Wootton Creek

[brians]

Is it possible for a fin keeler (1.5m) to anchor or moor up in Wooton Creek? I hear there are pontoons at the sailing club.

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[graham]

I went in with 1.8 draft at low water neaps and grounded close to an empty mooring bouy,As it was only a lunchtime stop we lassoed the bouy for an hour before bumping out again. None of us had local knowledge so we may have not been in the deepest part.

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[burgundyben]

there is a pontoon at the sailing club, pontoon does not dry although not sure how much water at lw springs, as long as tidal height is 1.5 mtrs I think you'll be fine, pub across road does very good food, as ever proceed with caution

<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[jhr]

There's some helpful info on the Royal Victoria Yacht Club website <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.rvyc.co.uk/visitors.htm#approaching>here</A>

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[Evadne]

We spent a night on the pontoon at neaps last year in a 4'2" draught fin keeler. If it doesn't dry out at springs then either they've dredged it or there is only half an inch of water. There is more water towards the outboard end of the pontoon but you will still stick your keel well into the mud, which is harder than at Bembridge, and lean over a bit. Most of the obvious berths seemed to have a scoop gouged out by previous occupants, we grounded fairly quickly and a bit off-centre, so dried out bows-down with a 10 degree list. Well worth the discomfort, though.

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[Col]

Didn,t the ferries bump you around and keep you up half the night??

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[l'escargot]

Pontoon does dry at LW Springs!

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[Evadne]

The ferries

Don't run at night. They also stop at the pier some distance from the pontoon. Anyway there may have been an inch or two of water around the far end of the pontoon at LWN but we were further up and far too solidly aground to move. (Put plenty of fendering between you and the pontoon in case she decides to lean over that way.) At springs you will be afloat at midnight so you may get some movement. There was a small amount of wash coming in from the Solent during the day.

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[burgundyben]

hmm, I went in there one day for a look esp to check, and there was water although I suspect v little, I spose it depends on big springs or little springs and weather.

Ok so you say it dries, by how much above chart datum?

<hr width=100% size=1>Sod the Healey - I think I'll buy an E-Type.

 

[l'escargot]

Re: The ferries

Ferries do run all through the night, approx hourly Mon to Sat and two hourly Sundays, through the summer. The ferries dock about fifty yards from the end of the pontoon. Have a look here:
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.rvyc.co.uk/visitors.htm>http://www.rvyc.co.uk/visitors.htm</A>

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[l'escargot]

You either have a very shallow draught or weren't there at springs. Have a look at the bottom picture here <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.rvyc.co.uk/visitors.htm>http://www.rvyc.co.uk/visitors.htm</A>. It was taken about 30 minutes after low water springs, all the boats you can see are aground and the pontoon is sat on the mud. At actual low water (springs) the mud is exposed right to the end of the pontoon.
You can just make out the channel markers, there is a few feet of water out there but not much.

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[Twister_Ken]

Missed opportunity

If La Criq Wooton was in Normandy or Brittany they'd have dredged it, built a wall out with a sill, and have 50 permanently afloat moorings, along with a couple of flourishing bistrots, a gourmet seafood retaurant, a pissoir, a boulangerie, a charcuterie, a fromagerie, and a terrain de boule.

I blame the RSPB. No doubt the lesser spotted web-footed Wooton warbler (an undistinguished and undistinguishable small brown bird) is a threatened species, and can't possibly be jeopardised - except by socking great car ferries from Pompey.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[Evadne]

Re: The ferries

Sorry, you're right. I didn't recall them running but at neaps it doesn't really matter as the tide is out most of the night. The sailing boat you can see in the lower photo resembles what I recall our boat doing, although we were further up the pontoon. The pontoon berths are just like east coast pontoon mud berths, and any average fin/long-keeler with some good fenders should be happy there overnight.

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[l'escargot]

Opportunity denied by shareholders

The reason it hasn't developed is that by a vague act of parliament when the public company Sealink was sold and became the private company Wightlink, Wightlink became the Harbourmaster of Wooton Creek.
They don't want small boats or a sailing club hindering their extremely lucrative ferry business. They currently bully both and if they had their way they would force both elsewhere.
The ferries now operate outside of the channel, often two abreast, passing in between the piles and forcing small boats out of the way.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepages.rya-online.net/wootton-creek/>http://homepages.rya-online.net/wootton-creek/</A>

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