Cowes week and the Solent

[PRC]

Some advice please and apologies if this has been asked before but the last post I could find was from 2006.

I am cruising in the Solent the week of the 1st August which is also Cowes week. I am reluctant to prebook marina's etc. as I am not sure if I will head West towards Studland Bay/Poole/Weymouth or East towards the Hamble, Bembridge etc. but I am worried how busy everywhere may be.

During Cowes week is it normally possible to arrive at places such as the Yarmouth, Beaulieu River, Hamble, Bembridge (I will avoid Cowes) or Poole, Weymouth without a booking or is everywhere pre-booked? Also how busy would you expect anchorages such as Alum Bay, Newtown and Studland to be during the week?

Thanks in advance for any info provided.

Paul

 

[bdh198]

The marinas in Cowes will be very busy, but even then you’ll still very likely get a mooring on the Folly pontoons up river. Outside of Cowes there shouldn’t be any particular problem getting a Solent marina berth mid-week. Weekends in the summer (and I suspect particularly this year with the Covid restrictions keeping more people sailing in home waters) are always busy and at the very least you will want to be calling the marinas and securing a berth the morning of your visit.

The boats racing at Cowes Week will all be berthed relatively locally and won’t be in tidally restricted marinas (e.g. Bembridge) or anywhere at anchor, and they certainly won’t be berthing as far away as Poole, Weymouth or Studland. Looking East, the marinas in Portsmouth and Chichester are also unlikely to have much Cowes Week related bookings.

 

[Boathook]

I think that elsewhere in these forums it was mentioned that marinas have all their bookable berths taken and that it is a first come on the day for any spare berths. It can only get worse once the school holidays get going the end of this week. I think that it is a case of well provisioning before leaving your home berth and any marina stop is a bonus. I am interested in how others get on as I have my brothers family on board for a week mid August and hope to do a marina or 2, but possibly planning otherwise.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

@PRC depends a bit on how big your boat is and how picky you are. My experience recently is that you've no chance whatever at the weekend and minimal mid week, except at Yarmouth - and you need to be in by about 2pm. Unless they have a big rally, then not much chance there either. It's gone mad. Best of luck.

 

[st599]

Went out last weekend, marinas all asking for at least three days notice of arrival. Radio was constant people asking for and being refused berths - 2 marinas said all Saturday nights booked until September. You could probably walk ashore in Osborne bay and outside Newtown creek there were so many anchored boats.

 

[PRC]

Thanks for all the replies, sounds like I may have a challenge in the Solent without bookings, do you think this will be the same in Poole and Weymouth? The boat is 11m with 1.9m draft.

I will plan for anchorages as suggested and see marina availability as a bonus, do you have any recommendations apart from the usual places mentioned in the books such as Alum Bay, Newtown, Studland etc?

Thanks again.

 

[ridgy]

I'm in Island Harbour for Cowes week and as of last week they were full for the last weekend but maybe not in the week.

 

[DJE]

Just spent a hot sunny weekend anchored in South Deep in Poole Harbour and it wasn't as busy as I expected. Fairly quiet on Sunday night actually. Dropped in to Yarmouth for Monday night and it was bedlam - full by mid afternoon. For private schools I believe the holidays have already started

 

[johnalison]

I have been through a couple of times during the week and found Lymington as quiet as usual, using the Town facilities.

 

[Topcat47]

Cowes Week is always something of a nightmare. I've managed to get "in" on an "outside" berth at Yarmouth but you can forget about a walk ashore berth unless you're in Early PM. Portsmouth Harbour is usually OK as a lot of the keen "Racing types" have booked into Cowes for the week. Depending on what you have and what it draws, there are a number of "anchorages" where a cruiser can op in overnight, especially if you don't crave a pub meal and a few pints. I always try to avoid sailing in the Solent during cowes week.

 

[ashtead]

The other place to look at might be ocean village in Soton or one of the others up in Soton. To a large extent this option or say Chichester marina or a buoy at itchenor depends on weather and what you/your crew like doing. While ocean village has no charm it does have good facilities and local shopping, bars,eateries etc on dockside and in nearby Oxford street. Chi marina is lovely in fine weather but some distance from town and limited eateries etc but if you like county walks etc when ashore would be my choice but it is locked entry and the lock is small . You could look at Port Solent in Portsmouth but just be aware of issues on access/exit as also locked so can be slow to exit at weekends. Shops there are rather tired. Haslar marina does tend to have spaces generally I think and you might wanted to see if Deacons at top of Hamble might accommodate but just be aware of tides there of course . I guess Hythe marina might take visitors and would not be impacted by cowes week types being locked and somewhat remotely located. At Lymington you can sometimes find space on morning of arrival by a phone call but at11m you could raft on town quay I guess if all else fails in Lym - rather depends on how much peace you want though .

 

[colhel]

I asked a similar question a few weeks back and realise now its a how long is piece of string type question. All weather dependant imho. I guess one way to look at it is, if the weather is settled, the marina's will be busy but anchoring or attaching to a buoy would be pleasant. If it's unsettled, the marina's will be less busy. I can't recall in previous years anywhere outside the Solent being affected in Cowes Week.

 

[flaming]

In terms of competing boats, there will only be a small percentage who aren't staying in Cowes itself and they will all be boats who's home berth is in Hamble etc and have elected not to spend on berthing etc in Cowes, so no direct impact on visitor's berths elsewhere in the Solent.
There may be something of a displacement effect, with cruisers who might have spent a night in Cowes at some point over the week going elsewhere instead.
I'm certainly interested as to how busy the Solent feels during Cowes this year, as for the last couple of Cowes weeks I've felt that the numbers of non competing boats out and about were very small. But anecdotally everyone seems to be saying that the Solent is much busier than normal this year.

 

[PRC]

Thanks for all of your replies, really useful.

Based on the feedback I think I will take the sups for the kids and head towards the anchorages around Poole and Weymouth with enough supplies for the week. Weather dependent of course.

 

[PRC]

I thought it may be useful if I updated this with my experience last week. In short it was no where near as busy as I expecting and we didn't experience any issues finding a berth in our preferred harbour each night. We stayed at:

Monday - Newtown Creek - We got a mooring without an issue after arriving around 3pm and there were 3 or 4 untaken at the end of the day, There was also plenty of space to anchor.
Tuesday - Chichester East Head - Probably about 15 boats anchored but still plenty of room to get a good spot.
Wednesday - Gun Wharf - We called Tuesday afternoon and secured a berth for the Wednesday but there looked to be some spare berths available.
Thursday - Yarmouth - We arrived about 2pm and secured a berth on the pontoon, and there was plenty of space left at the end of the day.

Hope this helps someone.