Swanage - access & public slipways

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Gazette

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Hi everyone - I need some help/advice!

I am a journalist (small time!) in Swanage, Dorset, writing for a publication called The Purbeck Gazette.
I'm currently researching our Council's attitude towards our public slipway (they want to stop boat owners using it to launch from, despite the Council Boat Yard being over-capacity with no current storage for trailers).

I have had several complaints from boaters (visitors) who've come to Swanage by boat, only to find that they can't access the shore (unless by dingy - with no where to tie said dingy up to).
We have a large pier, which boats AREN'T allowed to tie up to or dock on, but no other means of coming ashore - many visitors simply turn around and leave the bay after realising they can't get ashore!

Locals are now worried about the implications of loosing the public slipway (H&S - tourists eating ice cream may get injured if people try to launch boats from the slipway - easier to ban the boats....) and therefore any opportunity they have of launching a boat from the peninsula Swanage inhabits.

If anyone has any experiences of coming to Swanage via boat (good or bad), knowledge of public rights to public slipways/to launch a boat, and anything relevant to share on the subject, I'd be most grateful!

Many thanks - I look forward to hopefully hearing from some of you!
Nico
 
My late father-in-law moved to Swanage years ago at a time when I had my first trailered boat. When visiting, we were not allowed to launch as you say, so I had to go to Cobbs Quay. I was able to get the usage of a local mooring in Swanage bay from a friendly fisherman so kept the boat on that during the holidays. However, with my current larger boat, I often tour the bay and am sad it's not possible to 'step ashore' easily. If it was possible, I, and most other boaters, would start spending money in the town and its restaurants.

My father-in-law used to say that it appeareed the council was doing everything in its power to prevent visitors from bringing income to the much needed area. I tend to agree with him that it's fallen from the great place it was many years ago to the 'kiss me quick, slot machine' town it seems to have become.

Swanage is one of the most beautiful parts of the south coast. Somewhere to launch and somewhere to get ashore would be so good, and bring much needed income which surely the local venues would appreciate.
 
Hi Nico,

I visited last year and anchored off the beach. Wanted to visit town for some food and drink but didn't want to leave my dinghy on the beach at night so stayed on the boat instead. The place was packed with yachts and motor boats, but many dissapeared as it got dark, and I think only half a dozen boats stayed the night.

If the council won't provide dinghy moorings for visiting yachtsmen then a water taxi is a nice idea. £2.50 return is reasonable, run it until the pubs shut. I'm sure someone can do the sums and decide whether it will make a viable business for them.

If an enterprising local wants to set up a dinghy park on the beach, then I'd leave my tender there while visiting the pubs and pay a couple of quid for the service.

You could also try writing to some of the nauticle magazines and publications, they may offer advice or support. I note that both the Shell Channel Pilot and the Reeds Nautical Almanac say that Swanage has lauching facilities at the slipway. The Almanac (2006) goes as far as saying that there is launching facilities, freshwater and along side berthing at the pier. You might want to politely point out that this has now changed, they rely on correspondance from boaters to keep all the details upto date, and then solicite some support.

Plenty of other harbours and anchorages see it worth their while to lay on facilities for visiting boaters. I can't see why it would be different for Swanage.

Good luck.
 
I use to launch out of swanage over 10yrs ago for diving - back then it was very clear there was a unfriendly attitude - to the point of when we pulled up in an empty carpark with the trailer attached to use the loo we got slapped with a parking ticket - from then on we just moved to launching at poole - now we have a larger boat it would be great to stop in the bay for the weekend and get ashore - but unfortunatly that old attitude seams to still be there- so maybe the council is hell bent on the place becoming just like blackpool
 
Have spent many nights on the hook in the bay. Have been ashore precisely twice. Its a golden opportunity that is being missed for the sake of a better arrangement for leaving the dinghy....

Rick
 
I wrote to the council over a year ago with similar concerns and questioning why they put their Coucnil Boat Park launch / trailer fees up from 15 to £25 last year ! No reply yet and its been a year :-)


To be honest though the public slipway by the chip shop would be a pretty tight squeeze for all but the smallest boat - the angles for lining up and then trying to get back out on to the road would be a nightmare and I've never seen anyone use it in the last 10 years I have been going regularly.

There is an unofficial water taxi that runs in Summer but probably not late at night - I think it's the chap who runs the pleasure boat hire. I also recall that the Ocean Bay Restaurant has half a dozen moorings and offered a taxi last year but probably only for customers although can't see them turning away money of they are not in use ?

The Swanage Divers on the pier (Paul ?) also hires out temporary and permanent moorings in the Bay for far less that the cost of daily launching at the Coucil Boat park.

Credit where it is due though I have always found the chaps on duty in the Council Boat park very chatty and helpful especially when the other half is struggling with mooring up alongside the slipway jetty.

there does seem to be plenty of places you can get ashore in a tender and usually spare rings set in concrete or railings around to padlock to - doubt there'll be anyone around to complain in the evening ;-)

Dave
 
A few years back about 7 of us anchored up off the beach to watch the Fireworks display. We rafted up and slept overnight - had a BBQ cooked expertly by one forumite and we ate on the boat moored next up. The kids hung out on my boat, in between blatting around the bay in the dingys. We went ashore and left the dingy on the beach in charge of SWMBO who was sunbathing whilst we went to the pub.
If i remember correctly there was a water taxi taking people from and to the boats.
We lauched at Rockley Sands so didnt use any of the Swanage facilites - apart from the pub. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Gazette. PM me and I'll give you my number and we can have a chat about it. We've been there a few times, I've just shoved the anchor in and used the taxi a couple of times, or the tender. I've actually gone up to the pier and picked some friends up.

It's just mad that they are refusing to look at this properly.
T
 
We've been, stayed on the boat, seems a lot of people do the same. When we visit somewhere that welcomes boats, Cowes for example, we spend time in the town, get lunch, use the shops, basically spend money...
 
Hi

I have not been to swanage yet. I was intending to go, but if you cant go ashore it makes it less attractive.

Like the other have said, when you go ashore you spend money. I would say we spend around £100 every time we go ashore in Cowes.

Anyway boats attract people on the shore as well, who like to come to look at them. So thats more business for the town.

Councils seem to think its their job to stop everyone doing everything. Actually its their job to make as much as possible as they can.

Good luck

PS check back to your posting from time to time, as many replies are to the person above and not the original poster.
 
I've done 12 trips over past 2 seasons to swanage, i reckon only 2 trips i were we didnt go ashore
but have to say it could be better and if it were i would come even more often
we always use our dingy and outboard and beach up on pebble beach next to slip way by just up from food stalls opposite bandstand.
we love it
water taxi would be good, would have thought the young chap doing the hire boats might be interested, he could also do a delivery service for the food stalls, even ice creams like they do in poole harbour and studland, they do a roaring trade
happy to chat more pm if you wish
 
Re: Swanage - access & public slipways

Visited Swanage last year and anchored in the bay, I wanted to go round the town but like others have said no where really to secure the tender.

I also do quite a bit of diving from the pier and charter the dive boats, I've found the guys very friendly. Everytime we dive we spend a bit in town between dives, I always thought it ashame I can't visit in my own boat without the hassle.

However I reckon boats could use the pier provding you don't get in the way of the dive boats etc, good for dropping people off etc.

More visitor buoys and a secure place for tenders would encourage me to stay the weekend and spend my money in town.

I do feel Swanage is missing a great opportunity!!
 
I've been going to that area of Dorset for years. I'm 40 odd now and first went when I was 1 or 2. Swanage has gone down hill gradually over the years. Someone else described what it has become perfectly "slot machines and kiss me quick hats"

The only reason that we go there now is for a fish and chip supper in the restaurant on the front. The rest of it you can keep.....
 
I love Swanage, a regular visitor. Was there yesterday, Wednesday 2nd. Go ashore with dinghy no problems, land on the Stone Quay and leave dinghy there. Never been any problem, must have done it hundreds of times.

I can see the loss of the slipway would be a tragedy, never used it myself, but see it is very popular.

There is a water taxi in summer months. All in all, Swanage a super place.
 
Its almost as if people are talking about different places!
Some getting ashore regularly and easily and others finding it difficult.
We fall in the former, visiting seberal times a month in the summer, used to dinghy ashore from previous boat after anchoring and securing the dinghy to a railing or similar object, plenty about. Water taxi operates all summer as part of hireboat operation but never after 7pm and sometimes earlier.
Now days we nose in near the pier with our sports boat to step ashore and use a bungee anchor to keep the boat off the beach whilst we are in town,.....or use the Taxi.
The taxi was £1 per adult each way last couple of years.
 
Used Swanage loads of times with the dive club. The only moan that we have is that the trailer park is too small for the number of visitors although the slip by the lifeboat station os one of the best in the area. We've never used the town slip as it looks too narrow and parking and manouvering is too tight.

Parking is expensive in the main car park but we love the town even though it is very grockly.

Never anchoered up in the bay so cannot comment on taxis etc.
 
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