Maiden voyage - destination advice

[Trimix]

Ive finally finished fetteling and will put my boat in the water on Sunday at Cobbs Quay in Poole.

So can anyone recommend a destination for me and my wife - Id like somewhere to go to where we can moor up and have a drink / lunch, then travel back.

No adventure is complete without a destination.

Im not looking to go far, just plan to pootle around in Poole Harbour to get used to the boat, fiddle with the plotter / radio and enjoy our first trip on our own. Practice manovering, mooring, pilotage etc.

If the weather is nice I may venture outside the Harbour and perhaps go to Swanage, but Im really not looking to do much.

Lapping the Isle of White will be the week after

[Avocet]

Whilst Poole Harbour provides excellent opportunities for testing a boat on its first trip (safe, people around if things go wrong, no spped limit in main channels at this time of year), your options for lunch/drink within the harbour are somewhat restricted. A trip up the river to Wareham is nice with lots of choice of pubs at destination but the 4kt speed limit up the river is probably not what you're looking for on a maiden voyage. The alternatives are Poole Qay with mooring at Poole Quay Boat Haven (free for 20mins or less but short stay fee payable otherwise) or Parkstone Bay Marina where there's a popular cafe/restaurant and where tides permit access up until 3.00 pm and after 5.00pm on Sunday. (Short stay fee payable on walk ashore pontoon but you may get away with it if they're in a good mood!)

Outside the harbour, there's Studland or Swanage with good pubs at each (and a shack cafe at Studland too) but either will need a tender to get ashore. Further afield, there's Yarmouth (about 40 mins in reasonable conditions from Poole Harbour entrance) but that may be a bit far for a trial voyage.

If you want company, I may be around (out of Parkstone Bay Marina) and up for lunch!

David

[Trimix]

Thanks for that, loads of good information.

I will have a look at the charts and of course it all depends on the weather, but Id be up for a trip, if its calm, to Yarmouth.

Do I need a tender at Swanage ? I thought I could moore up at the pier there (we dived under it in the summer, it would be fitting to revisit it via our own boat)

I will have a think, look at charts and later in the week the weather and come up with a plan.

[PeterM]

Might also be out over the weekend in the sr.

Maybe a run to Christchurch(tide dependant)...

[Trimix]

Is there somewhere in Christchurch for a lunch stop over ?

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by Trimix

Is there somewhere in Christchurch for a lunch stop over ?

Up the river...the captain's club hotel...just step ashore. :-)But only if it's the right tide to get into the harbour.

[Avocet]

It would have to be an early lunch at Christchurch: spring tides with HW at 8.28 am; LW at 3.53 pm on Sunday.

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by Avocet

It would have to be an early lunch at Christchurch: spring tides with HW at 8.28 am; LW at 3.53 pm on Sunday.

Forget that then....I'll look at tide tables one day!

[Trimix]

Oooh, tides. Its all a bit too complicated for my first trip. Im still on the basics

[paulbrown22]

Re: Swanage - I berthed on it with the Ribtec several times last winter with no issues, the people at the turnstile were more than happy for us to moor there out of season, as the dive/fishing boats aren't really using it. Can be quite exposed though depending on wind direction.

Otherwise I have the same issue - between Weymouth and the Solent there aren't really many stepping off points if you just want to go somewhere for lunch! We often end up in Yarmouth/Lymington, or just taking stuff with us onboard if in Studland/Chapmans/Lulworth/etc...

Although from Poole the trip up the river to Wareham is definitely worth it one day, one of my favourite trips, albeit at slow speed! A nice mooring on a stone quay, and a variety of places to choose from for lunch.