Any Port Solent or Gosport dwellers?

SailBobSquarePants

SailBobSquarePants

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In thinking about where to keep our Nich 32, SWMBO and I paid some visits to the marina stands at LBS yesterday. We are currently in Northney, but the trip into the Solent. combined with getting over the Chichester Bar (1.7m draft), and the tidal streams really limits our scheduling. With less time to sail than we would like, we are considering moving her to the Portsmouth or Hamble areas. SWMBO insists upon a marina, not a mooring, and frankly we are paying MDL prices already, so the Solent isn't that huge a jump. In fact, Port Solent is actually cheaper.

So I would really like to hear from anyone who berths in Port Solent or Gosport about your experiences, pros/cons, and the people you deal with there. Everything from roadway congestion to absolution (er, ablution) block cleanliness (spoiled by Northney, possibly the nicest marina heads in the world - or at least the South Coast.). So..any thoughts, really.

Many thanks.
 
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I am at Gosport Premier, Its very handy for the harbour entrance, or for some sheltered sailing in the harbour, Fareham, Portsolent and Hardway being places to visit.

The toilet block is above the marina office, with a family shower room and male and femail facilities. The showers are nice and clean, Ive never had a problem getting a shower cubicle though I asume there will be ocasional queues in peak summer.

There are separate toilets at the Marina bar, at the top of the second ramp. Theres a good car park, secure and security cameras, gets a little full in summer, but with an overflow section. Its a two minute walk to the ferry, and town centre.

There are three marinas in Gosport, Premiers car park is closest to the boats.
Haslar and Royal Clarence are the others, all charge similar prices, best to go and see all three and look at the packages.

Traffic into Gosport is horrible at peak times, but people who live in busy cities will be used to that. (but we are a small town)

Port Solent is owned by Premier, has fantastic toilet blocks, traffic builds up at the motorway roundabout. There are queues to get in and out of the lock on busy weekend mornings/evenings. It takes me an hour to get from the marina to the harbour entrance (by boat) The Sunsail fleet are there too.
 
I've only ever visited these places, not been based there, but I'd be very happy to be berthed in Haslar. Ablutions are good (can't comment on absolutions :D), staff have been friendly when I've been there, and the location for getting out into the world without negotiating a long and boring channel can't really be beaten. I don't know if the Small Boat Channel regime poses a problem when it's really busy - not been there often enough to say with authority.

Pete
 
Hi Sailbob,

As you know I keep my boat quite close to yours – but don’t fancy paying Northney type rates !

A few personal experiences, of course we are in contact as members of the BORG but I’d be interested to see other people’s comments;

I had a flat on Southsea seafront in the late 1980’s, and while that was quite good in itself, it’s not an area I would choose to stroll around late at night – this applies to Langstone Marina too, and I’d say even more the case around Gosport.

I had a mooring off Gosport, and while you would be much better placed in having a marina berth, there’s still the traffic ! This is frankly diabolical, if you think getting to Chichester Entrance is a pain, it’s seriously torturous getting onto and through Gosport, and see the ‘pub & restaurant guide’ on these forums !…

Portsmouth Entrance seems to attract remarkably few comments, but is much more of a tidal gate than Chichester, a simple case of ‘you’re not going anywhere’ against the max’ stream, plus the fun to be had with the various high speed ferries and ships.

I happen to like Port Solent a lot, but it is a long way down the harbour, with very annoying long delays waiting for the lock; I’ve noticed on this forum there are also comments about traffic noise, and pollution dirt on decks etc.

There is also still the question mark of possible planning developments hanging over the place ( last I heard was good news, not going to be bulldozered after all, but…) – maybe not too much of a problem if going for an annual berth, rather than buying one outright.

Northney may be a distance from the sea, Chichester Bar deserves respect and traffic onto Hayling on sunny Sundays is not in my top ten experiences, but personally I’d rather be on my boat – even if motoring up the Emsworth Channel – than crawling by car onto Gosport or waiting for a lock, and there are plenty of places to visit in Chichester, including anchoring?
 
I am another resident of the Premier Marina and generally I am very satisfied. Starting with the actual berths, they are generally a little less tight than some and do not suffer greatly from the tide sluicing through especially if you can get an inshore berth; where I am inshore of the main pontoon the tide is almost none existent. They do suffer a little from the wash from the main shipping channel but this has been greatly improved now that they have moved the entrance. As has been stated, you are just minutes away from being out of the harbour and I have never found the small boat channel to be an issue. The only problem I have noticed in my ten years in Portsmouth is that you can get a very nasty sea building up on a spring ebb when there is a strong southeasterly wind, but these conditions are infrequent.

The shoreside facilities are fairly good, the showers are of the mini bathroom variety with cubicles containing a shower, basin and WC. They are generally well kept but can get very hot and steamy in the summer as the ventilation is not all it could be. The other minus point is that they are at the extreme southern end of the marina which can be a decent hike from some of the berths. However, as somebody mentioned, there are also small toilet facilities in the block near the northern access which also contains the cafe. The cafe itself has not been a success in the past and closed down last year, but a new group has taken over and it's currently being re-fitted for a spring opening.

Car parking is generally adequate but can be tight on the bank holiday weekends which coincide with good weather, a newly opened "dry stack" facility will not help this but fortunately it is not yet very well subscribed. Security is generally pretty good on the pontoons and the MOD police are usually cruising up and down not too far away. There was a lapse a year or two ago in the yard when somebody pinched all the power cables to the laid up boats presumably for the copper.

Gosport itself is not the smartest town on the south coast but does have a high street that meets most needs and both a Morrisons and Waitrose supermarket although the later is some distance from the marina. There is also a market on certain days. For serious retail therapy most people go over to Gunwharf Quays which also has a wide selection of restaurants and bars. There are various restaurants and pubs in Gosport, most, in my experience, are at best adequate with the exception of the "New Bengal" indian which is very good.

As has already been mentioned, the drive down to Gosport from the M27 can be tortuous and if you plan to arrive on Friday evenings I would definitely try it first before you commit your self. However, I am not sure that it is much better to the various other options.

The harbour itself is hardly picturesque, but being a naval base, there is usually something interesting going on and you get free grandstand seats for the various displays that are put on by the services and the fireworks at Gunwharf Quays.

Finally, I have always found the staff friendly and helpful and most of the services you need are either on site at Endevour Quay, which is the old Camper and Nicholson yard alongside, or a very short distance away. there are also two excellent chandleries within walking distance. Prices are generally about 25% cheaper than the premier marina on the Hamble. You get two months free storage ashore although you have to pay for the lift. we used to get free electicity but this has just been withdrawn but prices were held for this year.
 
Give Royal Clarence a try

Probably the most sheltered of the Gosport Marinas. Being a small marina the staff seem to try a bit more and its a sensible price.

Drawbacks? The hike in from the M27 :( , the showers are a bit of a hike (but not actually much further than some at Haslar have to go) and less decent pubs nearby.
 
chippysmith said:
I know your looking at marinas, but just to add, I have a GBY swinging mooring (includes ferry service) and am also a member of Hardway sailing club, IMHO it's the best combination on the south coast
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I used to be a member of Hardway S/C and had my boat on a swinging mooring near Priddy's Hard. The only problem was car parking - not much of it and a good chance of theft. But that was several years ago, so things may be better now.
 
There was a free car park up the road from Hardway, but Gosport council were discussing charging for all car parks, including Hardway, from this spring onwards. This would need clarification as to whether it was voted down.
 
I'm in Haslar - 2010 was my first year after being on a Hamble River mooring. Points:

Staff - good, friendly, 24/7 manning
Main access pontoons - wide, stable, clean.
Finger pontoons - some are short, some are narrow.
Showers - three choices, some at A pontoon by entrance, some at F pontoon halfway down the marina, some on the Mary Mouse at the Pompey end. Mini bathroom style, a bit steamy but not as bad as many.
Sea access - quickest of the Pompey marinas to get in and out of
Road access - seems a long way from the M27, but there are some back doubles that let you avoid jams if they appear. Not neccessary to go through central Gosport
Car parking - seems secure, CCTV, always plenty of trollies, can be a long way from the boat if you're on a further away berth
Boat convenience - as near as dammit no tidal streams. You can pootle up and down Haslar Creek as long as you like getting fenders and lines ready or stowed, sails up or down
Wash/swell - can be a problem towards the Pompey end, but the further up the creek you go, the less you feel it. On D pontoon, hardly anything.
Residents - doesn't seem to be on the corporate entertainment yotcircuit, so generally quiet, except maybe close to the Mary Mouse
Ashore - well, get the ferry to Gunwharf! Unlike Seajet, I've never felt especially threatened at night

Also looked at Port Solent (too far from entrance, locking problems), Royal Clarence (nice but further from town, not much onsite, and home to Clipper Yachts when they're in UK) and Premier (OK but parking restricted, and only outer berths were available when I enquired, which are a bit prone to wash). All much the same price.

Hope it helps
 
chippysmith said:
I know your looking at marinas, but just to add, I have a GBY swinging mooring (includes ferry service) and am also a member of Hardway sailing club, IMHO it's the best combination on the south coast
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Firstly, thank you ALL for your comments - it's a gold mine. Some I suspected (highway noise in Port Solent), some I did not.

Alas, I would LOVE a swinging mooring for the privacy and tranquility, but my gf has offered to SPLIT the marina fees with me as long as she can get to it on her own, to use it as a cottage without sailing. Being early retired, she can do that more frequently than I can get down to sail. So if you do THAT math, a swinging mooring costs me little less than half a marina fee... :) .

We are paid up in Northney till April, so we have time. I think that we will drive down to Gosport and spend some time at Hanslar and Premier very soon. Premier offered to take us, no charge, until April should we wish to move early. I suspect that a key component will be which berth they can each offer - we had a very poor one at Northney this year (on the far work pontoon!), and I am not looking forward to repeating that.
 
HI
I would choose Clarence Yard, it is smaller, quieter and in nicer surroundings than the others. As people have said the traffic can be a real pain but there are ways round it at most times. Port Solent is a long way up the harbour, plus a lock and SunSail. ( Not what I usually call them ). There is also to be a major property development there soon. This will completely alter the landside. The outer berths at Premier are useless due to wash from the main channel.
All the Gosport marinas have easy access to the Solent. 2 hours after HW the ebb is very strong, I just don't try to get in until 4 hours after HW. Not a problem if you plan for it and the entrance is not as exposed and evil as Chi can be.
Gosport as a town has little ( nothing ) going for it but if SWMBO gets a bit restless she can go to Gunwharf for a bit of retail therapy while you enjoy a drink and the view. You can always take a look at them all. Clarence and Premier are close to each other and Haslar is only a couples of minutes away. Good luck, roll on Easter.
 
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Another thumbs up for Haslar !

Hi, We are also based in Haslar Marina and second the comments by Twister Ken.

This April will be the start of our sixth season, we like the location (although Gosport is not lovely), the marina has a nice atmosphere and the staff are friendly and helpful.

As has been said before, the drive from the M27 to Gosport can be a slog, however once on the boat you have no locks or long chug down to the entrance to contend with.

My only critisism in the past has been the lack of berth holder benefits compared to other marinas (discounted lift out, free electricity, free overnight stays elsewhere etc) though this year the owners of Haslar have addressed this with a number of discounts with local businesses and started offering 14 nights free in their other marinas (East Cowes and Weymouth)

They are also offering a £500 reduction on your first season if introduced by an existing berth holder (Twister Ken posted first so contact him if you want to take up this option) but I should imagine its quite a tough market at present for marinas so most would be open to a bit of negotiation.

Hope this is helpful
 
Going from Northney to any of the Gosport marinas (or Port Solent too, for that matter) is a big change in ambience. Northney = peaceful countryside setting tucked up a quiet end of one of the channels. Gosport = busy harbour, urban setting (but good access to the sea).

If it was the setting of Northney that attracted you to it in the first place, then the closest equivalents (on the mainland) would be the Hamble, Buckler's Hard (Beaulieu) or Lymington. Cost issues aside (I suspect all of these are more expensive), have you considered any of them?

Some have commented about Portsmouth tidal access. It is true that the ebb is very strong, but only really a problem when close to the harbour entrance. Whether this is a limiting factor for you depends on your normal cruising speed under engine. Mine happily does 6.5kts at cruising speed. Up to 8 if I put my foot down. (Can't remember the speed limit in the harbour entrance, but I'm sure someone will pop up with that info shortly).*

With my engine I view Portsmouth Harbour as accessible 24 hour. With 2.1m draught I find access to Chichester Harbour quite restrictive, but I love the harbour to bits.

*Edit: 10kts, I see, so putting my foot down is not a problem
 
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Hi

We are coming up for our 6th season at Haslar and would third the comments made by Twister Ken and Baku: good staff, easy access (Creek is a real bonus), ensuite type showers, and lack of Sunsail/charter invasions make it decent choice.

Mark
 
[QUOTE=SailBobSquarePants

"We had a very poor (berth) at Northney this year and I am not looking forward to repeating that".

I don't understand your criticism; it's too small for berths to be far from facilities compared with the huge marinas discussed. No tide, no swell - but sadly no viable bar/restaurant apart from the hotel. Tesco is 2 miles away, with several good pubs within walking distance.

I never found 6ft draft a problem crossing the Bar as the tide doesn't run West until HW-2, and the Beach Swashway is often useful. I can't think of anywhere more peaceful than Northney, so if your partner wants tranquility that's the place, with ample parking and easy access by road or train/taxi.

One drawback is crossing Hayling Bay, often a thrash to windward and the morning gone before you've even reached the forts. So I moved to Port Solent (private berths are half the price of the marina) with so many places out in the Solent for lunch and overnight stay.
Lock hassle is easily avoided by coming out on Friday evening or coinciding with free flow.

I do NOT understand the so-called 'advantage' of quick access to the sea. I've sailed out of JSSC Hornet (just opposite Haslar Marina) and you need an hour to get a boat ready for sea with gear stowed and sails bent on before even slipping the lines. Much more pleasant to spend that hour washing up, donning oilies and having a last pee while motoring down the harbour - with a keen crew you can have the kite drawing before the entrance!
 
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Tom Price said:
. . . . . . with a keen crew you can have the kite drawing before the entrance!
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You are supposed to motor out passed Fort Blockhouse if you have any engine not spinniker but I suppose keeping the spinniker full whilst under power could be fun especially due to wind-shadows at the mouth. :rolleyes:

3) Small Boat Channel. The Small Boat Channel is shown on Admiralty charts. Its northern and southern extremities are at Ballast Beacon and No 4 Bar Buoys respectively. A tide pole is fitted to Beacon BC4. Small Boats are reminded that they are extremely difficult to see and the harbour entrance is a blind bend to larger vessels. The following rules apply:

1. Small Boats must enter and leave the harbour through the Small Boat Channel.

2. All craft fitted with engines, when navigating in the Approach Channel to Portsmouth Harbour, are to proceed under power between No 4 Bar Buoy and the Ballast Beacon.

http://www.qhmportsmouth.com/port-directions?action=view&id=9
 
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Port Solent

I have had a pontoon berth at Port Solent for 6 years. Trying to be objective, I would sum up the pros and cons as follows:

Disadvantages
1. Sunsail - but you don't have to have a berth on the same pontoon or opposite the "clubhouse". During the summer and autumn months the vast majority are parked outside the marina anyway.
2. Dust blown from rubbish dum 1m away when wind is easterly (mainly in spring)
3. Incontinent starlings on a diet of blackberries in August/September
4. Lock queues on Sat mornings and early Sunday evenings in summer (mitigated by v efficient lock operation - much quicker than Eastbourne or Chichester)
5. 45 mins (at 5 kn) from harbour entrance but we use this time to sort things out on board when outbound and for cleaning and packing up boat when returning
6. Marine chandlery superstore 150m from boat (too close for temptation!)

Advantages:
1. (For me) an hour and a quarter from East Surrey (I would need to make that 2 hrs for Haslar, Gosport or Clarence
2. Very, very sheltered
3. No tides so berthing easy and no load on docklines or cleats
4. Cinemas, a few shops and a gym (if so inclined) when it is blowing a gale
5. Umpteen restaurants on site catering for every taste and pocket
6. Unlimited free car parking for self and any guests cars
7. Car park 150m from boat so extensive "trolleying"
8. Unlimited free winter storage
9. The UK's finest marina ablutions (bertholders separate from Sunsail!)
10. And (for my 10m boat) significantly cheaper than Haslar, Gosport or Clarence
11. Marine superstore chandlery 150m from boat plus (if you need it) professional riggers, shipwrights and engineers

Any development completion is at least 5 years away and the same can be said for anywhere else.

Good luck with your search.
 
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