Any Haslar Marina residents here abouts?

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So far the marina sales lady has offered me a berth next to the floating ablutions block or another so close to the lightship that I could hail for a round of drinks from my cockpit. Now she has offered a berth on the right hand edge of the marina that looks like it might be subject to current on the ebb as the lake upstream of the road bridge empties.

As a new comer I appear to have a choice between the wash of P&O ferries or hobnobbing with Rear Admirals at the other end.

Can someone offer a local perspective?
 

jrt

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The P&O ferries etc don't leave any noticeable wash, you wont have any trouble from them. The trouble comes from the small tripper boats travelling at hull speed taking people from Portsmouth to the submarine museum. Sometimes it is a small naval 'mesenger' boat going in pretty much the same direction. Mary mouse should give you some protection. There should be some current coming under the bridge but probably not excessive. I must admit I haven't tried berthing on the 'early lettered' pontoons. My advice is to get in and if you don't like the berth ask to be moved as soon as a gap appears. Incidently the distance from Mary Mouse to the main entrance is over a quarter mile. Quite a walk when pushing a trolly /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 

zephyrsailor

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the berth you've been offered by the toilet block is probably my old one, very convenient but hard to get in and out of. avoid the berths towards the end of I J and K as you do get quite alot of wash from a variety of things going past there but closer to the main walkway they are sheltered.
lower lettered pontoons are more sheltered with no tides that i've noticed. (i've kept boats on C G and I pontoons)
 
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Re: Gosport Marina, maybe

[ QUOTE ]
Are you committed to Haslar?

[/ QUOTE ]
I have considered alternatives and I am not committed either way yet.

If you mean the old C&N marina then the downsides for me were:

* More wash agitation rolling in from the harbour.
* Cross tides to deal with (I plan to singlehand).
* Not so well dredged (I have 2.2m keel).
* Queues for the showers until they build a proper replacement.
* Exposed to the NE.

That said when walking around Gosport Marina one Sunday afternoon last year it felt the most alive with yachting activity of all the Portsmouth marinas I visited that day.

Price wise they almost the same as Haslar except Premier offer a 75% rebate for 1 to 3 summer months away plus 12 free nights elsewhere.
 

milltech

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[ QUOTE ]
The P&O ferries etc don't leave any noticeable wash.


Incidentally the distance from Mary Mouse to the main entrance is over a quarter mile. Quite a walk when pushing a trolley /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I was (I think) on "H" and the movement was significant as a result of big ship movements, although I don't doubt the tripper boats contributed too.

The walk is always tripled too because you have to return the trolley to the car park and then come back to the boat. I think I paced the car park to my berth at 600 yards, so that a mile walk before you can cast off. I admit that I sometimes thought it worth the quid not to bother!

At the weekend I'm surprised there aren't a few enterprising students renting a trolley and selling a push & return service to the berth holders.

It is a nice friendly marina, although that doesn't automatically include the people who rent space from them, no it definitely doesn't include all of them.
 

milltech

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Re: Gosport Marina, maybe

As you have pointed out the tide run is significant through there and was why I preferred Haslar, and in regard to my comment about the wash on "H" pontoon above, I was towards the outer end.
 
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Re: Gosport Marina, maybe

[ QUOTE ]
the wash on "H" pontoon above, I was towards the outer end.

[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the clarification, just been looking at a Portmouth Harbour chart and the end of jetty H at Haslar does look like the most exposed area.
 

milltech

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Re: Gosport Marina, maybe

The angle between H and I suppose G is noticeable so for me with a single engined MFV it provided the easiest access. If I made a turn upstream I could just slide by the end of G and have my pontoon about 20 degrees on the bow so I didn't have to make a 90 degree turn in, and the width of open water between G and H made departures easier too. A very nice berth apart from working of the warps and the hard life of the fenders.
 

nicho

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Whatever you do, keep as far away from the wash as possible. It is a real pain if you tend to stay on board any length of time. We planned to berth there, but after a couple of nights as a visitor, we ended up staying at Hythe. Also, the constant noise of the Commercial Traffic's props being picked up through the keel (especially), is very annoying. It's like being in a U-boat with the British Navy circulating overhead!!
 
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Re: P&O noise through the keel?

[ QUOTE ]
Also, the constant noise of the Commercial Traffic's props being picked up through the keel (especially), is very annoying.

[/ QUOTE ]
This issue had not featured in my pro's and con's list to date. Any other Portsmouth Harbour reports on keel noise? Have to admit that since I live 2.5 hours away from the boat it will function as a floating cottage.

I tried Hythe once and got bad impressions. Was held in a queue for over an hour one Saturday evening and then sleep was disturbed until 3am due to some vulgar London mafia type MoBo'ers partying on board. Their late night cockpit conversations tended to echo around the inner basin due to the surrounding houses and it was the hottest night of the year.
 

Cutter

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Re: P&O noise through the keel?

We are on G pontoon - convenient for the floating heads and getting in and out easily. Noise at night not a problem - I too use the place as a caravan some evenings. The car parking will be interesting this year as they have made the overflow paying. They will have to patrol the main park better - too many people say they are going to Landers who do not have a permit. The walk can be a pain but is good exercise after not walking around on board!
Mary Mouse has improved and marina staff helpful. If there is no one around when I am single handed they are prepared to take a line - tend only to ask if there is a strong sternwind blowing me down. Do consider which way the berth points - if you want to sit out in the evening you may want to point west!
pm if you want any more info
cheers Richard
 

tjfmmaes

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Hi

I am on B pontoon and I have noticed no problems there, no wash, no noice, close to toilet block (but not too close) and easy access to chandlers & landers. Long walk to the lightship though....

Thomas
 

milltech

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Re: P&O noise through the keel?

I had forgotton about that, yes it's true! Lying in your bunk you can hear the swish swish of vessels moving nearby, but I never found it objectionable, rather the reverse.
 

BlueChip

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I have been berthed in Haslar for 5 years. 2 years on D ponton and 3 on on F pontoon.

There is no doubt that the further you get away from the lightship the less wash there is - I wouldn't consider any berth at that end of the marina if you like to sleep on board as it can be quite rolly.

I never found much tide through the marina in either berth we had. We have a transom that slaps in anything more than a ripple and we sleep in the aft cabin so our W facing berth is much quieter than previously when we faced east.

In my experience wash is not any major problem where we have been berthed, the occassional swell is caused I think by the pilot boats that berth at the entrance to Haslar creek, they come in at fairly high speed and then slew round to moor up.

The whole marina is quite sheltered, in my experience in any strong Easterly winds the lightship end of the marina can be exposed as to make berthing tricky - N & West winds are no problem

The ferries don't cause any problems and I find their propellor noise quite comforting.

Haslar is a very well managed and secure marina and the people are generally friendly.

Previously we were in Gosport Marina (was Campers) for a few years, there was significantly more wash there and we had friends who's boats were damaged when the masts clashed because of ship wash.

For some time when we were at Campers there was a very large RFA berthed close by on the nearby Naval fueling jetty, it had very noisy fans and generators running day and night. We were very glad when it went.

We were happy with Campers while we were there, but would not go back. Haslar is much nicer
 

rwoofer

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I'm towards the end of D pontoon, which I find much quieter than the very end of F pontoon, were the wash stopped me getting to sleep (CC boat in the aft cabin).

I think you will find the position next to the toilet block much quieter. They also now store trolleys there, which means you don't have to take it back to the car park.
 
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