General Advice

[TPotts92]

Hi so I posted on the forums quite a while back about getting a boat. I have been working on the boat for quite a while now and it's ready for sea.

I have all the safety equipment and I'm also going to get insurance for the boat.

Now in need of some advice, do I need a license? It's a 14ft boat with a 40hp outboard motor.

Also where would be the best place to launch the boat. The boat will be kept in storage not far from Silverlink so I would prefer the launch site to be as close as possible but not too far inland.

I've looked at Cullercoats and South Shields Sailing Club, I would prefer the South Shields Sailing club as I'm familiar with the area however when I look on their website I get the feeling that they won't allow me to launch my boat from that site?

[bushwacker]

hang on in there mate someone will get back to u im sure not a great deal of members on here now mate good luck

[TPotts92]

hang on in there mate someone will get back to u im sure not a great deal of members on here now mate good luck

Hopefully, I've tried doing my own research but I seeing people say you do and then people saying you don't so a little unsure

[bushwacker]

no disrespect to NESA another couple of sites to try is S.A.R. sea angling reports and THE FISHERMANS LOCKER tight lines

[TPotts92]

no disrespect to NESA another couple of sites to try is S.A.R. sea angling reports and THE FISHERMANS LOCKER tight lines

I'll try my luck there as well then, more help the better.

[Silver Surfer]

Get in touch with South Tyneside Council. It costs £97 (ish) to get a Permit to launch from the Yacht Club Slipway for one year. You get to park your vehicle in their adjacent car park for the duration of your trip as well. You have to produce your Insurance to get the License, but that's it.

[My Alibi]

I used the slipway a couple of times when I had the Orkney on a trailer. The paperwork was easy to handle, it was up at the tourist office from memory. However, you have to make sure that the slipway is clear of sand and obstructions, and that it's best to reverse all the way from the car park onto the slipway. The very first time I used it, I was probably the first person that day on the slip, and it probably had not been used for a few days as there was a deep build-up of sand that obscured the concrete. Yours truly drove up, car first and thought I'd do a U-turn on the beach at the top of the slip, just as I had done in Scotland. That was a big mistake, and even with a 4x4 I got stuck in the loose sand.

Fortunately, the tourist office was still open so I managed to get them to call out the tractor team whose job it was to ensure the slip was kept clear. They only work mornings on a Saturday, and fortunately were still around and pulled me out. Most embarrassing. They did admit they had been late coming to clear the slipway, but I still felt a fool.

There are not that many options if you want to stay close. I ended up keeping the Orkney in Royal Quays on a permanent berth in the summer. Much easier than launching on the slipways where the state of the tides are not always the best for your fishing trips. I did use Powerhouse Marina at Derwenthaugh, up at Blaydon to launch and retrieve the boat at the beginning and end of season a couple of times. Good concrete ramps and somewhere to moor while you go and park the car/trailer - great if you are single-handed, but the tidal window is not very long.

I suggest you mark this website as a favourite - it gives you all the details of launch sites across the country. They also supply the info in a book. www.boatlaunch.co.uk

[TPotts92]

Get in touch with South Tyneside Council. It costs £97 (ish) to get a Permit to launch from the Yacht Club Slipway for one year. You get to park your vehicle in their adjacent car park for the duration of your trip as well. You have to produce your Insurance to get the License, but that's it.

Spot on thanks

[TPotts92]

I used the slipway a couple of times when I had the Orkney on a trailer. The paperwork was easy to handle, it was up at the tourist office from memory. However, you have to make sure that the slipway is clear of sand and obstructions, and that it's best to reverse all the way from the car park onto the slipway. The very first time I used it, I was probably the first person that day on the slip, and it probably had not been used for a few days as there was a deep build-up of sand that obscured the concrete. Yours truly drove up, car first and thought I'd do a U-turn on the beach at the top of the slip, just as I had done in Scotland. That was a big mistake, and even with a 4x4 I got stuck in the loose sand.

Fortunately, the tourist office was still open so I managed to get them to call out the tractor team whose job it was to ensure the slip was kept clear. They only work mornings on a Saturday, and fortunately were still around and pulled me out. Most embarrassing. They did admit they had been late coming to clear the slipway, but I still felt a fool.

There are not that many options if you want to stay close. I ended up keeping the Orkney in Royal Quays on a permanent berth in the summer. Much easier than launching on the slipways where the state of the tides are not always the best for your fishing trips. I did use Powerhouse Marina at Derwenthaugh, up at Blaydon to launch and retrieve the boat at the beginning and end of season a couple of times. Good concrete ramps and somewhere to moor while you go and park the car/trailer - great if you are single-handed, but the tidal window is not very long.

I suggest you mark this website as a favourite - it gives you all the details of launch sites across the country. They also supply the info in a book. www.boatlaunch.co.uk

Thanks for the info, I'll keep that in mind. Last thing I want is to be caught out like that