pmagowan
Well-Known Member
Is this a feasable anchorage for this weekend? The wind is forecast SW moving to NNW but it has been very calm recently. Does anyone have local knowledge?
Port Erin IOM
- Thread starter pmagowan
- Start date
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
Port Erin is completely open to the west so won't be good in the forecast winds even though the holding is good. Peel no better in NW winds. So options... Port St Mary ok, or go inside at Peel, or go up the other side of the island, i.e. Derbyhaven & Garwick Bay.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
Fleshwick Bay just to the north is a better option in SW to W winds up to moderate winds, but any further north then inside at Peel is the best.
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
I thought so. It might be a bit tight to make peel before the gate shuts is the only problem. Leaving Ardglass at around 4pm
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
There are waiting buoys in the outer harbour at Peel, & the flap gate is operated 24 hours (remotely by Douglas when the local HM has gone to the pub). If it goes NNW you'll get a bumping on the buoys though.
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
I have been in the outer harbour in peel a few times when I missed the gate and it was not a pleasant experience! I was hoping it had been so calm and the forecast is for 3-4 that I might get away with it but I guess I will have to race for peel and make a decision half way over whether I am going to make it or not and divert to PSM if in doubt.
stevie69p
Well-Known Member
I had a similar experience recently, coming down from the Mull of Galloway with a NW at my back made for a great sail, but the 4 hours spent on the mooring in the outer harbour area was hell. I'm not prone to sea-sickness, but after an hour began to feel a bit queasy. Tried to get the head down for a sleep - no chance! Like being inside the drum of a washing machine...
However, once inside the harbour proper, it really is a nice place to be.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Last time that happened to me (well, from Kirkcudbright, but same general principle) I went to Ramsey instead. Bit of a dump, but you get that authentic drying-out-against-the-wall experience. I have done my time on the peel waiting buoys, but never too bad. So far.
stevie69p
Well-Known Member
I went to Ramsey on the train. Can't say I was impressed enough that in hindsight I wouldn't just have put up with 4 hours of the washing machine to be honest lol
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
The harbour in Ramsey is a working port, so a lot more industrial than Peel or even Douglas. The town is OK, but it's a small place and everything shuts early. That said, we had a perfectly nice time there, but it did depend on going elsewhere for amusement.
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
Ramsey is authentic
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I rather miss the days when I'd dry out against the south wall at Peel and, to get to town at low tide, climb down the quayside ladder and walk across the other side. Can't do that now - the water would be up to my, um, knees in some places.
macd
Well-Known Member
Surely it would have been then: you'd have had to cross the river? Much deeper now, of course, silting notwithstanding.
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
Went to Port Erin in the end. The wind was forcast to go north through west and I had intended to go to Port Saint Mary to avoid the conditions but the swell was from the south east and the wind veered east so we diverted back to Port Erin. It was still a bit bumpy. We tried to anchor on the south side but really the only good spot is taken by the mooring buoys so we gave up and took a buoy. Nice place and they had a festival of the sea on. Went to Peel the next morning and caught some mackerel while waiting for the gate to open. Lovely weekend and a great sail back in F3-4 to Ardglass
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
Officially users are meant to pay for those moorings but the HM is shared with PSM & is hardly ever there. Even when I did find him in residence once when I tried to pay he wouldn't take anything for 1 night.
SAMYL
Well-Known Member
Castletown would be my favorite by far but on the East side. You can dry out or tie up depending on which part of the harbour you go to.
Lovely historic town with an old castle and lovely museum and plenty of pubs, one just on the pier. The steam train also stops there.
Lovely historic town with an old castle and lovely museum and plenty of pubs, one just on the pier. The steam train also stops there.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
There's a council mooring there too for those who like them.
pmagowan
Well-Known Member
I couldn't find any information on paying. I looked up the IOM gov website and it simply said there were moorings but did not mention a charge. There was no information on the pier that I could see and no obvious harbour masters. There was a coastguard station but it was closed.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
By the lower bit of the upper harbour the river was so spread out that it was only a splash through. Six inches, maybe?
steve yates
Well-Known Member
I like Ramsey, it was my first stop when I left maryport in bethfran on my learning to sail cruise. I bounced off the wall and fishing boats 6 times trying to come alongside, and the harbourside was full of crowds; thought I would be the laughing stock. On climbing the ladder I discovered there was a car race coming through the streets, and no one saw me at all, they were watching the cars roaring through 
It's not very touristy, but I like that, and I like harbours and walls.
It's not very touristy, but I like that, and I like harbours and walls.
