Best place for families in the Solent?

[Blinking]

Hi guys,

We anchored near the picnic area in Newport last weekend and listened to the IOW festival (thanks everyone who provided the ideas and photos!).

The atmosphere and music was excellent with so many other boaters around us all having a laugh and appreciating the music.

There were loads of families there and it got me thinking... Where are the best places in and around the solent to drop anchor (or tie up) near like minded boating families with young children (mine are 6 and 8) where the adults can enjoy a glass of wine and the kids can play together on dinghies or nearby?

 

[Whitelighter]

Also try Easthead at Chichester, Seaview just outside Bembridge and the Beaulie river

 

[Wiggo]

Priory Bay, Bembridge, Whitecliff Bay, Thorness Bay, Newtown Creek, Colwell Bay (a favourite of ours) and Alum Bay are all good. Our kids are 11 and 13, FWIW, and spend inordinate amounts of time swimming round the boat, mucking about in the tender and playing on the beach. We have also been known to have the odd glass of wine.

 

[Nick_H]

Not quite in Solent, but Studland Bay near to Poole harbour entrance is one of the best family anchorages with a sandy beach, shallow water for swimming, good holding and protected in South and West winds, also a decent family pub to walk up to with v large garden area.

 

[AIDY]

You dont mean the nudest beach /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Nick_H]

..well no, unless you know something I dont. The nudist beaches are on the south side of the IOW. Anchored there and went ashore once, and when in Rome ....

 

[jhr]

Prepare for a shock: part of Studland beach is nudist! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Nick_H]

No it can't be, that's where SWMBO goes to look for winkles...

 

[jhr]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[AIDY]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Frontier]

How am I going to get brave enough to leave the boat anchored? Do others on here do that or do you leave someone onboard.

I have only anchored a couple of times so far. Both at East Head, but I would worry if I went ashore in the dinghy and would be watching all the time, as for going to a pub I couldn't rest.

I know people anchor all the time, but at this pase in my boating evolution I just cant imaging gettng over this apprehension

 

[kingfisher]

Actually, going to the pub helps me sleep better at anchor. I mean: if the thing is still there when I'm back from the pub, it means it won't shift at night either. Because Murphy's law states that an anchor will crab, when
- there are rocks downwind
- you are not on board
- you are unable to prevent it

 

[jhr]

[ QUOTE ]
How am I going to get brave enough to leave the boat anchored?

[/ QUOTE ] It's a confidence thing, and the more you do it, the easier you'll feel about it. If it's any consolation, the tidal current at Studland is considerably less than at East Head so if you've managed to stay put at the latter, you shouldn't have a problem.

Once you're firmly anchored, the main danger point (putting aside the stupidity of others) is when the tide turns, so for further peace of mind, try to make sure you're on board at that point. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Blinking]

[ QUOTE ]
Priory Bay, Bembridge, Whitecliff Bay, Thorness Bay, Newtown Creek, Colwell Bay (a favourite of ours) and Alum Bay are all good. Our kids are 11 and 13, FWIW, and spend inordinate amounts of time swimming round the boat, mucking about in the tender and playing on the beach. We have also been known to have the odd glass of wine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for all your replies.

We've done some searching on GoogleEarth and Newtown Creek looks lovely & busy, and hopefully full of other families with kids.

We've only got a 24ft sports cruiser - is there anything we should be aware of before anchoring there for the night? (We're quite new to this boating lark!)

 

[Blinking]

For some reason, I don't think my previous reply flagged up as an updated thread - so I've re-replied!?

Thanks for all your replies.

We've done some searching on GoogleEarth and Newtown Creek looks lovely & busy, and hopefully full of other families with kids.

We've only got a 24ft sports cruiser - is there anything we should be aware of before anchoring there for the night? (We're quite new to this boating lark!)

 

[Nick_H]

If its a summer weekend it may be worth getting in early so you can anchor in plenty of space, it will get very busy late afternoon. The bottom shelves fairly steeply near the wall in the eastern side of the creek, so be sure not to anchor on the slope. I'd go for 4-5 times max depth, any more and you may be getting up close and personal with other boats when the tide is low. Also check your chart carefully, particularly on springs, as there are some shallow and drying areas

Don't let any of that put you off though, get there early, turn left as you come into the creek, then anchor just off the middle of the channel and you'll be fine.

 

[Blinking]

Excellent - thanks for your advice houghn

 

[AIDY]

Lovely beach in the middle of the solent... some nice sand a MLWS.... from memory it's called Brambles Bank. great for building sand castles but be quick as they may disappear really soon ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Wiggo]

Newtown Creek is lovely, but I would advise you to try and get a buoy there, as I've found the holding to be patchy. Also, it tends to be on the quiet side, so not necessarily the ideal place to have hordes of kids in tenders etc etc. (though midweek is another matter entirely). If you want 'proper' anchor up, swim, play, bugger about in the tender, play on the beach stuff, then go to Colwell Bay. There's even a couple of beach cafes.

We're there regularly, and overnight there as well. Never seen another boat overnight though, they all seem to go to the next bay west (can't remember the name for some reason...)

 

[jhr]

[ QUOTE ]
they all seem to go to the next bay west (can't remember the name for some reason...)

[/ QUOTE ]

Totland Bay? Colwell's a bit rocky here and there......