Launching advice please

[Mazza143]

Hi, I'm a total novice and have recently purchased a 3.7 sib so looking for plenty of advice !
Living in the Bournemouth area I was looking at the Christchurch public slips. The boat is not trailered but has transome wheels. What sort of window would I have in regards to tides etc ? Would Baiter park be more suitable for a total novice ?
Words of wisdom appreciated 🙏

[Old seahorse]

Hi Mazza 143, and welcome.
I’ve no experience of those slipways, but Baiter park in Poole would be a good place to start. Gentle slipway into the harbour, plenty of parking, and a tap to wash the boat down afterwards. There are usually other boat users about to offer help if you need it, too.
Being tidal, but within the harbour, gives you some protection from wind and waves, and has good sailing without necessarily heading out past the Sandbanks ferry to sea. Harbour dues are included in parking price at the car park machine. Have a look at Poole harbour commissioners website for further info. At low tides, some areas get very shallow, so worth getting a chart of the harbour, and looking at tide times( Easytide is a good website, but there are others to).

[TmMorris]

Might be worth going to look at the slip a couple of hours off low water one evening just to see how mucky it is and to plan in your mind how you'd organise things.

Hauling a 3.7m sib on transom wheels up a slip can be quite hard work depending on your set up or whether you are doing it alone.

[Brinormeg]

Would agree with the guys about it being hard work on your own. 3.9 Volaire with a 20hp suzuki on it is about as much as I could haul up at my local slip on my own and it isn't very steep at all compared to some I've seen.

Couple of half fit beer guts and its ok

Cant help with your location but is there any fresh water river/lochs/lakes nearby with pebble/sandy banks which might be less busy and have better access for your first few launches?

We were/are complete newbies and did underestimate how daunting our first couple of outings might be.

Although we did try out on a quiet loch first which didn't end up with everything going to plan anyway. But at least we hadn't to worry about tides and other users.

Only been out a couple of short times now and already caught the bug.....
And there's also the option of a towbar/ traiker mod ater depending on your circumstances as a few have done on here if you have search.

So enjoy and be safe

[Old seahorse]

The parking is right next to the slipway at Baiter. I’m certainly in agreement about what is manageable for one person. My boat is 3 metres with a 6 hp outboard. I can manage on my own, but it’s much easier with help. I couldn’t manage anything much bigger alone, and certainly involving large distances or on a steep slipway.
If you’re going out with family or friends to help, it’s much better.
Baiter slipway is a shallow angle though, and there’s always been a few around when I’ve been there. I always offer to help others, and many have reciprocated in the past.
if you live nearby, I reckon T Morris’s suggestion of a recce at low tide is a good one. It will give you a better picture before you try a launch.
Having in said all that, both Baiter, Poole Harbour( and Portland Harbour), are really good launch sites.

[Mazza143]

Thanks for the advice all. Yep it does seem a little daunting at the moment. Had a few trial runs in the garden inflating the boat etc, certainly be glad to get the 1st couple of outings under my belt !

[Duggy]

Baiter is OK, as in it's shallow and has decent facilities nearby, but I'd be tempted to try Mudiford on a rising tide as the slip is quieter and you could then work your way up to Christchurch to familiarize yourself with everything in a more relaxed setting.

[HDAV]

Mudeford is decent but there is an attendant in the summer so will need to pay

Also on lower tides walk along the channel into Deeper water