Cheap overnight mooring buoys in the Solent?

[TallBuoy]

Indeed but there is no need to start shouting the phrase "illegal occupation" across the water.

I arrived at my mooring recently to find an interloper. They spotted me approaching and sprung to action to leave, I said "I can see you are in the middle of lunch so I'll take the next buoy and drop back later". Then they noticed I was singlehanding and moved to another buoy regardless. This is how the world works outside the the imaginary tempest in a teacup land known as YBW.com

They could have done better - being single handed you could have tied alongside them, and they could have helped get you onto the mooring before they left.

 

[SimonD]

It seems to me that there is not a lot to land for, unless you take your dinghy (with outboard) up to the Royal Southampton Yacht Club annex at Ginns Farm on a day when it is open.

There's not a lot for me to land for, but the Labrador likes to go for a walk.

 

[Lucky Duck]

The B&B establishment just South of the YC provided musical entertainment for those of us on nearby moorings until the early hours of Sunday morning last weekend, does anybody know if this is to be expected or an occasional thing?

 

[jonjo]

The B&B establishment just South of the YC provided musical entertainment for those of us on nearby moorings until the early hours of Sunday morning last weekend, does anybody know if this is to be expected or an occasional thing?

It was a wedding or party with a yachting connection judging by the 4 vessels fully dressed vessels at Gin's that weekend. Not seen/heard that before.

Compared to other weddings it was a conservative event, light cocktail jazz type music until after 10pm and then just a few hours of disco music. I was asleep by 1am but further away from the party than you. 99% percent of the time the most noisy nocturnal interruptions are owls and wading birds.

 

[jonjo]

It seems to me that there is not a lot to land for, unless you take your dinghy (with outboard) up to the Royal Southampton Yacht Club annex at Ginns Farm on a day when it is open.

From Gins it is a 2 mile country lane walk to the pub/restaurant at Bucklers Hard. If the RSYC Gins grounds cannot be accessed there is a slipway immediately south which looks ok for landing on at around high tide.

 

[Cloona]

10 quid a night - pontoon - walk ashore - all facilities - bar - pubs - at Hardway SC

anchor off opposite Island harbour on Medina -

pontoon at Royal Victoria - Wooton Creek

 

[dslittle]

I guess I'm in the minority but i think the cost of overnight or short stays are generally good value, especially when you compare it to camping site charges or even car parking.

+1. I am in your minority. Cruising for six months last summer was cheaper than staying in our old Marina - and we actually anchored for an embarrassing few number of nights. Actually going elsewhere and meeting/talking to various harbour masters provided some VERY good deals. I think that the overall cost of overnighting whilst taking in some beautiful scenery was more than worth it.

 

[temptress]

Rip-off Solent! Any advice on overnight moorings for mere peasants?

Newtown River - £17 a night - very nice but not worth that sort of money. Do National Trust members get a discount?

Beaulieu River - probably more expensive than Newtown?

Keyhaven? £16 a night - little bit cheaper than Newtown.

Bembridge? Need a bilge keeler.

Wootton Creek? Like the idea of staying there. Could I take a vacant mooring buoy for the night?

Anywhere else?

P.S. What's the etiquette on taking vacant mooring buoys - just be prepared to move if someone arrives?

Use your ANCHOR...lots of options in the Solent

 

[snooks]

Use your ANCHOR...lots of options in the Solent

I was just about to advise the OP to walk to the pointy end and open the locker at the front and see what they can find :0). There are many anchorages in and around the Solent, you know the quality of your ground tackle – a mooring is always a risk. If you don't trust your anchor, upgrade your kit until you do.

A few years ago I spent 10 days going around the Solent and down to Poole and only went in a marina for two nights mostly just for the shower :0)

Most of the time anchoring is free.

 

[tat27]

I think Seaview is £10 a day or £22 overnight and that includes a nanny boat ashore (but they don't run all night) and the food is now excellent in the Yacht club. The sunrise and sunset are among the best anywhere and not just in the Solent. Moorings can be exposed in a n easterly tho..

 

[Giblets]

I think Seaview is £10 a day or £22 overnight and that includes a nanny boat ashore (but they don't run all night) and the food is now excellent in the Yacht club. The sunrise and sunset are among the best anywhere and not just in the Solent. Moorings can be exposed in a n easterly tho..

And also subject to severe rolling when a big box boat/tanker trundles past at dead of night! The visitors mooring need to be booked during high season but a quick call to the Yacht club normally suffices.

 

[Seajet]

And also subject to severe rolling when a big box boat/tanker trundles past at dead of night! The visitors mooring need to be booked during high season but a quick call to the Yacht club normally suffices.

The same applies to Osborne Bay: just about alright in daytime but I wouldn't choose to sleep to the anchor there, far to much roly-ploy !

If penny pinching I'd go up the Medina and anchor just south of the Folly; perfect shelter for a few quid if unlucky enough to be charged at all.

 

[JumbleDuck]

You have it about right on borrowing moorings, at least in this part of the world (the Scots are much more possessive!).

We are? I hadn't noticed. As far as I'm aware, the etiquette here is the same as everywhere else; you can pick up a vacant mooring but don't damage it, don't put your boat on a mooring unless you know it's strong enough, be prepared to move, cheerfully, at any time of the day or night and never, ever leave your boat unattended without the go-ahead from the mooring's owner.

Anyone is welcome to use my mooring when I'm not on it as long as you don't overload it (8m maximum, 4 tonnes maximum), don't lasso it and don't need more than 5' at LWS.

The "owner" of a buoy let on an annual basis probably signed a contract giving the local harbour master a right place short-term visitors on the buoy when it is unoccupied.

Like quite a lot of us up here, I own my mooring tackle. What are these "harbour masters" of which you speak.

 

[prv]

We are? I hadn't noticed. As far as I'm aware, the etiquette here is the same as everywhere else;

That's good to hear. I've not sailed in Scotland, my comment was based on reaction here to the subject of borrowing moorings. Some people have been vociferously possessive, and I'd noticed that this correlated very strongly with location. Which made sense, because in a less crowded area there should be less need to borrow moorings anyway - you can always anchor instead.

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

That's good to hear. I've not sailed in Scotland, my comment was based on reaction here to the subject of borrowing moorings. Some people have been vociferously possessive, and I'd noticed that this correlated very strongly with location. Which made sense, because in a less crowded area there should be less need to borrow moorings anyway - you can always anchor instead.

One big difference up here is that many of us own our own moorings and join together in Moorings Associations to pay the Crown Estate. Perhaps people are a bit more relaxed about rented moorings; damage is someone else's problem and alternatives can be found. However, I do think that if you stick to the standard etiquette then borrowing moorings here is, in general, fine.

 

[sniffyjenkins]

"Muddy but magical" Langstone Harbour (Marschallin's home port) has visitors' buoys for (apparently) £13.60 a night. It's a lovely place, very quiet. Everything's a fraction of the price of next Chi Harbour and no one really goes there. I love its "outpost feel", as Mr Cunliffe puts it. Also, seals.

 

[Fantasie 19]

"Muddy but magical" Langstone Harbour (Marschallin's home port) has visitors' buoys for (apparently) £13.60 a night. It's a lovely place, very quiet. Everything's a fraction of the price of next Chi Harbour and no one really goes there. I love its "outpost feel", as Mr Cunliffe puts it. Also, seals.

The HISC visitor moorings were £10 last time I checked.. and Chi has seals too...

 

[alancollins]

The last time I used the visitors' pontoon in the Beaulieu river it was almost impossible to get ashore at Bucklers Hard. The landing pontoon by the fuel berth was four deep in dinghies, presumably owned by mooring holders. Has this improved lately?

 

[Seajet]

That was the case for decades, it was like a cross between ' It's a Knockout ' and a Marines Assault Course clambering from dinghy to dinghy to finally - if lucky - make the pontoon, as nobody had the courtesy to use long painters.

Happily I have seen it reported on here recently that this situation has at last been sorted out, by the new lady harbourmaster it seems.

 

[[3889]]

I'm sure we were paying over a fiver a night for Sonata moorings 30-something years ago.
So I don't think charges have really run ahead of inflation on the whole.
£17 is perhaps 4x what it costs to park a car on the street for a few hours in a lot of places.
It's not much more than you pay to pitch a 2 man tent in the bum end of nowhere.
It's way cheaper than B&B.
It's cheaper than eating in a pub.
There are places you can anchor for free.

If you overnight on your boat 30 nights a year, you are doing better than many of us. That would be about £500. If that's in the top five of boat-related payout you're doing quite well.
Anyone who's owned boats over a period of time and adds up where the money's gone will probably find they'd have got better value if they spend more nights moored away from home at £15-£20 a night.

The only people this tends not to apply to is the retired who cruise continuously for a few months. That racks up and income is less.

Some dodgy maths there. I've stayed 121 nights over the last 3 years (to the day as it happens) in fully serviced marina berths for a total cost, at current xc rates, of £860. All via Passeport Escale.
What's the relevance if B&b or dining out?
Laid moorings inhibit the opportunity to anchor on the seabed.. a resource funded by nobody! I agree that leaving a boat unoccupied on another's mooring is unacceptable but utilising an empty mooring is fair game - speaking as a mooring owner.