Sailing the Isle of Man - Douglas - Harbour wall mooring - E. 249

[@MrRipsaw1]

Thank you for highlighting the 40 day deal, I wasn't aware of it. Definitely needs to be better advertised. Another excellent video, especially setting up the Riser Line. Nice one 🙂

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Happy to help Mark! We hope to be back mid-Sept to use the remainder of the deal. BTW, the responses to our request for comments are below, but if any come via other routes we will feed them back to you.

[@beetlesue]

We have used the 40 day deal several times - especially in seasons when we have gone up to Scotland or Northern Ireland. Douglas harbour is really handy for transport links to other parts of the Island too. The only harbour wall we avoid is Port St Mary which has a big tidal range and also seems to be plagued by boats with insufficient lines to put shorelines on.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Funnily enough, Port St Mary is in next week's episode. We hope to return to the IoM next month in order to use up more of our 40 day allowance. It definitely is a scheme that needs to be better advertised.

[@leonply]

It's been an age since I've visited the Isle of Man. The vistas in the video show that the growth hasn't been crazy, and it all looks so lovely and welcoming. I remember the people, always friendly, and the shops, cafes and restaurants when I was there were incredible. I hope that none of this has gone, and I look forward to taking your advice, the next time that I'm lucky enough to make it to Douglas. Thank you for sharing, and keep your hats on firmly!

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

It still is really friendly and we do love going there. It has a warm feel all of its own and if you get the chance to go back I am sure you will still enjoy it. I (Bev) first returned on Salty Lass after nearly 40 years and I still loved the place

[@Cptnbond]

Thanks for sharing the harbor wall technique; it may come in handy someday. The Isle of Man is not generally well known for what can lure sailors there. In comparison, ask somebody about Ireland. The Isle of Man has not captured attention as an attractive destination. As you said, you accidentally found out about this great summer deal - there you have the problem. Cheers.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Great point! Hopefully this video and some of the following ones will help

[@Dreamtimesail]

Thanks for sharing. Interesting techniques to cater for the big tides. Cheers!

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

We trained in an area with 10 metres of tidal range. To us it feels like the rest of the world has no tides 😮 I am not sure that did us any favours in the long run...

[@hughburgess4168]

Great deal for 40 days at £200. We spent £123 for 3 nights in July, albeit we were on a pontoon. Haven’t considered going to the Isle of Man to explore. We loved Peel. I tried to cycle to Port Erin, but gave up as I had to cross a mountain to there. Prefer the Scottish Isles as there is so much to see and loads of anchorages, or to sail south to Wales and SW England. Interesting video. Only tied to a harbour wall once in Portpatrick and had forgotten how I tied up!

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

There are more harbour walls in next week's video including the approach to the wall in Port St Mary. We hope to spend another couple of weeks in IoM near the end of the season.

[@sailingsheriff3349]

Great video, most informative again. Predicable weather would help with going to the IOM. We love the place and have so far had good weather, but previously predicted weather and actual vary a lot. I know they can’t do anything about that, but information similar to what you gave us about safe harbours would help. The Pilot book is useful, but more detailed information would help. We also found, internet and telephone coverage is not compatible with English networks. Navionics UK coast and inland waters does not cover the IOM. Transport routes for the Island would also help. When we were there we got mixed messages from people that created a problem for us.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Thank you, that is great feedback. It is also why we find that we cannot rely on internet apps for navigation. It is not just the Isle of Man - where we are now in western Scotland has very patchy coverage for some phone networks. Also, you know Bev's opinions of weather forecast - she says they are correct in general and wrong in detail 😄😄 and sometimes the detail matters...

[@WavedancerWesterlyfulmar]

Great deal. Shower blocks in every harbour would be great, especially open 24/7 as we couldn’t get showers in Peel they were closed. Not all boats have water makers to allow on board showers so after a long passage it’s nice to clean up….especially in this heat

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

I have never known the showers in Peel to be closed, perhaps it was a Covid thing? Nonetheless I shall pass that along 👍 (We also lack a water maker!!!!!)

[@markholt7709]

Good video informative again, often been to I.o.M but never heard of the 40 day deal. What’s boat security like on the harbour wall, was there once, pre Covid by the Quayside pub, HW was late evening & we were plagued by ‘pub goers’ More access to facilities (showers etc) would be good maybe a code system you could use 24/7. More visitor buoys & a water taxi (like Holyhead) On the plus side love the Kippers for breakfast & food in the Albert & Glue pot pubs. Btw, sold our Bavaria 36 now looking for a Westerly 35 BILGE KEEL, previously had a Moody 31 bilge keel & miss the ability to dry out, especially as we plan on visiting the Scilly Isles more often next year.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

YOU SOLD YOUR BAV 36??!??!?!?!?!?!?!?! 😮😲 😱 😭 Ah well, it takes all types to make a world.... There are codes for 24/7 access to facilities in Douglas, Peel and Pt St Mary and all 3 of those locations have showers and toilets. As for the "pub goers" in Douglas, no one bothered us. We hope to be back there for the end of the season and use up some more of the 40 day deal

[@kenbudd6216]

Great idea thanks

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

You’re welcome 😊

[@dreamtimesv]

Thanks for that interesting episode. Look forward to later on when you visit other parts of the Isle. We don’t have these big walls in many of our ports or marinas, and I am happy to stay away from all that concrete, but you seem to have sorted it all out very well. Best

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

The Island has a lot of these big walls and although we do not cover too much of the island on this visit, we hope to be back there in a month or so and we will cover more then. We have covered the island in earlier videos and I will see about creating a playlist. Here is a video we did about Douglas 3 years ago... kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJDPpKpofb9ra7M

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Here you go - I have created a playlist for you kzbin.info/aero/PL28HWPHBunMkc1S37rnIJyDX-LNsKAFLy

[@dreamtimesv]

Many thanks, my weekend viewing. Happy sailing.

[@dreamtimesv]

Finished your playlist, thanks, i had not seen some of your earlier episodes, #67 was interesting! Anyway I have a good understanding of the Isle, tricky place for sailing, nice place to visit. Cheers

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

@@dreamtimesv - we have since learned more about sailing around the island and no longer visit Chicken Rock 🤣

[@WavedancerWesterlyfulmar]

Important to watch the shore lines for other vessels. We had fishing boat nearly take off our danbouy and horseshoe buoy because their lines snagged as we both shifted with tide in port St Mary.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Port St Mary seem to have allocated some wall space just for visiting yachts as well as two mooring balls, so that might address the issue, but yes - other people's lines can be an issue. Fortunately, in Douglas it is all yachts and boats in there.

[@WavedancerWesterlyfulmar]

@@SailingYachtSaltyLass Douglas only port we didn't visit on our circumnavigation of the island when 3 lads still with us

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

​@@WavedancerWesterlyfulmar - Douglas is a great town and has a lovely feel to it.

[@SVBlownAway]

Thanks for sharing the Isle of Man deal!

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

It is a great deal and we intend to return back there nearer the end of the season so we can use up our unused days

[@Jj-ff9vq]

Some more mooring buoys would be useful eg in Port Erin....returning from IoM to N.Wales you only get 5 hours favourable tide so staying in the locked Douglas marina makes passage planning an issue, so options always help.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

A lot of people move out from the marina to the waiting pontoon in the outer harbour so that they can leave early to catch favourable tides. It is the pontoon where we had boats rafted to us in the SW of the outer harbour near the lifeboat station

[@Jj-ff9vq]

@@SailingYachtSaltyLass but it can get very bumpy in there, so an option on another bay helps, (also Erin knocks an hour off!)

[@dutchglobetrotter4513]

I used to make risers a bit different however I like your method and going to do that from now on. Thanks for a very informative video.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Just keep the knot at the top. You do not want to be tying to untie it at high tide if it is a couple of metres down 😉

[@Jj-ff9vq]

What does the angel actually do? The little pool midway down between the pontoon structures can be used to turn your yacht round in a 3 point turn.....but it's tight.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

The angel is just a heavy weight which pulls the harbour line down. It serves two purposes: 1) It stops the line going under the boat where it could snag the prop or keel, and 2) it stops the boat drifting away from the wall when at the top of the tide. There is always an inward pull, We have moored in the finger pontoons before, but they were quite tricky to get out of and if you had a boat that dislikes reverse manoeuvres then I imagine that it could be very fraught.

[@Jj-ff9vq]

@@SailingYachtSaltyLass Thanks SL

[@WavedancerWesterlyfulmar]

Preferably with a fender board between fenders and wall too.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

We lack a fender board and the fenders collect wall-muck and transfer it like paint rollers ... 😮

[@janashworth8808]

Padstow harbour lend you fender boards - but you do need to keep an eye on them.

[@katebrodie9089]

I prefer a fender board and mine is just a piece of decking which can be hosed off easily. Used in Portpatrick to good effect!

[@sailingceltic1911]

Hello ladies. I am planning on going to the IOM for the TT in june and staying in Douglas for a week, what advice do you have and were can i find the 40 day deal. CHEERS T.J.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

To get the 40 day deal, simply contact either Craig (Douglas Marina) or Douglas Port Control. They will want details of your boat and then payment in advance and a start date. We stayed mostly in Douglas as the walls there have power pillars. The 40 day deal is for *walls and moorings* and NOT for pontoons. We paid £200 for a 11½ metre boat and the rate does depend on boat size. www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/harbours/douglas/

[@rupertdunn5578]

Nice Vid, you didn’t actually explain what the angel did and how to rig it! Intrigued…

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

The angel is just a heavy weight which pulls the harbour line down. It serves two purposes: 1) It stops the line going under the boat where it could snag the prop or keel, and 2) it stops the boat drifting away from the wall when at the top of the tide. There is always an inward pull

[@martinmccullough5788]

A bigger & better Marina would absolutely make me go.. at 13m its just too much work.

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Maybe you need to invert the rule from Jaws? _"You're gonna need a smaller boat...."_

[@kevinconway2251]

Loved the video, thank you. Sent you a message on Insta

[@SailingYachtSaltyLass]

Thanks Kevin.