Poole - Day Trip to Wareham & to Lulworth Cove

[SeacretSailor]

We are taking our 19ft bowrider to Poole next Friday for a week. We are staying, and will be moored up, at Rockley campsite.
We have never been to the area before and starting to plan our days out, weather permitting.

I know the boats capabilities/limitations so will explore the harbour if the winds are up.

Our draft is 81cm and I was wondering how accessible is Wareham from Poole harbour. Can it be done at low tide? Are there many places to moor up near the town centre for a browse / pub lunch?

How long will it take to get from Poole to Lulworth cove?

We also plan on visiting Brownsea Island.

Any other recommendations for day trips in the area?

 

[James_Calvert]

Take care out there!

 

[TopBanana]

Suggest you pick up a chart of Poole harbour. You won't make it to Wareham at low tide. Navionics ChartViewer

How long it takes to Lulworth depends on your comfortable speed. You can plot your route on the chart app above to find the distance over ground.

Brownsea Island is nice, remember you can only land on the south side.

Studland Bay is very popular - nice beaches if a little busy at the moment

 

[Oscar24]

We are taking our 19ft bowrider to Poole next Friday for a week. We are staying, and will be moored up, at Rockley campsite.
We have never been to the area before and starting to plan our days out, weather permitting.

I know the boats capabilities/limitations so will explore the harbour if the winds are up.

Our draft is 81cm and I was wondering how accessible is Wareham from Poole harbour. Can it be done at low tide? Are there many places to moor up near the town centre for a browse / pub lunch?

How long will it take to get from Poole to Lulworth cove?

We also plan on visiting Brownsea Island.

Any other recommendations for day trips in the area?

Rockley is a good location to explore the Poole area. Would recommend getting a chart of Poole harbour thou as its very shallow in places. A working depth sounder is a must tbh.
Wareham is very doable but i would only attempt it at high tide, you can moor up at the quay in Wareham, but it can and does get busy on a hot day.
Not sure what the attraction is with Lulworth cove tbh, its quite a trek round from Poole,
If the weather is good and the seas are calm, then Shell bay and Studland bay are popular destinations. Just be careful coming out of the harbour not to cross the 'trailing bank' which extends out into the bay. Stay in the Swash channel. Also be careful of Hook sands and Stone island (both near the harbour entrance as they always catch people out)
Swanage bay is worth a trip and not too far.
If you anchor off Bournemouth beach make sure your anchor is holding, and watch out for swimmers who can be some way off the beach.
If the weather is a bit 'lumpy' stay in the harbour and explore south deep channel, a good place to anchor is to the south of Green Island. Another good location is just west of Long Island. Keep in the channels thou as it dries out.
Brownsea Island is NT and unless your a member your not allowed to go ashore. No problem anchoring off it thou, Pottery pier is a nice spot but can get busy.
Most of Poole harbour is 6 - 10 knot limit and the Harbour master does have patrols out checking. Ch 14 is the radio channel for Poole and more useful to listen out on than Ch 16

 

[Montemar]

Wareham is very nice but you wil need to be on a high tide as it gets shallow. Ridge Wharf marina is on the way.
Comments about St. Albans Head very important, we scared ourselvers somewhat going around it even though we were well out.
Check out the firing range below and see Lulworth range firing times July 2020 (updated 1 July)
Lulworth Cove and Durdle Dor very nice but very popular. Worbarrow Bay and Chapmans Pool also nice.
I hope the image comes out!

 

[dpb]

We have been based in Poole for 20 years now so have got to know the area a little.
You can get to Wareham at low tide but not all low tides. As a guide if the low tide height is 1.0m or above in Poole Harbour we can make it in our 24fter, The shallow parts of the river seemed to us a little deeper this year than previous years so may have been scoured out with the winter rains maybe? Not much quay space but people usually raft up up to 4 deep. However not sure if folks are up for that in these Covid times.
Since most people think you can only get there high tide, best chance of mooring is to go as early on the rising tide as possible to get there first.
Brownsea Island re opens to visitors today (23rd July) and you do not need to be a member to visit.
Own boat visits were banned up until today due to Covid and I don't know the official position from today.
That said there were dinghys and kayaks pulled up on the shore during the last few weeks at times.
Visiting in your own boat you will need to use a dinghy or swim / wade ashore once anchored. Round Pottery Pier and alng the South Shore to the East is best.
Christchurch is a good day trip, that definateley is a high tide visit. You can get from Poole to Christchurch itself and further up the river Stour to Iford and back on the one tide very easily. Not many places to tie up and get ashore though, the quay at the Captains Table Hotel being the best option if you have a drink there.
Studland Bay and Swanage all good and well sheltered from the prevailing South Westerlies.
Pushing beyond Swanage could be the highlight of your trip, even if you just go round Anvil point to explore the cliffs beyond.
Chapmans Poole is the first anchorage, then Mupe Bay followed by Lulworth Cove and maybe navigate through Durdle Door beyond.
You will want the right conditions though in your boat (and ours for that matter), we only go if the winds are very light or from the north and in calm seas (Neap tides are often good) The Races are worst on the ebbing tide and if the wind is against the tide.
Having said that if you keep close (10m to 20m) to the cliffs you will usually find flat water.
A good guide is that if when you get past Swanage you are put off by the race at Pevril Ledge, then dont bother going any further!
In good conditions other day drips are possible to Lymington and Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.
Have fun!!

 

[SeacretSailor]

Excellent, thank you all for the info. Exactly what I needed.
I have a Raymarine Dragonfly for depths but will get a Poole Harbour chart.
Lulworth Cove was more of a nostalgic trip so if too far will stay more local.
Any more suggestions of things to do and see are very welcome.

 

[colhel]

Depending on your experience, Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight coukd be within 3 hours of Rockley. Don't just aim for the Needles though, check charts, tide and wind. I'm suggesting this as an alternative to Lulworth btw and I think a bit more straightforward (i think others may disagree) but I repeat.. Charts,Tides and wind for a comfortable passage. Swanage is one of my favourites but not if there's any East in the wind as it can get a bit rolly.

 

[ashtead]

If the weather is rough then an open top bus trip from Poole to Bournemouth is best day trip with a sight seeing tour of sandbanks thrown in . We once spent a lovely day anchored off Green island as mentioned by Oscar24 but while we had a barbecue ashore I think it’s a private islanD so some invite was fixed up for our group of yachts and mobos.
Other thing to do is buy some paddle boards or sevylor canoe from decathlon before you go and launch from the mother ship for inshore explorations.

 

[solitaire11]

Were down from monday the 6th and keeping our dory on a mooring at shell bay, and camper at swanage. Been a good 30 years since ive been out in poole harbour.. looking forwards to it ?

 

[Meagain]

To build on comments Luworth was a light wind, flat sea visit only in our 24ft. Peveril point is a good indication of the races. With a 19 do try swanage but avoid Harry’s on an ebb tide as that too can be exciting if there is some wind

 

[SeacretSailor]

With regards to brownsea island - as our draft is only 80cm, is it possible to bungee anchor close enough to drop family off without getting wet and tie bow off at the beach - without risk of getting beached?
Or is a tender/paddleboard the only ‘stay dry without risk of beaching your boat’ option?

 

[dpb]

With regards to brownsea island - as our draft is only 80cm, is it possible to bungee anchor close enough to drop family off without getting wet and tie bow off at the beach - without risk of getting beached?
Or is a tender/paddleboard the only ‘stay dry without risk of beaching your boat’ option?

You can drop people off at Pottery Pier though that has been taped off lately (Covid) so dont count on being able to do so. (With the Island now being open may be ok now.)
And the captain still has to get wet to get ashore.
But if 'staying dry' allows for wading ashore then we used to do this with our 21ft cuddy and a bungee anchor.
Need to do it during the high tide window though, which in Poole can be well over 6 hours.