Windermere guide

[dione23]

Hi wondering if they is any Windermere swing mooring folk on here. We have just moved onto the lake this winter. We have got a mooring behind belle island.

I've got a couple of questions if anyone can help.

There a a couple of little islands behind Belle island which I think are named lilly pad islands. There are three channels. Do we know which channel is the deepest. I have about 2.4m draft on my boat.

One of the channels near the north bank, the ferry uses.

On a total different note does anyone use there tender in the summer to nip to the pub or restaurants in bowness. On the coast we would just tie up to a public jetty and it will be safe. Is there a jetty that can be used by acquatics or is the nearest at ferry nab.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sunny265]

My BIL had a 36 ft motor cruiser on Windermere and we transited the channel between Belle Island and the middle smaller island. Always plenty of water and a lovely place to enjoy your boat.

 

[Supertramp]

All three channels are navigable, but the middle one has a shoal area to the West Side. The other two are marked by red buoys. But there are rocks and shallow patches there and around most islands.

2.4m is a lot for Windermere (8ft?) and I would definitely not cut inside any channel marks or get too near the edge. Also be aware that the lake rises and falls with rain and the seasons. Several feet of variation, and be careful during drought! A great place for centre boards.

There are public jetties at Bowness S of the boat yards, as well as Ferry Nab. Also at Ambleside. Some have time limits. I never leave things unattended or out of my sight for long though.

Refer to anchor threads for anchoring advice - eel grass or similar is a challenge.

Great.place off peak.

 

[FirstAway]

Hi wondering if they is any Windermere swing mooring folk on here. We have just moved onto the lake this winter. We have got a mooring behind belle island.

I've got a couple of questions if anyone can help.

There a a couple of little islands behind Belle island which I think are named lilly pad islands. There are three channels. Do we know which channel is the deepest. I have about 2.4m draft on my boat.

One of the channels near the north bank, the ferry uses.

On a total different note does anyone use there tender in the summer to nip to the pub or restaurants in bowness. On the coast we would just tie up to a public jetty and it will be safe. Is there a jetty that can be used by acquatics or is the nearest at ferry nab.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

It is a few years since we kept our boat on the moorings tucked in behind Belle Isle, in my view the best location on the lake. We always used the channel next to Belle Isle but keep closer to the buoys as it shallows off close to Belle Isle.

There is a public jetty in Bowles’s just opposite the green where you can secure a tender.

 

[ridgy]

Intrigued as to what boat you would have on Windermere with a 2.4 draft.

 

[Gsailor]

That is quite a draft you have there.

You won't be making much leeway I guess.

 

[dione23]

Apologies. Really need to proof my posts. Draft is 1.4m. typo. I wish I had a boat with 2.4 but maybe in the med haha.

Is the middle channel the deepest of the three channels or the one to the opposite shore to bowness?

Do people on swing moorings not frequent the restaurants and pubs in bowness?

If you tied your tender up to a public jetty would you consider a lock of some form?

 

[tiggywinkle 2]

Apologies. Really need to proof my posts. Draft is 1.4m. typo. I wish I had a boat with 2.4 but maybe in the med haha.

Is the middle channel the deepest of the three channels or the one to the opposite shore to bowness?

Do people on swing moorings not frequent the restaurants and pubs in bowness?

If you tied your tender up to a public jetty would you consider a lock of some form?

I'm also moored round the back of Bell Isle so hello and hope to see you out there.

I was told the middle of the three channels was the shallowest so generally take the one closer to shore.

I would not leave my tender on the public jetty near Bowness as too many stage / hen do my fancy a joy ride.
I leave mine on the jetty at Ferry Nabb when out on the town in Bowness.
It's a pleasant walk in and I've not had any issues in 12 years of doing that or anywhere else on the lake actually.

At Ferry Nabb you'll find showers, Dans shack for Bacon sarnies and the Boat House restaurant if you wish to mingle with other boatey types.

Ambleside is my preferred location for a fell walk and beer and you'll find unmarked Blue buoys you can moor up on for free for a limited number of hours and a fairly shallow public jetty that you'll just be able to nip on the end of.
There are also blue buoys with numbers on that can be rented by the day to stay over night up there we I do often.

Down the very bottom of the lake there are also a couple of marked blue buoys which are quite fun to stay on and take your tender down the river Leven to the Swan hotel. If you are only stopping for lunch your can ring the lake wardens and moor for free - well works for me anyway.

 

[catlotion]

Hi, I'm behind Belle Isle too. Bottom of Thompson's Holme. Bavaria 'Talisker' if you're in the vicinity and want to say hello. Windermere berth holders group on Facebook is good. Even had a friendly chap post some photos of my mooring strops when I couldn't get up for a while and was worried about them My neighbours and I also WhatsApp each other to keep an eye on each other's boats which is nice.

It's a great spot and pretty peaceful most of the time. Campers on far shore can be annoying and you get the odd idiot on a jet ski or rib. Biggest problem I've had recently is otters visiting my cockpit and leaving presents...

I've got a similar draft. As others said I always take the channel nearest Belle Isle as ran aground in our old boat in one of the others.

I head into Bowness regularly but as others say I'd probably leave tender at Ferry Nab and walk over rather than in the bay (it'd be fine with a lock I'm sure though). You can cut between golf course and cemetery to shave off a bit of distance. Hole in the wall, Angel or Royal Oak usually (although we had some duff beer at Oak last weekend).

Send me a message if you fancy a beer as I'm often up.

Toby