Long-term moorings in Poole

Moorings in Poole range from large marinas to swinging moorings out in the harbour. The Dorset town lies on Poole Harbour, with berths spread between Hamworthy, Holes Bay, the Town Quay, Parkstone and Lilliput. Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) is the harbour authority and has two marinas of its own.

Moorings in Poole

• Cobb's Quay Marina: run by MDL Marinas at Hamworthy in Holes Bay, beyond the two lifting bridges. It has 850 wet berths for boats up to 25m and a 280-berth dry stack for boats up to 10m.
• Salterns Marina: at Lilliput, run by Salterns Marina Limited. More than 270 berths for boats up to 25m and 75 seasonal swinging moorings, with no tidal restrictions.
• Parkstone Bay Marina: at Turks Lane, Parkstone. Pontoon berths, dry berthing and swinging moorings for boats up to 8m, served by a water taxi from April to September.
• Poole Quay Boat Haven: a PHC marina at the eastern end of the Town Quay with 125 pontoon berths. Its main season runs from April to October, with winter berthing packages.
• Port of Poole Marina: also PHC, opened in 2011. It takes up to 75 boats of up to 20m on annual berths, with a free water taxi to the Boat Haven.
• Lake Yard: at Hamworthy, with pontoon berths and swinging moorings reached by a launch service.
• Harbour moorings: PHC counts about 2,000 swinging moorings in the harbour. A private mooring needs an annual PHC licence for a named person and boat, and cannot be transferred.
• Applying: every mooring application goes on the PHC waiting list. PHC also hires out its own moorings in Holes Bay, the Wych Channel, Brownsea Roads and Hamworthy.

On the water

Poole Harbour Commissioners is the statutory harbour authority, and every vessel using the harbour pays it harbour dues. Poole VTS listens on VHF channel 14.

• Speed: the limit is 10 knots, falling to 6 knots all year in Little Channel, Holes Bay and the South Deep quiet area.
• Bridges: boats kept in Holes Bay pass Poole Bridge and the Twin Sails bridge. Both lift only on request, at timetabled times between 5:30am and 11:30pm. Call the bridge operator on VHF channel 12.
• Tides: Poole has a small tidal range and a long stand at high water.
• Entrance: the ebb runs hard through the narrow harbour entrance, approaching 5 knots at springs, and a chain ferry crosses there.

The rest of the harbour, including its anchorages, is covered on the Poole Harbour page.