Swinging moorings in Poole Harbour - opinions

Stevensons moorings maintain many of the moorings & offer their own in the Western Harbour their price is pretty good I would guess.
Re Wash there are plenty of smaller boats than 23Ft thereabouts with I guess few problems apart from the odd jet ski thug (Not the good jetski types I should say). A SE has a decent fetch & can throw up quite a chop even a wave. There is more shelter towards Arne (Opp pier) from the prevailing but maybe a bit more prone to theft as quieter.
 
I believe my club Parkstone YC will accept new members BUT they want active member not people who just want a cheap parking bay.

I believe there is a probationary period before full membership is granted. We got one of the few longest marina berths after some 2-3 yrs on waiting list but we have been active dinghy racers for over 20yrs and didn't join for a berth.
 
If you're in West Moors I would forget Christchurch until the spur road is sorted. Parley and Hurn are chaos already on a Friday evening. Come May and June I dread to think what it will be like. Theft will be an issue on any mororing but I'd agree with others that Poole is certainly no worse than anywhere else. Do remember that, except for a few moorings above the bridges, all Poole swinging moorings are April-December, though most of the yards offer winter deals. The other things, as mentioned by others again, is that the size of Poole Harbour means that it can be a rough ride in a strong S or SW on the shallower and cheaper moorings or the North side.

I believe that Port of Poole Marina is having the breakwater extended over the winter, which I've been has menat that berths are even harder to come by this year. How true that is I don't know.
 
Thanks for the your response.

I think we're going forgot about Poole and stay in Southampton because of the concerns with the swinging moorings at Salterns ...

  • Town Quay have a very competitive price for 12 months although have no lifting facilities - likely we'd get Drivers to lift out in and out. Failing that Davis's Boatyard in Poole have the best priced lifting and storage costs.
  • Shamrock also have good prices for berths with restricted access and unlimited winter storage included in the price.
  • Still waiting for Itchen Towage Marina to get back to me their marina prices - I don't fancy their mid river pontoons.
  • Kemps Quay only have drying berths available.
 
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As penny pinching as it may seem, my partner and I are trying to get the cost down of boating (including berthing, fuel, maintenance, insurance, car trips to boat) to around 4k (2k each). Based on 30 trips per year that's an average cost per use of around £133 (£66 each). The more we visit (even just to sit onboard at the moorings) the cheaper it becomes and more justifiable owning a boat becomes.

If we were to put her on a swinging mooring that cost per use would decrease to around £88 (£44 each). For an extra £45 per use, we could have her in a proper marina and not have to worry about the issues of swinging moorings. However is an extra £45 per use (£300 approx. extra per year) worth it, simply for peace of mind!!?

Our last boat, a 20ft 3 litre petrol motorboat, was completely unaffordable and costing us around £200 per use. As she was in a drystack we could only use it from June to September and the drystack had no marina facilities. With this new boat we can hopefully use it from Feb to November and pop down a couple of times a week to sit onboard and enjoy.
 
Further things to keep in mind when considering MOORINGS are car parking and dingy storage. I don't know what it's like in Poole, but in Chichester Hbr this can be a serious problem, both cost-wise and for practicality when you have a significant amount of stuff to transfer to the boat. It is a particular problem if you sometimes want to sail single-handed. (do you leave all your stuff in the dingy while you park the car maybe a considerable distance away?). Marinas in Chi charge in the region of £500pa just for dingy storage/car-parking. Of course this may not be an issue if the mooring is operated by a yard/club.
 
hello we had a swinning mooring from stevensons for 10 years near lake yard, boats both sides of us were broken in to over this time but i suspect this is just par for the course with swining moorings, we wintered at ridge wharf up river a bit it can be shallow but soft mud so not a problem just sinking in a bit at low water, it is quite a way to the harbour entrance from there though. might be worth looking at some of the yacht clubs east dorset have mooring at a reasonable price for members and there membership fees are low. good luck we sail out of poole still and it is a nice place to sail from. dont forget to check about the parking though, not a problem near hamworthy and lake yard as plenty of on the road parking but some other areas are all pay and display!
 
thecommander said:
Thanks for the your response.

I think we're going forgot about Poole and stay in Southampton because of the concerns with the swinging moorings at Salterns ...

  • Town Quay have a very competitive price for 12 months although have no lifting facilities - likely we'd get Drivers to lift out in and out. Failing that Davis's Boatyard in Poole have the best priced lifting and storage costs.
  • Shamrock also have good prices for berths with restricted access and unlimited winter storage included in the price.
  • Still waiting for Itchen Towage Marina to get back to me their marina prices - I don't fancy their mid river pontoons.
  • Kemps Quay only have drying berths available.
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I think you have made a good decision irrespective of costs.

Poole is a big, pretty harbour but there are not that many places to go on a weekend sail.

Outside the harbour it is often quite lumpy, and one has the choice of a relatively long sail to the Solent - with the definitely not to be messed with Hurst Narrows, and always wondering about the return trip.

Or going west into the strong tides of Anvil Point, possible gunnery range to avoid and long beat to Weymouth - possibly taking in Chapmans Poole or Lulworth but probably not for overnight.

Compared to the above, the Solent offers a bewildering array of options !
 
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Years ago I kept two yachts on a swinging moorings one was along side the main channel the other in North Channel which I think dried at springs. I needed a sturdy 12ft tender to get to the yacht. It can get rough in the harbour which can change plans as to when you can get to the yacht. Also I never, or rarely, stayed on the mooring overnight as it was usually too choppy from passing traffic. I seem to recall it was fairly cheap (club mooring). Needs strong mooring chains, cleats and antifouling.

Being close to the entrance was excellent because I found no pleasure sailing in the crowded harbour. Very shallow draft helps a lot for exploring the harbour itself and to get the best spots in Studland Bay. But it gets very busy on good weather weekends, both harbour and the traffic to get there.

I found it was location a for two ends of the scale sailing. Good for a regular very local potters to a fav' spot in Studland or around the other side of Brownsea Island. The Swanage peninsula provides excellent shelter in Studland Bay from strong SW and W winds. The other thing I liked that it was an excellent base for Channel cruising because an overnight trip would take you somewhere interesting and with plenty of choice depending on wind direction. I would often pull over into Studland Bay to anchor either to get ready for a long trip or on my way back and the tides/weather were not quite right to enter the harbour.

Oh, one other thing, the Dolphins.
 
Seajet said:
Poole is a big, pretty harbour but there are not that many places to go on a weekend sail.
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That's very wide of the mark, I wouldn't be so rude as to say cobblers! :)

Outside the harbour it is often quite lumpy, and one has the choice of a relatively long sail to the Solent - with the definitely not to be messed with Hurst Narrows, and always wondering about the return trip.

Or going west into the strong tides of Anvil Point, possible gunnery range to avoid and long beat to Weymouth - possibly taking in Chapmans Poole or Lulworth but probably not for overnight.
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These aren't long sails, just a nice days sail and you pick whether to turn left or right depending on wind and tide.

Compared to the above, the Solent offers a bewildering array of options !
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Yes lots of options if you only ever do no more than a couple of hours sail and spend the rest of the day tied up to a pontoon, or you could sail down to Poole! :)
 
Lady in bed,

I've been sailing to and around Poole since 1978.

Not cobblers, simple fact; Poole is huge when viewed as a shallow lake, but in fact has very few practical places to go.

Wareham is a long, tide dependent trip - the majority of the river at least being a motor job - and the quay is often very crowded at weekends and peak season.

The sails to anywhere left or right are indeed on the long side for a weekend, particularly with a view to the return trip the next day; if conditions suit one way, they are unlikely to suit the return unless things change.

The town quay is generally out now, leaving the marina opposite with high prices and a long walk to town.

Cobbs Quay if one doesn't mind 2 bridge times and a silted, somewhat run down place with long walks / taxi to anywhere else.

There are the good anchorages of South Deep etc - unlikely to be a sail to get to owing to narrow channels & traffic - & Studland if the wind suits, again likely to be a motoring trip.

I SAIL from my swinging mooring n Chichester to all over the Solent, and do not ' spend a couple of hours then hang on a pontoon ', cowes for instance is a good 3 hour + sail with long bits at each end to and from harbour mouths - I usually prefer the Folly to the town marinas.

Most other places are longer sails.

From the OP's Southampton Water he'd have the choice of short sails to Cowes, Newtown etc and various distance trips to the many places to left or right.

Contrary to popular belief the Solent is not all about marina to marina, unless one wants that.

You really should try it.
 
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We had our MacGregor on a swinging mooring for two years at Hamworthy. The outboard was stolen ( a 50hp Yamaha off the back while it was in the water - quite a feat!) and had the boat vandalised more than once. This was in spite an alarm linked to a foghorn which had gone off continuously for 20 mins. The police basically just shrugged, and Stephensons were sympathetic but "what can be done".

Idyllic location but it spoils the fun when you arrive to find this has happened.
 
I last sailed in the Solent last September, been tricky since then with the boat out of the water.

Chi - Folly.

Last sailed to Poole about 4 years ago, have done many times before.
 
Didn't you notice the large Marina on Poole Quay?
Or people sailing quite happily up and down the harbour?
Did you note that Yarmouth and Lymington is doable in less than 4 hours, (I did Cowes in 6) Weymouth in 5?

I'll finish with the condescending, you should try it....:D
 
Did you notice the small marina at Poole Quay where one is lucky to find a space ?

Or people restricted to very narrow channels unless they have shoal draft abilty - to windward - while Sunseeker prats and large ferries go by as if one doesn't exist.

Did you notice that Yarmouth and Lymington are not ' doable in 4 hours ' in any boat beside a hot shot job, longer for a family cruiser, with offshore SW swell on the way to and fro and last but foremost Hurst Narrows.

Then if this is a weekend trip the idea hanging over at least the skipper / navigator's head of ' how do we get back with just me seaworthy, SWMBO maybe or maybe not game but unskilled, + any kids '.

Exactly how often have you sailed from Poole to the Solent for a weekend, and with what crew ?!

I've sailed from Chichester to Poole & back several times singlehanded non-stop, but I was bloody sure to pick my weather & timings !

I believe in earlier editions of ' Heavy Weather Sailing ' Adlard Coles mentions getting a pasting in Poole Bay, and I suspect people here saying ' Hurst Narrows, bring it on ' are talking with their keyboard and what's on their computer chair.
 
Seajet said:
Exactly how often have you sailed from Poole to the Solent for a weekend, and with what crew ?!.
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Can't remember exactly I'm afraid, but normally with my wife,friends or on my own.
I did it once with 2 experienced crew but that was from Bermuda so probably doesn't count :D

Seajet said:
I've sailed from Chichester to Poole & back several times singlehanded non-stop, but I was bloody sure to pick my weather & timings !
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So do I, hence my Leisure23 could do the trip in 4 hours! :encouragement:
 
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