Poole Harbour Bridge issues

[Drew64]

Todays Bournemouth Evening Echo is running a fuul page 2 story entitled :-

" Bridge issues lead to large mariner exodus "

see :-
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/ne...ridge__failings_are_driving_boat_owners_away/

according to the article visitors to Poole think the bridge is all too hard work and going else where.

Andrew & Noeline
PoochPower
FairlineSprint 21

 

[thejonesey]

That's why we moved.....

 

[rhino_mac]

I'm at Parkstone Bay so I miss the bridges but a friend at Cobbs has a 21' Trophy and he is thinking about moving as although he fits under the bridges, by the time the holding areas are full up with boats it's a nightmare to get past them all.

I have to admit, this put me off when I was looking for a marina last week and Cobbs was significantly cheaper than Parkstone Bay and a little easier to get in/out when the tide is lowish (apparently, not having tried it).

Poole Boat Haven was very expensive to moor at over the summer. I was quoted nearly £700 a month for my 25' Monterey although it was cheaper in the winter months. This was on the quay side, not over the other side which is only accessible by their water taxi system apparently. I was also told July/August would be more "because of the Olympics" which is blatant profiteering if ever I heard it.

Mooring in Poole seems to be pretty difficult/expensive!

 

[Geoffs]

To be honest I've not found the bridges too much of an issue. This may because with such rubbish weather, I've not be out nearly as much as usual.

I have fairly low air draught (2.7M) and find I can usually get under the new bridge, which 0.5m higher than the old one.

I was, and am, ready to move if this bridge business becomes a pain, but I like Cobbs and I like Poole so don't want to move.

This whole fiasco was entirely predictable, and was pointed out at the public enquiry, but the council didn't want to listen, they wanted their sails. The inspector didn't seem totally unbiased either, IMHO. And why did PHC and RNLI withdraw their objections at the last moment. It smells.

The engineering of the bridge is flawed and will never be sorted. Poole Borough Council will be finding it's costing them a fortune to run, in years to come. What will happen then remains to be seen, but you can bet it's the boater who will suffer.

 

[crossy]

The whole two bridges thing is becoming a bit of a ball ache even for a boat like mine which has only got an air draft of 2.4M.

I got stuck south of the old bridge the other week for two hours when the new one's barriers broke down (which I couldn't get under) and they refused to open the old one (which I could have got under) as it would have interupted traffic (apparently).

The other challenge is that even if you can get under the bridges, if you time it wrong, the holding bay can be full of big boats bumping into each other and is difficult to get through. Good for GRP repair tradesmen though.....

I like Cobbs Quay, it is quite a nice little marina and is significantly cheaper than anything else in Poole. However, I can see it turning into a small boats marina before too long.

Andrew

 

[cem]

defo looking like it will be the small boats marina, we don't have a problem currently as we can sneak under, but as others have said, time it wrong and it can be a nightmare (not been bad this summer but again due to lousy weather)

i like Cobbs and no intention of moving unless we get a bigger boat

not sure what the solution is?

 

[##StuA##]

we have been waiting to see how things go this year with the bridge before deciding to stay or go, but have been out so little due to the weather so far.
a couple of times we have been out and had to return to cobbs as the twin sails has failed which has been a real pain.
best guess we will be moving along the coast next year!

 

[PhilipF]

We left Cobbs last Autumn, not because we were concerned about the bridge, but we thought a change to Brixham would be good, as it as it has proved.

Fact always thought too much fuss was being made about the bridge - least we are not restricted by tides.

Another issue is the others upside of the bridges; Lifeboats and Sunseeker. Affecting them much I wonder?

 

[beejay190]

The real pain in the butt is the Second Lift in a 2 Lift Cycle.

Eg: Twin Sails due to lift at 10.30, Old Poole Lifting Bridge due to lift at 11.00.

You would think that to be straightforward - BUT NO.

The Council's lifting timetable ( not to hand at the moment ) states that the secondl lift ( ie the 11.00 lift ) could be earlier or later than stated. Mariners are advised therefore to be on station soon after the timing of the first lift (10.30).

So if you are heading Upstream for the 11.00 Old Poole Lifting Bridge you want to be there at say 10.40 in order not to miss it Turn up at 11.00 and you may have missed it- and be faced with a possible one hour wait for the next lift; and on top of that another half an hour wait in the holding basin before the Twin Sails lift..

To my mind a bridge lift should be at the scheduled time and not before .;