Best dinghy slipway/launch for solent/southampton water?

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wayfarer_sailor

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Hello everyone,

After having some practice on our local lake we're looking to take our Wayfarer on its' first sea adventure. We'd like to sail in the southampton water/solent area. There seem to be various options, but can someone with more experience recommend the best slipway for a heavy dinghy like the wayfarer? We're fairly inexperienced so perhaps a more sheltered launch would be better.

Thanks for your help.
 
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This site may help:

http://www.boatlaunch.co.uk

If you can launch on the lower Itchen it is safe to pootle around the river before venturing past the 'poo' jetty into Southampton Water proper. At low springs do not stray far from the green channel markers as it gets a bit shallow both sides of the jetty.
 
Second the pointer to boatlaunch. We used it a fair bit when launching my mate's series of variously decrepit small motorboats.

The main site we kept coming back to was Crosshouse Hard, immediately upstream of the Itchen bridge. Albeit the most compelling reason was probably that it's free.

There's a pay-and-display carpark immediately adjacent, plus a designated (free) area for trailers with some metal railings they can be chained to.

The slip is usable at almost all states of tide - couldn't vouch for absolute low springs with something like a Wayfarer that you really do need to float onto its trolley, the wheels might just edge off the end of the ramp at LAT, but 90% of the time should be fine which is more than a number of other slips nearby. The lower part can be quite slippery though, again with a heavy Wayfarer you might be better off with a longish rope up to a car on the dry part of the ramp and use that to provide the grunt with the person at the front of the trailer just guiding it.

The slip is sheltered; I've never seen waves of any significance there, although if the tidal flow in the river is strong then a bit of it can reach the slip to push the boat sideways. Easy enough to deal with provided you're aware of it.

There is no pontoon or quay to tie up to after launching, so one person will need to stand in the water holding the boat while the other stows the trailer. I guess that's normal for dinghy sailing anyway.

Pete
 
Depends whether you want to sail in Southampton town or the actual Solent. It's a fairway from one to the other in Wayfarer.
Lymington is a nice place to launch when it's not too busy, no idea what it costs. Good slip, big car park.
Calshot?
Weston SC?
Netley?
 
Thanks both for the replies. Will check out the crosshouse hard, but perhaps most sensible to try Netley or Weston sailing clubs first if they let visitors in and get a bit of local advice from them.

I think we'd prefer Southampton water before heading out into the solent proper - assuming it will be a bit more sheltered. Apart from tide height for launching off slipways etc, is there much of a tidal stream up and down Southampton Water to be aware of?

Thanks for your help.
 
Bucklers Hard have a launching slip, can't get a nicer place to sail then on the river. They do canoe/kayak launches so a wayfarer shouldnt be a problem and they have a sizeable car park for the car/trailer.
 
wayfarer_sailor said:
Thanks both for the replies. Will check out the crosshouse hard, but perhaps most sensible to try Netley or Weston sailing clubs first if they let visitors in and get a bit of local advice from them.

I think we'd prefer Southampton water before heading out into the solent proper - assuming it will be a bit more sheltered. Apart from tide height for launching off slipways etc, is there much of a tidal stream up and down Southampton Water to be aware of?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
 
I've launched my Wayfarer from Calshot and it is a good spot straight into the Solent proper. Obviously it is a sheltered spot for the immediate launch but I remember my wife got pretty soaked pretty soon from the lumpy stuff just outside the entrance, it might be a shock after lake sailing. Bit of a long drive coming fro the East.
Warsash has a slipway the DCA use, ie anyone can use it. I also have read it can be a little awkward with a current sometimes taking people onto a pontoon. You might want to google the Dinghy Cruising Association.
Personally I like launching from Itchenor (Chichester harbour) but read up about the bar at the entrance (not a problem once you know the conditions to avoid). Hardway into Portsmouth Harbour is also a DCA favourite although I have not used it.
Good luck!
 
Hamble is a pretty place to launch at on the village slip. Then you've got the choice of turning up Southampton Water, across to Calshot or into The Solent proper. Launching free on Britain's most expensive river can't be bad.
 
Excellent thank you, Hamble does also sound a good choice. Boatlaunch says nowhere to park trailers though, does anyone know whether there is anywhere local to leave trailer and car? Thanks
 
Actually, I had a spare couple of minutes and 'phoned Eastleigh BC. No restrictions on trailers in the adjacent (Foreshore) car park. If you're early or lucky there are a number of 'double length' spaces (two cars one in front of the other) so you could put car and trailer in one. They were vague on how/if you'd need to pay. If I took a double space I'd pay twice and put both tickets on the dash top, and be happy to be able to lock the trailer to the car. If separated you need to decide whether to take a chance (and the number plate off it!) or pre-prepare a note directing them to your car and the second ticket.

The wardens are frequent attenders, but the bods who adjudicate on fines are very fair to muppets. Twice.
 
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