Porlock Weir

[Birdseye]

Sadly now seems to be unavailable to visitors. According to the HM, the pool has been given over to tripper boats ( presumably sea fishing types), the moorings on the left as you go in are all permanent berths and the area to the right under the bridge is fishing boats.

 

[graham]

I think the drying moorings on the left as you go in allways were peoples permanet berths but you could use them if your boat was suitable if they were unoccupied.

I remember on one occasion having to wait until a boat left before we went straight into their berth.

Were you flatly refused permission to visit?

 

[donm]

There’s someone in the pool now alongside the fishing boat - see the webcam

I think the drying moorings on the left as you go in allways were peoples permanet berths but you could use them if your boat was suitable if they were unoccupied.

I remember on one occasion having to wait until a boat left before we went straight into their berth.

Were you flatly refused permission to visit?

 

[bitbaltic]

When I bought a boat 12 years ago, and enthusiastically kept it in Cardiff, the upper channel was (at least according to the sailing community, the pilot books, and training experience) a viable if always challenging cruising ground. But over the last decade watchet, Lydney and here porlock have become less and less viable for the skipper who wants to stay afloat. I wonder if the upper channel is now only cruisable not only if you take the ground but are quite adventurous in doing so in out of the way pills. Where does that leave Cardiff and Portishead berth holders- day sailing, racing or as we found just cruising from one to the other and back again. Or caravanning it. A small number of sailing boats in the upper channel might have the time, size and speed to make it their home berth and routinely summer in Pembrokeshire or the south coast I suppose. But it’s become really difficult as a cruising ground. I always figured the challenges of sea and ports were rewarded by going to interesting places. Not sure a fin keeler can really go anywhere anymore.

 

[jwilson]

Great pity if this is true: used to love visiting Porlock Weir in first a small centreboarder and later a bilge-keeler, never not found a drying space on the left as you entered. 45+ years ago though ...... There was only ever 2/3 spaces in the pool for bigger deeper fin keel boats. Holding when anchored off was very iffy, lots of shingle.

 

[Birdseye]

When I bought a boat 12 years ago, and enthusiastically kept it in Cardiff, the upper channel was (at least according to the sailing community, the pilot books, and training experience) a viable if always challenging cruising ground. But over the last decade watchet, Lydney and here porlock have become less and less viable for the skipper who wants to stay afloat. I wonder if the upper channel is now only cruisable not only if you take the ground but are quite adventurous in doing so in out of the way pills. Where does that leave Cardiff and Portishead berth holders- day sailing, racing or as we found just cruising from one to the other and back again. Or caravanning it. A small number of sailing boats in the upper channel might have the time, size and speed to make it their home berth and routinely summer in Pembrokeshire or the south coast I suppose. But it’s become really difficult as a cruising ground. I always figured the challenges of sea and ports were rewarded by going to interesting places. Not sure a fin keeler can really go anywhere anymore.

Thats true but then I remember it always being so in the 30 odd years that I have sailed out of Chepstow, Newport and now Cardiff. But then the large majority of BC sailing boats 30 years ago were bilge keelers from Moody, Westerly and Sadler. What has changed as much as anything has been the demise of british boat building and the disappearance of the new bilge keeler. I tried a fin keel Starlight as my last boat because I wanted to do some racing but despite it being the best boat I have ever had, I sold it two years ago because you just couldnt potter round the local ports and harbours in a relaxed way.