplementary written papers.

Best not to try it.

Doctor, Doctor, I thinking I've been reading too many rants.

<hr width=100% size=1>Just another irrelevant footnote.

 

[aitchw]

That's definitely my experience too. There's absolutely no point in trying Scottish waters.

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[Superstrath]

Well done, Rocky.


Alistair

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[Robin]

Poole Harbour is free to anchor in, that's a pretty good sized area for starters, you are only charged harbour dues if you go to the Quay/Marinas. Otherwise if you accept that even paid visitor buoys are rarely sheltered from all directions, there are plenty of free places to anchor even on the South Coast and even in the Solent. Examples would be Alum Bay, Hurst/Keyhaven corner, off Yarmouth, outside of Newtown Creek, Shell Bay, Studland Bay, Swanage, Chapmans Pool, Lulworth, Weymouth Bay, Portland Harbour and too many more to list as you go farther west and that is without crossing the Channel to France where you can anchor free off Cherbourg for starters. Just because people don't doesn't mean you can't but you do need to have confidence in your ground tackle and your ability to use it, that is why folks would rather pick up any old buoy without knowing what lies beneath it!


<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[dralex]

You really have been reading too many rants Sgeir- you need to chill a bit and not get so annoyed /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Just enjoy it.

 

[Sgeir]

;-)

<hr width=100% size=1>Just another irrelevant footnote.

 

[milltech]

"Alum Bay, Hurst/Keyhaven corner, off Yarmouth, outside of Newtown Creek, Shell Bay, Studland Bay, Swanage, Chapmans Pool, Lulworth, Weymouth Bay, Portland Harbour"

I didn't know that about Poole, I think there must be places round the back of the Islands that would sheltered enough with good tackle. I'm not sure any of your other candidates would actually fulfill the requirements, get a "wrong 'un" and you'd feel very exposed in most of them. Swanage can be a b****** in even relatively light winds.

When is an anchor a mooring, I mean if you carried a big jobbie and left it buoyed while you came in for water, I suppose they'd leap on you for permission or dues?

<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by milltech on 17/12/2004 15:01 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[milltech]

Where is that? I feel I should know but I don't, is this opposite the docks-ish?

<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com

 

[milltech]

"The Boating Lake in Poole Park?"

Constrained by draft!


<hr width=100% size=1>John
http://www.on-line-marine.com

 

[FullCircle]

You can moor virtually anywhere on the East Coast when the tide is out. You don't even need an anchor, because the water goes away. Therefore the HM can't get to you, as he needs water too.
So its all free. Don't forget to bring a second keel to balance on.

Jim

<hr width=100% size=1>Jeanneau 35 - only 13,272 lbs displacement, not even 6 tons,what a lightweight!!!

 

[Robin]

That's why I said not sheltered from all directions! However there are moorings for local boats in Studland and Swanage and Portland has lots of permanent moorings. Unfortunately a mooring doesn't mean it is always sheltered either.

Yes there are plenty of places around the islands in Poole that are pretty sheltered, and better than in fact some of the recognised mooring areas on the eastern side. If you lay an anchor as a mooring then you need a licence (very good value but a huge waiting list. We had one up until the late '80s at about £60 pa)

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[cardinal_mark]

And Lulworth too - if there's a hint of South in the wind you die - well not literally but its supposed to be a bit unpleasant!

Mark

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[oldharry]

Re Lulworth 'supposed to be a bit unpleasant when the wind goes south' - theres absolutely no 'supposed to' about it...!

I sail from Chichester, and have not been in to a Marina in many years now. I nearly always anchor up in out of the way corners, and very rarely am I asked for harbour dues. But in any exposed anchorage you have a) to be aware of the weather trends, and b) have a contingency plan should the weather do something unexpected at 3.00am! Very very few anchorages are safe in all winds, although there are one or two on the South coast.

Of course it often means there is no chance of a run ashore.

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[trouville]

In winter its less of a search for a space, Try rade Villefranche you have the port to get water ahd its free for an hour or two there is also golf juan and port Gallice where you can almost be anchord inside the port--Capitanes are really OK,There are many others but depends when how long and why you want the free place? shopping, market, secondhand market cafè, or just comfort.

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: Portland Harbour

The last I heard Portland Harbour is no longer free. It’s managed by Portland Ports and they require you to buy a licence to use the Harbour.

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[Robin]

Lulworth is rolly in any wind as the tide runs around the edges and you get side on to even the smallest swell, unless you small enough or the cove is empty and can lay out a stern anchor. It is not a place to visit in a southerly but then who would chose to use an exposed anchorage in an onshore wind unless it was very light and just over lunch?

The point really is even if one anchorage doesn't work in the conditions of the day, there may be another not too far away that does. For example Alum Bay/Needles works fine in E -S, Studland works fine in S-NW, Swanage the same, Chapman's Pool in NW--NE, Hurst/Keyhaven corner W-N, Newtown outside SE-SW (all from memory, caveat user!).

Folks these days are so marina/visitor buoy/piles minded that they forget what happened before the days of £35/night to plug in, at least as far as overnighting is concerned.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Robin on 17/12/2004 19:41 (server time).</FONT></P>