Best Solent Anchorage?

[StugeronSteve]

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You could always go just past the piles at Bucklers Hard and pick up a residents mooring. There will be loads vacant now. Just use your dinghy to get to The Masterbuilders Arms. However, whatever you do, don't eat there! ;-)

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The moorings above Bucklers Hard are wonderful, but watch the depth. Most of them carry little more than 1 mtr at LW springs. Having been a long time critic if the Master Builder I have to say that when swmbo and I went in a couple of weeks ago, and got comfy by the fire, we decided to eat rather than walk back to the boat and cook. The bar meal (sausage and mash) was actually quite good, if a little expensive. The place was well lit, warm and clean, with a friendly barman on duty. Credit where credit is due!

 

[Sans Bateau]

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we decided to eat rather than walk back to the boat and cook. The bar meal (sausage and mash) was actually quite good, i

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For Christ shake! Steve, I! Can do sausage and mash! Bloody good onion gravy too! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[StugeronSteve]

Not exactly a Heston Blumenthal special (sp?) I know, but I have had some crap in there and swmbo, who would generally prefer a tin of Heinz soup to a meal in the MB, actually considered it to have been a pleasant evening.

 

[Sans Bateau]

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actually considered it to have been a pleasant evening.

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That'll be the exellent company she had Steve! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[jhr]

I'm prepared to believe that the sausage and mash was OK (it's the fail safe option) but the minute I saw [ QUOTE ]
with a friendly barman on duty

[/ QUOTE ] I knew Steve was taking the micky /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

I agree with him about the depth of the river above Buckler's Hard. My mooring is about a mile and a half above the village and there are occasions when I have to lift up the outdrive leg (which draws exactly 1 metre) somewhat, to avoid graunching noises at LWS. The weekend of the very low tides in September, even the outboard on our dinghy was bumping over the bottom /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif.

If you can take the ground, it's possible to anchor just above Bailey's Hard, where the mooring buoys run out. You will dry out, but it's level in the middle of the channel and the peace and quiet is fab.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

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Thanks for that. Taking some people out who are new to sailing and there is a push to spend a night on the hook. Just wanted to get everyones opinions on where was best to go at this time of year. Although I will try to push hard the idea of a calm marina, warm pub and a cold beer.............

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you can pick up a bouy in Newtown Creek instead of dropping your own hook, if you feel more comfortable. Might get charged, might not.

of course, some will say that you can't trust an unknown mooring, but the NT do a good job of maintaining them. All are capable of taking many tons of boat - proved on Saturday with 3 boats on one mooring.

 

[ColinHuggins]

Re: Any port in a storm!

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Had no problems bringing my 30'er in under sail with a full ebb . . .

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Overslept again? Or were those nav classes too difficult?