Help please.

Me and my mate are looking at going in together on a small fishing boat to fish channel marks. Gonna complete the RY Day Fisher course in order to ensure I know what I am doing etc.

Question I have is, can anyone give me any ideas ref what boat launch costs are?

I note there are slipways at Posset, BOS, WSM etc and slipways around Minehead etc?
Any advice would be really appreciated please.

Many thanks

portishead £18.50 for slip in/out and 2 locks
bos £50 per season
watchet/minehead are free
but you'll find the vast majority of launch sites now require 4 wheel drive and pulic insurance

not quite sure on watchet and minehead being free.
when i asked the harbour master there was a cost.
think it was about £12 for launching and trailer parking then pay parking for the car on top.
to use the slip at portishead for £18.50 i think you have to be a member of the boat club otherwise it is more.
if you join burnham boat club for £35 this year (i think) then that covers you for launching fees but you will deffo need a 4x4. then you just pay £6.40 to park your trailer and car in the car park or over the winter months on the road for free. its a good helpful club with lots of comps and one of the members has a tractor which for a small donation will come and launch you if available. the only downside to bos is the limited launching times aroung high water but that is the same with most launch sites in the area. you will need public liability insurance for all these places and at around £150 a year to insure the boat as well a bit of a no brainer.

Thanks upzider & dicky.

Very helpful. Will look into these options when the boat is sorted.

I was in the same boat as you (no pun intended!) 5 years ago. I did the rya course at portishead. But I didn't go on the channel for the first year. I launched at salcombe and found the experience invaluable. The launch is relativley easy, the waters inside the estuary are pretty safe, and you can venture out to open water on calm days. Fishing aint bad either :)
You will need to use an alderney ring to recover your anchor on the Bc, and this is the most dangerous thing to mess up. So I practised down salcombe.
There are loads of little things that you'll realise you need to practice, and the Bc in my opinion is a hard place to learn them. If you do start on the Bc then try to find yourself a buddy boat that can accompany you for the first 3-6 trips.
Being anchored in very fast currents with trees and huge rafts of weed coming past that can cause you real problems, you will suddenly realise just how small your boat is lol. not trying to put you off, it's a great thing to launch your own boat and have a succesful day on the channel, but you cannot be too safe or too prepared

we only started out bout 4 years ago and joined burnham boat club straight away. very helpful club and we were sponsered by 2 committee members. each time we went out at least one of them came down and helped us launch and retreive until we were confident. they also came round and looked at our setup to give any advice and show us some little tricks.
also lots of boats to buddy up with.
we don't use an alderney ring and just retreive anchor by hand from the side of the boat using a lazy line.

We launch our boat from beachley, under the old severn bridge on the welsh side, its free including the car and trailer parking, its a nice wide slipway and very long, you do not need a 4x4 to launch your boat there, we have been useing it for the last ten years and never had any problems there.

Many thanks landlubber, dicky & Jason

I have taken "on board" all your comments & advice (no pun intended - this is getting really corny now). I quite like the idea of learning the basics at Salcombe first - an area I know quite well.

I have also been told about the Burnham Boat Club which appear to have a really good rapport with new boat users. I will check this out with them.

Beachley I never knew about and the fact it is free to launch appeals - once I have learnt the basics & got some experience.

Has anyone got any preferences/experience of what is the best boat to use in the BC?
I am looking at Warriors, Raiders, Shetlands & Seahogs currently. All appear to have their fans.

Many thanks guys.

All those boats you have mentioned are all upto the job, you are most welcome to come out with us when you get your setup.

Jason - many thanks for your kind offer. I have logged it!

Hi guys just an update Portishead slipway is now £20.50 that gets you in and out of the lock
And free parking why don't you pop along to Portishead small boats club for more info we meet 2nd Thursday of every month at Clarence house Portishead high st or nip in and see Steve in REELFUN

very wise words from landlubber well said john! you will also need to look at doing the short range radio course and as of 2015 power boat level 2 will standard practice to launch at all ports this is already in practice in the mersey and north wales!

hi mate as for your boat choice seeing as you are looking to do most of your fishing in the channel so you'll spend 80% of the time at anchor rather than drifting a semi displacement hull may suit you better such as warrior/orkneys these boats will sit at anchor better than any of the others mentioned hope this helps

Thanks upzider for the help. To be honest, currently I have got my eye on something like an Orkney or a Warrior 175.

This link shows a nice 175 model for sale.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=0d538a725dec...25DEC3C2A%21316


Gonna get the RYA Day Fisher course completed 1st though

if your going to get a boat, dont go to burnam marine sales, i bought 1 from there and got burnt bad cost loads to get it done just in case you decide to get 1 from them take someone along who knows what to look out for i have spent 6.500 to get mine sorted