PLEASE HELP - Swing Mooring / Marina / Beaching Legs ???

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JordanBoon

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Hi there i am new to both sailing and this forum, after purchasing my yacht a Dufour 27 which i have renovated i now find myself looking for a mooring in the Solent, which today i have found to be a lot harder than i initially thought.
I am on a tight budget and have seen various offers, I have a 6ft Draft and a Fin Keel
Please could you help me find the cheapest mooring i have contacted everywhere, even if it is just for a month or so just so i can get off hard standing and into the water and learn how to sail.
I have been offered a mooring in Chicester Harbour however it is a 3/4 Tide which only dries up at spring tide does anyone know if this would be ok, the guy suggests putting Beaching Legs onto my yacht however i am not convinced it would work.
Is chichester harbour soft enough that the yacht would sink.
Any Help is greatfully recieved
Jordan Boon
 
Beaching Legs

Thankyou very much for the advice, i was told that it only dries up at spring tide, do you know of any sailing club that i could join that have reasonable swing moorings, any advice is greatly recieved
 
Try Gosport Boatyard, Wicor Marine. Quay Lane Boatyard, Maybe Lauren Marine in Southampton?
I would suggest trying all the clubs which have moorings, e.g Hardway, Portsmouth SC, Portchester etc etc. However, the joining process takes time and most clubs have a waiting list.
You could ask Langstone Harbour Master.

For this season, try advertising for a sub let in Boats and Outboards, Apollo Duck etc etc.
Also this forum of course.

Unless you can find a 'co owner' who is eligible for Civil Service or RNSA, it ain't cheap or easy.

Where are you based? E or W solent?
 
JordanBoon said:
Thankyou very much for the advice, i was told that it only dries up at spring tide, do you know of any sailing club that i could join that have reasonable swing moorings, any advice is greatly recieved
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did you ring them? they will almost certianly have a deep water mooring, that doesnt dry, you can use for "a month" (possibly permanantly) as you asked, job done?
 
I agree contact the harbour office re Chichester moorings

See also http://www.conservancy.co.uk/page/Moorings/322/#news

There are nearly always moorings vacant at Nutborne. The snags are the limited access from the dinghy chains, about 3/4 mile from there to the moorings and also no car parking closer than Thornham marina! Otherwise a nice quiet part of the harbour away from all the crowds and the gin palaces.
 
I am based in Portsmouth, i have contacted a load of marinas / sailing clubs etc and so far they are not ideal, for mooring at Langstone i would not be given a pro rota price it would still stand at £760 for the rest of the season.
I am looking into a few sailing clubs and left messages but as you said most are full. I have a few friends at Southsea Sailing Club and they are going to see about their moorings.

Does anyone know the laws and procedures of laying my own swing mooring, what do i need etc

Thanks Jordan
 
JordanBoon said:
Does anyone know the laws and procedures of laying my own swing mooring, what do i need etc
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You need to have figured out mooring before buying the boat, especially here in the Solent. It's like 17-year-olds need to figure out insurance before getting the car - the £100 banger is the easy part.

Pete
 
I think you'll find that QHM haven't got any free mooring spots. A few people have long standing individual permits, but the vast majority of areas are allocated to companies or clubs.

I can't speak for other clubs, but Hardway SC has a waiting list for membership (you might get in next year if you apply now) and a several year waiting list for a mooring. There are many good reasons for joining - it's a friendly club with useful facilities, but wanting a club mooring isn't one of them. I'd be very surprised if other clubs are any different.

You might do better at Quay Lane, tel 02392 524214, whose website says they have some swinging moorings available from £714 to £887 inc VAT, which is definitely at the cheaper end of commercial moorings in Portsmouth Harbour. The cheaper ones will dry, but it's soft, deep mud, so I wouldn't expect any problems provided you can live with the limited access. Do make sure they know what boat it's for, as they'll know their moorings.
 
Jordan

I'm sure everyone here wishes you well and a great future sailing. The problem is that the Solent is an expensive place to keep a boat. One of the most expensive places in the UK (if not the most expensive) and much more expensive than say Northern France. Many people who have marina berths in the Solent with boats of your size are paying thousands of pounds a year.

Marinas are more expensive than swing moorings, but the result is that good swing moorings are hard to come by, hence the waiting lists.

I'm sure the advice about Chichester, Portsmouth and Langstone is good. Even there, the most convenient berths are either taken or expensive - it's a bit like getting seats at the theatre or a concert - good seats go quickly and the prices go up. The owners of the moorings know this, and like the theatre, they aim to price so that all their moorings and berths get taken up at the best prices they can get. Also like the theatre, the unsold moorings are likely to be the less attractive ones.

However, this is the time of year that some boats leave their home moorings for a summer cruise lasting weeks or even months. So it's well worth talking to the people like Gosport Boatyard, Wicor Marine, Langstone HM etc to see if they have any moorings coming free. You have a sporting chance one of them will say 'Funny you should ask, because Saucy Sue has just left for a couple of months and we can rent you her mooring'. But it's unlikley to be cheap, because boatyards know the market rates as well as you do, and they love letting a mooring once for the whole season and then a second time to someone who wants it in the short term because they get two lots of 'rent'.

Do let us know how you get on. Happy hunting.
 
prv said:
You need to have figured out mooring before buying the boat, especially here in the Solent. It's like 17-year-olds need to figure out insurance before getting the car - the £100 banger is the easy part.

Pete
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I now realise this boat and mooring situation, although i was told that there were £400 swing mooring but i imagine that they are few and far between, yeah i think that 700 - 800 is ok really only £20 PW, its that this month everything has come at the same time and not many of them allow you to pay monthly.

Thanks for all the help guys
 
Hi there JBWebston, I have actually been looking for prices of mooring in the Med as i would not mind it being out there for the weather as well as the cheap flights that you can get. I have looked online for European mooring but not really been able to find anything.
If you know of any good sites or is it the same as UK where it is all on who you know and calling them all up.
Thanks Jordan
 
Hi Jordan
Talk to Portchester sailing club, if you are willing to lay your own mooring there is a good chance they may be able to allocate a spot. The difficulty is trying NOT to sound as though you want to join in order to get a cheap mooring. They are a recognised RYA training establishment (mainly dinghies) but dinghies are a very good way to learn. The club itself is very friendly and tries to run on a DIY basis, you would have no problem getting advice and assistance. Best thing is to drop by on a Friday evening after about 8 o'clock and ask at the bar to talk to someone about the possibility of joining, in that discussion mention that you would be looking to join straight away and that you would like to be able to get (lay) a mooring.
Here's the website http://portchestersc.co.uk/
Good luck
 
JordanBoon said:
Hi there JBWebston, I have actually been looking for prices of mooring in the Med as i would not mind it being out there for the weather as well as the cheap flights that you can get. I have looked online for European mooring but not really been able to find anything.
If you know of any good sites or is it the same as UK where it is all on who you know and calling them all up.
Thanks Jordan
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Look at Alicante marina, 8m berth around €3000 a year but very easy to get to by air, and only €2.6 bus ride to the marina.
 
Scotty_Twister said:
how about Wicormarine boat yard, Portchester? http://www.wicormarine.co.uk/
Swinging moorings there.
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Blinking expensive, though - their cheapest deepwater moorings are £48/foot for the season. That's just a shade under thirteen hundred quid for a twenty seven footer. That's my budget for buying a mooring plus running costs for ten years!
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JordanBoon
Hi there JBWebston, I have actually been looking for prices of mooring in the Med as i would not mind it being out there for the weather as well as the cheap flights that you can get. I have looked online for European mooring but not really been able to find anything.
If you know of any good sites or is it the same as UK where it is all on who you know and calling them all up.
Thanks Jordan


bendyone said:
Look at Alicante marina, 8m berth around €3000 a year but very easy to get to by air, and only €2.6 bus ride to the marina.
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But it will be a bit difficult getting the boat ina suitcase
 
I normally dislike it when requests for information are met will posts like the one I'm about to make!

Hang on a minute buddy, you've bought a bit of a flyer in that Dehler 27, she'll sail well and with six feet of draught she'll hold a lot of canvas. Have some lessons from someone who'll teach you on your own boat. You've picked the busiest and most expensive part of the UK to sail in so expect an expensive mooring and expect to come a cropper if you don't get some tuition. It's like buying a car and expecting to drive it round Marble Arch never having had a driving lesson and also expecting to park it in Mayfair for a couple of quid a day.
 
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Hi
3/4 mooring no way for your boat. It may not fully dry until springs but your keel will still be hitting the bottom. Langstone harbour is your cheapest, best and possibly only option. You really won't get cheaper than that except in a club with deep water moorings and as mentioned there'll be a waiting list for sure. I'd get back on the blower to Langstone before someone else takes it.
Best of luck.
ps don't forget the bar at Langston entrance only has 1.2m of water on Low water Springs. Make sure you have enough water to get in or out.
 
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