Launching a boat at 'Stone'

[neale]

I am on a mission. When I was a lad of about 6 or 7 we owned a little cruiser that we used to tow and launch. One of the places we visited regularly was called 'Stone'. We lived in Essex and I don't remember being in the car long enough for it to be anywhere outside of the lower east coast area.

I've been searching but the best I can come up with is Stone Sailing Club on the Blackwater. They don't seem to offer public slipway services, but maybe things were different 40 years ago! I certainly remember it being reasonably sheltered and drying out over the low tide, so the Blackwater fits the bill in that sense.

Are there any other places in the East Coast that are called Stone and have a slipway?

Does anyone remember if Stone Watersports club used to be a public slipway?

I'm looking to recapture a bit of my youth as I now own a boat almost identical to the one we had back then and it would be fun to visit 'Stone' again.

Cheers

 

[MoodySabre]

There are very few public slipways these days. Stone Sailing Club might let you launch for a fee. There are two slips at Stone/St Lawrence but I don't know who runs them.

Bradwell marina have a slip for a fee. Other ideas in Creeksailors blog http://creeksailor.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/camping-and-launching.html

 

[Debenair]

Some 55 years ago my family used to,launch our Gull dinghy at both Stone and Creeksea.
My late father knew of them as former "Admiralty hards". I believe the Creeksea S C website refers to taking over sole rights in the 1960s.

 

[DanTribe]

I suspect that Stone Sailing Club would be unlikely to let non members launch there. I believe the other slip is under the control of the waterski club. It all gets a bit contentious around there. The Bradwell hard is controlled by the outdoor pursuits centre and I don't think they allow public acess.
As far as I know the only public acess is at Maldon prom, subject to tide and paying the council fees.
Acess to the water is a great loss to our rights, espicially as we think of GB as a seafaring nation. I can remember at least 8 public launching sites on the Crouch, I think there is now only 1 at South Woodham.

 

[sailorman]

what about Mersea Stone access

 

[MoodySabre]

Lots of boats use the Bradwell slip in the marina.

 

[philiphurst]

Not certain about this but I believe that local residents in St Lawrence can launch from the gated slipway beside The Stone pub. Not sure about access for others but a call to the parish council will clarify for you.

 

[DavidofMersea]

You can launch from West Mersea without charge, and I think Brightlingsea

 

[Hadenough]

You can launch from West Mersea without charge, and I think Brightlingsea

But he wants to launch at "Stone"??

 

[tillergirl]

But he wants to launch at "Stone"??

WG Arnott's book on the River Deben records that "landing places were called 'stones'..... and therefore some natural hards were commonly called 'stone' with a number in the Deben. So possibly it could have been somewhere other than Stone at St Lawrence. I'm not sure that I was always regard St Lawrence as 'sheltered'.

 

[DavidofMersea]

But he wants to launch at "Stone"??

At West Mersea it is called the hard - Probably because it is not make of stone, but oyster shells laid by the Romans

 

[Concerto]

You might find this web site useful to find launching sites.
http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/

 

[DavidofMersea]

You might find this web site useful to find launching sites.
http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk/

Not very good info. It says Wyatts hard is concrete, and it's not - It says it is half tide and it is not - It says it is public, and whilst I have never known of anybody being stopped using it, I don't think it is public

 

[Dazedkipper]

Have you thought about keeping the boat on a mooring rather than trailer sailing to the same place each time? Why don't you come along to the open day at Marconi SC and see what we can offer. We are slightly upstream of Stone and have part tide moorings available.

 

[philiphurst]

Checked earlier. Key only available to residents of the parish of St Lawrence. It must be correct, it says so on the sign attached to the gate on the slip. Sorry. :-(

 

[NUTMEG]

Happy to be corrected but I think that Maylandsea Bay SC allow launching on their slip for a nominal fee. There is a public slip at the end of North Road in Maldon but it is silted up and all but blocked with old, seemingly abandoned, dinghies. It is between Marinestore and Noddy's yard. No car parking in any case.

 

[toad]

About 30 years ago I used to launch a runabout at Stone. There was a field that you could leave your car and trailer in for a small fee and launch across the beach, I think it was council owned. The field was sold of for housing and the power boat club expanded and I think got exclusive rights to the launching ramp. Even if you could still launch at Stone there is nowhere to park now.

 

[philiphurst]

Happy to be corrected but I think that Maylandsea Bay SC allow launching on their slip for a nominal fee. There is a public slip at the end of North Road in Maldon but it is silted up and all but blocked with old, seemingly abandoned, dinghies. It is between Marinestore and Noddy's yard. No car parking in any case.

You are probably correct about MBSC. It occurred to me earlier that Blackwater Marina also allow access to their slip for a fee. Sailing club adjacent to marina. I know where my money would go. Nothing against Blackwater Marina, Cirrus is berthed there and it's a good place to be.