Good slipways

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by alexm

100m!

We have actually had an OAP drive over a rope whilst we were retrieving!

Trouble is I've yet to find the perfect slipway. When you see the photos our American cousins put on RIBNET of their slipways it makes you sick. I've yet to find a slip that has all of the following:- is concrete, accesible at all states of tide, allows you to launch your boat off the trailer without dropping the trailer off, has no cross tide effects, a pontoon to tie the boat on whilst your doing other things, good parking etc. And before now i've paid up to £20 to launch and still haven't had all of the above. And I've even paid the Harbour Master to launch, done so and then been buggered for a parking place in the council car park. One day it might get to the situation where I have to take two other people with me every time I launch the boat. One to help me launch and one to reserve my parking space. (He'll need to be big and menacing).
If I need a massive rope to launch and i've got most of the other things I'll put up with where I launch.

[alexm]

Originally Posted by Biggles

Trouble is I've yet to find the perfect slipway. When you see the photos our American cousins put on RIBNET of their slipways it makes you sick.

It's true, they do seem to do 'facilities' in the US much better than here. Here in Portishead they decided to build a library on the slipway.

What was worse was they blocked the old (free) slipway off with concrete blocks months before any building work started. We are still waiting for the replacement and are told it will be launch by arrangement and marina tractor only ($$)... until then we can use the hoist at £80 a pop!

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Biggles

I've yet to find a slip that has all of the following:- is concrete, accesible at all states of tide, allows you to launch your boat off the trailer without dropping the trailer off, has no cross tide effects, a pontoon to tie the boat on whilst your doing other things, good parking etc.

I'm pretty sure that the slip at Northney Marina ticks all these boxes. It certainly did when I kept a boat there a few years ago.

John

[Biggles]

Thats a good slip. I believe its been upgraded in the last year. I have used it and found it ticks most of the boxes. Its very steep and would definately need a 4 x 4 for a big boat on a wet day. Tight turn at the top for reversing down especially if one of the local marine companies has left bits and pieces of yachts lying around. Biggest downside for that slip is its distance to open sea. Also being a bit thick I couldn't work out how to get on to the pontoon next to the slip. And as with all private marinas its expensive.
Although I think the local islanders use it without paying as it seems to be easy to get past the barrier. Having said that its over a year since I've used it so maybe the improvements have overcome all the niggles except for the distance to the sea.

Apparently Sparkes Marina at the entrance to Chichester Harbour once had a good concrete slipway but they totally filled that in to make more space for storing boats. And now they crane everything in.

Seems like having a private slipway, which tend to be the better ones, is an expensive commodity. But you would have thought that in the area of Southampton and Portsmouth there would have been quite a few good council run slipways. We seem to be left with a right old hotch potch of slipways that used to be ferry landings and have never had any major investment for the leisure boat user.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by John Kennett

I'm pretty sure that the slip at Northney Marina ticks all these boxes. It certainly did when I kept a boat there a few years ago.

John

Also the one at Cardiff Bay and the Weymouth slip are almost perfect.

[Tim M]

Camber slip in Portsmouth is perfect.

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by Tim M

Camber slip in Portsmouth is perfect.

I second that. Big, wide, concrete slip, at an almost perfect gradient.

Apparently it was where the ferries used to dock, hence its' provenance.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Biggles

I've yet to find a slip that has all of the following:- is concrete, accesible at all states of tide, allows you to launch your boat off the trailer without dropping the trailer off, has no cross tide effects, a pontoon to tie the boat on whilst your doing other things, good parking etc. And before now i've paid up to £20 to launch and still haven't had all of the above.

Public Slipway at Balloch on Loch lomond ticks all of those points:

• concrete
• no tide
• most people can keep trailer connected to car
• pontoon beside it
• reasonable parking (except after 11am on a bank holiday weekend!)
• and its FREE

Oh - and has showers, tea, coffee etc on site!

...but might be a bit far for you to travel every weekend

[Neil Harvey]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I second that. Big, wide, concrete slip, at an almost perfect gradient.

Apparently it was where the ferries used to dock, hence its' provenance.

And I third that - unless there's a lorry parked up on the slip or your rigs too long as it could be a tight turn in.

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Public Slipway at Balloch on Loch lomond ticks all of those points:

• concrete
• no tide
• most people can keep trailer connected to car
• pontoon beside it
• reasonable parking (except after 11am on a bank holiday weekend!)
• and its FREE

Oh - and has showers, tea, coffee etc on site!

...but might be a bit far for you to travel every weekend

Maybe we could grade slipways. That one sounds like a 10.

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by Neil Harvey

And I third that - unless there's a lorry parked up on the slip or your rigs too long as it could be a tight turn in.

I've seen JBT launching their big Ballistics behind a Landrover with no problems, so I guess your rig has got to be mahusive before it becomes a problem!

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Public Slipway at Balloch on Loch lomond ticks all of those points:

• concrete
• no tide
• most people can keep trailer connected to car
• pontoon beside it
• reasonable parking (except after 11am on a bank holiday weekend!)
• and its FREE

Oh - and has showers, tea, coffee etc on site!

...but might be a bit far for you to travel every weekend

FREE. Is all that really free. How come ?

[Neil Harvey]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I've seen JBT launching their big Ballistics behind a Landrover with no problems, so I guess your rig has got to be mahusive before it becomes a problem!

I've never had a problem and have only ever launched the SR5.4 there.

But I know a man who had a scrape recetly with a 6.5m rib on the back.

I'll mention no names!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Biggles

FREE. Is all that really free. How come ?

Well I suppose indirectly it is coming from the taxpayer. The slip is owned by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority. I think the slip was put in when the loch was granted National Park Status. It is located right beside the park rangers office (and their new 11m Redbay, and other rib (a delta?)).

All powered Loch users are required to register.

Technically registration is free - but the first time you register you need to get the registration numbers which cost about a fiver (one off lifetime fee - unless you loose them!) - you could of course make your own (conforming to their sizes etc) and pay nothing... The money raised probably doesn't even cover the cost of the admin.

You don't even pay and display to park the car/trailer!

I think (?) you might have to pay £1 for the showers...

[Biggles]

That is good. Possibly its so low in cost because the local authorities realise how important it is to get boaters on to the lakes and then once their they will spend their money in local pubs, cafes and shops.
I should imagine its got quite a bit of competition with the fantastic coastline on the west of Scotland.

[IBWET]

Nick,


Loch Lomond used to be a free place now it isn't, 2% of the boaters/jet skiers acting like nobs brought the nanny state to it. It's the price for the groovy new slip.



It's the usual political carrot to get everyone thinking great it's a good idea,but basically It's about control. The public slip (200 yards from the new one) I think has been shut..but I could be wrong ,I've not been down since that proposal was touted.

In my possibly jaded view, this is to channel access for boats to Loch Lomond through official entry/exit points,it far cheaper than having to use the boat/resource's chasing down unregistered caft or, god forbid, someone without a life jacket .

all the sneaky little slips we all grew up with there now have been shut, or have large piles of concrete in the way.

Maybe I'm cynical, but the next time a Council gives me something for nothing will be the first time (don't want to sound like codprune here but) council bills only go up..

My experience is I would rather have your situation using your brain working out tides etc, responsible for your own destiny, than have someone in a uniform looking/checking over everything I'm doing.



Loch Lomond is no longer free anywhere,with speed limits , limitations on this and that....... sometimes it's not about money.

need to go for a rub down with a towel after that.

Originally Posted by Biggles

FREE. Is all that really free. How come ?

[Poly]

IBWET - I am not sure I understand your point (and for the purposes of clarification of anyone intending to use the Loch it would be good to clarify).

The loch is FREE OF CHARGE to use (although there is a small fee for the provision of the required registration plate - unless you provide your own).

The slipway is FREE OF CHARGE to use.

There are speed restrictions on the loch. There are also speed restriction in plenty of areas of coastline in Wales and the south coast - so its misleading to suggest this phenomenon is unique to the loch.

The speed restrictions apply in general as a maximum upper speed limit over the whole loch - which at ~49 knots - is unlikely to interfere with most ribsters.

There is also a speed limit within 150m of most of the shore line, which is set at about 6 knots.

Then there is the new restriction in certain areas of the loch which came into effect yesterday... this extends the 6 knot limit to an area around the islands - and some of the east of the loch. Given the navigation hazards and the moored boats, swimmers etc in some of these areas - this is no different from you would find in many large, busy harbours on the south coast.

There is no requirement to wear lifejackets - but there is a requirement to carry them.

There is a requirement that power driven vessels are registerred and display a registration number. Other than the mechanical issue of attaching a number - I don't see an issue.

You may be right that the reason for the excellent facilities was to discourage use of the old slipways so that the LLATNPA could better monitor the display of registration numbers etc. If they start charging for the facility or impliment real charges for using the loch then I can see the complaint - but given that usage of the loch hasn't fallen since it was introduced (in fact appears to rise) - perhaps its not so negative.

With one exception I have always found the Park Rangers to be courteous, polite, helpful, and welcoming.

[IBWET]

Yes, Polwart,

you are correct, using the water and launching at the slip from a monetary point of view is free (for the moment).

The point I was trying to make was the FREEdom had been lost because of the restrictions.

As just one example;

Water skiing has been a major attraction on the Loch since the sports birth, 32 squ miles made it unlikely you were going to have an issue in relation to another boat / skier. skiers always look for offshore breezes so It's one shore or another.
Now because of the restrictions, ski zones have been created, putting a lot of fast boats and people in the water together in a relatively small area.....it's a no brainer.
Unfortunately the world would be a better place without police, but we need them, I just don't think we need them on the loch.

As for numbers,well the place hasn't changed, it's still a lovely place to visit and people are accepting, however, I think the banning of sking down in the lake district might have a bearing.

Yep,the ranger have always been courteous, over the years I've got to know one or two but thats a bonus it dosen't put me off going I just don't all the controls were needed or thought through properly .

new rules etc, yesterday? realistically, how long before it's fishermen and yachts only? I wonder how many of the relevant commitee members fish, compared to water ski?

Originally Posted by Polwart

IBWET - I am not sure I understand your point (and for the purposes of clarification of anyone intending to use the Loch it would be good to clarify).

The loch is FREE OF CHARGE to use (although there is a small fee for the provision of the required registration plate - unless you provide your own).

The slipway is FREE OF CHARGE to use.

There are speed restrictions on the loch. There are also speed restriction in plenty of areas of coastline in Wales and the south coast - so its misleading to suggest this phenomenon is unique to the loch.

The speed restrictions apply in general as a maximum upper speed limit over the whole loch - which at ~49 knots - is unlikely to interfere with most ribsters.

There is also a speed limit within 150m of most of the shore line, which is set at about 6 knots.

Then there is the new restriction in certain areas of the loch which came into effect yesterday... this extends the 6 knot limit to an area around the islands - and some of the east of the loch. Given the navigation hazards and the moored boats, swimmers etc in some of these areas - this is no different from you would find in many large, busy harbours on the south coast.

There is no requirement to wear lifejackets - but there is a requirement to carry them.

There is a requirement that power driven vessels are registerred and display a registration number. Other than the mechanical issue of attaching a number - I don't see an issue.

You may be right that the reason for the excellent facilities was to discourage use of the old slipways so that the LLATNPA could better monitor the display of registration numbers etc. If they start charging for the facility or impliment real charges for using the loch then I can see the complaint - but given that usage of the loch hasn't fallen since it was introduced (in fact appears to rise) - perhaps its not so negative.

With one exception I have always found the Park Rangers to be courteous, polite, helpful, and welcoming.

[codprawn]

Talking of restrictions our local harbour have just closed off the 2 main slips with barriers to stop jetskis using them. this only leaves the outer slip for them to use which is dangerous in a swell - I reckon they are leaving themsleves open to being sued if someone is hurt.

i can just ask for a key but it is still hassle and the jetskis were not doing anyone any harm - why meddle???

[Biggles]

Its starting to sound like as we get more and more boaters we get less and less facilities.