Windermere moorings

[Avocet]

Can anyone suggest the best place for a mooring on Windermere? I gather some places have waiting lists. The North end of the lake would be better but I've no really strong feelings. Car parking nearby is, of course essential - occasionally overnight.

Any thoughts, anyone?

 

[extravert]

I used to have a mooring on Windermere just off Robson's not far from the ferry on the East side of the Lake. The advantage of this was that there is good parking at the slipway which I used overnight, and you can keep a dinghy in the racks at the slipway for a small fee. It's not too far from the North end of the Lake either.

 

[garvellachs]

We moor beside Thompson's Holme to the NW of Belle Isle. The moorings in the whole area between Thompson's Holme and Belle Isle are sheltered from most winds and usually available. The best people to talk to are the Wardens themselves whom we always find to be extremely understanding and helpful. Travis runs the allocations. Maiden Marine would advise too.

 

[cynthia]

Try to get one between Thompson's Holme and Belle Island. Parking is always a problem, we had a great place to launch and store the dinghy, but it is now very full and over subscribed.

Good parking and dinghy storage by the Lake Wardens' office at Ferry Nab, which is convenient for the toilet/showers and moderately priced.

Enjoy the lake, we had 18 months there and it was good; easy access at all times, swinging mooring, peaceful and overall incredibly friendly.

 

[Adrian]

this is my first year at Windermere marina village next to Ferry Nab, which although on the surface looks expensive, the facilities are great, good showers and toilets (the ones by the wardens office can be a bit of a mess on busy weekends) a good bar with good food, friendly staff (even when your wife drops the car keys in the water on bank holiday Monday!) and ample free parking, a real bonus around Windermere, especially during the summer.
Expensive...Yes
worth it ... I think so

Good luck Windermere is a great place to learn to sail, and apart from one or two days a year, you can almost have the lake to yourselves

 

[andy_wilson]

South End

Sorry, can't comment on the North end, but we dry berthed a trailer boat some years ago at Fell Foot, the National trust site at the south end, near Newby Bridge.

The lake warden administers the moorings, and this is one of few places where you can buy a relatively secure seasons car and dinghy parking.

We rarely had access problems due to traffic, though we were travelling to and from Yorkshire to the South.

I am aware of at least two power boaters who have packed up an would not be suprised if there wasn't an easing of availability due to the speed limit issue.

The southern basin is shallow but there are plenty of fin and bilge keelers there so you would have no problems on the right spot. There is also a row of trots up each side of the lake, but a bit further to row.

Dinghy and car park users had access to a basic shower / loo facility, and we used to have a cracking social, burning rhodidendrons down to bbq every sSaturday night.

AHH takes me back.

 

[Guest]

We have recently taken posession of a Beneteau 320 with a jetty mooring at White Cross Bay - about halfway between Bowness and Ambleside. (015394) 43937.
So far - faultless.
Car parking is no problem, there is a shop, electricity and water but no real sailing club as such (or not that we have seen).
I cannot comment on waiting lists as we took over an existing mooring.
Out of interest the site is where Shorts made their Sunderland Seaplanes during the war.

 

[cynthia]

Try the Lake District Boat Club at Bowness - down below the Maiden office. Very friendly, bar, toilet and shower facilities, plus short stay jetty moorings.

 

[Avocet]

Many thanks everyone!

I suppose I ought to add that we can't keep the boat ashore and it draws 4'6". North end is better because we live North of Windermere.

Thanks again!

 

[Altair]

Re: South End

I kept a fin keeler for a couple of years on a mooring off Fell Foot. I paid a small annual fee to the NT for dinghy storage and car parking. The NT warden hauled my boat out and provided winter storage at very reasonable rates. I obtained the mooring site through the Lake wardens who also gave me the name of the person vacating the mooring from whom I bought the ground tackle. Living nearby, I was able to enjoy the "interesting" wind conditions and sailing, marred only by the mindless gurriers on their jetskies and macho machines who eventually drove me to sail on the open sea. With the welcome advent of the speed limit, more moorings will be come available with hugely increased enjoyment by the more considerate lake users.

 

[Miker]

Re: South End

I spent a season on Robson's jetties to get experience of sailing a yacht, as I thought. Great scenery and water always there, but the usual maximum of one knot in little or no wind became tedious. I decided that the way to see the Lakes is on foot with the route going past a pub.
I now sail out of Fleetwood where the problem, if anything, is too much wind and having to arise at unsociable hours to leave on the tide. If I lived nearer I would choose Whitehaven where access is available almost around the clock.

 

[Avocet]

Re: South End

I can speak from experience here!

I only live a few miles from Whitehaven and kept the boat there for the last couple of seasons. It's a lovely friendly and very pretty harbour and the berthing is reasonably priced but access isn't that unlimited - depending on what you draw. The harbour channel has silted a lot recently and we were struggling to get in and out much beyond HW +/- 2.5 hours. Because there's a nasty swell sometimes, you need a fair bit more water than you think to avoid bouncing along the bottom between the piers.

We started sailing out of Fleetwood when we lived in Preston and found the tide pretty annoying at times but the water was generally smoother than off Whitehaven. It really is quite a lumpy stretch of water from here almost as far as Ravenglass. We have a young daughter now who doesn't much care for the lumpy stuff -that's why we're on Windermere for a bit.

 

[Avocet]

P.S.

P.S.

Alon,

I've sent you a private message.

 

[extravert]

Re: South End

I remember something similar from my winter sailing there. Often there was too little wind to sail. The crew renamed the lake to Bu**erallwindermere.

However, on one occasion there was a full gale funnelling down the valley, which was a great learning experience in my first boat. It taught us how to handle the sails in a gale without the danger of waves.

 

[Miker]

Re: Depths at Whitehaven

You must have local knowledge but you surprise me. Reeds says that the channel to the lock gates is dredged to 1m drying giving access approx HW +- 4, and last year I was told by the lock keeper that I could get in almost around the clock on neaps. I have come in well after HW +- 2 1/2 hours on a 1.85 m fin keel. But with the insurance of a lifting keel I am not in any danger.
I won't say that I am only there for the beer but it is Jennings!

 

[Avocet]

Re: Depths at Whitehaven

I guess they might have dredged it last year then - because the year before last there wasn't that much water! We only draw 4'6" and I was surprised at what the depth sounder was showing one (calm!) day when we stayed out until 2.5 hours after HW (was nearer springs than neaps though).

Either that or the best water wasn't where I thought it was (could happen!)