Windermere Ferry Nab Jetties

[davidpbo]

Some of you will know that there is an extensive redevelopment of the Jetties at Ferry Nab on Windermere in progress. .

When we took the boat up to launch last weekend (The one after Easter) that the work was nowhere near finished. The public jetties had been removed as had the jetty imediately in front of the wardens office (The one that was general best for people who needed to launch boats with keels as other people could still pass). There was no potable water on the jetties , the wardens did offer to allow me to fill the tanks prior to launch from a hosepipe by the office but it was not a food grade one. The pump out has been removed, I believe there is one at Tower Wood and the Low Wood. Easter must have been chaos.

They have installed some, maybe all of the jetty berths for permanent rent and the dinghy jetty. The mast lift is still operative.

When its finished, a substantial number of extra berths are still going to serviced by the same 1 toilet cubicle and 3 showers in the gents. Not sure what the provision is in the ladies. There is another public toilet block 30yds away, that is basic but functional.

I do hope they have taken into account the rise and fall of the lake when designing the bridges to the jetties, the old ones were way too steep much of the time. I have fallen badly on them as has my wife. In her case necessitating an operation to repair torn ligaments.

I am a little surprised that emails have not been sent to permanent mooring holder informing of the state of facilities.

There is also a problem with Myxamatosis and a lot of rabbit corpses and sick rabbits around on Cockshott Point and surrounding fields. So, many torurists who may have been drawn to the area by its association with Beatrix Potter are being treated to the sight of Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail either dead or dying. Given that these are very popular tourist walks I would have thought SDLC or NPA ought to be organising a regular collection.

 

[Lakesailor]

It seems the whole re-organisation of the facility and the maintenance of the area has been handled with the usual aplomb that the SDLC is capable of, assisted by the spanner-in-the-works contributions from the LDNPA.
I mean, why would you bother starting work before the boating season has begun?

Oh, yes, budgets. I mean it's not as though the whole farrago hasn't been on the boil for 2 or 3 years.

 

[Sandgrounder]

I feel sorry for the Lake Wardens who do their best but the problems are not of their making.
Pontoons: - The lake wardens have been posting updates on their facebook page but I agree, as a parsonage Bay mooring holder, that an email would have been helpful - certainly for the more distantly based users. The whole project seems to me to be misconceived and ineptly handled. The present showers and WC are apparently to be restricted to the new berth holders while everyone else will have to rely on the former public loos; these, of course, are planned to be turned into a kayak rental business according to the plans - so forget walking your dog in the woods!
This has been a public facility for over 40 years and, speaking as one who seldom ever used the pontoons, it seems objectionable to suddenly withdraw this from the public after all, it's not as if we don't pay for it with our £125/m pa plus dinghy charges (£125p.a.) and car park charges (£150p.a.?) and all the rest. The new arrangements leave the dinghy slip without any pontoon access so we see lots of people, not in the first flush of youth, struggling to get into tenders direct from the slip - no doubt someone will get seriously hurt and then everyone will think again. Of course we could all launch tenders from the main slip but the removal of the wardens jetty has, in effect, halved the usable width for launching so it will probably be crowded.
I've been based at Ferry Nab for 13 years now and have greatly enjoyed what it offers but I am seriously considering moving to either Coniston or Ullswater. I'll give it a season and then review.

Myxomatosis: - Cockshott Point is National Trust owned land so I don't imagine that SLDC will do anything about the problem there unless paid to do so but clearly they should clear up around the rest of their estate at Ferry Nab

 

[davidpbo]

I obviously missed the fact that the wardens had a Facebook page.

I am under the impression that the jetty by the wardens office will be replaced.

I can't imagine that they will deny other Lake Users access to the shows and toilets. As regards the other toilet block, shut that and the amount of human excrement around Cockshott point, behind bushes etc. will increase, people have to go somewhere.

 

[aquaplane]

I didn't realise that the showers and toilets were going to taken out of general use, that's not good.

It was bad enough when there were two traps in use but taking it down to one is pathetic.

The new facilities should have been there and working before the jetties were extended.

Another reason for us to move off the lake sooner rather than later. At least it's quiet up at Waterhead and the toilet seats are cold.

 

[Lakesailor]

I am seriously considering moving to either Coniston or Ullswater. I'll give it a season and then review.

I'd hold hard there. Coniston is very pleasant. I have a friend with a yacht on Coniston and used to take the clinker dinghy and my trimaran there. However facilities are a bit thin on the ground and parking is patchy, depending where your mooring is. I know a good spot, but it doesn't work out too cheap.
It's also a bit shallow around the edges for a fixed keel boat.

Ullswater adds quite a bit to your journey in miles, and time. The moorings and access are again a bit awkward. It can be a bit rough for an open boat on a swinging mooring.
There is one spot that may be suitable as well as the two "marinas".

Even a slightly less convenient Windermere is still probably better than the other two.

Derwent water is a beautiful setting, but a bit small and rather shallow at the margins. Also a lot more miles from Southport.

 

[Sandgrounder]

As I said I'll give it the season to settle down a bit as I'm well aware of the disadvantages that you point out. I'm just a little unhappy that SLDC seem to be taking my couple of thousand a year for granted, assuming that I will just carry on while they withdraw facilities and flog off access to the highest bidder.
AS I say I am not a big user of the pontoons: three times last year and twice the year before and about that for the previous twelve years. I just dislike being told, by the guy running the project, that it's what their customers are asking for. When challenged on which customers he said the users of Ferry Nab. Now I am at Ferry Nab virtually every weekend of the year and more frequently from April to October, and I know most of the regulars to talk to, and I don't know a single person who has been asked what they want to happen.

 

[ffiill]

Coniston is a nice lake without the power boats.
I began my big boat career all be it a 19 foot Seawitch on Coniston in the mid 80s.
In those days there was a nice facility below Coniston Village next to where the Gondoler came in.
You could keep your bilge keeler ashore in a yard and have it launched by the Tractor or do it yourself if you had a suitable 4x4.
I had a couple of nice years there.