Weymouth town quay mooring fees this summer

[henryf]

Weymouth and Portland had a representation at the boat show. During our chat they furnished me with their mooring fees for July 16th - September 9th

For vessels up to 15 mtrs alongside town quay

16-25 July & 13 Aug-9 Sep £5 per metre / 24hr

26 July-12 Aug £18 per metre / 24hr.

"Serviced anchorage" is available 26 July -12 Aug for a mere £10 per metre / 24 hours.

So that's £234 per night to raft up along the town quay for a 43 footer!



Now I'm not overly bothered about trying to see some people sailing way off in the distance but what it does mean is the West country is effectively out of bounds for Solent based boats this summer because there is no safe haven available at Weymouth. In 2011 we spent 5 or 6 nights in Weymouth waiting for winds to subside. That's a shame, I really enjoyed our West country trip last year and we were planning to do the same this year. By the look of things you can't even drop the hook in Weymouth bay.

Be warned!

Henry

 

[burgundyben]

it does mean is the West country is effectively out of bounds for Solent based boats this summer because there is no safe haven available at Weymouth.

That's rubbish, for planning motorboats at least, if the weather forecast isnt good enough to get from the Western end of the Solent to say Brixham or Dartmouth in one hit at say 20 knots then its not good enough to go.

Maybe an issue for smaller sailing boats hoping to catch a tide to Weymouth then wait and take the next across Lyme.

 

[epervier]

They just can't help themselves, I only wish they get a hiding after the event by boaters boycotting the place, Weymouth has only one redeeming feature as far as I'm concerned,............ the way out, by sea or road.

 

[henryf]

That's rubbish, for planning motorboats at least, if the weather forecast isnt good enough to get from the Western end of the Solent to say Brixham or Dartmouth in one hit at say 20 knots then its not good enough to go.

Maybe an issue for smaller sailing boats hoping to catch a tide to Weymouth then wait and take the next across Lyme.

Well we like to know it's there if we need it. We don't particularly want to spend 6 or 7 hours motoring in a day, more if we are forced to reduce speed. How far is Portsmouth to Dartmouth? The thick end of 120 miles I'll bet. And there's the small matter of the Portland race to time right halfway.

We cruise for fun, not to upset the family or put them under pressure. Weymouth is a useful staging post and refuelling point. The fact is the West country will loose out. I've yet to see how far the Olympic effect radiates out from Weymouth and Portland, I'm assuming, and hoping, that it's just those 2 places.

I like Weymouth and think they put in a lot of effort for visitors but I can see long term regular visitors being shoved away or fleeced for the summer of 2012. Some may never return.

Henry

 

[dustywings]

Last year they ran a survey to all people who expressed an interest in berthing there during the olympics which included the question 'how much would you be prepared to pay?' which I thought was totally bizarre, just showed they wanted to milk it for all they could get. I completed the form with a regular amount but I guess some people must have gone in high!

 

[gjgm]

Well we like to know it's there if we need it. We don't particularly want to spend 6 or 7 hours motoring in a day, more if we are forced to reduce speed. How far is Portsmouth to Dartmouth? The thick end of 120 miles I'll bet. And there's the small matter of the Portland race to time right halfway.

We cruise for fun, not to upset the family or put them under pressure. Weymouth is a useful staging post and refuelling point. The fact is the West country will loose out. I've yet to see how far the Olympic effect radiates out from Weymouth and Portland, I'm assuming, and hoping, that it's just those 2 places.

I like Weymouth and think they put in a lot of effort for visitors but I can see long term regular visitors being shoved away or fleeced for the summer of 2012. Some may never return.

Henry

Surely the question is where is the next safe haven?
From Solent, would you set off is the weather was so poor (+ the race) that you would need the option of a safety stop at Weymouth? By your response, it sounds , no.
From the West, you really only have to go another 25 (?) miles to Poole. if you have managed Lyme Bay and race, I would think the run along that stretch of coast would be ok?
However, I hadnt thought about Weymouth perhaps being a bit out of bounds during the Olympics.. so thanks for pointing out it might be an idea to plan westward trips outside those dates.

 

[burgundyben]

Well we like to know it's there if we need it. We don't particularly want to spend 6 or 7 hours motoring in a day, more if we are forced to reduce speed. How far is Portsmouth to Dartmouth? The thick end of 120 miles I'll bet. And there's the small matter of the Portland race to time right halfway.

We cruise for fun, not to upset the family or put them under pressure. Weymouth is a useful staging post and refuelling point. The fact is the West country will loose out. I've yet to see how far the Olympic effect radiates out from Weymouth and Portland, I'm assuming, and hoping, that it's just those 2 places.

I like Weymouth and think they put in a lot of effort for visitors but I can see long term regular visitors being shoved away or fleeced for the summer of 2012. Some may never return.

Henry

Its a fair point, its pretty noisey on our old tub and arrival at Dartmouth we usually need a snooze! We do it for fun, not to be a hard slog.

Dartmouth from Yarmouth is 90 miles, which at 20 knots is 4 hours with a following tide.

Portland race a non issue if you follow the pilots, 50 mtrs off the rocks or round the outside. You just need to be aware, same for St Albans.

I'm not sure regular visitors will stop going, once the Olympics are over folk will return and bask in the fact its over (as I will be).

 

[henryf]

The problem is July to the middle of Septemer wipes out the summer so I'm not sure there is anything left outside those dates. We put a week or so either side of a trip west to allow for weather.

Although you measure from Yarmouth most people will be coming from the Hamble, Portsmouth or possibly even Chichester. I'm not sure taking an early pit stop in Yarmouth will make much of a difference. On the way back it's a valid stop off as is Poole but to counter the race and Lyme Bay we like to schedule a night in Weymouth to gather our thoughts. It also positions us nicely for the run round Portland close in.

I'm making the assumption the range will be non operational for the entire summer.

Ah well, on the bright side someone is going to be making a lot of money. I can not believe for one minute that anyone said they would be prepared to pay over £200 per night to be rafted up on the town quay. Certainly not unless they had fare paying guests on board who were paying exorbitant rates.

If anyone reading this is a marble short of a shilling and fancies chartering out a lovely flybridge at £5k per night - minimum time period of course, please do not hesitate to get in touch

I presume all the regular land based visitors to Weymouth are in the same boat with their guest house and hotel acommodation. Hopefully they don't get the hump, go elsewhere and forget to return in 2013.

Weymouth is somewhere that seemed to totally buck the trend for declining visitor numbers in modern times. You wouldn't imagine foreign holidays exist looking at the numbers on the beaches. It would bea genuinely sorry state of affairs if anything happened to change that. When I speak to other visitors many have been coming for 20 years or more.

Henry

 

[Nick_H]

If the rates were lower then it would be out of bounds anyway because it would be full, so either way it seems you need to plan a trip westwards without having to stop in the middle of the world's biggest sporting event. As for profiteering, don't you sell your Porsche's for as much as you can get for them?

 

[mjf]

Henry, its an buggar to have a port off the radar on a west country trip but last time I did it was after an night in Newtown and took the tide and did Dartmouth in well under 4 hours.

Coming back we stopped in poole.

If its a bother change your dates!

 

[yesod]

If the rates were lower then it would be out of bounds anyway because it would be full, so either way it seems you need to plan a trip westwards without having to stop in the middle of the world's biggest sporting event. As for profiteering, don't you sell your Porsche's for as much as you can get for them?

you could anchor before. now you can't unless you've booked in advance.

 

[boatmike]

I also think this is a bit silly. Pity the Olympics are causing such a problem but it will be the same on the Thames I guess. Better stay away until the dust has settled say I!
I am not used to travelling in excess of 6-7 knots personally as I have just moved from sail to power but I have always seen Weymouth as an off course diversion. From the Solent I have always stopped overnight in Studland to eliminate the difficulty of leaving the Needles on foul tide. Then it's easy to time The Bill and onward to Salcombe in one hop. Now I have 18 knot capability it's a piece of cake! Another favourite of mine if tides are wrong for that is Portsmouth to Alderney, off to Nellie Greys for a nice meal and a walk around the island the next day before going direct to Salcombe the day after. To say the west country is "closed" to Solent sailors without Weymouth is daft!

 

[colingr]

The problem is July to the middle of Septemer

Not that bad it's actually

16-25 July & 13 Aug-9 Sep £5 per metre / 24hr

26 July-12 Aug £18 per metre / 24hr.

So a couple of weeks. Still milking things too much I agree

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I don't know what the problem is. They know the harbour will be inundated with boats during the Olympics so they're just trying to optimise revenue just like any other commercial organisation would, given the opportunity. I bet the taxpayers of Weymouth are happy about it. Would you, for example, criticise the hoteliers of Weymouth for raising their rates during the Olympics? I would guess that Weymouth harbour will still be chokka during the Olympics, even at these rates, with boats chartered by competitors, officials and spectators. £234/night for a 43 footer is cheap when you consider you can probably sleep 6 people on her. Sorry I can't criticise Weymouth for trying to make a buck out of this.
I don't see this affecting W Country cruisers much if at all. People will just do Needles to Torbay or wherever in one hit. Its no further than a Channel crossing

 

[gjgm]

I don't see this affecting W Country cruisers much if at all. People will just do Needles to Torbay or wherever in one hit. Its no further than a Channel crossing

Weather dependent, of course, but it might mean people actaully have a look along the inside of Lyme Bay, for a change...
Just as a note, it always seems a long and damn choppy ride from Lyme Regis to Torbay.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Weather dependent, of course, but it might mean people actaully have a look along the inside of Lyme Bay, for a change...
Just as a note, it always seems a long and damn choppy ride from Lyme Regis to Torbay.

Yes, true. Lyme Regis is a delightful place to visit but no marina of course. Do they still lay visitor mooring buoys in the summer? Is Bridport a potential destination these days? Its so long since I've been to either place

 

[burgundyben]

Weather dependent, of course, but it might mean people actaully have a look along the inside of Lyme Bay, for a change...
Just as a note, it always seems a long and damn choppy ride from Lyme Regis to Torbay.

We came home from Torquay in 2010, it was blowing a NE5, for us quite a mission, I made a decision to tuck inshore right round Lyme Bay under the cliffs to get the lee of the land, it worked very well, flat water and 25 knots all the way, however, there is two issues, lots and lots of pots and its a bloody long way!

 

[gjgm]

Yes, true. Lyme Regis is a delightful place to visit but no marina of course. Do they still lay visitor mooring buoys in the summer? Is Bridport a potential destination these days? Its so long since I've been to either place

Bridport-as you probably know-is pretty small inside, but from 2010 has a small plastic cube built pontoon. Even in pretty still weather this was bouncing about alot with the small swell, though. We managed at 34ft, but it really seems for speedboats.
Lyme Regis now has a small pontoon on the western edge of the harbour entrance. I reckon you can get a 40ft ish flybridge on there, but again I think it is really for local smaller boats to keep afloat when the tide is out. Both HM seemed friendly and relaxed to see a stranger!
LRegis def has bouys,;not sure about Bridport.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Bridport-as you probably know-is pretty small inside, but from 2010 has a small plastic cube built pontoon. Even in pretty still weather this was bouncing about alot with the small swell, though. We managed at 34ft, but it really seems for speedboats.
Lyme Regis now has a small pontoon on the western edge of the harbour entrance. I reckon you can get a 40ft ish flybridge on there, but again I think it is really for local smaller boats to keep afloat when the tide is out. Both HM seemed friendly and relaxed to see a stranger!
LRegis def has bouys,;not sure about Bridport.

Yup we visited Lyme Regis for the first time many years ago and the HM staff couldn't do enough for us even though we were only moored to one of their buoys

 

[henryf]

So, given the fact we are unusual / feeble minded / over cautious, for calling into Weymouth en route to the West Country, why is it that we raft up with so many others doing the same? In August 2011 I think we had 4 nights there waiting for winds to abate before heading across to Torquay.

I don't think we will be taking the round Alderney route to Dartmouth but thank you for your kind and very valid suggestion. I'm sure many others will take your suggestion.

Hey, I have no problem with people making hay whilst the sun shines. I must admit I was a bit taken aback by the sheer scale of charges being made though. It reminded me of the phone call to Island Harbour Marina by the Folley, Isle of Wight when we enquirer about mooring there whilst attending the Isle of wight festival in 2010. Several hundred pounds was requested. In the end we paid Cowes Yacht Haven their standard fees and took a 10 minute taxi ride. The last time we visited Island Harbour we had a pretty average meal and whilst peaceful got the feeling you had to make a bit of an effort to visit. We haven't bothered to make the effort since

My comments were aimed more in the general direction of is it all going to be worth it and will it live up to the hype rather than wanting to shoot Weymouth down in flames. I like Weymouth and think they put in a lot of effort to justify the number of visitors they get each year. They are reacting to what they perceive as a huge influx of people and it could be magical. Hundreds of boats at anchor in the bay and a real carnival atmosphere.

I'm just not sure that £130 a night to drop anchor in the bay (if I'm understanding the pricing correctly) represents particularly great value.

We have a similar situation in London whereby many people will be giving the place a wide berth during the Olympics for fear of getting caught up in inflated prices and delays. I just wanted to make West country residents and businesses aware that it may have a knock on effect for them, but it seems that is not the case and it will be business as usual with Weymouth no longer required as a haven / staging post.

Oh, and as for changing dates. I assume you don't have children at school these days. July, August and early September are of course the school summer holidays.

I take your point that the £65 per night option is there outside the core dates. It will have to be pre booked in advance so if anyone could tell me which days in July or August are going to be windy that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Henry