Boatyards in Chichester area...

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ossian72

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Hi there, I’m looking to buy a small cruiser (lift keel
or bilge keeler 20-26ft) and need really to go and see some boats ... can anyone recommend good boatyards where I can poke about and see some examples to help me navigate all the choices out there?!
 
I would start by looking at Yachtworld
https://www.yachtworld.co.uk/core/l...h=9&cit=true&fromLength=8&toPrice=20000&No=10
See what the various local brokers have on their books.
You don't have to buy from a broker, but they will be able to show you a variety of boats.
It would be worth looking around Portsmouth Harbour, Hamble etc, not just Chichester.
Once you have a clearer idea of what you want, look further afield.
 
I suggest Emsworth Yacht Harbour (or it could be called Marina now). If there quick you will find quite a few examples of small yachts stored ashore for the winter. There is a brokerage there as well but I cannot remember it’s name.
 
I'm actually going to address the question. Emsworth Yacht Harbour and Thornham Marina are relatively close together. Both have ashore lay up facilities and on site expertise in yacht maintenance. They are about as far up the harbour as you can get so anything there should have the sort of draught you're interested in.

Northerney Marina at the foot of Hayling Island will also be a useful place to visit, there was a broker there last time I was there. Sparkes Marina is at the south end of Hayling but traffic and access isn't wonderful.

A poke abut the public car park in Bosham should give you an idea, but it's really only a laying up yard. You might find a few for sale boards on the boats there.

Dell Quay Marine ought to be worth a visit, it's on the way to Chichester Marina and Birdham Pool.

That lot ought to keep you busy for a weekend or four. There are plenty of good pubs for lunch in the area. should be a fun time for you.
 
Topcat47 said:
.... Northerney Marina at the foot of Hayling Island will also be a useful place to visit, there was a broker there last time I was there.
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Northney has Jay Kay marine who do a very good job at selling Mobos, but their turnover of sailboats is a bit slower. I am not aware of any other sail brokers on site (although NYB and BoatShed both broker boats based at Northney). Northney is also a fairly expensive place to keep a boat (mooring fees for a 30 footer for a year would consume the budget for the OP), which means there aren't an abundance of budget boats. Dell quay and Hayling Island Yacht company would be better options for the OP.
 
Topcat47 said:
I'm actually going to address the question. Emsworth Yacht Harbour and Thornham Marina are relatively close together. Both have ashore lay up facilities and on site expertise in yacht maintenance. They are about as far up the harbour as you can get so anything there should have the sort of draught you're interested in.

Northerney Marina at the foot of Hayling Island will also be a useful place to visit, there was a broker there last time I was there. Sparkes Marina is at the south end of Hayling but traffic and access isn't wonderful.

A poke abut the public car park in Bosham should give you an idea, but it's really only a laying up yard. You might find a few for sale boards on the boats there.

Dell Quay Marine ought to be worth a visit, it's on the way to Chichester Marina and Birdham Pool.

That lot ought to keep you busy for a weekend or four. There are plenty of good pubs for lunch in the area. should be a fun time for you.
Click to expand...

I'm a local and I can't better this excellent itinerary. If the OP's going to Dell Quay Marine he should also have a look at the boats out of the water at Dell Quay Sailing Club and Wyche Marine nearby. (I'm assuming the OP wants to poke around at examples of different classes, not just boats that are actually for sale.)
 
If you want to see a proper boat yard go to Hayling Yacht company on Hayling Island.
 
A word of caution: These open boatyards are very touchy about odd bods wandering around taking too much interest in their customers property, and are a lot more on the ball about it than appearances suggest. Try and get permission from the Office first, though you are likely to be refused unless you are genuine customer viewing a specific boat. Otherwise expect the Yard Hands to take matters into their own hands and assume you are a scrote up to no good. There's too many of them (scrotes, not yard hands!) around nowadays for yards to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Boats are the private property of their customers, and Im not at all sure I would be too happy to hear my yard had been allowing people to examine it without very good reason. Showing it off to someone who is interested and had arranged it with me - yes by all means. But not some unknown who has just wandered in to the Yard.

Sorry to pour cold water on the idea, but from the Yards point of view they simply will not risk their customers property.
 
Oldharry has a good point there. I have not been there for a while now but I would guess as an example Hayling Yacht Company yard would not have non customers wandering around boats on the hard or even entering the site, for safety reasons let alone security. However several of the yards mentioned here have foot paths right through them and cafes which need access for customers. Viewing anything from a public right of way I would say is quite reasonable because the yard and the owners know this can occur. But wandering on private land between the yachts shored up or wandering up pontoons without appointment I would say is not acceptable and not safe in some cases.
 
To give an example at Thornham: I wandered down one of their pontoons to look at a mate's new boat. I knew the boat but didnt know which pontoon it was on. I was politely but firmly asked what I was doing even before I had left the first pontoon. Full marks to them for their vigilance. I dint think i was that suspicious looking!
 
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